Telecommunications – Transmitter and receiver at separate stations – Plural transmitters or receivers
Reexamination Certificate
1999-07-02
2004-01-06
Maung, Nay (Department: 2684)
Telecommunications
Transmitter and receiver at separate stations
Plural transmitters or receivers
C701S201000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06675019
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Roadway accidents involving hazardous loads have caused damage to property and pose a danger to life and limb. A major problem lies in simply identifying the specific load that has spilled. Many times police officers or other safety personnel arrive at the scene of a motor vehicle accident in which a chemical spill has occurred and are unable to readily ascertain what hazardous material has spilled or what precautions should be taken to prevent damage to the environment and loss of human life. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an identification system for use with vehicles e.g., trucks, railroad cars, etc., carrying hazardous materials, that enables police officers or other safety personnel to readily ascertain before arriving at the scene of an accident, the type of hazardous material that has spilled and what precautions should be taken. Preferably, the system includes a responder system comprised of a pair of communication units. The first communication unit is preferably disposed on the vehicle carrying the hazardous load and responsive to a radio signal for transmitting information about the vehicle and its load.
Another problem that arises in connection with roadway accidents involving spilled hazardous materials is that the spilled cargo often emits noxious or dangerous fumes. Accordingly, it is a further object of the present invention to provide an identification system that notifies the police officers or safety personnel who arrive at the scene of a motor vehicle accident of the type of dangerous chemicals that have spilled, while the officers are at some safe distance from the actual accident scene. It is a further object of the invention that the responder system is adapted to not only provide an identification of the hazardous chemical that has spilled but also provides the police officers or other safety personnel with a set of specific precautions which should be taken when approaching the vehicle that has been involved in the accident.
The above objectives are achieved in accordance with the present invention by providing a small electronic first communication unit on the vehicle transporting the hazardous load. The first communication unit is adapted to transmit the name or code of the hazardous material carried by the vehicle as well as other pertinent information relevant to the safety of the police officers or other safety personnel that arrive at the accident scene. Information relating to the carrier and a contact person is also selectively transmitted from the first communication unit.
The first communication unit located on the vehicle transponder is selectively activated by a second communication unit carried by the police officer or safety personnel. To that end, the first communication unit on the motor vehicle acts as a transponder for receiving an activation signal initiated by safety personnel using the second communication unit and, in response thereto, generates a predetermined response transmitting information from the transponder to the second communication unit. The second communication unit is adapted to receive the information from the transponder and convert the information into a form intelligible to humans such as a display of the information on a screen or in the form of an audible signal using a speaker.
In accordance with one aspect of the invention, the second communication unit carried by the police officer or safety personnel includes a database that associates names or codes of hazardous materials with information regarding precautionary measures to be taken with each of the hazardous materials listed in the database. In that way, the first communication unit on the motor vehicle need only transmit a code associated with the hazardous material whereupon the second communication unit receiving the code can readily access a lookup table in the database to derive information regarding the manner in which the hazardous material spill is to be addressed. This information is vital to prevent damage to the environment and to save life or limb of the police or safety officer, driver or passenger in the vehicle, or residents in the area local of the accident scene.
In addition, the second communication unit in accordance with another aspect of the invention includes a phone, preferably a cellular telephone, for use by the safety personnel to transmit information and reports of the spill to Hazmat, EPA, DOT, etc. The phone is of course usable to contact individuals based on names retrieved from the database so that technical information regarding the manner in which the spill is to be handled can be easily obtained if necessary by personnel having special qualifications, knowledge or experience.
Many roadway accidents involving hazardous loads can be attributed to driver fatigue. Typically, truck accidents occur because the driver is tired or sleepy due to the number of hours driven. To overcome this problem, federal laws have been imposed that limit the number of hours a driver can work behind the wheel on the highway. In order to establish a record of hours driven, the current federal law requires the driver to maintain and produce when asked, a log book of his time on the road.
Accordingly, in accordance with another embodiment of the invention, the transponder system is adapted to automatically establish a record of motor vehicle movement activity. An object of this embodiment is to accurately and automatically log the number of hours a vehicle is driven. A further object is to make the process of maintaining or compiling the federally mandated log book, and producing the log book for inspection when required, simpler and easier for the driver. A further object of the invention is for the transponder to completely fill out or construct the log book requirement automatically without driver intervention.
The law that requires drivers to maintain a log book of vehicle activity has not totally eliminated the problems of tired or sleepy drivers on the highway, however. Many drivers ignore the log book requirement in part and therefore do not accurately compile information that accurately reflects driving time. Therefore, inspections of log books that were falsified or sloppily maintained therefore do not always result in ejecting over-driven operators from the highway. Accordingly, it is a further object of the invention to ensure that the logs are accurately prepared and insulated from driver tampering.
Another problem associated with the driving record log books, is the long period of time it usually takes for law enforcement or regulatory officers to inspect the log during routine vehicle stops to ensure that the driver has properly produced the log record and has not driven over the allowed hours. Accordingly, it is a further object of the invention to enable law enforcement officials and regulatory personnel to quickly and easily obtain information regarding the number of hours driven by the driver of a vehicle without the need to stop the vehicle. The above object is enabled by a transponder system in accordance with a second embodiment of the invention that records or otherwise keeps track of the number of hours the motor vehicle has been driven and, further, is adapted to transmit the accumulated drive time log using a radio frequency signal in response to an activation or query signal generated by a second communication unit carried by the law enforcement or regulatory personnel. In effect, the law enforcement and regulatory personnel can electronically “tap” the log information collected by the first communication unit or transponder disposed in the motor vehicle without stopping the vehicle.
The above object is enabled by a transponder system in accordance with a second embodiment of the invention that stores or otherwise compiles a record of the actual number of hours the motor vehicle has been driven and, further is adapted to selectively transmit the accumulated drive time log using a radio frequency signal in response to an activation or query signal generated by a s
Salahshour Soheyl C.
Thomson James D.
Corsaro Nick
Fay Sharpe Fagan Minnich & McKee LLP
Maung Nay
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