Abstract:
A real time vehicle safety alert system for monitoring and alerting of hazards proximate a traveling vehicle includes an alert module in data communication with a processor and memory. The alert module may be positioned in a vehicle and in data communication with the vehicle&#39;s computer. A global position system is in communication with the processor for determining a current global position associated with the alert module. A receiver is in data communication with the processor and configured to receive alert signals from remote sources. The processor causes the receiver to receive an alert signal and to determine the type of emergency and a global position associated with the received signal. If the alert signal is within a predetermined distance of the position of the alert module, an associated alert message is published to the alert module. If the vehicle computer senses an emergency, a transmitter transmits an alert message.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates generally to vehicle safety devices and, more particularly, to a safety alert system that alerts a driver of a vehicle regarding real time hazards that are in the near vicinity of the driver&#39;s vehicle. 
     Tragic news stories are heard frequently including traffic accidents involving children being hit by an automobile when walking to or away from a school bus, a car being struck while crossing train tracks unaware of an oncoming train, cars being struck by a snow plow during a snow storm, cars involved in accidents with an ambulance or other emergency vehicle. Many of these tragic accidents could have been avoided if only the drivers of respective automobiles had more advance warning in real time, i.e. at the exact moment they were driving in an area in which a potential hazard is present. For example, a car that gets struck by a train while crossing a set of train tracks could have avoided the accident if the driver of the car had been given advance warning. Similarly, an accident between a car and, say, an ambulance, fire truck, or police car could be avoided if the car had better real time warnings of the close proximity of the emergency vehicle. Still further, a child struck by an automobile after exiting a school bus could have been saved if drivers approaching the loaded bus would have been clearly alerted about a stopping or completely stopped school bus. In addition, occupants of a vehicle could be rescued faster if their vehicle was able to automatically call for help when involved in an accident. 
     Therefore, it would be desirable to have a vehicle safety alert system for monitoring and alerting of potential hazards proximate a traveling vehicle. Further, it would be desirable to have a vehicle safety alert system that alerts drivers proximate to a hazard in real time, i.e. at the very time the potential hazard is present. Still further, it would be desirable to have a vehicle safety alert system having an alert module configured for installation in private vehicles as well as in vehicles that could be a “potential hazard”—such as a school bus, train, ambulance, etc—so that drivers proximate a hazard may be alerted and the user of the alert module can proactively send alerts. In addition, it would be desirable to have a vehicle safety alert system having an alert module that may be interfaced with a vehicle&#39;s on-board computer to send its own alert message if the vehicle is involved in a crash. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A real time vehicle safety alert system according to the present invention for monitoring and alerting of potential hazards proximate a traveling vehicle includes an alert module in data communication with a processor and memory. The alert module may be positioned in a vehicle and selectively in data communication with the vehicle&#39;s computer. A global position system is in communication with the processor and configured to generate a current global position associated with the alert module. A receiver is in data communication with the processor and configured to receive alert signals from remote sources. The system includes programming causing the processor to receive an alert signal and to determine an alert identifier and a global position associated with the received signal. The alert identifier indicates the type of emergency. If the alert signal is within a predetermined distance of the position of the alert module, an associated alert message is published—in text or audio—to the alert module. 
     A transmitter is in data communication with the processor and the processor is in communication with the vehicle&#39;s computer. If the processor detects that the car is involved in an accident, e.g. air bag sensors are deployed, the processor causes the transmitter to automatically transmit an alert signal for the benefit of nearby drivers or to alert nearby emergency services. In addition, a user may input an alert code into the alert module and actuate its transmission—again to alert nearby passengers and emergency authorities of a hazard in the area. 
     Therefore, a general object of this invention is to provide a real time vehicle safety alert system that monitors and alerts vehicles to emergency conditions that are nearby so that evasive action may be taken or assistance may be timely rendered. 
     Another object of this invention is to provide a safety alert system, as aforesaid, that delivers alerts to proximate alert modules in real time, i.e. while the potential hazard is imminently present and proximate. 
     Still another object of this invention is to provide a safety alert system, as aforesaid, in which respective alert modules may transmit alert signals automatically in certain conditions or manually upon active entry by a driver. 
     Yet another object of this invention is to provide a safety alert system, as aforesaid, that includes a global positioning system associated with each alert module for determining a current global position of a respective alert module for comparison with a current global position of a potential hazard. 
     A further object of this invention is to provide a safety alert system, as aforesaid, in which an alert module is configured to audibly and textually indicate that an alert has been received and that identifies the specific type of alert. 
     Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein is set forth by way of illustration and example, embodiments of this invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a vehicle safety alert system according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2 a    is a front perspective view of an alert module of the alert system as in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 2 b    is a rear perspective view of the alert module as in  FIG. 2   a;    
         FIGS. 3 a  to 3 h    are front views of the alert module illustrating exemplary graphic symbols that can be displayed thereon at the direction a processor; 
         FIG. 4 a    is a flowchart illustrating the logical steps of a process of manual transmission of a manual transmission of an alert signal according to the vehicle safety alert system as in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 4 b    is a flowchart illustrating the logical steps of a process of automatic transmission of a manual transmission of an alert signal according to the vehicle safety alert system as in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 5  is a flowchart illustrating the logical steps of a process of a monitoring mode according to the vehicle safety alert system as in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 6  is a block diagram illustrating the electronic components of the vehicle safety alert system according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 7  is a diagrammatic illustration of the vehicle safety alert system according to the present invention; and 
         FIG. 8  is a block diagram of implementation specific components of an embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     A real time vehicle safety alert system according to the present invention will now be described with reference to  FIGS. 1 to 8  of the accompanying drawings. The safety alert system  10  includes an alert module  12  configured for placement in a private automobile, government vehicle, or for use by agencies and organizations for monitoring, transmitting, or receiving emergency alert signals and messages in real time. 
     The safety alert system  10  includes a plurality of alert modules  12 , each alert module  12  being configured for installation in a private, government, or emergency vehicle. More particularly, each alert module  12  may include a housing  14  having at least, but not limited to, a base  16  and a display  18 . In some embodiments, the base  16  may alternatively be mounting hardware coupled to the bottom or rear of the housing  14 . In one embodiment, the display  18  may be a touch screen that enables a user to input information as will be described more fully later. Although a plurality of alert modules  12  and related components are provided in an exemplary embodiment, the components of a single alert module  12  will now be described for the sake of clarity. Without limitation, an alert module  12  may be installed in a train, an ambulance, a police car, an emergency dispatch network, a private automobile, a tractor, a weather agency, a railroad crossing, a hospital, or a government agency (e.g. a snow plow vehicle). 
     The safety alert system  10  includes a memory  20  positioned in or otherwise in communication with the alert module  12 , the memory  20  having a plurality of data structures for storing data and programming as will be further described later. A processor  22  is in data communication with the memory  20  and is configured to execute respective programming steps. Programming in memory  20 , when executed by the processor  22 , causes the processor  22  to query the GPS to determine a current (real time) global position of the alert module  12 . 
     A global positioning system (“GPS”)  24  is in data communication with the processor  22  and memory  20  of each respective alert module  12 . The GPS  24  is particularly associated with a respective alert module  12  and is configured to determine a current global position of its associated alert module  12  for use in various comparisons and alert messages as described below. 
     In an embodiment, a receiver  26  is in data communication with the processor  22  and memory  20  of a respective alert module  12 . Preferably, the receiver  26  is positioned in the housing  14  of the alert module  12 . It is understood that the receiver  26  may be of a type that receives radio signals, cellular telephone signals, or the like. The receiver  26  is configured to receive an alert signal, such as from a remote alert module  12 . For example, an alert module  12  positioned in a train, police car, government agency, or another private vehicle may send an alert signal indicative of a nearby hazard and the transmitted signal may be received by the receiver  26 . 
     Programming in the memory  20 , when executed by the processor  22 , causes the processor  22  to parse a received alert signal so as to determine an alert identifier coded therein. More particularly, the alert identifier may include an alert code indicative that the emergency or hazard is that a train is passing nearby, that a police or fire vehicle is proximate, that a snow plow is nearby, that another vehicle has just been involved in an accident in the vicinity, or the like. Data may be stored in respective data structures in a respective memory for associating the alert identifier of a received alert signal with a respective alert event. The mode of receiving an alert signal described above may be referred to as the “Monitor” mode ( FIG. 5 ). 
     Further, there is programming in memory  20  that, when executed by the processor  22 , causes the processor  22  to determine the global position of the received alert signal. More particularly, the received alert signal includes global position data of the respective alert module  12  that transmitted the alert signal. The processor  22  is then able to compare and determine if the global position embodied in the alert signal is within a predetermined range of a current global position of the alert module  12  having received the alert signal. Transmission of alert signals will be described later. 
     Still further, there is programming in memory that, when executed by the processor  22 , causes the processor  22  to publish a warning message to the alert module  12  if it is determined that the alert signal is within the predetermined range. In some embodiments, the processor  22  may assume that a received alert signal is within the predetermined range because the transmitted signals are only capable of short-range and local delivery. In that case, all received signals will be published as described herein. Specifically, the alert module  12  may include a display  18  configured to display text or graphic data and may include a speaker  19  configured to emit audio data. The alert module  12 , therefore, may output a warning message, graphically or audibly, such as “Alert. Driver be alert. There is an emergency in the area.” It is understood that the word “emergency” in this example may be replaced with details such as “train,” “automobile accident,” “police car,” or the like. The memory  20  may include a warning message database  16  that associates various alert identifiers with respective messages to be selectively published by the alert module  12 . 
