Communications: electrical – Traffic control indicator
Reexamination Certificate
2000-04-18
2001-06-05
Wu, Daniel J. (Department: 2632)
Communications: electrical
Traffic control indicator
C340S905000, C340S910000, C340S938000, C340S539230
Reexamination Certificate
active
06243027
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
Background of the Invention
This invention pertains to systems for dispatching emergency vehicles.
More particularly, the invention relates to a system for correlating the route of travel of an emergency vehicle with one or more selected railway crossings.
The use of the telephone number “911” and of other telephone numbers to summon an ambulance, a fire engine, police car or another emergency vehicle is well known. Dispatchers who receive 911 and similar emergency calls direct, when necessary, emergency vehicles to selected locations and street addresses.
One problem which has long been encountered is that a dispatcher does not know, when a vehicle is dispatched, if a railway crossing on the route to be traveled by the vehicle is blocked. The dispatcher becomes aware of the blocked railway crossing only when the dispatched vehicle encounters the blocked crossing and radios the dispatcher. The dispatcher can then, upon being notified that the railway crossing is blocked, dispatch a second emergency vehicle along a route of travel which will not encounter the blocked railway crossing. While dispatching a second emergency vehicle appears, at first blush, to be a simple solution to the problem, this solution often proves deadly. An individual suffering a heart attack has about an 80% chance of survival if an emergency vehicle arrives two minutes after the attack. If the emergency vehicle arrives four minutes after the attack, the individual has about a 50% chance of survival. If the emergency vehicle arrives six minutes after the heart attack, the individual has less than a 10% chance of survival. Consequently, when a dispatcher has to send out a second emergency vehicle because the first encounters a blocked railway crossing, the likelihood that a person who has had a heart attack will survive is significantly reduced. Similarly, when a fire engine is dispatched and is delayed at a blocked railway crossing, requiring the dispatching of a second fire engine, the likelihood that a structure will be completely consumed by fire ordinarily is significantly increased. There are also cases where the timeliness of police intervention determines whether a crime or serious injury occur.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it would be highly desirable to provide an improved emergency vehicle dispatch system which would avoid delays encountered when a railway crossing is blocked by a train.
Therefore, it is a principal object of the instant invention to provide an improved emergency vehicle dispatch system.
Another object of the invention is to provide an improved emergency vehicle dispatch system which will insure that an emergency vehicle will not encounter a blocked railway crossing along the route taken by the emergency vehicle in traveling to its destination.
These and other, further and more specific objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description thereof, taken in conjunction with the drawing which sets forth an emergency dispatch system constructed in accordance with the principles of the invention.
Briefly, in accordance with the invention, I provide an improved system for dispatching an emergency vehicle. The system includes a dispatch center for receiving emergency calls requesting an emergency vehicle and including a receiver; and, a monitoring system at a railway crossing remote from the dispatch center. The monitoring system includes a sensor for determining when a train is blocking the railway crossing, and a transmitter for transmitting to the receiver a signal when the railway crossing is blocked.
In another embodiment of the invention, I provide an improved method for dispatching an emergency vehicle. The improved method includes the steps of providing a dispatch center for receiving emergency calls requesting an emergency vehicle and including a receiver; providing a monitoring system at a railway crossing remote from said dispatch center; and, providing a notification system attached to the receiver. The monitoring system includes a sensor for determining when a train is blocking the railway crossing, and a transmitter for transmitting to the receiver a signal when the railway crossing is blocked. When the receiver receives the signal, the notification system notifies the dispatch center that the railway crossing is blocked. When the dispatch center receives a call requesting the dispatch of an emergency vehicle and the notification system indicates that the railway crossing is blocked, the dispatch center dispatches the emergency vehicle along a route of travel which avoids the blocked railway crossing.
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Nissle P.C. Tod R.
Pham Toan
Wu Daniel J.
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