System for fast and efficient navigation of emergency vehicles with automated traffic warning

Abstract

System for fast and efficient navigation of emergency vehicles, comprising a navigation platform for real-time route calculation, an interface for communication with emergency control centers, a warning system for targeted notification of road users along the emergency route and a confirmation function for received warning messages.

Description

[0001] Technical Field: The present invention relates to an innovative navigation and traffic warning system specifically developed for the needs of emergency vehicles. This system enables precise, fast, and safe route guidance for ambulances, police, emergency medical personnel, towing services, and fire departments to accident or emergency scenes. State-of-the-art technologies are utilized to not only optimize the navigation of emergency vehicles but also ensure smooth and targeted communication with other road users.

[0002] Advanced communication standards such as V2X, V2V, V2I, Bluetooth, eSIM, 5G, and Wi-Fi enable reliable, low-latency data transmission between control centers, emergency vehicles, and surrounding road users. Additional traffic data, including information on road conditions, traffic light phases, lane widths, construction sites, and speed limits, is also integrated into route planning. These parameters play a crucial role, as they significantly influence traffic flow and can help determine the optimal route for an emergency vehicle. Construction sites, in particular, can lead to significant delays or bottlenecks in road traffic, so their consideration is essential to ensure the most efficient route guidance possible.

[0003] Through the intelligent use of all this data, the system is able to calculate not only the shortest or supposedly fastest route, but also an optimal route adapted to the current conditions. The combination of real-time traffic data and infrastructure factors helps ensure that the emergency vehicle reaches its destination with as few interruptions or delays as possible. This is achieved through dynamic control of emergency lane formation and adaptive traffic guidance in real time, which enables continuous adaptation to changing traffic conditions.

[0004] State of the art: Conventional navigation systems currently available on the market merely calculate the shortest or fastest route for vehicles. However, they do not automatically take into account the need for a clear roadway for emergency vehicles or targeted communication with other road users. Previous solutions for forming emergency lanes are limited to generally alerting road users to an approaching emergency vehicle without enabling coordinated, intelligent, and targeted control. While some existing systems rely on simple acoustic or visual warnings, they lack the ability to directly interact with the affected road users or to continuously and dynamically adapt traffic control to the current situation. Furthermore, there are patent applications addressing similar concepts, but these are either unsuccessful or technologically outdated.These existing systems are usually limited to isolated vehicle functions and do not offer a comprehensive, network-based solution that intelligently controls both emergency personnel and the surrounding traffic.

[0005] Object of the invention: The central object of this invention is to provide a state-of-the-art system that automatically determines the best route for emergency vehicles in real time while simultaneously enabling efficient traffic control. The key innovation of this system lies in the fact that it does not simply send a blanket warning message to all road users along an emergency route, but rather that the information is transmitted dynamically and as needed. The warning messages are targeted and only for those road users who are actually on the affected route and need to react to the situation promptly. This method prevents warnings from being sent too early or too late, thereby avoiding uncoordinated driving maneuvers, slow-moving traffic, or additional hazards.This ensures that an emergency lane is formed at exactly the right moment without causing unnecessary traffic congestion or slowdown.

[0006] Another key aspect of this invention is the possibility of direct integration into existing navigation platforms. The system can be operated either as a standalone software solution or integrated into established navigation systems as a modular service. This not only enables widespread use by various emergency services but also flexible licensing for map providers, thus achieving broad scalability. Furthermore, the system supports all common communication standards to ensure stable and reliable networking between emergency vehicles, control centers, and other road users. This makes the solution applicable to both urban and rural areas, where infrastructure and traffic conditions often vary greatly.

[0007] Solution: The invention uses an advanced combination of real-time traffic data, intelligent communication, and an adaptive warning strategy to ensure fast and efficient navigation for emergency vehicles. Upon receipt of an emergency report, the system automatically records the exact location of the accident or incident and, taking current traffic data into account, calculates the optimal route for the corresponding emergency vehicle. The calculated route is immediately sent to the emergency vehicle, allowing it to take the best possible route without delay.

[0008] At the same time, the system actively communicates with road users along the route. Warnings are sent specifically to drivers who are actually on the affected section of the route. These warnings are provided both visually on the respective navigation devices or mobile devices and acoustically to ensure that they are perceived by the drivers. Furthermore, a confirmation function is provided to ensure that the received warning message has been actively perceived by the road user. This reduces the risk of misinformation and ensures that drivers react to the situation in a timely manner.

[0009] Communication between the individual components takes place via a state-of-the-art network based on technologies such as V2X, V2V, V2I, Bluetooth, eSIM, 5G, and Wi-Fi. This ensures virtually delay-free data transmission and ensures that all relevant actors—from the command center to the emergency vehicles and regular road users—are connected in real time. The system can flexibly adapt to different network infrastructures and enables reliable operation even in areas with weaker mobile coverage.

[0010] This invention represents a decisive advancement over previous solutions and contributes significantly to improving emergency response times and overall road safety. It offers a scalable, future-proof, and economically viable solution to a central problem in modern road traffic.

Claims

[1] System for the fast and efficient navigation of emergency vehicles, comprising a navigation platform for real-time route calculation, an interface for communication with emergency control centers, a warning system for the targeted notification of road users along the emergency route and a confirmation function for received warning messages. [2] The system of claim 1, wherein the calculation of the optimal route is carried out taking into account real-time traffic data. [3] A system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the warning system sends both acoustic and visual signals to road users. [4] System according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the warning messages are provided via an existing navigation platform or third-party apps. [5] System according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the warning messages are not sent simultaneously to all road users on the route, but dynamically and specifically based on the approach of the emergency vehicle.