     In one embodiment, the warning message may be embedded in the received alert signal and, as a result, is published directly to the alert module  12 . In another embodiment, the alert identifier may be a code that the processor  22  deciphers and uses to determine an associated warning message stored in the warning message database  16  in memory  20 . The determined warning message is then published as described above. 
     In another aspect, the alert system  10  includes a transmitter  28  associated with each alert module  12 . More particularly, a transmitter  28  is in data communication with a respective processor  22  and configured to manually transmit an alert signal in instances that will be described below. In one embodiment, an input device  30  is associated with an alert module  12  and in data communication with the processor  22 . Preferably, the display  18  of the alert module  12  is a touch screen that serves as the input device  30 . In another embodiment, the input device  30  may be a keyboard, keypad, wireless device, interface with a smart phone, or the like. In any case, the input device  30  is configured to receive data from a user, (e.g. a driver) indicative of an alert identifier. The processor  22 , then, is in receipt of the entered alert code. In a touch screen implementation, a user may touch a respective button on the screen, such as “car accident,” “snow plow,” “ambulance,” “fire,” etc. Then, the processor  22 , executing respective programming steps, causes the transmitter  28  to transmit a new alert signal that includes the entered alert identifier. A current geographic location of the alert module  12  may also be accumulated as a digital packet with the entered alert identifier and, together, the new alert signal is transmitted. This mode may be referred to as a “Manual Transmission” mode” ( FIG. 4 a   ). 
     In an embodiment, the new alert signal, including the entered alert identifier and geographic location, may be transmitted to a 9-1-1 emergency telephone network or operator. In this manner, a driver of an automobile can instantly call for emergency assistance, such as if his own car is involved in a crash or if an accident, weather condition, or other emergency is being witnessed in real time. 
     Similarly, the new alert signal, including the entered alert identifier and geographic location, may be transmitted to one or more predetermined third parties stored in respective data structures in the memory  20 . Using the input device  30 , e.g. touch screen, a driver may determine which of his saved contacts he may want to alert signal to contact. In this regard, the alert system  10  may include electronics to enable cellular or text communications so as to contact the third party(ies) or authorities. 
     In another aspect of the invention, the processor  22  associated with a respective alert module  12  may be in data communication with the on-board computer  23  of a vehicle on which the alert module  12  is installed. In this manner, the processor  22  is made aware of certain real time conditions of the vehicle, such as if an air bag has deployed. In one embodiment, one or more additional accident sensors may be deployed about the vehicle that are in data communication with the vehicle computer  23  or directly with the processor  22 . For instance, sensors capable of detecting glass breakage, tire deflation, seat belt connectivity, if the car has rolled over, fire, etc. would be useful to determine if and what type of emergency the vehicle is experiencing. The system includes programming that, when executed by the processor  22 , causes the transmitter  28  to transmit a new alert signal having an alert identifier indicative of the type of alert along with the most current global position data of the associated alert module  12 . This mode may be referred to as the “Automatic Transmission” mode ( FIG. 4 b   ). 
     In use, a respective alert module  12  may be installed in a private vehicle, emergency vehicle, or anywhere that alert messages are to be either transmitted or received. In the monitoring mode  100  ( FIG. 5 ), alert signals transmitted from other alert modules or government entities may be received and analyzed by the processor  22  of a respective alert module  12 , as shown in block  102  of  FIG. 5 . If the received signal is geographically close enough, a warning message associated with the particular alert indicator will be published, textually or audibly, on the display  18  of the alert module  12  so as to warn the driver appropriately, as shown in block  104 . 
     In the transmission mode  110  ( FIG. 4 a   ), by contrast, if a driver experiences an alert situation—such as a crash, traffic problem, or other emergency, he may enter an associated code into the alert module  110 , as shown at block  112 . At block  114 , current global position data is added an alert signal having the alert code. At blocks  116  and  118 , a new alert signal having the emergency identifier and global position data is transmitted to local contact or to a 9-1-1 network, respectively, for the benefit of nearby drivers or emergency personnel who also have a respective alert module  12 . 
     Finally, in the automatic transmission mode  120  ( FIG. 4 b   ), vehicle sensors are monitored to determine if the vehicle has crashed or for other predetermined conditions. If so, a respective alert identifier is determined at block  122 . If so, a global position of the alert module  12  is determined at block  124 . As shown at blocks  126  and  128 , the alert system  10  provides that if a vehicle equipped with an alert module  12  crashes, a transmitter  28  automatically transmits an alert signal and current geographic location to predetermined local contacts or to a 9-1-1 telephone network, respectively. 
     It is understood that while certain forms of this invention have been illustrated and described, it is not limited thereto except insofar as such limitations are included in the following claims and allowable functional equivalents thereof.