Emergency radio transmission from vehicle involved in accident - initiated by switch of passenger restraint system and powered by buffer energy store

摘要

The proposed addition simplifies the equipment for switching on the transmission automatically. Instead of using a separate switch with an inertia element responsive to sudden deceleration it is proposed to use the switch provided for the passenger restraint system, e.g. an inflatable air bag. To allow for interruption of the normal power supply a buffer store is provided, activated by the same switch, to power the transmitter for a short period. The buffer may take the form of a reservoir capacitor or a small battery. The capacity of the buffer is enough to ensure that the emergency services can recognise the signal and obtain a radio bearing on the transmission. Manual operation of the emergency signal is unaffected.