THE HUNTINGTON BEACH AUTOMATIC VEHICLE MONITORING SYSTEM UTILIZING OVERLAPPING RF SIGN POSTS

An AVM System employing the overlapping signpost technique has been operating for over a year in Huntington Beach, California. This sytsem is part of an integrated Computer Aided Dispatching/Automatic Vehicle Monitoring System in use by the Huntington Beach Police Department. The AVM System is operated by police dispatchers through the normal CADS dispatch keyboards, shares an existing police voice radio on a voice priority basis, and ties directly into an existing in-vehicle status system in 44 patrol cars. 483 battery-operated signposts, operating as low power devices in the HF region, create over 3000 unique location regions within an area of 29 square miles. The system utilizes computer generated color graphics superimposed on video maps of the city to display the location and status of all AVM equipped vehicles and all calls-for-service (cases) in the city. Over 3000 individual map frames on microfilm may be automatically viewed on color monitor with cars and cases accurately superimposed thereon. Six different map zoom levels; full city, half city, 6 square miles, 1/4 square mile, and 1/16 square mile as well as schematics of banks, shopping centers, and other high crime areas may be viewed. X-Y locations of vehicles and cases are obtained via an existing computerized GBF DIME File. Multiple modes of operation allow dispatchers a great deal of flexibility in performing their duties. These modes include (1) locating specific cars, (2) locating the closest unassigned car(s) to a case, (3) observing all cars and cases in any selected area or zoom level in the city, (4) automatic-tracking of selected vehicles, (5) responding to in-car emergencies, and (6) special modes associated with a Tactical Alarm Response System in business establishments and other high crime locations. The results of the first years operation of the Huntington Beach System will be reported. Parameters of particular interest to communications include the impact of AVM on voice channel utilization, features incorporated for minimizing digital noise in dispatcher and vehicle receivers, and the method by which AVM was interfaced to the existing voice and status radio systems. General operational benefits will be discussed. A full color movie describing the Huntington Beach AVM System will also be available for showing as part of, or separate from, the paper presentation.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • This paper was presented at the 28th IEEE Vehicular Technology Conference at Denver, Colorado, March 22-24, 1978. Sponsored by The IEEE Vehicular Technology Society and The Denver Section, IEEE with the cooperation of the VTS Denver Chapter and the Administrative Committee of VTS.
• Corporate Authors:

  Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)

  3 Park Avenue, 17th Floor
  New York, NY  United States  10016-5997
• Authors:
  • Gruver, G W
  • Reichardt, O A
• Conference:
  • This paper was presented at the 28th IEEE Vehicular Technology Conference at Denver, Colorado, March 22-24, 1978. Sponsored by The IEEE Vehicular Technology Society and The Denver Section, IEEE with the cooperation of the VTS Denver Chapter and the Admin
• Publication Date: 1978

Media Info

• Features: Figures; References;
• Pagination: p. 538-542

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Automatic vehicle monitoring; Communication systems; Computer graphics; Dispatching; Microforms; Police; Radio; Sign supports; Signs; Speech; Vehicles; Voice communication
• Old TRIS Terms: Microfilms; Overlap; Sign structures
• Subject Areas: Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; Security and Emergencies; Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00184856
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Feb 3 1979 12:00AM