US20010034573A1 - Advanced law enforcement and response technology - Google Patents
Advanced law enforcement and response technology Download PDFInfo
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- US20010034573A1 US20010034573A1 US09/764,924 US76492401A US2001034573A1 US 20010034573 A1 US20010034573 A1 US 20010034573A1 US 76492401 A US76492401 A US 76492401A US 2001034573 A1 US2001034573 A1 US 2001034573A1
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
- B60Q—ARRANGEMENT OF SIGNALLING OR LIGHTING DEVICES, THE MOUNTING OR SUPPORTING THEREOF OR CIRCUITS THEREFOR, FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL
- B60Q1/00—Arrangement of optical signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor
- B60Q1/26—Arrangement of optical signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor the devices being primarily intended to indicate the vehicle, or parts thereof, or to give signals, to other traffic
- B60Q1/2611—Indicating devices mounted on the roof of the vehicle
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Abstract
A central control system is described that affords intuitive and easy control of numerous subsystems associated with a police car or other emergency vehicle and reduces the cockpit clutter associated with present control systems. A single user interface device is associated with a central controller capable of receiving input commands and outputting device control commands to a plurality of controlled devices or subsystems. Preferably, the central controller comprises a programmable digital computer. An emergency response system is also described which rapidly coordinates and controls operation of a plurality of emergency subsystems associated with the vehicle in accordance with a predetermined scheme of operation for the devices. In one preferred embodiment, the controller receives a single input command and, in response, provides specific device control commands to several individual controlled devices on a relatively simultaneous basis. A hierarchical device command structure is also taught which permits individual control of features among each of the controlled subsystems.
Description
- This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/912,676 filed Aug. 18, 1997.
- [0002] The U.S. government has a paid-up license in this invention and the right in limited circumstances to requires the patent owner to license others on reasonable terms, as provided for by the terms of Work Order No. DTFH71-94-TE037-TX-29 awarded by the U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration.
- A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material which is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent files or records, but otherwise reserves all copyrights whatsoever.
- Computer program code for devices and methods described herein are contained in a microfiche appendix which consists of 8 microfiche having a total number of 728 microfiche frames.
- 1. Field of the Invention
- The present invention relates generally to improved devices and methods for controlling vehicle peripheral devices and subsystems, such as sirens, light bars, radar systems and so forth. Further, the invention relates to an emergency response system for rapidly coordinating and controlling the operation of numerous emergency vehicle peripheral subsystems. In other aspects, the invention relates to devices and methods for transmitting and relaying data, such as information and messages, remotely to, through and from an emergency vehicle.
- 2. Description of the Related Art
- Police cars and other emergency vehicles such as ambulances and fire trucks, carry a number of necessary peripheral subsystems which must be activated and controlled by the vehicle operator. These systems include sirens, light bars (flashers), radios and spotlights. Over the years, the number and complexity of these peripheral devices and subsystems has grown significantly. Conventional police cars are now also equipped, for example, with radar systems for tracking the speeds of roadway vehicles, video cameras, video cassette recorders, global positioning satellite (GPS) systems, and/or global position imaging (GPI) systems. Each of these devices has its own associated, individual control device which is usually a panel, box or control head that is mounted to or around the vehicle console so that it can be operated by the driver.
- Controlling operation of a large number of peripheral devices individually can be difficult, especially in an emergency situation where a police officer cannot afford to be distracted. Having a large number of control devices which must be operated, requires the officer to direct his attention to, and then operate, numerous buttons and switches to separately control each individual device. This presents a safety hazard for both officers and bystanders.
- In addition to the control problem, “cockpit clutter” has become an issue. The proliferation of control boxes or control heads mounted in the passenger compartment has caused the console area to become cluttered. These control devices can block the peripheral vision of a police officer. Also, deployment of the vehicle's air bag may be blocked in some instances, thus causing the control devices to become hazards during a collision.
- A related problem addressed by the present invention is that of officer safety when the officer is outside of the police vehicle. During traffic stops, for example, an officer will leave his patrol car to obtain the driver's license and registration of a driver he has stopped. He must then return to his patrol car and, from the car, radio in information concerning the driver's license and registration in order to learn if the driver is wanted or if the vehicle the driver is driving has been stolen. The officer may be somewhat vulnerable to attack during this period because he must walk back to his patrol car and enter and exit it. Further, the officer does not have direct access to information contained within federal, state or local databases of traffic or criminal records. Therefore, he must request such information from a dispatcher and wait for it to be found and relayed to him. The process is time consuming and carries the risk that errors will be introduced in the relaying process.
- A further problem addressed by the present invention relates to the time required to clear accident scenes. Currently, the average time required to clear an accident scene is 50 minutes. Accident scenes are usually located on or just off a roadway, thereby causing traffic to be delayed until the accident is cleared. A major portion of clearing time is spent with police officers completing numerous forms which identify the drivers of the vehicles involved in the accident, describe the relative locations of the vehicles, provide the driver's descriptions and so forth. Because some of the forms may require the same information, the officer must enter the same information numerous times. Because the information is entered numerous times, the chance of errors, due to disparities in the information entered, is increased.
- Clearly, an invention which permits a police officer to rapidly coordinate and control the operation of his vehicle's emergency subsystems is needed. Also, an invention which improves safety for both officers and bystanders and reduces cockpit clutter is highly desirable.
- In one aspect, the present invention is directed to a central control system that affords intuitive and easy control of the numerous subsystems associated with a police car or other emergency vehicle. The exemplary control system of the present invention also reduces the cockpit clutter associated with present control systems by removing the numerous individual control devices from the passenger compartment and replacing them with a single user interface device. The user interface device is associated with a central controller which is capable of receiving input commands and outputting device control commands to a plurality of controlled devices or subsystems. Preferably, the central controller comprises a programmable digital computer.
- Additionally, the invention provides for an emergency response system which will rapidly coordinate and control the operation of a plurality of emergency subsystems associated with the vehicle in accordance with a predetermined scheme of operation for the devices. In one preferred embodiment, the controller receives a single input command and, in response, provides specific device control commands to several individual controlled devices on a relatively simultaneous basis. The invention also preferably offers a hierarchical device command structure which permits individual control of features among each of the controlled subsystems.
- In another aspect, the present invention provides for improved data entry, and recordation with less paperwork for officers to have to complete. Data need only be entered one time ensuring its integrity and eliminating errors which tend to occur due to multiple entry of the same information. Because the information will only need to be entered one time, there is an obvious time savings as well.
- In still another aspect, the invention relates to a self-contained portable or hand held computer unit into which information is entered by a police officer when he is, for example, away from the police vehicle. The hand held computer unit is capable of storing the entered information, processing it and transmitting information to and from the central controller within the vehicle.
- In other aspects, the present invention provides for a remote data entry and communication means which permits police officers or other emergency workers to enter data or information into the hand held unit such that a computerized “form” is completed, data representing the completed form is then transmitted to the controller within the police vehicle and printed out on a printer within the vehicle. Additionally, the data or information can be transmitted from the controller to a remote communications base for storage in a central data repository.
