초록 ▼

An electronic lighted safety marker system used by emergency responders to warn motorists of the presence of an accident scene ahead on or beside the roadway is provided by the invention. Such safety marker can be deployed individually or in groups by the emergency responder along the perimeter of t

An electronic lighted safety marker system used by emergency responders to warn motorists of the presence of an accident scene ahead on or beside the roadway is provided by the invention. Such safety marker can be deployed individually or in groups by the emergency responder along the perimeter of the accident scene and ideally ahead of it along the roadway to provide adequate warning to approaching motorists to avoid the accident scene. The safety marker contains a power source, a light panel, a protective shield for the light panel, and electronic circuitry for controlling the operation of the lights in a predetermined frequency or pattern, and may be automatically actuated and self-righting when it is dropped onto the ground or other hard surface. The safety marker further includes a transmitter for sending a signal to a receiver. Upon impact with the safety marker, the signal ceases and the receiver, equipped with an alarm, triggers either or both of an audible or visual signal. The safety marker can also contain an incursion warning system against incoming vehicles, an early warning radar transponder for sending a warning message to such incoming vehicles, a GPS location detector and transmitter for providing the location of the safety marker and its associated accident scene to a central dispatcher, and a gunshot sensor for detecting the occurrence of gunfire around the accident scene and its location to provide that information to the central dispatcher.

대표청구항 ▼

1. An electronic safety marker deployed by an emergency responder on or along a roadway for providing a warning of oncoming vehicles approaching an accident scene having a boundary defined by the positioned safety marker, the safety marker comprising: (a) a source of electrical current;(b) electrica

