Emergency roadside telephone communications system

• US 4,724,538 A
• Filed: 09/06/1985
• Issued: 02/09/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/1985
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: GTE Mobilnet Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Comstock Group, Inc.
• Inventors: Farrell, Edward P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lev, Robert
• Application Number:
  US06/773,351
• Time in Patent Office: 886 Days
• Field of Search: 179/2 EB, 179/5 R, 179/5 P, 179/6.3 R, 179/27 G, 179/2 E, 340/539, 379/59, 455/33
• US Class Current: 455/404.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/04 with alarm systems, e.g. fire, police or burglar alarm systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/50 for emergency connections

Abstract

This invention relates to a roadside emergency system. The systems includes a roadside station which has a telephone unit similar to a mobile telephone set for a cellular mobile telephone system. When the unit is activated, it automatically generates radio signals which cause a mobile telephone switching office to dial up an emergency station (such as a highway police station). The office also automatically establishes a channel for voice communication between the roadside station and the emergency station. The roadside station is further provided with a back-up battery and an alarm to prevent tampering.

Claims

1. A roadside emergency telephone system comprising:

a mobile telephone switching office dedicated to a geographic service area and divided into a plurality of cells, said office being connected to a telephone network by a telephone link;

a cell site located within said one of said cells connected by data and voice channels to said office and provided for transmitting and receiving signals over said channels and for transmitting radio signal channels; and

a roadside station located within said one cell and provided for selectively generating, in response to a user'"'"'s nonautomatic single pushbutton input, radio request signals corresponding to an emergency telephone number and for exchanging radio human voice signals with said cell site;

said cell site being further provided to translate the radio request signal from said roadside station into digital request signals for said office; and

said office being provided to automatically dial said emergency number in response to said digital request signals, said office being further provided to assign a voice channel for communication between said telephone network and roadside station and wherein said cell site is further provided to receive data control messages from said office indicative of said voice channel and to transmit data control messages with voice radio messages.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said roadside station comprises a telephone unit for translating radio voice signals into audible signals and audible signals into radio voice signals, said telephone unit including a transceiver which is tuned to the channel in response to said radio control signals.

3. The station according to claim 1 further comprising a backup battery for emergency power for the telephone unit.

4. The station according to claim 3 further comprising a battery charger for trickle charging said battery.

5. The station according to claim 4 further comprising alarm means for generating an audible alarm when a sealed box is disturbed, and comprising said sealed box which contains a speaker, a microphone, a pushbutton, and a telephone unit for generating said radio request signals corresponding to said emergency telephone number when said pushbutton is activated, said telephone unit being connected to said speaker and said microphone for wireless telephone communication between a person at said road station and said cell site.