IP Library › Granted Patent US 8,223,037
Granted Patent B2
US 8,223,037 · App. 12/674,998 · Granted Jul 17, 2012

Method and apparatus for warning of emergency vehicles in emergency service

Assignee: Continental Teves AG & Co. oHG
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,223,037
App. No.
12/674,998
Granted
Jul 17, 2012
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method and an apparatus for warning of emergency vehicles in emergency service. The emergency vehicles use vehicle-to-vehicle communication to transmit warning messages which are received by other vehicles and are indicated to the driver of the receiving vehicle. In order to allow rapid orientation of the driver, provision is made for the warning message from the emergency vehicle to have a position statement for the emergency vehicle and for the position statement to be evaluated in the vehicle which receives the warning message, wherein the position of the emergency vehicle is indicated relative to the position of the receiving vehicle.

Claims (22)

1. A method for warning of emergency vehicles in emergency service, in which emergency vehicles use vehicle-to-vehicle communication to transmit warning messages which are received by an other vehicle and are indicated to a driver of the other vehicle, the method including the steps of:

transmitting, by the emergency vehicle, a warning message including a position of the emergency vehicle to the other vehicle,

wherein in response to receiving the warning message and when the other vehicle is configured to perform map matching, the other vehicle performs map matching and indicates to the driver the position of the emergency vehicle relative to a position of the other vehicle, and

wherein in response to receiving the warning message and when the other vehicle is not configured to perform map matching, the other vehicle transmits the position of the other vehicle to the emergency vehicle, the emergency vehicle performs map matching and transmits the position of the emergency vehicle relative to the position of the other vehicle, and the other vehicle indicates to the driver the position of the emergency vehicle relative to the position of the other vehicle.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the position of the emergency vehicle is attributed to a position in a digital map.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the position of the other vehicle is attributed to a position in a digital map.

4. The method as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the position of the emergency vehicle and/or for the other vehicle is attributed in the emergency vehicle.

5. The method as claimed in claim 2 , wherein a position and/or a direction of the emergency vehicle are/is indicated in the digital map.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the position of the emergency vehicle is indicated by an arrow in an indicator device, an arrow tip of which points in a direction of the emergency vehicle relative to the other vehicle.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein a direction of the emergency vehicle is indicated by an arrow in an indicator device, an arrow tip of which points in the direction of movement of the emergency vehicle relative to the direction of travel of the other vehicle.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the warning message from the emergency vehicle has a direction statement for the emergency vehicle.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein a position of the emergency vehicle is indicated by a signal tone in a surround-sound-compatible loudspeaker installation such that the signal tone appears to the driver of the other vehicle to come from a direction of approach.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the direction of the emergency vehicle is indicated by time-variant reproduction in the surround-sound-compatible loudspeaker installation.

11. An apparatus for warning a driver of a receiving vehicle of a position of an emergency vehicle in emergency service comprising:

a receiver in a receiving vehicle for receiving a warning message that is transmitted by the emergency vehicle by vehicle-to-vehicle communication, the warning message including a position of the emergency vehicle;

a control device for evaluating the warning message; and

an indicator device for indicating the warning message to the driver of the receiving vehicle,

wherein in response to receiving the warning message and when the receiving vehicle is configured to perform map matching, the receiving vehicle performs map matching and indicates to the driver the position of the emergency vehicle relative to a position of the receiving vehicle, and

wherein in response to receiving the warning message and when the receiving vehicle is not configured to perform map matching, the receiving vehicle transmits the position of the receiving vehicle to the emergency vehicle, the emergency vehicle performs map matching and transmits the position of the emergency vehicle relative to the position of the receiving vehicle, and the receiving vehicle indicates to the driver the position of the emergency vehicle relative to the position of the receiving vehicle.

12. The apparatus as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the indicator device is a screen and/or a surround-sound-compatible loudspeaker installation.

13. The apparatus as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the apparatus is integrated in a driver information system.

14. The apparatus as claimed in claim 11 , wherein an emergency vehicle contains a transmitter for transmitting the warning messages which contain a position statement.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Aug 5, 2026
From: CONTINENTAL AUTOMOTIVE TECHNOLOGIES GMBH
To: AUMOVIO GERMANY GMBH
Reel/Frame 076113/0632 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 12, 2010
From: GROTENDORST, THOMAS; STAHLIN, ULRICH
To: CONTINENTAL TEVES AG & CO. OHG
Reel/Frame 025124/0803 →
Priority Claims (2)
DE 10 2007 041 045 · Aug 29, 2007 · national
DE 10 2008 037 690 · Aug 14, 2008 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20110115644A1 · May 19, 2011