- In yet another aspect, the invention permits officers to obtain information directly from databases of federal, state and local traffic and criminal records without the need for a dispatcher to relay the information to the officer.
- FIG. 1 depicts a physical layout for an exemplary control system constructed in accordance with the present invention incorporated within a police car.
- FIG. 1A is a front view of an exemplary portable pen-based computer device.
- FIG. 2 shows a layout of components and connections for the exemplary control system shown in FIG. 1.
- FIG. 3 depicts an exemplary main menu screen display for a touch screen user interface device.
- FIG. 4 depicts an exemplary screen display following activation of the PURSUIT command.
- FIG. 5 depicts an exemplary touch screen display.
- FIG. 6 depicts another exemplary touch screen display.
- FIG. 7 depicts a further exemplary touch screen display which incorporates video displays.
- FIG. 8 depicts an exemplary touch screen display for control and viewing of results from the radar subsystem.
- FIGS. 9A and 9B illustrate the hierarchical menu structure used by the
control system 10. - FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating portions of an exemplary control algorithm for the
control system 10. - FIGS.11-15 are flow charts depict subparts of the exemplary control algorithm shown in FIG. 10.
- FIG. 16 is a graphical depiction of aspects of communication features of the present invention.
- FIG. 17 depicts an exemplary screen display for data entry for the
HHU 44. - FIG. 18 illustrates a scrollable pick list which is used for data entry by the
HHU 44. - Referring first to FIG. 1, components of an exemplary control system, indicated generally at10, are shown incorporated within an
exemplary police vehicle 12, which is shown in phantom lines. Although thesystem 10 is described in conjunction with a police vehicle, it should be understood that the invention has application to other vehicles such as ambulances and fire trucks and even private vehicles. Further, the invention may be adapted for use with helicopters, water craft and so forth. As is well known, thevehicle 12 includes apassenger compartment 14 and separate storage compartment, or trunk, 16. Auser interface device 18 is mounted within thepassenger compartment 14. In the depicted embodiment, theuser interface device 18 features a touch-sensitive screen console or “touch screen” 19 (shown in FIGS. 3-8). A preferred touch screen is an LCDVGA-PC model touch screen device available from Kinetic Computer Corporation, 270 Third Street, Cambridge, Mass. 02142. - Other mechanisms may also be employed as user interface devices, including keyboards, or push button keypads with associated monitors, without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. A touchscreen is currently preferred as a user interface device because it is not particularly bulky, and it readily permits a user to input commands and information while displaying information to the user in an interactive manner by presenting a graphical control panel of controls, as will be described in further detail shortly. It is preferred that the
user interface device 18 be mounted proximate the center console of thevehicle 12's dashboard and should not obstruct deployment of either driver or passenger side airbags. Because only a single interface or control device is mounted in thepassenger compartment 14 of the vehicle, thepassenger compartment 14 is not cluttered with numerous control heads, thereby resulting in a “clean cockpit.” Adata bus 20 operably interconnects theuser interface device 18 with a central vehicle basedcontroller 22 which is mounted within thetrunk 16 of the vehicle. - A number of devices or subsystems, which will be referred to as peripheral subsystems, are interrelated with the
police vehicle 12 for use by police officers in performing their duties. Referring again to FIG. 1, theexemplary police vehicle 12 is equipped with a siren subsystem, shown generally at 24; a light bar subsystem, shown generally at 26; a traffic radar subsystem, shown generally at 28; a GPS subsystem, shown generally at 29 in FIG. 2, and a video camera subsystem, shown generally at 30. - As is well known, each of the subsystems basically consists of an activated component and a control head (not shown) which is used to control the activated component. The present invention permits the manufacturer's control heads to be removed from these subsystems so that each of the subsystems is capable of being controlled only by the
controller 22. It is presently preferred, however, that the individual control heads for the subsystems may be located within thetrunk 16 of thevehicle 12 and wired in parallel to thecontroller 22. The advantage to this type of arrangement is that, in the event of a malfunction in thecontroller 22 or theuser interface device 18, the control heads can be relocated into the passenger compartment so that the subsystems can still be operated. Further, certain jurisdictions may require, for example, that an officer's traffic radar readings be taken from a radar system control head which has been properly certified in order for citations to be issued based upon a traffic radar system. Therefore, the ability to reference the original system control head may be necessary. - The
siren subsystem 24 includes asiren speaker 31 and a conventional control head (not shown). Thesiren subsystem 24 is capable of being selectively operated in a plurality of modes. Each mode provides for production of a particular siren sound from the siren speaker 31: For example, asiren subsystem 24 might be operable in modes including “YELP,” “AIR HORN,” “WAIL” and so forth, each of which corresponding to a well-known sound associated with an emergency vehicle siren. Particular siren modes are typically prescribed by individual police department policy for use in particular situations. - The
light bar subsystem 26 includes an elongated light bar which is typically mounted perpendicular to the length of thevehicle 12 and includes rows of white, red, blue and/or amber lights which are capable of being flashed and rotated in accordance with pre-programmed patterns. Particular programmed patterns are typically prescribed by individual department policy for use in particular situations. Further general descriptions concerning operation of light bar and siren systems are found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,140,304 entitled “Siren Sound Synchronized Light Bar System,” issued to Miller and U.S. Pat. No. 4,980,837 entitled “Circuit and Method for Automatically Sweeping Through a Plurality of Siren Modes” issued to Nunn et al. Currently, many siren subsystems and light bar subsystems are marketed as a single unit. An example of an apparatus suitable for use as thesiren subsystem 24 and thelight bar subsystem 26 is the Premium Vision© Warning System marketed by Signalvations Corporation of 18506 South 81S Avenue, Tinley Park, Ill. 60477. Standard RS-232 cables, shown schematically as 25 in FIG. 2, are used to interconnect thelight bar subsystem 26 and other subsystems with thecentral controller 22. A voltage shifter 27 (visible in FIG. 2) is used to step the voltage between the components from the +12/−12 V voltage used by thecontroller 22 to the 0-5 V voltage used by thelight bar system 26. - The
traffic radar subsystem 28 is of the type currently made and marketed by Kustom Signals, Inc. of 9325 Pflumm Road, Lenexa, Kans. 66215-3347. As in well known, radar subsystems of this type are capable of detecting and recording the speeds of vehicles travelling on a roadway. Theradar subsystem 28 is capable of being operated in a plurality of different modes. For example,radar subsystem 28 could be selectively switched between tracking of vehicle speeds for vehicles which are located generally in front of thepolice vehicle 12 or, alternatively, tracking the speeds of those located to the rear of thepolice vehicle 12. - The
video camera subsystem 30 includes a frame grabber assembly which is capable of selecting, displaying and transmitting a still image from one of several cameras. A frame grabber assembly suitable for this application is marketed by ImageNation™, P.O.Box 276, Beaverton, Oreg. 97075-0276. In the preferred embodiments described here, thevideo camera subsystem 30 includes fourcameras camera 32 is pointed so as to be able to capture the field of view immediately in front of thepolice vehicle 12. Two of thecameras vehicle 12, respectively. Thefourth camera 38 is aimed rearwardly so that video of the area behind thevehicle 12 may be captured. Alternatively, thisfourth camera 38 may be mounted so that it will capture the back seat area of thevehicle 12. The fourcameras cameras video camera subsystem 30, is located in thetrunk 16 and operably connected so as to record images photographed by one or more of thecameras - A