1. An electronic safety marker deployed by an emergency responder on or along a roadway for providing a warning of oncoming vehicles approaching an accident scene having a boundary defined by the positioned safety marker, the safety marker comprising: (a) a source of electrical current;(b) electrical circuitry connected to the source of electrical current;(c) a self-righting base comprising a housing defining an interior chamber and attachment means along a top surface of the self-righting base;(d) a light wand attached at a bottom end of the light wand to the attachment means in the base, the light wand comprising a plurality of lights connected to the electrical circuit;(e) impact-actuated deployment means interposed in the electrical circuit;(f) a transmitter mounted to the safety marker for continuously transmitting a signal to a receiver;(g) a receiver positioned a distance from the safety marker for receiving a signal from the transmitter and including an alarm;(h) wherein when the safety marker is released from above ground level by the emergency responder and hits the ground or other hard surface, the impact-actuated deployment means is actuated upon impact to deliver electrical current to the plurality of lights to turn them on to a lighted state to provide warning of the accident scene to the oncoming vehicles, and the safety marker automatically orients to an upright, vertical position; and(i) wherein when the safety marker is struck by an oncoming vehicle, the transmitter ceases sending a signal to the receiver and the receiver issues an alarm. 2. The safety marker of claim 1, wherein the impact-actuated deployment means comprises a low-impact sensor switch. 3. The safety marker of claim 1, wherein the impact-actuated deployment means comprises a first contact plate and a second contact plate positioned in substantially parallel alignment inside the chamber in the base, wherein the impact upon the base by the ground or other hard surface against the dropped safety marker deflects the first contact plate against the second contact plate to complete an electrical circuit to deliver electrical current to the plurality of lights to turn them on to a lighted state. 4. The safety marker of claim 1 further comprising a stanchion tube telescoping means attached at a bottom end of the stanchion tube telescoping means to the attachment means in the base with the light wand slidably contained inside the stanchion tube between a retracted, standby position and an extended, actuated position, wherein when the safety marker is released from above ground level by the emergency responder with the light wand in the retracted, standby position, and the safety marker hits the ground or other hard surface, the deployment means is actuated upon impact to cause the light wand to move to the extended, actuated position, and to deliver electrical current to the plurality of lights to turn them on to an elevated lighted state to provide warning of the accident scene to the oncoming vehicles. 5. The safety marker of claim 1, wherein the housing of the base comprises an impact-resistant, elastomeric material to enhance the actuation of the impact-actuated deployment mechanism upon impact by the ground or other hard surface against the dropped safety marker. 6. The safety marker of claim 1 further comprising a solar panel positioned along the safety marker for gathering photovoltaic energy to produce supplemental electrical current. 7. The safety marker of claim 1 further comprising a delay circuitry incorporated into the impact-actuated deployment mechanism for producing a delay period after the impact-actuated deployment mechanism is actuated by impact with the ground or other hard surface against the dropped safety marker before the lights in the light wand are turned on. 8. The safety marker of claim 4 further comprising a delay circuitry incorporated into the impact-actuated deployment mechanism for producing a delay period after the impact-actuated deployment mechanism is actuated by impact by the ground or other hard surface against the dropped safety marker before the light wand is moved from the retracted, standby position to the extended, actuated position. 9. The safety marker of claim 1 further comprising a location detector and transmitter that uses GPS triangulation to determine the location of the safety marker, and automatically transmits the GPS coordinates to a central dispatcher or other party associated with the emergency responder to communicate the location of the accident scene. 10. The safety marker of claim 9 further comprising a gunshot sensor that detects the presence of a gun-shot within the proximity of the safety marker, and automatically transmits the occurrence of the gun-shot along with the GPS coordinates for the accident scene to a central dispatcher or other party associated with the emergency responder. 11. The safety device of claim 1 further comprising an early warning radar transponder for transmitting a warning message to an oncoming vehicle of the presence of an accident scene up ahead along the roadway. 12. The safety marker of claim 4, wherein the impact-actuated deployment mechanism comprises a gear and grid strip assembly for moving the light wand to the extended, actuated position in response to the actuation of the impact-actuated deployment mechanism upon impact by the ground or other hard surface against the dropped safety marker. 13. The safety marker of claim 4, wherein the impact-actuated deployment mechanism comprises a gas propulsion assembly for moving the light wand to the extended, actuated position in response to the actuation of the impact-actuated deployment mechanism upon impact by the ground or other hard surface against the dropped safety marker. 14. The safety marker of claim 4, wherein the impact-actuated deployment mechanism comprises a compression spring assembly for moving the light wand to the extended, actuated position in response to the actuation of the impact-actuated deployment mechanism upon impact by the ground or other hard surface against the dropped safety marker. 15. The safety marker of claim 4, wherein the impact-actuated deployment mechanism comprises a jack screw assembly for moving the light wand to the extended, actuated position in response to the actuation of the impact-actuated deployment mechanism upon impact by the ground or other hard surface against the dropped safety marker. 16. The safety marker of claim 1, wherein the receiver is located in a vehicle within a distance capable of receiving the signal from the transmitter. 17. An electronic safety marker deployed on or along a roadway for providing a warning of oncoming vehicles approaching an accident scene having a boundary defined by the positioned safety marker, the safety marker comprising: (a) a source of electrical current;(b) electrical circuitry connected to the source of electrical current;(c) a transmitter mounted to the safety marker for continuously transmitting a signal to a receiver;(d) a receiver having an alarm positioned a distance from the transmitter for receiving a signal from the transmitter;(e) a remote deployment mechanism comprises a piston-actuated means for pushing the safety marker through a break-through housing wall so that the safety marker can drop from a vertical storage orientation onto the ground or other hard surface for deployment; and(f) wherein when the safety marker is struck by an oncoming vehicle, the transmitter ceases sending a signal to the receiver and the receiver issues an alarm. 18. An electronic safety marker deployed on or along a roadway for providing a warning of oncoming vehicles approaching an accident scene having a boundary defined by the positioned safety marker, the safety marker comprising: (a) a source of electrical current;(b) electrical circuitry connected to the source of electrical current;(c) a transmitter mounted to the safety marker for continuously transmitting a signal to a receiver;(d) a receiver having an alarm positioned a distance from the transmitter for receiving a signal from the transmitter;(e) a remote deployment mechanism that comprises an electrically actuated latch or cable-actuated latch for pulling a pin that secured the safety marker inside a vertical storage housing to allow the safety marker to drop onto the ground or other hard surface for deployment; and(f) wherein when the safety marker is struck by an oncoming vehicle, the transmitter ceases sending a signal to the receiver and the receiver issues an alarm. 19. The electronic safety marker system of claim 1 wherein the alarm set off by the receiver is one or more lights, one or more sounds or a combination of light and sound.