Abstract:
A system for controlling the alert and response indictors of an emergency vehicle permits the operation of one alert device, such as a police vehicle lightbar, to automatically initiate the operation of a video camera, thus providing a record of an emergency event without requiring the operator of the vehicle to specifically turn on the camera. The system also provides isolating diagnostic functionality that simplifies system troubleshooting.

Description:
REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
   This application claims priority from a Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/698,590, filed Jul. 12, 2005, which is hereby incorporated by reference. 

   BACKGROUND 
   Emergency vehicles such as police cars, fire engines, and ambulances, for example, rely on a variety of mechanisms, including sirens and lights, for example, to alert or warn drivers or pedestrians that an emergency vehicles is approaching, or to signal a driver to stop or pull off the road. It is desirable to be able to select and control the operation of these alert mechanisms easily and effectively. It is also desirable to control the operation of video cameras in the vehicle to ensure that an accurate record of personnel actions and activities is available to be used as evidence or in an investigation. Various embodiments and examples described herein provide those features. 
   SUMMARY 
   It is therefore an object to describe apparatus and methods for controlling the various alert systems employed by emergency vehicles in order to provide effective ways to warn and notify pedestrians and other vehicles of the emergency vehicle&#39;s approach without distracting the emergency vehicle&#39;s driver. 
   It is a further object to describe apparatus and methods for automatically triggering aspects of the alert systems in response to predetermined actions. 
   It is a further object to describe apparatus of the type mentioned above which provides a troubleshooting arrangement which simplifies services of the emergency equipment. 
   These and other objects will become apparent from the illustrated drawing and the description of the embodiments. 

   
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
       FIG. 1  is a block and schematic diagram of one embodiment of an emergency warning system. 
       FIG. 2  is a block and schematic diagram of another embodiment of an emergency warning system. 
       FIG. 3  is a block and schematic diagram of an aspect of another embodiment of an emergency warning system. 
       FIG. 4  is a front elevational view of a front panel display of one element of an emergency warning system. 
       FIG. 5  is a block and schematic diagram of another aspect of an embodiment of an emergency warning system. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
   Referring to  FIG. 1 , there is shown an emergency warning system  10  for a vehicle such as a police car, fire truck, or ambulance, for only a few examples. System  10  is illustratively shown as including a controller  12  which is adapted to control the operation of a number of devices and functions. For illustrative purposes, controller  12  is shown as controlling the operation of siren speaker  14 , a lightbar  16 , auxiliary strobe lights  18 , spotlight  20 , trunk lock  22 , and gun lock  24 . System  10  is also shown as incorporating a video camera  26 . Video camera  26 , which may also be configured as a combined camera and recorder apparatus, may be mounted within a vehicle, such as a police car, for example, to record traffic stops and officer activity for evidence or investigation purposes. Although video camera  26  may be activated manually, it is desirable to automatically activate video camera  26  under certain conditions so that an officer does not have to remember to turn on video camera  26 , or draw his or her attention from an activity that requires full concentration. 
   To accomplish this purpose, controller  12  incorporates a dedicated output  28  that, in one example, is applied to video camera  26  via wire or cable  30 . Output  28  may be factory wired, or programmable by customer, to provide, for example, a video trigger signal that acts to activate video camera  26  in response to one or more actions or conditions. For example, output  28  may be configured to activate video camera  26  whenever auxiliary strobe lights  18  are turned on, when lightbar  16  is turned on, when gun lock  24  is opened, or when some other device is active or some condition is present. 
   Output  28  therefore provides a high level of flexibility and control for individual police departments, for example, to configure controller  12  to operate video camera  26  in response to the conditions or actions they deem important or desirable. Output  28  may also be configured to record an on-screen display (OSD) on the video camera media that provides information as to the status of various devices or conditions. As only one example, the OSD could provide information as to whether or not an officer has activated the vehicle&#39;s siren during a high-speed chase. 
   In addition to relieving an officer or emergency personnel of the added task of turning video camera  26  on during an emergency situation, an advantage of controllable dedicated output  28  also prevents a police officer from purposely choosing not to activate video camera  26 . This feature therefore both protects officers as well as aiding the police or emergency department administration. 
