Emergency Corridor via Vehicle-to-Vehicle Communication
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Solution Overview
Problem
Emergency response vehicles face difficulties navigating through traffic, especially in metropolitan areas, as other drivers often fail to notice or respond appropriately to the approaching vehicle, leading to slowed responses and traffic issues.
Innovation Solution
An emergency corridor system utilizing vehicle-to-vehicle communication, where infrastructure nodes along a selected route broadcast emergency messages to other vehicles, providing them with information about the emergency vehicle's location, speed, and route, and instructing them to clear the way through audio and visual warnings.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If emergency response vehicles use traditional audio-visual signals (sirens, lights) to alert other drivers, then the emergency vehicle can be detected, but drivers often fail to notice or respond appropriately, causing delayed response times
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces infrastructure nodes (roadside units) as intermediaries between the emergency vehicle and other drivers. These nodes receive emergency messages from the emergency vehicle and broadcast them to vehicles in the corridor, ensuring reliable detection and immediate driver response through in-vehicle displays and audio alerts.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical audio-visual signals (sirens, flashing lights) with an electronic communication system using dedicated short-range communication (DSRC) or cellular networks. This substitution enables more reliable and immediate information transmission to drivers through their vehicle's infotainment system.
2Productivity
If infrastructure nodes broadcast emergency messages to all vehicles, then drivers receive timely warnings and clear the path, but the system complexity and infrastructure requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes existing multi-functional infrastructure nodes that can serve both regular traffic management functions and emergency corridor creation. These nodes are part of existing intelligent transportation systems, reducing the need for entirely new infrastructure while enabling emergency message broadcasting.
Solution Approach 2:
The system leverages existing vehicle infotainment systems and communication hardware to receive and display emergency messages. Vehicles already have the necessary receivers and displays for other traffic information services, so no additional hardware is needed in the vehicles themselves.
3Ease of operation
If the system provides detailed route and location information to all vehicles, then drivers can navigate around the emergency vehicle effectively, but the amount of information transmitted and processed increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent provides targeted information to vehicles specifically affected by the emergency corridor. Rather than broadcasting uniform messages to all vehicles, the system tailors the information to each vehicle's location and trajectory relative to the emergency vehicle's path, reducing unnecessary information processing.
Solution Approach 2:
The system broadcasts emergency messages in advance of the emergency vehicle's arrival at each location. This preliminary action gives drivers sufficient time to process the information and take appropriate action (changing lanes, slowing down) before the emergency vehicle reaches their position.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods are disclosed for an emergency corridor utilizing vehicle-to-vehicle communication. An example disclosed system includes an emergency vehicle, infrastructure nodes distributed across a municipal area, and an emergency router. The example emergency router selects a route from a first location of the emergency vehicle to a second location specified by an emergency request. The example emergency router also determines ones of the infrastructure nodes that are along the route. Additionally, the example emergency router instructs the ones of the infrastructure nodes to broadcast emergency messages. The emergency messages include information regarding the route and the emergency vehicle.