US 11,990,040 B2
Systems and methods for alerting drivers of approaching emergency vehicles
Michael Walsh, St. Louis, MO (US); Virginia E. Foster, St. Louis, MO (US); and Ryan McNeely, St. Louis, MO (US)
Assigned to Invent F & W, LLC, St. Louis, MO (US)
Filed by Invent F & W, LLC, St. Louis, MO (US)
Filed on May 24, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/201,486.
Application 18/201,486 is a continuation of application No. 17/091,477, filed on Nov. 6, 2020, abandoned.
Application 17/091,477 is a continuation of application No. 16/188,395, filed on Nov. 13, 2018, granted, now 10,891,858, issued on Jan. 12, 2021.
Application 16/188,395 is a continuation of application No. 14/600,925, filed on Jan. 20, 2015, granted, now 10,127,813, issued on Nov. 13, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2023/0298465 A1, Sep. 21, 2023
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. G08G 1/0965 (2006.01)
CPC G08G 1/0965 (2013.01) 25 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A computer-implemented method for alerting passenger vehicles of approaching emergency vehicles, said method implemented by an alert management computing device including a processor and a memory device coupled to the processor, said method comprising:
receiving an emergency vehicle alert request message from an emergency vehicle transmitter,
receiving a present emergency vehicle location and at least one of a present emergency vehicle speed, a present emergency vehicle trajectory, and a present emergency vehicle acceleration from the emergency vehicle transmitter;
receiving passenger vehicle location data from a plurality of passenger vehicle user computing devices located in a plurality of passenger vehicles,
wherein the passenger vehicle location data includes a present passenger vehicle location and at least one of a present passenger vehicle speed, a present passenger vehicle trajectory, and a present passenger vehicle acceleration;
calculating an alert zone for the emergency vehicle as a function of the present emergency vehicle location and at least one of the present emergency vehicle speed, the present emergency vehicle trajectory, and the present emergency vehicle acceleration,
wherein the alert zone includes an area adjacent the emergency vehicle and wherein the area of the alert zone is determined as a function of at least one of the emergency vehicle speed and the emergency vehicle acceleration;
increasing the area of the alert zone in response to an increase in the at least one of the emergency vehicle speed and the emergency vehicle acceleration;
decreasing the area of the alert zone in response to a decrease in the at least one of the emergency vehicle speed and the emergency vehicle acceleration;
calculating a vehicle zone for each of the plurality of passenger vehicles as a function of the present passenger vehicle location and at least one of a present passenger vehicle speed, a present passenger vehicle trajectory, and a present passenger vehicle acceleration;
identifying a subset of the plurality of passenger vehicles within the alert zone by comparing each vehicle zone to the alert zone, wherein the subset of the plurality of passenger vehicles consists of passenger vehicles whose vehicle zone partially overlaps the alert zone; and
transmitting a warning message to the subset of the plurality of passenger vehicles via the passenger vehicle user computing devices.