Surveillance vehicle control system

A control system for a rapid deployment surveillance vehicle having a vehicle cab with a roof door through which an instrument for surveillance and the like may be deployed from a concealed stowed position within said vehicle cab to an elevated position extended through a door opening of said roof door high above the vehicle;

• said vehicle being of the type having a telescoping mast which has a telescoped retracted position and a telescoped extended position;
• a ram for moving the retracted mast between a generally horizontal stowed position and vertical erect position;
• a mast operator for moving said mast between said telescoped retracted and extended positions;
• a leveling system with a jack generally adjacent each corner along an X-axis of the vehicle, each jack having a retracted position and an extended position against the ground;
• said control system comprising:
• (a) electrical ram switch means electrically connected to said ram control means for producing a ram up signal and ram down signal for switching said ram control means to move said mast;
• (b) a ram control means for electrically controlling said ram to move said mast from said concealed stowed position to said erect position in response to said ram up switch signal;
• (c) electrical mast switch means electrically connected to said mast control system for producing a mast extend signal and a mast retract signal for switching said mast control means to move said mast;
• (d) a mast control means for electrically controlling said mast operator to extend said mast and instrument from said telescoped retracted position to said telescoped extended position above said vehicle cab in response to said mast up switch signal;
• (e) electrical jack switch means for generating a jack extend signal for activating said leveling system to extend said jacks;
• (f) said mast control means controlling said mast operator to move said mast to said extended position in response to said mast extend switch signal and said jack extend signal.

A control system for a rapid deployment surveillance vehicle having a vehicle cab with a roof door through which an instrument for surveillance and the like may be deployed from a concealed stowed position within said vehicle cab to an elevated position extended through a door opening of said roof door high above the vehicle;

• said vehicle being of the type having a telescoping mast which has a telescoped retracted position and a telescoped extended position;
• a ram for moving the retracted mast between a generally horizontal stowed position and vertical erect position;
• a mast operator for moving said mast between said telescoped retracted and extended positions;
• a leveling system with a jack generally adjacent each corner along an X-axis of the vehicle, each jack having a retracted position in which the jack may be locked and unlocked by a jack lock and an extended position in which an unlocked retracted jack is extended against the ground;
• said control system comprising:
• (a) ram control means for electrically controlling said ram to move said mast between said stowed position and said erect position;
• (b) electrical ram switch means electrically connected to said ram control means for producing a ram up signal and ram down signal for switching said ram control means to move said mast;
• (c) mast control means for electrically controlling said mast operator to move said mast between said telescoped retracted configuration and said telescoped extended configuration;
• (d) electrical mast switch means electrically connected to said mast control system for producing a mast extend signal and a mast retract signal for switching said mast control means to move said mast;
• (e) jack drive means for extending and retracting said jacks relative to said vehicle;
• (f) a level control means which includes a leveling condition circuit for electrically determining an unlocked condition of said jack locks and generating an electrical jack unlocked signal which is delivered to said leveling control means to provide extension power for said leveling system to control said jack drive means for extending and retracting said jacks;
• (g) level sensor means for sensing a level condition of the corners of said vehicle near said jacks and generating electrical off-level condition signals;
• and
• (h) a jack leveling logic circuit included in said level control means responsive to said jack unlocked signal and said level condition signals for electrically controlling said jack drive means in response to said off-level condition signals to interactively retract and extend said jacks to continuously maintain said vehicle in a prescribed level condition with said mast extended during surveillance operation.

A control system for a rapid deployment surveillance vehicle having a vehicle cab with a roof door through which an instrument for surveillance and the like may be deployed from a concealed stowed position within said vehicle cab to an elevated position extended through a door opening of said roof door high above the vehicle;

