Hazard warning system for vehicles

Abstract

A system adapted to provide a warning to a vehicle operator of nearby hazards, e.g., that a nearby vehicle has been in a collision or is otherwise inoperable. Embodiments include a detector operable to detect a hazard, a transmitter to transmit a warning signal, a receiver to receive a transmitted warning signal, and a display to warn the operator of an approaching vehicle of the hazard. Some embodiments incorporate feedback from a vehicle's airbag deployment circuitry to provide a trigger effective to broadcast the warning signal. The operator of an approaching vehicle may be provided with a visual and/or an audible warning signal, e.g., via a cellular telephone. Certain embodiments provide such warning to approaching vehicles via the transmitted warning signal and a display and/or speaker carried in the approaching vehicle. Audible and visual warnings may be transmitted directly from the crashed vehicle.

1 - 29 . (canceled) 
     
     
         30 . A system comprising:
 a receiver suited to be carried onboard a vehicle and operable to receive an external warning signal transmitted by a transmitter outside the vehicle;   a display in operable communication with the receiver and configured to provide a visual warning to an occupant of the vehicle and to visually convey information about an external hazard associated with the external warning signal; and   a speaker in operable communication with the receiver and configured to provide an audible warning to an occupant of the vehicle and to audibly convey information about the external hazard; wherein:
 each of a plurality of audible noises is individually assigned to one of a plurality of attributes of the location of the external hazard; and 
 the speaker is configured to broadcast the noise corresponding to the attribute of the location of the external hazard. 
   
     
     
         31 . The system of  claim 30 , further comprising:
 a detector associated with the vehicle and adapted to detect a local hazard and to consequently cause an associated output therefrom; and   a local transmitter in electronic communication with the detector and operable to enable a broadcast of at least one of the external warning signal and another warning signal, the another warning signal corresponding to output from the detector.   
     
     
         32 . The system of  claim 31 , further comprising an override control operable to terminate broadcast of at least one of the external warning signal and the another warning signal. 
     
     
         33 . The system of  claim 32 , wherein the override control is structured to be operable only after a pre-programmed period of time has elapsed subsequent to a first broadcast of the at least one of the external warning signal and the another warning signal. 
     
     
         34 . The system of  claim 31 , wherein the detector is adapted to detect a collision as the collision occurs. 
     
     
         35 . The system of  claim 31 , Wherein the transmitter is configured to begin transmitting a signal upon activation by an occupant of the vehicle. 
     
     
         36 . The system of  claim 31 , wherein the detector is disposed in-circuit to receive an input from a component of airbag deployment circuitry of the vehicle. 
     
     
         37 . The system of  claim 31 , further comprising a second local transmitter operable to broadcast the another warning signal, wherein the second transmitter comprises a cellular telephone. 
     
     
         38 . The system of  claim 31 , further comprising a warning light structured to be carried onboard the vehicle, the warning light adapted to broadcast a warning light output configured to be visible to an occupant of an approaching vehicle, responsive to the another warning signal. 
     
     
         39 . The system of  claim 39 , wherein the warning light comprises a light selected from the group consisting of a brake light, a turn signal light, a taillight, a running light, a fog light, a headlight, and any combinations thereof. 
     
     
         40 . The system of  claim 30 , further comprising a local transmitter disposed in-circuit operably to rebroadcast the external warning signal. 
     
     
         41 . The system of  claim 30 , wherein the display comprises a screen configured to display a message. 
     
     
         42 . The system of  claim 41 , wherein the message is selected from a group of pre-programmed messages based upon a characteristic of the remote warning signal. 
     
     
         43 . The system of  claim 30 , wherein the system is configured to operate whenever the vehicle is in operation. 
     
     
         44 . The system of  claim 43 , wherein the system is configured to continue to operate for a selected time period after operation of the vehicle ceases. 
     
     
         45 . The system of  claim 30 , wherein at least one of the receiver, the display, and the speaker comprises at least a component of a cellular telephone. 
     
     
         46 . A system comprising:
 a cellphone for association with an automobile and configured to receive an external warning signal transmitted by a transmitter outside the automobile, the external warning signal associated with a hazard external to the automobile;   a display comprising a screen configured to display a message to the driver of the automobile, the display in operable communication with the cellphone and farther configured to visually convey information about the external hazard; and   a speaker configured to provide an audible warning to the driver to audibly convey information to the driver about the external hazard; wherein:
 each of a plurality of audible noises is individually assigned to one of a plurality of attributes of the external hazard; and 
 the speaker is configured to broadcast noise corresponding to the attribute of the location of the external hazard. 
   
     
     
         47 . The system of  claim 46 , further comprising a detector associated with the automobile and adapted to detect a local hazard and to consequently cause an associated output therefrom to the cellphone, wherein the cellphone operates to broadcast the local hazard. 
     
     
         48 . The system of  claim 46 , wherein the detector is disposed in-circuit to receive an input from a component of airbag deployment circuitry of the automobile. 
     
     
         49 . A method, comprising:
 receiving, at a receiver carried onboard a vehicle, an external warning signal transmitted by a transmitter outside the vehicle;   providing a warning to at least one occupant of the vehicle, the warning corresponding to receipt of the external warning signal, wherein providing a warning comprises:
 visually displaying information about a location of an external hazard associated with the external warning signal; 
 individually assigning each of a plurality of audible noises to one of a plurality of attributes of the location of the external hazard; and 
 broadcasting the noise corresponding to the attribute of the location of the external hazard over a speaker. 
   
     
     
         50 . The method according to  claim 49 , further comprising broadcasting a signal corresponding to the external warning signal to another receiver outside the vehicle. 
     
     
         51 . The method according to  claim 50 , wherein broadcasting a signal corresponding to the external warning signal to another receiver outside the vehicle comprises transmitting a signal via cellular or radio communications. 
     
     
         52 . The method according to  claim 49 , further comprising detecting a local hazard and broadcasting a signal corresponding to the local hazard to another receiver outside the vehicle. 
     
     
         53 . The method according to  claim 49 , wherein receiving an external warning signal transmitted by a transmitter outside the vehicle comprises receiving a signal originally transmitted from at least one of another vehicle, a pedestrian, a road worker, a utility worker, and a bicyclist.