Patent Application
20070115109
This invention relates generally to security systems for mass transit vehicles, and more particularly, to a security system for mass transit vehicles enabling remote real time viewing of activities occurring within a mass transit vehicle and remote shutdown of the mass transit vehicle.
Mass transit vehicles have utilized two-way radio systems for years to facilitate communication between a vehicle operator and a remote location such as a central transit center. More recently, mass transit vehicles have been updated with on-board digital imaging equipment such as video cameras and digital video recorders. The images taken by the video equipment are used for various purposes including quality, safety, and security. However, there is currently no system in place which enables real-time viewing or playback of the video either on-board the vehicle or at a remote location. A vehicle operator experiencing an emergency situation on-board currently has limited means available for relaying the information to transit system management or emergency or law enforcement personnel. Currently, the only means for sending information from the vehicle requires another transit vehicle or law enforcement vehicle to be substantially adjacent to the vehicle.
Recent world events involving terrorist attempts and attacks on mass transit vehicles have increased the need for on-board viewing and remote transmission capabilities of video images recorded on board mass transit vehicles and thereafter remote control of the vehicle in reaction to the images received. Although a mass transit vehicle may be equipped with video imaging equipment, heretofore there has not been any system capable of remotely viewing or handling the data in real time and thereafter communicating back to the vehicle. Additionally, there has been no way to react to events occurring on the mass transit vehicle in real time. A security system for mass transit vehicles which overcomes the foregoing and other difficulties which have long since characterized the prior art is desired.
The present invention disclosed and claimed herein, in one aspect thereof, comprises a system and method for providing security to at least one mass transit vehicle. At least one camera generates digital images and is located on the mass transit vehicle. The digital images are stored within a memory for transmission to a remote monitoring site responsive to the generation of an alarm signal. The alarm signal is generated responsive to an input signal from an actuator. A logic unit within the mass transit vehicle retrieves the digital images from the memory and transmits the retrieved digital images to the remote monitoring site responsive to the alarm signal.
A more complete understanding of the present invention may be had by reference to the following Detailed Description when taken in connection with the accompanying Drawings, wherein:
a-4b are examples of the displays viewed by a remote operator of the security system
Referring now to the drawings and more particularly to
In accordance with more specific aspects of the invention and referring now more particularly to
The terminal end software 206 operating on computer system 206 includes a number of functionalities enabling the system to monitor and control activities upon the mass transit vehicle. The image functionality 212 enables an application program interface to interact with the DVR 202 upon the vehicle to obtain images/video and audio over a wireless and/or public switching telephone network that can be viewed through the application program interface 204 at the transit terminal center location 108. The image functionality 212 enables a monitor at the remote location 108 to selectively view any vehicle in the transit network having image capturing and image transmission capabilities for purposes such as quality audits, selective vehicle monitoring, and the like. The images may be video or still images. In addition to the image, an information message is displayed which identifies the vehicle being viewed, the camera providing the view, the date, the time, and other status related information. The image functionality 212 further enables the monitor to toggle between cameras and between recently viewed images and real-time images. The image functionality 212 also enables the monitor to browse through the previously stored images.
The wireless communication functionality 214 provides for control of the wireless communication connection between the vehicle and the transit terminal remote location 108 using transmission equipment 106. Currently available wireless media comprise General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), Digital Cellular Communications, Satellite Communications, and Edge™. However, as will be understood by those skilled in the art, other wireless technologies currently under development will enable faster transmission speeds and enhanced image quality, including but not limited to, Evolution Data Only (EV/DO) protocols and High Speed Data Packet Access (HSPDA). A Public Switching Telephone Network (PSTN) and wireless telecommunications networks used in conjunction with an Internet Service Provider may also be used to facilitate data transmission between the bus 312 and the remote location 108. In the event the signal between the vehicle and the remote location becomes disconnected, the wireless transmission functionality 214 either re-establishes the connection or informs the monitor that connection cannot be re-established, through the API 204.
The remote control functionality 216 enables a monitor at the terminal center remote location to remotely shut down the mass transit vehicle or stop the vehicle from moving or accelerating with an accepted command input sequence. The remote shut down procedure may be initiated by an emergency alarm condition triggered from the bus or responsive to the terminal center monitor deciding from viewed images that a specific transit vehicle needs to be stopped. The remote shutdown reset functionality 218 enables the remote shutdown procedure of the transit vehicle to be disengaged and full control of the bus returned to the driver. The force alarm functionality 220 enables the terminal operator to force the generation of a remote shut down mode on the mass transit vehicle.
