Private Inventor Files Patent Application For Telematics-Based Public And Emergency First Responders Safety Advisory System

SAN JOSE, Calif., Feb. 4, 2004 -- Dominic Kotab of Silicon Valley IP Group, PC announced today the recent filing of a patent application for an in-vehicle advisory/warning communication system designed to decrease emergency vehicle response-time while increasing the safety and protecting the lives of EMS, fire and police personnel, and the motoring public.

Minutes, even seconds, added to an emergency vehicle's response-time can dramatically affect the degree of success of an emergency mission. This response-time is often severely hampered by one major factor -- unaware, and therefore unresponsive, traffic along the emergency vehicle's route. Moreover, accidents involving the emergency vehicle and an unaware driver happen all too often compounding the tragedy by stopping the emergency operation altogether while exposing government agencies to expensive legal liability.

"Drivers are more and more audibly isolated from the outside world with climate-control and audio systems and cell phones in their ever-increasing soundproof vehicles," said Lance Taylor, the system's inventor. "They simply do not hear the sirens nor do they always see the lights of approaching emergency vehicles. We've all seen this many times -- an emergency vehicle unable to make timely headway, or any headway, because of drivers who are simply unaware that the emergency vehicle is approaching. Meanwhile, people are dying because emergency assistance cannot reach them in time. Traffic signal preemption systems have provided some improvement at signalized intersections, however this system can provide greatly enhanced protection at all intersections and, more importantly, along the entire emergency route as well."

This Intelligent Selectively-Targeted Communications System and Method achieves these objectives by providing precisely-targeted motorists with in-vehicle, real-time and real-world alerts and advisories of approaching emergency vehicles or other impending hazards or events. This precise vehicle targeting is accomplished by way of GPS, or other positioning technology, and the utilization of a programmed and dynamically changing "target footprint" encompassing a desired area in which vehicles are subject to receiving an advisory.

The system applies additional criteria including the relative geographical location, heading, and speed of both the emergency and passenger vehicle to determine if the two vehicles will encounter one another. The nature of a pending encounter is also determined (i.e., from the front, rear or laterally) and lastly, an automated, situationally-appropriate advisory is output in the targeted vehicle. Live communication from the emergency vehicle operator, or others, to desired target vehicles is also possible. Taylor noted, "This methodology ensures that all motorists who need to be advised are, and -- just as importantly -- that the advisories are issued to only those motorists who are certain, or highly likely, to encounter the emergency vehicle leaving others undisturbed.

"It is this precise targeting and the situationally-appropriate nature of the advisory that yields the potentially outstanding safety benefits in this and many other applications. Drivers' awareness levels of an approaching emergency vehicle or other hazardous condition will approach, and over time conceivably achieve, one hundred percent," said Taylor. "Moreover, this awareness will be at a cognitive level -- and at a distance -- unattainable with conventional lights and sirens. By incorporating visual and tactile advisory output as well it also provides an alert for the hearing impaired, an often over-looked segment of our society.

"Most of those involved in the field of telematics believe there will soon be a time when all vehicles will come equipped with at least some level of telematics," Taylor continued. "Integration of this system into future embedded telematics suites can be accomplished with relative ease, at least as regards the passenger vehicle unit. Alternatively, standalone units could be embedded in new vehicles. Fitments of aftermarket units -- bundled with other telematics features or not -- are certainly possible as well. This public-sector application won't require administration by a Telematics Service Provider (TSP). There will be no ongoing costs to the vehicle owner."

Taylor, a commercial real estate broker from Southern California, has been formulating and refining the system and methodology for several years. "I came up with the initial concept in 1984 but didn't pursue it because of its inherent imprecision. It was the ultimate improvements in GPS and wireless communications, along with the semi-maturing of the telematics industry that made it workable. I have no electronics or engineering training, I simply saw a need and worked a solution around it," he said.

While one application of Taylor's innovative system is designed to improve emergency response-time as well as protect emergency responders and motorists, other applications provide solutions to many other safety communication needs. "The presence of this system in motor vehicles enables efficient, flexible and effective communication from authorities to any portion of the motoring public -- down to an individual vehicle if need be. With this ability the system can be employed in any situation where real-time location-based communications are needed or desired thus satisfying other Intelligent Transportation Systems' (ITS) objectives," Taylor added. These applications include:

   -- Stationary Mode.  After responding to an event this superior automated
      protection continues for emergency first responders working roadway or
      roadside scenes by advising converging traffic of their presence.

   -- High/low speed law enforcement pursuits.  Advisories issued to
      motorists regarding the approach of a law enforcement vehicle pursuit.
      This is an area of extreme concern to law enforcement and governmental
      authorities for public safety and legal liability.  Communication with
      the offending vehicle including remote vehicle shutdown can also be
      accomplished.