   Dedicated output  28  may also be used to control other devices or perform other actions, such as, for example as illustrated in  FIG. 2 , vehicle radio  32 . Output  28  may be configured to automatically turn on radio  32  to enable its immediate use, or to initiate a distress call (in response to gun lock  24  being unlocked, for example). Other devices or actions are of course possible. 
     FIG. 2  also illustrates one way in which output  28  may be programmed or controlled. LEDs  34 ,  36 ,  38 , and  40  are shown as being associated with corresponding LED sensors  42 ,  44 ,  46 , and  48  which are incorporated in program module  50 . LED/sensor pair  34  and  42  are shown as illustratively connected to or controlling siren speaker  14  via output  52 , LED/sensor pair  36  and  44  control lightbar  16  via output  54 , LED/sensor pair  38  and  46  control spotlight  20  via output  56 , and LED/sensor pair  40  and  48  control gun lock  24  via output  58 . Module  50  may be programmed to activate output  28  in response to any one or more of the LEDs  34 ,  36 ,  38  or  40  being on, indicative of the associated device controlled by that particular output also being on. Module  50  is but one illustration of any number of ways that dedicated output  28  may be programmed or controlled, and other methods and mechanisms will be apparent to those skilled in the art. 
     FIG. 3 , illustrating another aspect of the emergency warning system  10 , shows internal circuit board  60  of controller  12 . Outputs  52 ,  54 ,  56 , and  58  are shown as being protected by fuses  62 ,  64 ,  66 , and  68 , respectively. In accordance with the embodiment shown, fuses  62 ,  64 ,  66  and  68  are located directly on circuit board  60 , prior to the physical connector provided for outputs  52 ,  54 ,  56 , and  58 . Diagnostic circuitry  70  is shown as being located between fuses  62 ,  64 ,  66 , and  68 , and outputs  52 ,  54 ,  56 , and  58 . By locating diagnostic circuitry  70  in this manner, the condition of the output circuits associated with each of outputs  52 ,  54 ,  56 , and  58  can be directly determined. For example, if lightbar  16  does not operate, but diagnostic circuitry  70  indicates that output  54  is operating correctly, the problem is then isolated to the wiring from controller  12  to lightbar  16  or to lightbar  16  itself. Locating the output fuses internally to controller  12  and monitoring the controller outputs internally as well therefore provides significant troubleshooting information that would not be available if the location of the fuses and the output monitor circuit were external to controller  12 . The condition of outputs  52 ,  54 ,  56 , and  58  can also be viewed on the user interface panel  59  of controller  12 . Switches  72 ,  74 ,  76 , and  78 , which are illustratively shown as being configured to control outputs  52 ,  54 ,  56 , and  58 , respectively. Each of the switches is shown as incorporating a visible condition indicator, such as light  80 , which may flash in particular patterns, or glow with different colors, depending upon the condition of its respective output. In this way, the officer or other emergency personnel is immediately alerted if one or more fuses have failed or if one or more controller outputs are otherwise disabled. 
   A sensor device or circuit, illustratively shown as device  82  in  FIG. 3 , may be used to monitor the condition of the various output devices, such as siren speaker  14  and lightbar  16 , for example. Device  82  may employ an audible sound detector, e.g., microphone, for example, to determine if siren speaker  14  is operating, and light sensors to determine if the lights of lightbar  16  are working. Device  82  may be coupled to diagnostic circuit  70 , for example, or to another diagnostic circuit, which may then provide an indication, perhaps via lights  80 , and audible indicator, or through some other indication mechanism, to provide an external diagnostic function. 
     FIG. 4  shows an illustrative front panel  84  which could be used with controller  12 , for example. Front panel  84  is illustratively shown as incorporating lighted pushbutton switches  86 , lever switch  88 , push button switches  90 , rotary switch  92 , and potentiometer  94 , although the types and nature of the various switches are shown for example only, and any type or switch design is acceptable as would be apparent to one skilled in the art. The associated legends or marking are printed or screened directly onto the surface of panel  84 . Panel  84  is also illustratively shown as being a membrane switch itself which incorporate the various switch mechanisms for each of the switches and controls previously described, although other types of integrated, splash-resistant switch mechanism are equally acceptable. Panel  84  is illustratively shown as being manufactured of rubber or other flexible material, which incorporates various sealing means, such as shoulders or lips that conform to the various buttons and switches to provide protection against moisture and dirt damaging controls and switches. Panel  84  is thus formed of one piece and includes labeling, switches and lights (e.g., LEDs). 
