Collision Control Communication's: Eliminator™

This drawing illustrates the features on the vehicle prototype device’s display panel (actual size is 13 ½” by 5“). The features are labeled 1 through 10. An explanation indexed by feature number follows.
Comments inserted by Commander Ron Bates (Commander of property management, Phoenix P.D.) are identified by bold print following the feature.

(1) Collision avoidance system display reading (shows collision impending directly from the right). Visualize this device installed in the emergency vehicle, perhaps on the dash near the driver’s line-of-sight. The device will feature a display that indicates the direction the threat is approaching from, relative to the direction of travel of the patrol vehicle.

(2) L.E.D. “status” indicator – verifies communication link with traffic signal by lighting the L.E.D. green. If preemption is not acknowledged by the traffic signal, the L.E.D. light on the device is red. The status indicator will show either red or green. If the system has successfully preempted the signal so that the oncoming emergency vehicle is guaranteed a green signal, the status light will show green. If not, the status light will show red.

(3) 3-position “mode” toggle switch (with L.E.D. visual confirmation next to each mode position of the toggle switch).

(4) L.E.D. lights green when the “mode” toggle switch (3) is in “auto” mode (also known as “hands free” or “smart” mode). This is the mode that would most typically be used. When in the “auto” mode, the emergency vehicle automatically preempts traffic signals when the siren or light bar is activated on the vehicle, and deactivates preemption when the vehicle arrives at the scene and its transmission is put into “park”. This allows the system the ability to discern whether the vehicle is stuck in traffic (when you still want preemption to occur) or has arrived at an accident scene (when you want preemption to be deactivated). This mode makes the operation of the device virtually “hands free” (particularly effective for use by a motorcycle officer who would not have to remove his hands from the handlebars); when in this “smart” mode, it automatically knows when to engage/disengage traffic signal preemption. Even when siren and light bar are not activated, the audio and visual collision avoidance features remain operative.

(5) L.E.D. lights green when toggle switch (3) is in this “manual” mode. When in the “manual” mode, the traffic signal preemption is constantly engaged, and both audio and visual collision avoidance features are operational. This mode may be used by an unmarked police car, for example, which desires full use of the “Eliminator’s” preemption features but does not wish to announce its presence by use of siren and/or light bar.

(6) L.E.D. lights red when in this “off” mode. In this mode, traffic signals are not preempted. Visual and audible collision alarms still remain operative (unless audio alarm toggle (9) is in the “off” position, then you get visual collision alert only).
(7) L.E.D. lights green indicating the audio alarm toggle switch (9) is in the “on” position.

(8) L.E.D. lights red indicating the audio alarm toggle switch (9) is in the “off” position.

(9) Audio alarm (2-position toggle switch) allows the operator to manually “silence” the intrusive audible collision alarm (particularly useful if an ambulance has a heart attack patient on board). “On” and “off” positions of this switch are visually confirmed by green “on” L.E.D. (7) and red “off” L.E.D. (8).

(10) Audio alarm volume knob is a rheostat that allows the operator to adjust the volume of the intrusive audible collision alarm, and female voice commands which announce preemption status and collision avoidance vectors (if any).