printer 42 is mounted in thepassenger compartment 14 of thevehicle 12 and is interconnected by aprinter cable 43 to thecentral controller 22. - FIGS. 1 and 1A depict a pen-based portable computer, or hand held unit (HHU)44, which is associated with the
vehicle 12 in a manner which will be described. TheHHU 44 includes a touch-sensitive screen surface 46 which is visible in FIG. 1A. The HHU also contains internal memory or information storage media so that information which is entered into theHHU 44 will be stored therein. Data may be entered into theHHU 44 by selecting or “writing” information upon thetouch screen surface 46 with an electronic “pen” or “stylus” in a manner known in the art. Currently available pen-based computers suitable for use in this application include the model PPT-4600 from Symbol Technologies which has offices at 10333 Northwest Freeway,Suite 100, Houston, Tex. 77092. - A wireless LAN adapter48 (visible in FIG. 1) is affixed and operably interconnected with the HHU 44 for transmission of data entered into the
HHU 44 to thecentral controller 22 in thevehicle 12. Currently, a suitable LAN adapter for this application is theRange LAN 2 7200 available from Proxim, Inc., 295 N. Bernardo Avenue, Mountain View, Calif. 94043. TheRange LAN 2 7200 is a wireless LAN adapter having a PCMCIA type II card interface by which it can be operatively interconnected with theHHU 44. This type of LAN adapter is capable of transmission and receipt of digital information over a relatively small distance, perhaps a radius of 500 feet or less, but within a relatively wide signal bandwidth, thereby permitting relatively rapid data transmission. - In addition to the
wireless modem 48, theHHU 44 also preferably includes a twodimensional barcode scanner 50 of a type known in the art. Thebarcode scanner 50 is operable for scanning a barcode and storing the information that is encoded within the barcode into the memory of theHHU 44. TheHHU 44 then displays the encoded information on the touchsensitive screen surface 46. - If desired, the
HHU 44 may also incorporate amagnetic stripe reader 47, such as the Mag-Tek Card Reader from Mag-Tek Corporation, 2075 South Annalee, Carson, Calif. 90756, of the type known for reading information encoded in magnetic stripes on credit cards and the like and transmitting the information to a computer. This type of magnetic stripe reader is operationally interconnected with theHHU 44 by interfitting a cable connection into a keyboard input plug on theHHU 44. Themagnetic stripe reader 47 is used to input information that is encoded on cards, such ascard 49 in FIG. 1, into the internal memory of storage of theHHU 44. - A
digital camera 52 is shown in FIG. 1 associated with thevehicle 12. One suitable digital camera for this application is theKodak series 120 digital camera. Thedigital camera 52 is capable of capturing images digitally and storing them on a digital storage media within thecamera 52. There is also associated with the digital camera 52 a means for transmitting the captured images from thecamera 52 to an external destination, such as the memory of thecentral controller 22. In one embodiment, thedigital camera 52 is supplied with a wireless LAN network interface (not shown) similar to that described previously. Such wireless interfaces may be supplied by the manufacturer of thecamera 52. When the wireless LAN interface is included, the digital images that are captured by thedigital camera 52 can be transmitted to a LAN adapter or other receiver by the wireless LAN interface. This transmission occurs in a relatively continuous fashion since theLAN adapters camera 52 can also be transferred from the camera to another storage means via a cable connection such as an RS-232 serial connection (not shown) using well known techniques for the transfer of digital information through such a connection. Alternatively, the digital images may be stored on an intermediate media which is then physically transported from thecamera 52 to another storage means. For example, a PCMCIA compatible flash disk can be inserted into thecamera 52 for storage of the images thereupon. The flash disk containing the stored images is then be removed from thecamera 52 and placed into a slot in a PCMCIA drive disposed in one of aslot 62 within thecontroller 22. Although this drive is not shown in FIG. 2, the use and operation of them is well known. - Digital images which have been transmitted from the
camera 52 to memory or storage within thecontroller 22 can then be accessed from storage, or from the PCMCIA drive described in the latter embodiment, by the controller for display on thetouch screen 19 of theuser interface device 18. - Referring now to FIG. 2, physical connections are depicted showing the interconnection of certain components of the
exemplary control system 10. As shown, thecentral controller 22 is made up of an outer housing 60 of the type used to house motherboards and related computer hardware boards and contains a number ofparallel card slots 62. One of theslots 62 contains amotherboard 64 which contains a microprocessor. A presently available motherboard suitable for this application is a Ziatech ZT-8902 module which contains a 100 Mhz 486-class microprocessor with 16 MB of RAM. The ZT-8902 module is available from Ziatech Corporation, 1050 Southwood Drive, San Luis Obispo, Calif. 93401-5813. Themotherboard 64 should also have associated data storage from which data may be selectively stored and retrieved. Power is supplied to thecontroller 22 by thevehicle battery 65. - The housing60 also contains an intelligent serial controller (ISC)
board 66, such as the ZT-8932 intelligent multi-channel serial controller, also available from Zlatech Corporation, 1050 Southwood Drive, San Luis Obispo, Calif. 93401-5813. A read/write interface (not shown) is provided between themotherboard 64 and theISC board 66. TheISC board 66 provides a plurality of sequential serial control connections, shown schematically at 68 in FIG. 2, which interconnect thecontroller 22 with a number of the subsystems for thevehicle 12. The Ziatech ZT-8932 controller, for example, provides eight independent RS 232 compatible serial ports to which devices or subsystems can be operatively interconnected. - Included within yet another
slot 62 in the housing 60 is avideo card 70 which is interconnected with the touch-screen interface device 18 bycontrol cable 72 so that video functions of the touch-screen 18 are controlled by thecentral controller 22. - A frame
grabber control card 74 is disposed within anotherslot 62 in the controller housing 60. The framegrabber control card 74 is used to control the frame grabber assembly portion of thevideo camera subsystem 30 in a manner which will be described in greater detail shortly. Acable 76 operably connects thecard 74 to avideo multiplexer 75. Themultiplexer 75 is also interconnected by cables to theVCR 40 andcameras - In yet another
slot 62 in the central controller housing 60, aPCMCIA interface card 78 is disposed, which permits thecontroller 22 to interface with and operate a device whose typical control is provided via PCMCIA. A suitable example of such a card is a Ziatech Model 8921 module that provides 5-20 MB of flash disk storage capacity. ARange LAN 2 7200wireless LAIN adapter 80 is operably interconnected with theinterface card 78 through aPCMCIA card 82 for operation of theLAN adapter 80 by thecentral controller 22. TheLAN adapter 80 is preferably the same as theLAN adapter 48 associated with theHHU 44, described earlier. The 14LAN adapter 80 is capable of transmitting digital information to and receiving digital information from theLAN adapter 48. - A
modem 84 is operatively interconnected with theISC 66 ofcontroller 22 so that thecontroller 22 can control the functions of themodem 84. Themodem 84 is capable of transmitting and receiving digital information over wireless channels at a much greater range than a LAN adapter, such asadapters modem 84 comprises a circuit switched cellular modem such as a standard modem equipped with an appropriate adapter for a cellular telephone. One example is a 28.8K bps modem equipped with a model S1936C or S 1688E Cellular Connection. In a second preferred embodiment, themodem 84 comprises a CDPD modem which uses cellular digital packaging data (CDPD) as a carrier for information transmission. CDPD-type modems suitable for this application are currently marketed by Sierra Wireless, Inc., #260, 13151 Vanier Place, Richmond, British Columbia, Canada V6V 2J2. - It is further pointed out that the control system of the present invention is modular in design so that additional peripheral components maybe added or substituted as subsystems and then be controlled centrally. In most cases, component compatibility can be assured by using instruction sets provided with a component or available from its manufacturer.
