Emergency passage system for notification of approaching emergency vehicles
An emergency passage system facilitates movement of an emergency vehicle through traffic such that the emergency vehicle may arrive at a destination more quickly. The system includes a plurality of visual warning devices located along roads and/or at intersections, and a plurality of wireless communications modules. Each wireless communications module is connected to a respective visual warning device, and each wireless communications module has a directivity and a signal threshold defining an activation zone such that when the emergency vehicle enters an activation zone of a respective wireless communications module, the visual warning device connected to said respective wireless communications module displays a first visual warning.
1 . An emergency passage system for notification of an approaching emergency vehicle, said emergency passage system comprising:
a plurality of visual warning devices including a first visual warning device and a second visual warning device for facilitating movement of said emergency vehicle through traffic, said plurality of visual warning devices located along roads and/or at intersections,
a plurality of wireless communications modules including a first wireless communications module and a second wireless communications module, each wireless communications module comprising:
a directional antenna adjusted to a predefined direction of travel; and
a processing unit configured to compare a received signal level to a signal threshold and to control a connected visual warning device based on the comparison;
each wireless communications module being connected to a respective visual warning device,
each wireless communications module having a directivity and a signal threshold defining an activation zone having a range of angles for transmitting and receiving a wireless signal within said range of angles,
wherein the visual warning device connected to a respective wireless communications module is activated when the respective wireless communications module receives a transmission signal from the emergency vehicle in response to the wireless signal transmitted by the wireless communications module.
2 . The emergency passage system according to claim 1 , comprising said emergency vehicle.
3 . The emergency passage system according to claim 2 , said emergency vehicle comprising a third wireless communications module for transmitting a first wireless signal.
4 . The emergency passage system according to claim 1 , each wireless communications module having a higher gain in said activation zone than outside said activation zone.
5 . The emergency passage system according to claim 1 , at least a part of said plurality of wireless communications modules comprising more than one directional antenna.
6 . The emergency passage system according to claim 1 , said signal threshold defining a range for transmitting and/or receiving a wireless signal within said range.
7 . The emergency passage system according to claim 6 , said range being adjustable.
8 . The emergency passage system according to claim 1 , each of said plurality of wireless communications modules arranged at a respective visual warning device.
9 . The emergency passage system according to claim 1 , said first visual warning device and said second visual warning device being spaced a distance,
said first wireless communications module defining a respective activation zone such having a respective signal threshold such that signals from a distance greater than said spaced distance constitute noise.
10 . The emergency passage system according to claim 3 , comprising a second emergency vehicle having a fourth wireless communications module for transmitting a second wireless signal.
11 . The emergency passage system according to claim 10 , said first visual warning device displaying a first visual warning when receiving said first wireless signal.
12 . The emergency passage system according to claim 11 , said first visual warning device displaying a second visual warning when receiving said first wireless signal and said second wireless signal.
13 . The emergency passage system according to claim 1 , wherein the signal threshold is adjustable.
14 . The emergency passage system according to claim 13 , wherein the signal threshold is adjustable based on a distance between intersections.
15 . The emergency passage system according to claim 1 , wherein the activation zone is adjustable to limit detection to the respective road.