A self-contained cellular emergency roadside call box is disclosed without the use of external telephone lines The call box is solar powered with battery storage and comprises a controller coupled to a cellular transceiver The controller is also coupled to a solar array and battery which is recharged through the controller The call box communicates through a radio-telephone link established by the cellular transceiver to a cellular telecommunication system The cellular telecommunication system includes a call site controller and mobile telephone switching terminal Each call box comprises a plurality of status subcircuits for monitoring conditions such as battery condition and transmitter status The call box communication and the status are processed by a micro processor which generates appropriate commands required by the cellular transceiver Information can be transmitted bidirectionally between each of the call boxes and the communication applications processor An interactive flow of information is exchanged with the call box and the functional condition is monitored The questions raised in reexamination request No 90/002,066, filed Jun 25, 1990, have been considered and the results thereof are reflected in this reissue patent which constitutes the reexamination certificate required by 35 USC 307 as provided in 37 CFR 1570(e)

Apparatus and method for a cellular freeway emergency telephone service

An emergency roadside telephone system includes a plurality of self-powered, emergency telephone terminals positioned at remote locations, such as along roadways, to permit communication with a central station in order to obtain emergency assistance. Each emergency telephone terminal has a transmitter and a receiver for communication with the central station, a handset for providing voice communication and a plurality of emergency switches carrying symbols representative of various types of emergency assistance required such that a caller can request emergency assistance either by voice communication with an operator at the central station or, if there is a language barrier, by actuating the emergency switches.

Emergency roadside telephone system

A self-contained cellular emergency roadside call box is disclosed without the use of external telephone lines. The call box is solar powered with battery storage and comprises a controller coupled to a cellular transceiver. The controller is also coupled to a solar array and battery which is recharged through the controller. The call box communicates through a radio-telephone link established by cellular transceiver to a cellular telecommunication system. The cellular telecommunication system includes a call site controller and mobile telephone switching terminal. Each call box comprises a plurality of status subcircuits for monitoring conditions such as battery condition and transmitter status. The call box communication and the status are processed by a micro processor which generates appropriate commands required by the cellular transceiver. Information can be transmitted bidirectionally between each of the call boxes and the communication applications processor. An interactive flow of information is exchanged with the call box and the functional condition is monitored.

Apparatus and method for a cellular freeway emergency telephone

The advent of low-cost, highly reliable, integrated circuits has made feasible the design and implementation of an electronic system to aid disabled motorists. A responsive electonic vehicular instrumentation system (REVIS) is presented that detects all highway incidents independent of traffic-flow rate. A cost-benefit analysis reveals that REVIS is superior to the highway patrol on limited-access rural highways.

Aid to disabled motorists: responsive electronic vehicular instrumentation system

The need and utility of a Motorist Aid System is presented. The present state of the art systems are reviewed including Citizens Band Radio. Evaluation factors for comparing different systems are developed and applied to the state of the art. A novel system concept using passing vehicles to store and forward aid requests on a passive basis is presented. The advantages of the new approach are compared to the existing systems. Implementation schedules for the new system are estimated based upon new automobile sales.

A motorist aid system with passive cooperation

The nature and magnitude of the demand for emergency communications generated by users of rural freeways is described. A classification diagram of potential communications systems is presented and a preliminary selection of candidate systems is made on the basis of overall technical and economic considerations. The operating efficiency of the selected systems is analyzed in terms of their estimated detection efficiency and detection time performance. This analysis when combined with system cost projections demonstrates that a one-mile interval terminal design providing two-way voice communication between the motorist and an aid dispatch center provides the best benefit-cost ratio consistent with a satisfactory level of service. The operational characteristics of the selected system are described in some detail.

T.K. Cranston

Papers

Characteristics of motorist aid communications systems