- In operation, the invention affords numerous advantages, many of which can be appreciated from the following discussion.
- Control of Peripheral Devices/Subsystems
- The touch screen type
user interface device 18 serves a dual purpose. First, it displays information to the operator. Second, it permits the operator to enter input commands to thecontroller 22 so that thecontroller 22 can operate the various subsystems associated with thevehicle 12 through the selective provision of device control commands. - The user interface provided by the
device 18 permits hierarchical menu structure interface for selection of one from among several individual controlled subsystems, and for providing device control commands to the selected subsystem. The user interface also features shortcut commands which are capable of providing device commands to a plurality of controlled subsystems relatively simultaneously. - FIGS.3-8 depict exemplary screen displays for the
touch screen 19 of theuser interface device 18. As will be described, a user may essentially move through a hierarchical menu structure which is provided by the screens by making selections presented on the screens. - A
main menu screen 102 is depicted in FIG. 3, as displayed by thetouch screen 19. As FIG. 3 shows, themain screen 102 displays a largeblank area 104 which may be touched without selection of any option. Themain screen 102 also displays a selection of “buttons” that are actually touch-sensitive areas of thescreen 19 which are touched to select a particular available option. The buttons include a “PURSUIT”button 106, a “CONTROL”button 108 and a “RADAR”button 110. As can be seen by a review of FIGS. 3-8, these three buttons remain displayed on thescreen 19 regardless of the particular screen display. Any of these three buttons may be selected at any time. - A “PURSUIT” mode is entered when the “PURSUIT”
button 106 is selected. Selection of the “PURSUIT”button 106 provides detailed device commands to a plurality of subsystems relatively simultaneously and without the need to individually control each one of the subsystems. Selected controlled subsystems are actuated and caused to operate in a preprogrammed manner so that a coordinated response is provided by tha subsystems. The response of the system is coordinated to operate selected subsystems as deemed necessary to respond in a particular emergency situation. In this instance, the subsystems are operated as deemed effective or necessary to respond in a situation where thevehicle 12 must pursue another vehicle and apprehend the driver of that vehicle. First, the operation of each of the subsystems is coordinated by thecontroller 22 so that appropriate selected subsystems (such as thesiren 24,light bar 26,radar 28 andGPS 29 subsystems) are caused to operate. Second, those subsystems which are capable of being operated in more than one mode are caused to operate in a mode appropriate to the predetermined operational scheme for vehicle pursuits. For example, thesiren subsystem 24 may be operated so as to produce a “WAIL” sound, “AIR HORN” or other unique sounds, and thelight bar subsystem 26 may be operated in one of several distinct modes as well. The particular preprogrammed manner in which each of these subsystems will operate while thecontrol system 10 is placed in the PURSUIT mode is determined in accordance with a predetermined scheme for pursuit of vehicles. In most instances, the choice of which subsystems are operated, and the modes of operation for each subsystem is made on a jurisdictional basis as a matter of police departmental policy. Therefore, the siren sound used in a PURSUIT mode, for example, is chosen by a department from among a plurality of available modes. - When the “PURSUIT” command is selected by touching the “PURSUIT”
button 106, the display onscreen 19 changes to a “PURSUIT”screen 112 which is shown in FIG. 4. Thecentral controller 22 actuates theGPS subsystem 29 to record the location of thepolice vehicle 12 and transmit that information, in a manner which will be described, to a remote location, such as to the police dispatcher. Agraphical note 114 is displayed on thescreen 19 to indicate to the operator that theGPS subsystem 29 is performing this function. Thesiren subsystem 24 is activated to operate in a preprogrammed mode which has been prescribed by local department policy for pursuit situations. Thelight bar subsystem 26 is activated by thecontroller 22 to operate in a typical PURSUIT mode in which the pattern of the lights of the overhead light bar moves from the center of the light bar to the ends and back to the center in a “handclap” manner. Upon selection of the “PURSUIT” command, thecontroller 22 also activates the video 5subsystem 30 so that the forward-lookingcamera 32 becomes the controlled “primary camera.” TheVCR 40 is actuated by thecontroller 22 to begin recording of the video captured by the forward lookingcamera 30. A graphical note 116 is also displayed on thescreen 19 to indicate to the operator that these operations have occurred. In the “PURSUIT” mode, then, thecontrol system 10 thus performs as an emergency response system which actuates and controls multiple emergency response subsystems in a preprogrammed manner. - Only minimal user input commands having to be provided to the
controller 22. Thus, the invention allows a user to rapidly coordinate the response of a plurality emergency subsystems when required in accordance with a common scheme. - In the “PURSUIT”
screen 112, depicted in FIG. 4, theblank area 104 of themain screen 102 is replaced by buttons which provide for further detailed control commands for thelight bar subsystem 26 andsiren subsystem 24. Among these control commands are a “DAY PARK”button 118 and a “NIGHT PARK”button 120, each of which correspond to powersaving modes of operation for thelight bar subsystem 26. An “AIR HORN” button 122.and a “SIREN”button 124 are also provided for selection of modes of operation for thesiren subsystem 24. - Referring now to FIG. 5, a light and siren
control screen display 126 is depicted which provides control commands for individually modifying the light bar andsiren subsystems video subsystem 30. Thecontrol screen display 126 will appear ontha touch screen 19 if the “CONTROL”button 108 is selected on themain screen 102. Thescreen display 126 will also appear if the “CONTROL”button 108 is selected from any other screen display, such as the “PURSUIT”screen 112, since the “CONTROL”button 108 is always an available command regardless of the particular screen display presented on thetouch screen 19. Thecontrol screen display 126 includesbuttons - If the “LIGHTS/SIREN”
button 128 is selected, a light and siren screen display 132 (illustrated in FIG. 6) is presented on the touchsensitive screen 19. The light and siren screen display 132 provides a plurality of individual control commands for thesiren subsystem 24 and for thelight bar subsystem 26. The available commands for thelight bar subsystem 26 include “TAKE DOWN” 134, “LEFT ALLEY” 136, “RIGHT ALLEY” 138, “MODE 1” 140, “MODE 2” 142, “MODE 3” 144, “ROTATE” 146, “FLASH” 148 and “SIGNAL MASTER” 150, all of which correspond to known programmed light patterns. By selection of a particular available command, the operator may select the appropriate programmed light pattern. The control commands for thelight bar system 26 are typical of a hierarchical command structure. Similar hierarchical commands are available for thesiren subsystem 24 on screen display 132 so that the operation of thesiren subsystem 24 in one of several different available modes maybe selected. These commands include button 152 (“HI/LOW”) which can be touched consecutively to toggle thesiren subassembly 24 alternately between providing a high volume siren sound and a low volume siren sound. Other command buttons include “YELP” 154, “AIR HORN” 156, “MANUAL” 158, “WAIL” 160 and “PRIORITY” 162 which are primarily useful for changing the type of siren sound which is produced. If desired, the screen display 132 may also includescreen paging arrows siren subsystem 24 andlight bar subsystem 26 may be displayed. - Referring now to FIG. 7, a video subsystem
control display screen 170 is depicted. Thisdisplay screen 170 permits a user to both view video being obtained by thevideo subsystem 30 and to control aspects of thevideo subsystem 30. The video subsystemcontrol display screen 170 is displayed when the “VIDEO”button 130 is touched in eitherscreen 126 or 132. The video subsystemcontrol display screen 170 includes a central area 172 which is operable to display video provided by the selected “primary camera” in thevideo subsystem 30. As depicted in FIG. 7, the central area 172 is divided into four separatevideo display sections cameras video subsystem 30. - Video control buttons are located adjacent the central area172 so that the operator can control the video displayed in the central area 172. Among these video control buttons is included a “CYCLE”
