Short Range Wireless Battery Status Broadcast for Emergency Responders
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Solution Overview
Problem
Emergency responders face hazards and time constraints when dealing with electric vehicles involved in incidents due to high voltage batteries, requiring them to assess the battery condition before providing care, which diverts attention from immediate rescue efforts.
Innovation Solution
A short range wireless system that connects a vehicle's battery controller to emergency responders' equipment, allowing for remote determination of battery status without physical contact, using a short range wireless RF network to broadcast any non-nominal conditions detected by the battery controller.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If emergency responders test the vehicle environment to determine battery safety, then electrical hazard identification is improved, but response time is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The battery controller continuously monitors battery parameters and pre-determines safety status before emergency responders arrive. The system performs preliminary testing and evaluation of battery conditions, storing results ready for immediate transmission to responders, eliminating the need for on-site testing
Solution Approach 2:
A wireless communication system acts as an intermediary between the battery controller and emergency responders. The system transmits battery status data through RF signals to portable receivers, allowing responders to obtain hazard information remotely without physical contact or on-site testing equipment
2Measurement precision
If emergency responders physically contact the vehicle to assess battery status, then measurement accuracy is improved, but electrical hazard exposure increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical/physical contact-based assessment with wireless electronic communication. Instead of responders physically contacting vehicle components or using handheld testing equipment that requires proximity, the system uses RF signal transmission to convey battery status data, eliminating the need for physical contact while maintaining detection accuracy
Solution Approach 2:
The wireless communication system serves as an intermediary that transfers battery status information from the vehicle's battery controller to responders' portable receivers without requiring physical proximity or contact. This intermediary transmission method preserves measurement precision while eliminating electrical hazard exposure
Data Source
AI summary
The described method and system provide an early notification to emergency responders regarding a non-nominal condition associated with a vehicle involved in a collision. The system provides a short range wireless system controller in communication with a battery controller. The short range wireless system controller is further in communication with a communications device associated with an emergency responder via broadcast over a short range wireless RF network. If battery physical parameters indicate that the battery has suffered damage rendering the vehicle inoperable, this battery damage information is broadcast over the short range wireless RF network to the communications device associated with the emergency responder. In this way, the emergency responder can quickly aid incident victims without time lost in determining whether or not the high voltage vehicle battery is in a nominal state after the crash.