   -- Emergency Management and Evacuation.  Targeted advisories issued to a
      desired geographical area for emergencies and evacuations.  Can be
      utilized by local, regional and state officials and also in
      conjunction with the nationwide Emergency Alert System (EAS), the
      Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the National Weather Service
      (NWS).

In addition to the emergency-vehicle-mounted transmitting unit applications, other high priority advisory/warning applications can emanate from stationary transmitting units. These units can utilize existing transmission facilities, be permanently installed where needed, or be portable for expeditious deployment as needed:

   -- Work Zones.  Advisories issued to motorists converging upon a work
      zone.  An in-vehicle audible/visual/tactile warning can be superior to
      the existing system of signs, flags, etc., which can be blocked from
      view by adjacent vehicles or not observed at all by drivers who are
      distracted or impaired.  Dramatically increased safety environment is
      thus provided for highway workers and motorists.

   -- Structural and Weather-Related Roadway Hazards.  System utilized at
      any hazardous location such as dangerous curves, severe dips, weather
      and quake damaged roadways, areas of dense fog, high winds, tornados,
      etc.  Again, can be highly superior to existing warning methodology.

   -- Traffic Management Advisories.  System employed by traffic management
      officials to communicate directly with motorists.   For example,
      officials can issue highly targeted advisories to motorists
      approaching an obstacle on their commute such as major gridlock,
      traffic accident and the like.  Motorists are advised of delays,
      closures, alternative routes, etc.  Same methodology can provide rapid
      and effective issuance of Amber Alerts.

   -- Intersection Safety.  Approximately forty percent of all reported
      vehicle collisions occur at intersections.  System can automatically
      issue advisories to vehicles approaching problematic signalized -- or
      non-signalized -- intersections at unsafe speeds.  Public safety thus
      enhanced by alerting distracted or impaired motorists of an imminent
      red-light/stop sign violation.

   -- Uncontrolled Railroad Crossings.  Automatic warning of a train's
      approach to a crossing issued to converging motorists.  Again, this is
      an area of considerable public safety and legal liability concern.

"Finding efficient and flexible solutions to most, if not all, of the above situations are stated goals of local, state and national transportation and safety agencies. This system is a complete and comprehensive motorist advisory and information communication system that can provide solutions to all of these needs, and more, with one standardized system and method," Taylor stated. "I'd like to emphasize that: One standardized system. The benefits derived by adoption and deployment of this system on a regional or national level can be instrumental in saving thousands of injuries and lives of victims, motorists, and first-responders. Moreover, implementation can be self-amortizing -- possibly over the very near-term -- by potentially saving billions of dollars in lost economic costs, property damage, and governmental and insurance company legal liability."

The recently introduced Vehicle-Infrastructure Integration (VII) initiative underscores the importance of the concept. The initiative, and the VII Working Group, consisting of American Association of State Highway Transportation Officials (AASHTO), the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) and the automobile industry, envisions a nationwide system in which vehicles would routinely communicate with transportation infrastructure to improve vehicle and roadway safety. An underlying assumption of the initiative is that the vehicle manufacturer will equip every vehicle with GPS and a communication link to the transportation network. Deployment, though not certain, could be as early as 2008.

"The VII initiative demonstrates that government and industry are ready to tackle important public safety issues with imbedded systems," said Taylor. "The incorporation of the capabilities of my system in the VII plan would seem to be a natural fit. Since most of the required vehicle hardware is similar the potential for simultaneous deployment of both is particularly interesting."

Taylor is hopeful that government, industry and insurers will take notice. "This concept is simply too important not to pursue. We're talking, possibly, thousands of lives that can be saved every year -- forever. What greater good is there? It's fully consistent with the ITS objectives of 'saving more lives, more time and more money -- more quickly.' Government encouragement, or even mandate, can help bring this life-saving system to fruition. The technology is here, it seems almost irresponsible not to get to work on it," he said.

Other applications employing the same standardized methodology include a public weather and emergency safety advisory system for home, workplace and handheld units that can be operated by monitoring companies in conjunction with the NWS, DHS and EAS, among others. Can be vastly superior to all existing techniques including reverse 911. Potential military applications are numerous.

A related patent application pertains to a counter-terrorism system designed to prevent the use of an aircraft as a "missile" against a ground target such as a city, nuclear power plant, dam, refinery, government building, etc. Both patent applications have been granted expedited prosecution status by the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

Taylor welcomes business inquiries.

For further information, please contact Lance Taylor, +1-760-241-7168, lancetaylor@candlewoodonline.com, for Silicon Valley IP Group, PC.