button 182, which is used to sequence through each of the fourvideo display sections button 184 is included which, when selected, causes a selected video display section to be displayed in “full screen” to the exclusion of the remaining three video display sections. There is also a “GRAB”button 186 which, when selected, causes the frame grabber assembly to still the image from the primary camera screen display. Also included is a “ZOOM IN”button 188, “ZOOM OUT”button 190. Pressing these buttons will cause the image from the primary camera to “zoom in” or “zoom out,” respectively. A “SEND”button 192 is included as well which selects a freeze frame image from the image provided by the primary camera and transmits that image digitally via themodem 84 to a predetermined remote location. Also, a “RECORD”button 194 is included. When this button is touched, it cause theVCR 40 to begin recording. The “EXIT” button, 196, allows the operator to leave the video subsystemcontrol display screen 170 and be returned to themain menu screen 102. - Hierarchical commands are also provided for control of the
radar subsystem 28. Referring to FIG. 8, aradar control screen 200 is depicted which includes anupper display area 202 and alower command area 204. Theupper display area 202 includes a targetspeed display window 206, patrol carspeed display window 208, and a lockedspeed window 210. - The
lower command area 204 contains individual controls, which, in an exemplary embodiment include a “MOVING/STATIONARY”toggle button 212 which, when touched repeatedly will toggle alternately between a tracking condition wherein thetracking police vehicle 12 is in motion and one wherein thepolice vehicle 12 is stationary. Belowbutton 212 is a “SAME/OPPOSITE”toggle button 214 which, when touched repeatedly will toggle alternately between a radar tracking condition wherein thetracking police vehicle 12 is moving in the same direction as the tracked vehicle and one in which thepolice vehicle 12 is moving in the opposite direction from the tracked vehicle. Thelower command area 204 also includes a “FRONT/REAR”toggle button 216 which can be operated in a similar manner to toggle between radar tracking conditions in which the tracked vehicle is located to the front of or to the rear of thepolice vehicle 12. Also included is a “NORMAL”button 218, a “PATROL BLANK”button 220, a “TEST RADAR”button 222, a “RELEASED/LOCKED”toggle button 224 and a “TRANSMIT”button 226. - It is noted that the organization of screens shown and that of the particular information depicted on screens is exemplary only and may be modified or changed as desired. Indeed, it is envisioned that such organization would be prescribed by individual local or state department policy. Also, individual screens maybe altered to include controls for additional devices or subsystems such as the police vehicle radio.
- The control of individual subsystems using hierarchical menu commands is illustrated with reference to FIGS. 9A and 9B. There, an
exemplary menu structure 250 is depicted which exemplifies the hierarchical command structure employed by thecontrol system 10. Once thecontrol system 10 has been initialized, in a manner will be described in further detail shortly, themain screen 102 is displayed. The step of displaying themain screen 102 is represented byblock 252 in FIG. 9A. The user is provided with three initial choices for a consecutive step, these being represented by the “PURSUIT” 254, “CONTROL” 256 AND “RADAR” 258 blocks. Further alternative steps may be made after one of these choices is made, thus creating a well known decision tree by which a user may reach a desired condition by choosing among numerous consecutive steps. For example, if it is desired to operate thesiren subsystem 24 to produce a “WAIL” type sound, a user would initialize the system so as to cause themain screen 102 to be displayed (box 250 in FIG. 9A). From there, the user would press the CONTROL button from themain screen 102 to cause thecontrol screen 126 of FIG. 5 to be displayed. This condition is illustrated asbox 256 in FIG. 14. Next, the user would press the LIGHTS/SIREN button 128 to access the light and siren screen display 132. This condition is depicted asblock 260 in FIG. 9A. From screen 132, the user may select theWAIL button 160 which will cause thesiren subsystem 24 to produce the appropriate “WAIL”-type siren sound. - Data Entry, Communications and Relaying of Communications
- Information such as a driver's license number, driver's name, make and model of car, weather conditions and so forth can be recorded within the
HHU 44 by entering it on the touchsensitive screen 46 of theHHU 44. An exemplary screen display for data entry is illustrated in FIG. 17. There, a “form” is displayed which contains a number of fields into which information, such as driver's information is entered. These fields, which include a driver'slast name 262,first name 264,current address 266 andweight 268 are made up of a number of character positions 270 which may be filled with alphanumeric characters to complete them. The characters are entered in thepositions 270 using the pen, or stylus, (not shown) which accompanies theHHU 44. - In addition to these data fields, the screen display presents touch-sensitive “buttons” which can be selected using the pen or stylus. Among the buttons are a “PRINT”
button 270, which causes inputted information to be transmitted from the HHU 44 via theLAN adapter 48 to theLAN adapter 80 and, thereafter, printed out by theprinter 42 in a manner which will be 15 described in greater detail shortly. Also included among the buttons is a “READ MAGNETIC CARD”button 272. - As can be seen with reference to FIG. 18, data entry into the
HHU 44 is partially automated through the use of scrollable pick lists for certain data entries so that the officer may choose from among a plurality of commonly entered choices. These lists also provide atime 20 saving means for recording commonly entered information. FIG. 18 illustrates ascrollable pick list 274 of alternative values forweights 275 from which an officer can select an appropriate choice with the pen or stylus. Thelist 274 is a “pop-up” type list which is activated when the pen or stylus touches thefield name 276. Ascroll bar 278 may be used to move among available selections. “OK” and “CANCEL”buttons - It is noted that the software for the
HHU 44 incorporates error checking functions which ensure that required fields are not left blank. This reduces the possibility of errors introduced during the recording of information. Further understanding of data entry features provided by theHHU 44 may be gained by examination of the computer code found in the microfiche appendix referenced at the beginning of this specification. - In addition, information contained in a barcode printed on, for example, an individual's driver's license or as a part of a Vehicle Identification Number, can be entered into the
HHU 44 by swiping thebarcode scanner 50 past the barcode. - Also, the
magnetic stripe reader 47 may be used to record within theHHU 44 information which is encoded within a magnetic stripe disposed on a card, such as a drivers' license. To activate themagnetic stripe reader 47 for recording such information, the officer would actuate the “READ MAGNETIC CARD”button 272. The card, such ascard 49 in FIG. 1, can then be “swiped” through thereader 47, as illustrated in FIG. 1 so that the information is read from the stripe oncard 49 by thereader 47. - Once entered into the
HHU 44, information is stored within the memory of the HHU. In addition to being stored within theHHU 44, the entered information is transferred via thewireless LAN 48 back to thewireless LAN 80 within thevehicle 12. FIG. 16 illustrates the transmission of information entered into theHHU 44 to thecontroller 22 where the information is retransmitted to aremote communications base 284. - Numerous wireless transmission carriers for information may be used in accordance with the present invention. Infrared signals and radio frequencies are examples. However, it is presently preferred to transmit information over short distances, such as between