• said vehicle being of the type having a telescoping mast which has a telescoped retracted position and a telescoped extended position;
• a ram for moving the retracted mast between a generally horizontal stowed position and vertical erect position;
• a mast operator for moving said mast between said telescoped retracted . and extended positions;
• a leveling system with a jack generally adjacent each corner along an X-axis of the vehicle, each jack having a retracted position in which the jack may be locked and unlocked and an extended position in which an unlocked retracted jack is extended against the ground;
• said control system comprising:
• (a) ram control means for moving said mast between said stowed position and said erect position;
• (b) mast control means for moving said mast between said telescoped retracted configuration and said telescoped extended configuration in response to said mast being moved to said erect position;
• (c) jack drive means for extending and retracting said jacks relative to said vehicle;
• (d) a level control means which includes a leveling condition circuit for electrically determining a prescribed condition of said jacks and vehicle and generating an electrical conditions satisfied signal which is delivered to said level control means to provide extension power for said leveling system to control said jack drive means for extending and retracting said jacks;
• (e) level sensor means for sensing a level condition of the corners of said vehicle near said jacks and generating electrical off-level signals when a low corner condition exists;
• and
• (f) a jack leveling logic means included in said level control means responsive to said conditions satisfied signal and said off-level signals for electrically controlling said jack drive means in response to said off-level signals to interactively retract and extend said jacks to continuously maintain said vehicle in a prescribed level condition with said mast extended during surveillance operation.

A control system for controlling a leveling system for a four wheel vehicle and the like, said leveling system having a mechanical jack system with a jack arranged diagonally near the four corners of an x-axis of the vehicle, a jack drive for extending and retracting said jacks, level sensor means for sensing the level condition of the vehicle near the corners and generating an off-level signal at a corner when the level condition of said corner deviates from a prescribed vehicle level condition, pressure sensor means for sensing the amount of pressure of said jacks against the ground and generating a jack pressure signal for each jack, preset means for establishing a desired system reference pressure signal representing a desired jack pressure against the ground, a pressure control means for comparing said jack pressure signals and said reference pressure signal and generating jack pressure control signals, said leveling logic circuit controlling pairs of first and second jacks at first and second opposed diagonal corners of said diagonals opposing interactively to balance said vehicle along each diagonal simultaneously, and said leveling logic circuit comprising for controlling each pair of said first and second jacks:

• (a) a first level sensor at said first corner for producing a first off-level signal, and a second level sensor at said second corner for producing a second off-level signal;
• (b) a first jack pressure signal generated in response to said pressure of said first jack against the ground, and a second jack pressure signal generated in response to said pressure of said second jack against the ground;
• (c) a first level circuit which receives said second off-level signal from said second diagonal corner of said vehicle axis;
• (d) a second level circuit which receives said first off-level signal from said first diagonal corner of said vehicle axis;
• (e) a first pressure circuit which receives said first jack pressure signals;
• (f) a second pressure circuit which receives said second jack pressure signals;
• (g) said first level circuit being connected to said second pressure circuit, and said second pressure circuit being connected to said jack drive for extending said second jack in response to said second off-level signal being received by said first level circuit;
• (h) said second level circuit being connected to said first pressure circuit, and said first pressure circuit being connected to said jack drive for extending said first jack in response to said first off-level signal being received by said second level circuit;
• (i) said first pressure circuit being connected to control said jack drive to extend said first jack in response to said first pressure control signal, and said first pressure circuit is responsive to said first pressure control signal and said second off-level signal to control said jack drive to retract said first jack;
• and
• (j) said second pressure circuit being connected to said jack drive to extend said second jack in response to said second pressure control signal, and said second pressure circuit is responsive to said second pressure control signal and said first off-level signal to control said jack drive to retract said second jack.

A vehicle leveling control system having a level logic circuit for controlling a jack drive of a mechanical jack system having four jacks arranged near diagonally opposed corners of an x-axis of said vehicle, level sensor means for sensing the level condition of the vehicle near the corners and generating an off-level signal when the level condition diviates from a prescribed vehicle level condition, pressure sensor means for sensing the pressure of said jacks against the ground and generating a actual pressure signal representing the amount of pressure of each said jack against the ground, preset means for setting a desired system reference pressure corresponding to a desired jack pressure against the ground, and a pressure control means for comparing said actual jack pressure of each said jack and said system reference pressure and generating pressure control signals, said circuit comprising for each diagonal of said axis:

• (a) a leveling logic circuit means for controlling said jack drives;
• (b) said logic circuit means including inputs for receiving said pressure control signals and said off-level signals and outputs connected to said jack drives of diagonally opposed jacks to interactively extend and retract said jacks of diagonally opposed pairs near diagonal corners of said vehicle;
• and
• (c) said logic circuit means constructed and arranged to control said jack drives for balancing said vehicle about a point at which said diagonal axes intersect to establish a prescribed level condition and said preset system pressure of said jacks against the ground in response to said off-level signals and said pressure control signals.

