Communications: electrical – External condition vehicle-mounted indicator or alarm – Transmitter in another vehicle
Reexamination Certificate
2000-11-08
2001-06-26
Wu, Daniel J. (Department: 2632)
Communications: electrical
External condition vehicle-mounted indicator or alarm
Transmitter in another vehicle
C340S904000, C340S902000, C340S435000, C340S384100, C340S815450
Reexamination Certificate
active
06252521
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to vehicle safety equipment and more particularly to an emergency vehicle alert system that provides a mechanism for alerting civilian drivers of the approach of an emergency vehicle such as an ambulance, police car, fire truck, or the like; the emergency vehicle alert system includes a number of emergency vehicle constant signal strength transmitter units for installation in emergency response vehicles and a number of signal receiving units for installation in civilian vehicles; each of the emergency vehicle constant signal strength transmitter units including a radio transmitter having an activation switch for allowing an operator to activate the radio transmitter when responding to an emergency, each of the radio transmitters transmitting an emergency vehicle approaching radio signal at a predetermined, set radio frequency, in all directions and at a constant signal strength that is equal to the signal strength of the emergency vehicle approaching radio signal transmitted by the radio transmitter of every other emergency vehicle constant signal strength transmitter unit and at the same predetermined radio frequency; each of the signal receiving units including a radio receiver circuit tuned to the predetermined set radio frequency of the emergency vehicle constant signal strength transmitter units and a signal strength detecting circuit having a signal strength detector input in connection with a receiver output of the radio receiver circuit, a variable speaker power output in connection with the variable output speaker and a variable LED power output in connection with the variable output LED light system; the signal strength detector circuit supplying power to the variable speaker power output and the variable LED power output at levels directly proportional to the strength of the received emergency vehicle approaching radio signal such that, as the distance between the transmitter unit and the receiver unit decreases, power to the variable speaker power output and the variable LED power output increases and as the distance between the transmitter unit and the receiver unit increases, power to the variable speaker power output and the variable LED power output decreases, thereby, allowing a driver of a civilian vehicle to gauge the distance between an emergency vehicle and the civilian vehicle; the signal receiving units including only on/off control knobs for the variable output speaker and the variable output LED light system.
BACKGROUND ART
Accidents can occur when a civilian vehicle driver is suddenly confronted with a rapidly traveling emergency vehicle and the associated blaring sirens and the confusion of the other civilian drivers. It would be a benefit for everyone concerned to have an emergency vehicle alert system that included a transmitter unit carried in each emergency vehicle and a receiver unit carried in each civilian vehicle wherein the transmitter units communicated to the receiver units information regarding the approach of an emergency vehicle before the sound of a siren could be heard as well as constantly updated information regarding the distance between the emergency vehicle and each of the civilian vehicles. Because it would be difficult for the emergency vehicle to transmit a signal communicating a separate distance to each and every receiver unit, it would be a benefit if the emergency vehicle alert system included transmitter units and receiver units having mechanisms for each receiver unit to determine the distance between itself and the emergency transmitter unit.
GENERAL SUMMARY DISCUSSION OF INVENTION
It is thus an object of the invention to provide an emergency vehicle alert system that includes a number of emergency vehicle constant signal strength transmitter units for installation in emergency response vehicles and a number of signal receiving units for installation in civilian vehicles; each of the emergency vehicle constant signal strength transmitter units including a radio transmitter having an activation switch for allowing an operator to activate the radio transmitter when responding to an emergency, each of the radio transmitters transmitting an emergency vehicle approaching radio signal at a predetermined, set radio frequency, in all directions and at a constant signal strength that is equal to the signal strength of the emergency vehicle approaching radio signal transmitted by the radio transmitter of every other emergency vehicle constant signal strength transmitter unit and at the same predetermined radio frequency; each of the signal receiving units including a radio receiver circuit tuned to the predetermined set radio frequency of the emergency vehicle constant signal strength transmitter units and a signal strength detecting circuit having a signal strength detector input in connection with a receiver output of the radio receiver circuit, a variable speaker power output in connection with the variable output speaker and a variable LED power output in connection with the variable output LED light system; the signal strength detector circuit supplying power to the variable speaker power output and the variable LED power output at levels directly proportional to the strength of the received emergency vehicle approaching radio signal such that, as the distance between the transmitter unit and the receiver unit decreases, power to the variable speaker power output and the variable LED power output increases and as the distance between the transmitter unit and the receiver unit increases, power to the variable speaker power output and the variable LED power output decreases, thereby, allowing a driver of a civilian vehicle to gauge the distance between an emergency vehicle and the civilian vehicle; the signal receiving units including only on/off control knobs for the variable output speaker and the variable output LED light system.
Accordingly, an emergency vehicle alert system is provided. The emergency vehicle alert system includes a number of emergency vehicle constant signal strength transmitter units for installation in emergency response vehicles and a number of signal receiving units for installation in civilian vehicles; each of the emergency vehicle constant signal strength transmitter units including a radio transmitter having an activation switch for allowing an operator to activate the radio transmitter when responding to an emergency, each of the radio transmitters transmitting an emergency vehicle approaching radio signal at a predetermined, set radio frequency, in all directions and at a constant signal strength that is equal to the signal strength of the emergency vehicle approaching radio signal transmitted by the radio transmitter of every other emergency vehicle constant signal strength transmitter unit and at the same predetermined radio frequency; each of the signal receiving units including a radio receiver circuit tuned to the predetermined set radio frequency of the emergency vehicle constant signal strength transmitter units and a signal strength detecting circuit having a signal strength detector input in connection with a receiver output of the radio receiver circuit, a variable speaker power output in connection with the variable output speaker and a variable LED power output in connection with the variable output LED light system; the signal strength detector circuit supplying power to the variable speaker power output and the variable LED power output at levels directly proportional to the strength of the received emergency vehicle approaching radio signal such that, as the distance between the transmitter unit and the receiver unit decreases, power to the variable speaker power output and the variable LED power output increases and as the distance between the transmitter unit and the receiver unit increases, power to the variable speaker power output and the variable LED power output decreases, thereby, allowing a driver of a civilian vehicle to gauge the distance between an emergency vehicle and the civilian vehicle. In a preferred embodiment, the
Griffin Anita F.
Griffin Willie J.
Breaux Joseph N.
Wu Daniel J.
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