LAN adapter 48 andLAN adapter 80 using a spread spectrum communications device, such as theRange LAIN 2, which establishes communication using a Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (or TCP/IP) interface. It is also presently preferred to use cellular digital packaging data (CDPD) as a carrier for such information when it is transmitted over long distances, such as via themodem 84 to aremote communications base 284. CDPD service is available currently in many large cities from telecommunication companies, such as AT&T Telecommunications and cellular telephone service providers, such as GTE Mobilnet based in Houston, Tex. - Recently, studies have focussed on the time spent by police officers responding to vehicle accident scenes. A large portion of the time spent by officers at accident scenes is spent recording information concerning the vehicles involved in the accident, accident victims, circumstances and so forth. The studies have shown that patrol cars whose officers use a penbased computer unit to record such accident data spend 20%-50% less time at an accident scene than those whose officers record such data using pen and paper. Also, information recorded using a pen-based computer is less likely to be lost or misfiled than information recorded on copies of paper.
- In still another aspect, the invention has application where there is a typical traffic stop of a vehicle as well. The invention permits an officer to enter driver and offense information (such as a driver's name, license number, and the description of a traffic offense committed) into the
HHU 44 and print out a citation or ticket from theprinter 42. The driver and offense information is transmitted by theLAN adapter 48 on theHHU 44 to theLAN adapter 80 invehicle 12. The officer actuates a print command in the HHU 44 (i.e., selecting print button 270) to have theprinter 42 print the citation. - Additionally, as FIG. 16 illustrates, data can be transmitted, using one of the methods described earlier, between the
digital camera 52 and theLAN adapter 80. As a result, an officer can take a digital photograph using thecamera 52. The digital photograph is transformed by thecamera 52 into digital information which can be transmitted by thecamera 52 through the LAN 5adapter 80. Thecontroller 22 receives the digital information so that it can be recalled later. - Further, the
controller 22 can relay information between a local transmitter, such as theHHU 44 or thedigital camera 52, and aremote communications base 284, such as a police communications base or dispatcher. For example, following a traffic stop, an officer could approach the vehicle he has stopped and, upon receiving driver's license and insurance information from the driver of the vehicle stopped, enter that driver information into theHHU 44. TheLAN adapter 48 then transmits the driver information by wireless means to theLAN adapter 80. Thecontroller 22 then causes the information received by theLAN adapter 80 to be transmitted via acellular modem 82 to theremote communications base 284. At theremote communications base 284, the transmitted information may be stored within a central information storage repository, such as a regional or national database for such information. - During a traffic stop, an officer could also photograph a suspect with the
digital camera 52. The digital image obtained by thecamera 52 is then transmitted to theLAN adapter 80 in the manner previously described and relayed by thecontroller 22 to theremote communications base 284. As with other transmitted information, the digital image may be stored within a central repository for information of this type. At theremote communications base 284, the image also can be compared with other photographs, images or identifying information in order to identify the suspect. - In a related aspect of the invention, vehicle location information is obtained by the
GPS subsystem 29 and relayed to theremote communication base 284. TheGPS subsystem 29 obtains the location of thevehicle 12 according to a predetermined periodic schedule. This location information is then transmitted to thecontroller 22 viaserial connection 68. Also in accordance with a predetermined periodic schedule, the controller transmits the location information to theremote communications base 284 via themodem 84. This feature permits the location of thevehicle 12 to be known by those at theremote base 284 without the need for making contact with the officer by conventional police radio. - The invention also permits the officer to have direct access to local, state and federal traffic and criminal records, even when the officer is outside of the police vehicle. Additionally, the officer could access other relevant remote databases or sources of information, such as local area traffic information. The officer would enter driver information such as a vehicle license number, as described above, and then cause this information to be transmitted from the
HHU 44, viaLAN adapters controller 22. Along with the information, a query is transmitted which will request that the information be compared to items contained within a particular database of information. The database might, for example, contain the license numbers for vehicles which have been reported as stolen. Upon receipt of the query, thecontroller 22 would compare the transmitted vehicle license number to entries within a database stored locally within the data storage memory associated with themotherboard 64. If no match is made, thecontroller 22 retransmits the query along with the driver's information via themodem 84 to theremote communications base 284 which contains databases which are more extensive than those maintained within thecontroller 22 on board thevehicle 12. The databases at theremote communications base 284 preferably correspond to a database of statewide, national or perhaps international scope. Theremote communications base 284 uses comparison software similar to that used within by thecontroller 22 to receive the transmitted driver information and compare it to entries stored within these databases. A database query is made based upon one or more pieces of information, such as a driver's license number or license plate number. Based upon the query, the database is searched for a match. - General Operation of
Controller 22 - Those skilled in the art will recognize that there are numerous ways in which the
motherboard 64 of thecontroller 22 could be programmed in a customized manner by a user to control peripheral subsystems and devices. In addition, detailed control logic descriptions, flow charts, and even source code are available from the manufacturers and retailers of various peripheral components which might be used, with proper permission or license, to program themotherboard 64. Nonetheless, aspects of operation and decision making for thecontroller 22 are now described with reference to FIGS. 10-15. FIG. 10 depicts the scheme for an exemplary control algorithm which could be used with thecontrol system 10. FIGS. 11-15 each depict constituent portions of the control algorithm shown in FIG. 10. - When the
control system 10 is started up, thecontroller 22 will initialize the system hardware and the control data. This operation is depicted inblock 300 of FIG. 10. Following theinitialization step 300, thecontroller 22 enters acontrol polling loop 301 and continues to follow thepolling loop 301 until given a command to cease polling and shut down. The steps performed during thepolling loop 301 are those of processing communications (step 308), processing periodic tasks (step 309), processing system devices (step 311), processing printing tasks (step 313) and displaying information (step 315). - Following the step of displaying information, the
controller 22 determines whether it will continue thepolling loop 301 or not. This is done by including a flag within the software which causes thecontroller 22 to make a choice between continuing or not. This decision is illustrated bybox 317 in FIG. 10. The software flag should be initialized to default for continuing thepolling loop 301 unless there is an event which causes it to do otherwise, such as a shut down command. If a shut down command is given, thecontroller 22 will cause thecontrol system 10 to turn off the TCP/IP stack buffer and perform other functions associated with the shut down of a control system. - Substeps performed during the
initialization step 300 are depicted in FIG. 11. In thefirst substep 302, thecontroller 22 initializes the hardware for thecontrol system 10 to configure the port speeds for each device or subsystem which is interconnected with theISC 66. The siren andlight bar subsystems GPS subsystem 29 requests that information obtained be provided in accordance with the format of the GPS manufacturer's particular protocol. - Also during
