Emergency Vehicle Locator

Abstract

A system for simultaneously displaying the locations of all nearby emergency vehicles onto the same moving map as the current location of another vehicle is described. Each emergency vehicle receives location data from a GPS receiver and broadcasts the location data using a Bluetooth or other transmitter. Other vehicles receive location data corresponding to their own locations using their own GPS receivers and each displays their own location onto their own moving map display in the usual manner. Additionally, the other vehicles also have Bluetooth or other receivers which receive the local broadcasts containing emergency vehicle locations and display the locations of all emergency vehicles simultaneously with their own location. The operator of the vehicle benefits by knowing the relative locations of the emergency vehicles when they cannot be seen. Some emergency vehicle operators may optionally choose to not broadcast their location data under certain circumstances.

Claims

1. An emergency vehicle location system comprising: A first global positioning system for determining said emergency vehicle's location; A radio frequency transmitter for broadcasting said emergency vehicle's location; A communications means for communicating said emergency vehicle's location to said radio frequency transmitter; A second global positioning system for determining the location of a second vehicle; A radio frequency receiver for receiving said broadcasting of said emergency vehicle's location; A moving map display for displaying the locations of said emergency vehicle and said second vehicle; A second communications means for communicating the location of said emergency vehicle to said moving map display.

2. An emergency vehicle location system according to claim 1 wherein said radio frequency transmitter transmits at least one additional parameter from a list of parameters characterizing said emergency vehicle and planned travel route.

3. An emergency vehicle location system according to claim 2 wherein said at least one additional parameter is the type of emergency vehicle and said moving map additionally displays said type of emergency vehicle.

4. An emergency vehicle location system according to claim 1 wherein the radio frequency transmitter is a Bluetooth transmitter and the radio frequency receiver is a Bluetooth receiver.

5. An emergency vehicle location system according to claim 1 wherein the radio frequency transmitter communicates with a cellular phone network and the radio frequency receiver communicates with a cellular phone network.

6. An emergency vehicle location system according to claim 3 wherein the radio frequency transmitter is a Bluetooth transmitter and the radio frequency receiver is a Bluetooth receiver.

7. An emergency vehicle location system according to claim 3 wherein the radio frequency transmitter communicates with a cellular phone network and the radio frequency receiver communicates with a cellular phone network.

8. An emergency vehicle location system according to claim 4 wherein the second global positioning system is installed on a smart phone.

9. An emergency vehicle location system according to claim 4 wherein the second global positioning system is a portable system.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] FIG. 1 shows a system for broadcasting the GPS based location data of an emergency vehicle to Bluetooth receivers within the associated Bluetooth receiving range.

[0015] FIG. 2 is an illustrative example showing the simultaneous display of a vehicle's current location along with the location of a nearby emergency vehicle on the same moving map display used for vehicle navigation.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0016] An exemplary embodiment of the invention is shown in FIG. 1. An emergency vehicle 50, e.g. a fire truck, an ambulance, or a police car has an on-board Location Broadcasting System (LBS) 60 comprised of a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver 51, a Bluetooth beacon 53, and a communication means 52. The GPS receiver 51 receives broadcasts from the GPS constellation 54 satellites in the normal manner for this well-known technology and determines the geo-location of the host emergency vehicle 50.

[0017] The communication means 52 transfers the location data from the GPS receiver 51 to the Bluetooth beacon 53. The Bluetooth beacon 53 broadcasts a radio signal containing identifying information about the type of its host emergency vehicle, e.g. fire truck, ambulance, or police car, and the location data from the GPS receiver 51 throughout the local geographic area.

[0018] An arbitrary vehicle 59 employs a Dual Location Receiving and Display System (DLRDS) 61. The DLRDS 61 is comprised of a second GPS receiver 56, a Bluetooth receiver 55, a second communication means 57, and a moving map display 58. The second GPS receiver 56 receives broadcasts from the GPS constellation 54 satellites in the normal manner for this well-known technology and determines the geo-location of the host vehicle 59. The Bluetooth receiver 55 receives broadcasts from all Bluetooth beacons installed on emergency vehicles in the local area, e.g. the Bluetooth beacon 53 on the emergency vehicle 50.

[0019] As stated above, said Bluetooth beacon 53 broadcast contains information about the type of emergency vehicle as well as the location of the emergency vehicle 50. The second communication means 57 communicates all received emergency vehicle type and location information for emergency vehicles in the local area and the host vehicle 59 location obtained from the GPS receiver 56 to the moving map display 58.

[0020] Referring to FIG. 2, the moving map display 58 simultaneously displays the location and type of the emergency vehicle 50 (FIG. 1) and location and types of any other emergency vehicles in the local area that are broadcasting their locations as well as the vehicle location indicator 4 associated with the host vehicle 59 (FIG. 1). FIG. 2 shows that in this exemplary embodiment, the vehicle 59 with an associated vehicle location indicator 4 is traveling on H Street as indicated by the current street indicator 7, it is 550 meters from its destination 11 as shown by the distance to destination indicator 6, and that an emergency vehicle 50 is located in front and to the right of the vehicle 59 at about its 1:30 o'clock position. Furthermore, the emergency vehicle 50, indicated on the moving map by the fire truck emergency vehicle location indicator 1, is 600 m in distance from the vehicle 59, as shown by the emergency vehicle distance indicator 3. The emergency vehicle 50 is moving in the direction shown on the moving map by the direction of emergency vehicle indicator 2.

[0021] The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The embodiments described are therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.