Each vehicle is equipped with an emergency (EA) alarm 318. When an EA condition is triggered at the vehicle, the image functionality 212 of the TES software 210 begins displaying images from the subject vehicle after reviewing images from the vehicle. The monitor thereafter views the images and determines what further action is needed, if any. Possible further actions to be taken include alerting law enforcement and emergency personnel, limiting the acceleration or deceleration of the vehicle using the remote control functionality 216, initiating remote shutdown of the vehicle using the remote control functionality 216, etc. If the EA condition warrants shutting the vehicle down remotely, the monitor enters a vehicle shut down command using the remote control functionality 216. The TES software 210 thereafter communicates with a corresponding vehicle logic unit 320 such as DR600™ logic unit available from Digital Recorders, Inc. which relays the shutdown signal to the vehicle. In the preferred practice of the invention, the shutdown signal disables the vehicle's throttle capacity. The vehicle operator is able to maintain navigational control thereby enabling the vehicle operator to guide the vehicle to a safe location even though the throttle is disabled.
Referring now to
A vehicle logic unit 320 mounted on the vehicle, such as the DR600™ vehicle logic unit available from Digital Recorders, Inc., transmits data to and from the remote location 108 via wireless communication media using the transmission equipment 106 and signal transmission towers 322. The transmission equipment 106 may use the necessary transmitter/receiver equipment and an antenna to establish a wireless connection with a transmission tower 322. Although the security system is illustrated and described comprising a separate vehicle logic unit 320 and digital video recording unit 202, vehicle logic units are being developed which will incorporate a digital video recorder therein and will thereby negate the need for a separate digital video recorder. The vehicle logic unit 320 may also comprise in control processing circuitry that can perform the operations described herein.
The remote location 108 includes a computer system 206 for receiving data received from the vehicle 312. The computer system 206 comprises at least one display 326 for displaying video and still images from the vehicle 312. The computer system 206 is equipped with Terminal End Software (TES) 210 thereby enabling a monitor at the remote location 108 to selectively view any incoming image data from any vehicle in the transit network. In addition to processing the incoming data, the software 210 enables the monitor to toggle between cameras and between recently viewed images and real-time images, using the image functionality 212. In the event the signal between the vehicle 312 and the remote location 108 becomes disconnected, the wireless transmission functionality 214 of software 28 either re-establishes the connection to the vehicle or displays a message indicating that the connection cannot be re-established. In addition to the video and still images, status information of the image is displayed, including identification the vehicle being viewed, the camera providing the view, the date, the time, and other status related information as illustrated in
a illustrates the display viewed by the remote monitor at the remote location 108. The display includes a video image 440, a panel showing alternate images available 442, a vehicle identifier 444, date and time information 446, toggle buttons 448, camera identifier 450, video status 452 (live or previously recorded), and control options including remote shutdown 454, remoter operator alarm initiation 456, and cancel alarm 458.
The security system 100 includes additional functions and capabilities as described herein above within the TES software 210 including the ability to restore throttle control to the vehicle after remote shutdown has been initiated and to initiate an alarm condition by the monitor at the remote location 18 without input or knowledge of the driver. Restoring throttle control can be performed either by the driver or by the monitor at the remote location 108. The driver may restore throttle control to the vehicle by practicing a variety of methods, each requiring a specific sequence and timing thereof. Although the steps for restoring throttle control to the driver are predetermined according to individual end-consumer requirements, the following steps illustrated in
The monitor at the remote location 108 may also initiate an alarm condition from the remote location without input or knowledge of the driver. If review of the images received from the vehicle indicates that an emergency condition exists and either the driver is unaware or unable to react, the monitor initiates an alarm condition through the computer system 206 at the remote location 108. This process is more fully disclosed in
Although the sequence of steps for vehicle shut down can vary according to the configuration of each specific vehicle, the preferred method for shutting down the vehicle comprises sending a signal to the vehicle's controls 332 at step 732 which disables the vehicle's throttle control thereby disabling the driver's ability to activate the accelerator at step 734. A pixel change on the vehicle control panel or other display notification means or a similar defined event that is detectable only by the driver notifies the driver that remote shutdown has been initiated. Although the throttle is disabled, the driver retains control of the remaining operational components of the vehicle including steering and braking. Each vehicle is equipped differently. The IO controls to the transit vehicle may vary depending on the control functionalities associated with the vehicle. Therefore, the method or signal utilized by the vehicle logic unit 320 to initiate shutdown includes but is not limited to relay(s), tie-in points to the vehicle's on-board software, wiring connection between the vehicle logic unit and the vehicle's throttle and electrical system, circuit board controls in the vehicle's electrical system, and other means utilized for disabling a vehicle's throttle system known to those skilled in the art and prevent the vehicle from moving or accelerating.
Alternatively to initiating remote shutdown, the monitor may decide to cancel the emergency alarm condition if the situation has been resolved or the condition was a result of a false alarm as illustrated in
As shown in
Although preferred embodiments of the invention have been illustrated in the accompanying Drawings and described in the foregoing Detailed Description, it will be understood that the invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed, but is capable of numerous rearrangements, modifications, and substitutions of parts and elements without departing from the spirit of the invention.
This application claims benefit of Provisional U.S. Patent Application No. 60/713,414, filed Sep. 1, 2005, and entitled SECURITY SYSTEM FOR URBAN TRANSIT VEHICLES which is incorporated herein by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60713414 | Sep 2005 | US |