substep 302, the primary camera is commanded by thecontroller 22 to display within the image it captures an identification number for thepolice vehicle 12. TheVCR 40 begins to record images provided by the video camera which has been selected as the primary camera among the fourvideo cameras radar subsystem 28 is initialized at its default settings which are established by local departmental procedure. Typically, this is a recording mode in which theVCR 40 will record video captured by the primary camera. Thevideo camera subsystem 30 is initialized so that camera images will be provided by one of thecameras video display sections control display screen 170 when that screen is accessed by a user. - In
substep 304, thecontroller 22 reads in the configuration information from a controller data file into the RAM of the microprocessor of thecontroller 22. This configuration information data file is preferably stored in the same directory as the rest of the programming for thecontroller 22. Insubstep 306, thecontroller 22 sets the initial display (or main screen 102) for theuser interface device 18. - Following the
initialization step 300, thecontroller 22 performs acommunications process step 308 in which it processes any communications of information which are to be transferred into or out of thecontroller 22. - Referring to FIG. 12, a flow diagram is provided illustrating exemplary control logic used to perform the
communications process step 308. First, insubstep 310, thecontroller 22 determines whether themodem 84 is enabled for wireless transmission of information to a destination such as theremote communications base 284. Insubstep 312, thecontroller 22 then checks to see whether any communications information has been received by themodem 84 and is available to be processed. If there is such information, thecontroller 22 performssubstep 314, in which the received information is read into the RAM memory of themotherboard 64. - The received information is then processed by the software routines. Essentially, two types of information are transferred: commands and status data. If the information received is a command, the
controller 22 executes that command. If the information is status data, thecontroller 22 processes that data, for example, by storing an incoming .jpg to a file. - In
substep 316, thecontroller 22 inquires whether any communications information is waiting to be sent by themodem 84. If so, thecontroller 22 causes themodem 84 to send the communications information through themodem 84 duringsubstep 318. Thecontroller 22 then updates its state, i.e., the condition of either sending information during the transmission or receiving a response from the receiver. - In
substep 320, thecontroller 22 determines whether the TCP/IP interface is enabled for transmission of information to and from thewireless LAN adapter 80.Substeps substeps modem 84. - In the next step of general operation,
step 309, thecontroller 22 processes tasks which are referred to as “periodic tasks” because they are not required to be performed every time thecontroller 22 performs its polling loop. Rather, these periodic tasks are performed in accordance with a predetermined time-based schedule. An example of a periodic task is that of obtaining location information for thevehicle 12 via theGPS subsystem 29 and relaying that information to theremote communications base 284. Typically, information regarding the location of thevehicle 12 is sought and updated twice per second. A location is relayed to theremote communications base 284 every 8 seconds. FIG. 13 depicts the substeps used by the controller to carry out the process ofstep 309. First, thecontroller 22 polls theGPS subsystem 29 to determine whether it is time for an update of GPS data to be obtained (substep 330). If it is time for such an update, thecontroller 22 commands theGPS subsystem 29 to request an update of the position information (substep 332). Insubstep 334, thecontroller 22 determines whether the “Auto Base/GPS notification” is enabled. The “Auto Base/GPS notification function causes automatic periodic notifications of the position of the vehicle 12 (as determined by the GPS subsystem 29) to be provided to theremote communications base 284 via themodem 84. Insubstep 336, thecontroller 22 determines whether it is time to notify theremote communications base 284 of the updated position information. Thecontroller 22 will queue the position information to themodem 84 insubstep 338. - In the next step of general operation,
step 311, thecontroller 22 polls all controlled subsystems. The substeps associated with this step are depicted in FIG. 14. First, thecontroller 22 determines whether data is available from thetouch screen 19. This is depicted assubstep 340 in FIG. 14. Touches upon thetouch screen 19, having been previously buffered by a driver, are recalled by thecontroller 22 and used as control input signals. If such inputs are available, thecontroller 22 retrieves and processes this data insubstep 342. Next, thecontroller 22 determines whether data is available from the GPS subsystem 29 (substep 344). If so, thecontroller 22 then retrieves the data, processes it and displays it on the touch screen 19 (substep 346). Similar substeps are then performed to obtain, process and display data for the light bar subsystem 26 (substeps 348, 350) and the radar subsystem 28 (substeps 352, 354). Similar steps can be performed for any other controlled subsystems associated with thecontrol system 10. It is noted that control of subsystems insteps - In the next step of general operation,
step 313, thecontroller 22 processes-print commands which have been received from theHHU 44 to cause theprinter 42 to execute a print job according to a predetermined form for printing. The particular form for printing may be prescribed by local or departmental policy. Ordinarily, however, the form for printing will correspond to a citation, ticket or warning which is issued in response to a traffic violation. The substeps used in carrying outstep 313 are shown in FIG. 15. Step 313 results in printing of a document, such as a traffic citation, after a print command and an item of information (such as a database file) are received by thecontroller 22 from theHHU 44. Insubstep 356, thecontroller 22 determines whether a print job is recorded in the print queue. Currently, a print job is printed only after other system tasks, such as transmissions of information using themodem 84 or theLAN adapter 80, have been completed. Therefore, thecontroller 22 determines, atsubstep 358, whether each such task has been completed. If so, the print job is executed atsubstep 360. - In the
step 315 of general operation, thecontroller 22 causes thetouch screen 19 to display current information. Further detail concerning the controller operations described here is available by reference to the microfiche appendix which is referenced at the beginning of this specification. - By performing the
polling loop 301 as described, thecontroller 22 continuously operates to process incoming and outgoing communications and asserts control and monitoring of all the peripheral subsystems. - It is noted that control and communications processing could also be achieved using an event driven method. In that case, individual actions (a communications transaction or a control action) is performed via interrupts caused by individual devices in the system. Individual events would include input commands entered into the
user interface device 18 or receipt of information into the TCP/IP stack. Those of skill in the art will recognize that alternative programming techniques of this nature are well understood and may be accomplished with minimal effort once the general control and communication parameters of the invention are understood. - Stored information may be downloaded from an HHU44 into a workstation located at a police station or otherwise. Downloading or transferring of the information can be performed using the
LAN adapter 48 in a manner similar to that described earlier, provided that the workstation is equipped with an adapter, or other device which is capable of receiving the information transmitted and transferring it into databases as desired. Preferably, transmission is done using commonly accepted protocols such as File Transfer Protocol (FTP). - When the information is downloaded, it is placed into an appropriate master database or even multiple databases so that it can be recalled as necessary. The information can also be viewed on the workstation screen, printed out by an associated printer or sent to a recipient using an electronic mail program. The workstation must be preprogrammed to receive such information and store it within the appropriate databases. Exemplary source code for such programming is found in the microfiche appendix to this specification.