   With reference also to  FIG. 4 , lighted pushbutton switches  86  may be configured by circuitry within controller  12  to program its associated output (or another output if appropriately configured). Switches  86  are illustratively shown as being programmable, but other switches associated with system  10  may also be similarly programmable. In one embodiment, a DIP switch internal to controller  12  is used to enter the “programming” mode of switches  86 . Each of switches  86  may then be scrolled through its program choices by successively pushing the selected switch. The program state or status is intuitively displayed by LEDs  96  internal to switches  86 , such as a brief flashing of an LED indicating a momentary output (as might be desired for a trunk lock, for example) or a steady light indicating the switch is programmed to turn its associated output on until it is turned off. Failure of a light to operate properly or stay on when pushed may be used as an indication of an output or device failure associated with that particular output. 
   In another illustrative embodiment, lever switch  88  may be easily programmed, via an internal DIP switch, for example, to operate in a progressive, non-progressive, or partially progressive manner. In a progressive mode of operation, switch position “1” may turn on a set of vehicle lights, e.g., a lightbar, position “2” may add strobe lights, and position “3” may turn on the vehicle&#39;s spotlight, for example. In a non-progressive mode, one example may have switch position “1” turning on the auxiliary strobe lights, position “2” turns off the auxiliary strobe lights and turns on the spotlight, and position “3” turns off the spotlight and turns on the lightbar. In a partially progressive mode, one example may enable switch position “1” to turn on the front lights of the lightbar, position “2” turns off the front lights of the lightbar and turns on the back lights of the lightbar, and position “3” turns on the auxiliary strobe lights and both the front and back lights of the lightbar. Other program combinations are of course possible. 
   It is also possible to program one or more of the buttons  86  on panel  84 , for example, to control a number of devices with one button. In this way, certain light and siren combinations could be programmed to be activated via one button, rather than having to push several buttons to activate each of the desired devices or actions. A push button could then be used to perform the function of one or more of the positions of lever switch  88 , for example. 
   In yet another embodiment of system  10 ,  FIG. 5  shows controller  12  as incorporating transmitting circuitry  98  that operates simultaneously with the siren output  102  and/or with certain warning lights to transmit a signal  100  that would be received by receivers in automobiles or other vehicles, for example. This feature or device would then alert the occupants of a motor vehicle that an emergency vehicle is approaching, even if the vehicle&#39;s radio volume were set at a high level, or high levels of ambient or environmental noise existed, that would otherwise mask the siren of an approaching vehicle. It is also possible to design the receiver to automatically become activated even if the vehicle&#39;s radio or receiver were turned off, or to override an audio output even if a CD player were being used, for example. The receiver may be incorporated into a vehicle&#39;s radio or audio system, or as a stand-alone device that could be provided by the vehicle manufacturer or as a aftermarket item. The transmitter associated with device circuitry  98  may be incorporated with the vehicle&#39;s siren, it may be a stand alone device, or it could be adapted to use the transmitter of the vehicle&#39;s two-way radio, by way of a few illustrative examples. 
   In another embodiment, controller  12  may operate in wireless configuration, using known technology, such as Bluetooth, for example, or some other known or proprietary technology, thereby allowing much of the circuitry associated with controller  12  to be stored under the seat or in the vehicle&#39;s trunk, for example. Controls may be mounted where desired for accessibility, such as being associated with the vehicle&#39;s steering wheel. 
   In yet another embodiment, a electronic siren utilizes multiple output signals that are combined to form the electronic equivalent of a multi-frequency mechanical tone which are traditionally used by fire trucks. Modern fire trucks continue to use mechanical sirens to generate the desired, recognizable harmonic siren sounds. This embodiment would also enable an emergency vehicle to produce a variety of dual siren tones, such as cycling through frequency ranges simultaneously. For example, a first siren tone could be an increasing frequency tone, while a second siren tone could be a decreasing frequency tone. 
   While the present invention has been illustrated in the drawing and described in detail in the foregoing description, it is understood that such illustration and description are illustrative in nature and are not to be considered restrictive, it being understood that only the preferred embodiments have been shown and described and that all changes and modifications that would be apparent or would occur to one skilled in the art are to be protected.