EMERGENCY VEHICLE ALERT SYSTEM AND METHOD

摘要

An emergency vehicle alert system and method that uses a low-power radio frequency transmitter connected to an emergency vehicle, and a radio with multiple tuners connected to a passenger or light vehicle. Most currently produced passenger or light vehicles use radios with multiple tuners. One or more of those tuners can be re-purposed, periodically, to scan an emergency frequency for an emergency message. Upon receiving an emergency message that exceeds a pre-defined threshold, the system and method would switch the audio output of the passenger or light vehicle to broadcast the emergency message.

主权项

1. An emergency vehicle alert system, broadcasting an emergency message from an emergency vehicle to one or more passenger or light vehicles in near proximity of the emergency vehicle, comprising:
a low-power radio frequency transmitter, mounted in the emergency vehicle, capable of transmitting an emergency message at an emergency frequency; a plurality of passenger vehicles containing an entertainment or infotainment system comprising, at least, an antenna; a radio with multiple tuners; one or more loudspeakers; and direct, or indirect, connections between the antenna and radio, and between the radio and loudspeakers; a method for allowing the detection of the emergency message, wherein one or more tuners, each designated a back-up tuner, periodically scans the emergency frequency for the presence of an emergency message; a method for comparing the level of a received emergency message to a pre-defined threshold level; a method for transmitting a service interrupt, or equivalent, when the emergency message level exceeds the pre-defined threshold level, to the entertainment or infotainment system, giving the back-up tuner receiving the emergency message control of the system's audio output; and a switching means for connecting the tuner receiving the emergency message to the loudspeaker(s).