A method for controlling a rapid deployment surveillance vehicle having a vehicle cab with a roof door through which an instrument for surveillance and the like may be deployed from a concealed stowed position within said vehicle cab to an elevated position extending through a door opening of said roof door above the vehicle cab;

• said vehicle having a telescoping mast which has a retracted position and a telescoped extended position;
• a mast operator for moving said mast between said retracted and extended positions;
• a ram for moving the retracted mast between a generally horizontal stowed position and vertical erect position;
• a leveling system having a jack generally adjacent each corner of the vehicle, said method comprising:
• (a) parking said vehicle at a surveillance site;
• (b) opening said roof door and generating an electrical door open signal;
• (c) controlling said ram in response to said door open signal to move said mast from said stowed position to said erect position;
• (d) detecting the position of said mast in said erect position and generating a mast erect signal;
• (e) sensing the level condition of said vehicle and generating level condition signals;
• (f) activating said leveling system in response to a jack activation signal;
• (g) leveling said vehicle after activation of said leveling system by operating said jack drive to extend or retract said jacks at said corners of said vehicle until said level condition signal is generally equal to a prescribed level signal indicating a prescribed level condition is reached;
• (h) extending said mast from said retracted position to said extended position in response to said mast erect signal and said jack activation signal;
• (i) moving said instrument into an operational position for surveillance operations;
• (j) continuously monitoring said level condition of said vehicle during surveillance with said mast extended and said instrument in said operational position and generating said level condition signals;
• (k) controlling said jack drive means continuously during said surveillance in response to said level condition signals while said mast is extended to continuously maintain said vehicle within said prescribed level conditions during said surveillance operation;
• (l) controlling said mast operator to retract said mast after said surveillance operation is completed;
• (m) detecting said retracted mast when moved to said retracted position and generating a mast retracted signal;
• and
• (n) controlling said ram in response to said mast retracted signal and said door open signal to move said mast from said vertically erect position to said generally horizontal stowed position within said vehicle cab.

A method of controlling a leveling system of a four wheel vehicle and the like, said leveling system having a mechanical jack system with jacks arranged diagonally at corners of an x-axis of the vehicle, a jack drive for extending and retracting said jacks, level sensor means for sensing the level condition of the vehicle near the corners and generating an off-level signal at a corner when the level condition of said corner deviates from a prescribed vehicle level condition, pressure control means for sensing the amount of jack pressure of said jacks against the ground and generating a first pressure control signal if said jack pressure is below a preset pressure and generating a second pressure control signal if said jack pressure is greater than or equal to said preset said method comprising processing said off-level signals and said first and second pressure control signals to control said jack drive by:

• (a) extending a low corner jack near a low corner in response to an off-level signal from said low corner and a first pressure signal from a high corner diagonally opposite said low corner;
• (b) extending said high corner jack in response to a first pressure control signal from said high corner and said off-level signal from said lower corner;
• (c) retracting said high corner jack in response to a second pressure control signal from said high corner and said off-level signal from said low corner;
• (d) terminating extension of said low corner jack when the off-level signal is terminated;
• and
• (e) terminating the extension and retraction of said high corner jack when said preset pressure is reached on said high corner jack.

A method of leveling a vehicle having jacks arranged near diagonally opposed corners of said vehicle having level sensors near said corners for sensing an off-level condition and generating an off-level signal and pressure sensor for sensing actual jack pressure of said jacks against the ground, said method comprising:

• (a) controlling a low corner and a high corner jack at said diagonally opposed corners in response to an off-level signal at said low corner by first determining whether said jack pressure is greater or less than a preset pressure, if greater than said preset pressure, retracting said high corner jack, and if less than preset pressure, extending the low corner jack until said jack pressure of high corner jack is greater than or equal to said preset pressure, or said off-level signal is terminated;
• (b) controlling the low corner and high corner jacks when jack pressure on the high corner jack is greater or equal to the preset pressure by retracting said high corner jack until jack pressure is below preset pressure;
• (c) extending said low corner jack until said off-level signal is terminated or said high corner jack pressure is greater or equal to preset pressure:
• (d) repeating the steps (a)-(c) if said high corner jack pressure is greater or equal to the preset pressure until the off-level signal is terminated;
• and
• (e) terminating the steps (a)-(c) if said low corner jack extension is terminated in response to the off-level signal termination.