Modular vehicle license plate camera

• US 10,324,366 B2
• Filed: 10/10/2018
• Issued: 06/18/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Whistler Group Incorporated
• Original Assignee: The Whistler Group Incorporated
• Inventors: Batten, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Hoge, Gary C
• Application Number:
  US16/156,724
• Publication Number:
  US 20190113833A1
• Time in Patent Office: 251 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/04 Mounting of cameras operative during drive; Arrangement of controls thereof relative to the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 13/105 Licence- or registration plates, provided with mounting means, e.g. frames, holders, retainers, brackets
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/004 outside the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/02 Bodies
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 29/00 Combinations of cameras, projectors or photographic printing apparatus with non-photographic non-optical apparatus, e.g. clocks or weapons; Cameras having the shape of other objects combinations with flash apparatus G03B15/03
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/51 Housings

Abstract

A motor vehicle license plate mount having a modular license plate frame including a base section and two side mounts for securing license plates of varying widths and heights to the vehicle and a camera housing including a lens and with the base section forming a slot for receiving an exterior edge of the license plate. Electrical cables connect at least one side mount to the base section providing power to the camera unit via a local solar cell disposed on at least one side mount.

Claims

1. A modular vehicle license plate frame, comprising:

a base plate;

a camera housing disposed approximate to an edge of the base plate;

a first slot disposed between a camera lens and the base plate;

at least one base plate electrical cable disposed on the base plate; and

at least one side plate containing a first solar cell section and at least one first side plate electrical cable for connection to the at least one base plate electrical cable,

wherein the first slot has a thickness approximate to the thickness of a license plate for receiving a license plate.

2. The modular vehicle license plate frame of claim 1, further comprising a second side plate.

3. The modular vehicle license plate frame of claim 2, further comprising a second base plate electrical cable disposed on the base plate.

4. The modular vehicle license plate frame of claim 3, wherein the second side plate comprises a second solar cell section and at least one second side plate electrical cable for connection to the second base plate electrical cable.

5. The modular vehicle license plate frame of claim 4, further comprising a second slot disposed between the first solar cell section and the first side plate.

6. The modular vehicle license plate frame of claim 5, further comprising a third slot disposed between the second solar cell section and the second side plate.

7. The modular vehicle license plate frame of claim 6 wherein the second slot has a thickness approximate to the thickness of a license plate for receiving the license plate.

8. The modular vehicle license plate frame of claim 7 wherein the third slot has a thickness approximate to the thickness of a license plate for receiving the license plate.

9. The modular vehicle license plate frame of claim 1, further comprising an adhesive for adhering the license plate to the base plate.

10. The modular vehicle license plate frame of claim 2, further comprising an adhesive for adhering the license plate to at least one of the first side plate and the second side plate.

11. The modular vehicle license plate frame of claim 1, further comprising an adhesive for adhering a back plate to the base plate.

12. The modular vehicle license plate frame of claim 2, further comprising an adhesive for adhering a back plate to at least one of the first side plate and the second side plate.

13. The modular vehicle license plate frame of claim 2, wherein the distance between the first side plate and the second side plate of an assembled modular vehicle license plate frame is 260 to 520 millimeters.

14. The modular vehicle license plate frame of claim 13, wherein the distance between the first side plate and the second side plate of an assembled modular vehicle license plate frame is 275 to 330 millimeters.