- The present invention has been described with respect to specific embodiments thereof, but is not so limited. For example, the invention contemplates that numerous remote communication means other than cellular data packet transmission (CDPD) may be employed for communicating data or information between the
computer unit 44 and thecentral controller 22. Modifications could be made to the structure and operation of the controlled subsystems without falling outside the scope of the claimed invention. Also, the specific control commands provided to the controlled subsystems or the manner in which these commands are organized can be altered. - Further, other devices or subsystems may be easily substituted for those specifically named herein, while still remaining within the scope of the invention, thereby permitting the invention to be adapted to different types of vehicles or within different applications. For example, controlled subsystems might comprise a cruise control subsystem and a collision avoidance system used by a civilian vehicle. Additionally, the controller might be used on board a military vehicle to control radio and other systems. Those of skill in the art will understand that many other various changes and modifications may be made while remaining within the scope and spirit of the invention.
Claims (24)
1. A control system for controlling a plurality of vehicular-based peripheral subsystems, the control system comprising:
a controller disposed within a vehicle, the controller adapted to receive input commands and provide device control commands in response thereto;
a user interface device operably interconnected with the controller to provide input commands to the controller; and
a plurality of peripheral subsystems operably interconnected to the controller to receive device control commands from said controller and be controlled thereby.
2. The control system of wherein the user interface device comprises an input device operable for selection of control of one subsystem from among said plurality of subsystems.
claim 1
3. The control system of wherein the controller comprises a programmable digital computer.
claim 1
4. The control system of , wherein one of said subsystems comprises a siren and 20 overhead light bar subsystem.
claim 1
5. The control system of wherein one of said subsystems comprises a traffic radar subsystem.
claim 1
6. The control system of wherein one of said subsystems comprises a video camera subsystem.
claim 1
7. The control system of wherein one of said subsystems comprises a global positioning system.
claim 1
8. The control system of wherein said video camera subsystem comprises;
claim 4
a video camera; and
a video recording apparatus.
9. A vehicle having a passenger compartment and a storage compartment, the vehicle comprising:
a plurality of vehicular-based peripheral subsystems;
a controller for said subsystems operably interconnected with each of said subsystems, the controller being located within the storage compartment of the vehicle; and
a user interface device for the controller which is operably interconnected with the controller, the user interface device being located within the passenger compartment.
10. The vehicle of wherein the user interface device comprises a touch sensitive screen which displays a graphical control panel having a plurality of command choices.
claim 9
11. The vehicle of wherein the controller comprises a programmable digital computer.
claim 9
12. The vehicle of wherein the user interface device displays a hierarchical menu of command choices for a user.
claim 10
13. An emergency response system for use in an emergency vehicle, the system comprising:
a. a plurality of emergency vehicle response subsystems;
b. means for selectively controlling said plurality of subsystems to produce a coordinated response.
14. The emergency response system of wherein the means for selectively controlling comprises a programmable digital computer operably interconnected to each of said subsystems to cause said subsystems to operate in accordance with a predetermined coordinated scheme.
claim 13
15. The emergency response system of wherein selective control comprises causing operation of at least one subsystem in one selected mode from among a plurality of possible modes.
claim 14
16. The emergency response system of wherein selective control comprises causing operation of selected subsystems from among said plurality of subsystems.
claim 14
17. The emergency response system of wherein selective control comprises causing device control commands to be provided to a plurality of controlled subsystems relatively simultaneously.
claim 14
18. A process for controlling a plurality of emergency vehicle subsystems which are interconnected to a common controller with a single user interface device, the process comprising the steps of:
a. actuating the user interface device by providing a single input command to the controller;
b. transmitting a first device control command from the controller to a first subsystem; and
c. transmitting a second device control command from the controller to a second subsystem relatively simultaneously with said first control command.
19. A vehicle-based controller capable of operational control of at least one vehicular-based peripheral subsystem, the controller comprising:
a. a microprocessor;
b. data storage area;
c. means for receiving a user input command;
d. means for providing a device control command to said peripheral subsystem;
e. means for receiving data communication from outside of said vehicle; and
f. means for retransmitting said data communication outside of said vehicle.
20. A system for providing data communications between a receiving vehicle and an extra vehicular source, the system comprising:
a. a data receiver disposed upon said vehicle;
b. a data transmitter associated with the extra-vehicular source;
c. data input means associated with said data transmitter.
21. A method of issuing a traffic citation comprising:
a. entering driver and offense information into a portable computer unit;
b. transmitting the driver and offense information and a print command from the portable computer unit to a vehicle-based controller; and
c. printing a traffic citation from a printer operably interconnected with the controller upon the controller's receipt of the print command.
22. The method of wherein the step of entering driver and offense information into the portable computer further comprises recording said information within a computer forms stored within the portable computer unit.
claim 21
23. The method of wherein the step of entering driver and offense information into the portable computer further comprises scanning information into the portable computer using a bar code scanner.
claim 21
24. The method of wherein the step of entering driver and offense information into the portable computer further comprises scanning information into the portable computer using a magnetic stripe reader.
claim 20
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- 2001-01-18 US US09/764,924 patent/US6411874B2/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
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Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
US6188939B1 (en) | 2001-02-13 |
AU8912298A (en) | 1999-03-08 |
US6411874B2 (en) | 2002-06-25 |
CA2305158A1 (en) | 1999-02-25 |
WO1999008897A1 (en) | 1999-02-25 |
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