Police activity transponder utilizing a vehicle interface

• US 20020113727A1
• Filed: 12/17/2001
• Published: 08/22/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Escort Incorporated (Cedar Electronics Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Escort Incorporated (Cedar Electronics Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Kuhn, John, Orr, Steven K.
• Granted Patent: US 6,614,385 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 342/20
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/022 Road traffic radar detectors
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/04 Display arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/38 Jamming means, e.g. producing false echoes
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/495 Counter-measures or counter-counter-measures using electronic or electro-optical means
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/51 Display arrangements

Abstract

A police activity transponder utilizes data available through a vehicle on-board diagnostic system or a intelligent vehicle data bus to adjust the sensitivity of the police activity transponder to law enforcement signals based on speed data. A police activity transponder is configured to read speed data available through an on-board diagnostic system or an intelligent vehicle data bus and using an internal clock, calculate a 0 to 60 mile per hour or a quarter mile time for display and function as a speedometer. A police activity transponder is configured to read engine revolutions per minute (rpm) data and function as a tachometer. A police activity transponder is configured to allow a user to input shift points, read engine rpm data, and provide a user indication.

Claims

1. A police activity transponder comprising:

a receiver section adapted to receive signals indicative of law enforcement activity;

a warning section responsive to the receiver section and configured to provide a warning if a received signal correlates to a law enforcement signal; and

,

an interface configured to read vehicle speed data from a host vehicle;

wherein the sensitivity of the receiver section to a law enforcement signal varies in relation to the vehicle speed data.

2. The police activity transponder of claim 1, wherein the receiver section is adapted to receive electromagnetic radar signals in a radar band.

3. The police activity transponder of claim 1, wherein the receiver section is adapted to receive signals carried in the visible or infrared spectrum.

4. The police activity transponder of claim 1, wherein the interface is an OBDII compliant interface.

5. The police activity transponder of claim 1, wherein the interface is an IVBD compliant interface.

6. The police activity transponder of claim 1, wherein the warning section is a visible display that makes visible warnings.

7. The police activity transponder of claim 1, wherein the warning section is an audio speaker that makes audible warnings.

12. The police activity transponder of claim 11, further comprising:

a keypad configured to allow a user to enter a shift point based on engine revolutions per minute;

the display further configured to display a shift indication;

the code further containing a routine that allows a user to enter a shift point from the keypad and sends a shift indication to the display for display to a user based on a comparison of the engine revolutions per minute data and shift point entered by the user.

8. A police activity transponder comprising:

a receiver section adapted to receive signals indicative of law enforcement activity;

an interface configured to read vehicle speed data from a host vehicle;

a clock section configured to track the passage of time;

a display configured to display a 0 to 60 mile per hour time; and

, a processor for processing code;

wherein the code contains a routine for monitoring the clock section in relation to vehicle speed data and computing a 0 to 60 mile per hour time to be displayed by the display.

9. A police activity transponder comprising:

a receiver section adapted to receive signals indicative of law enforcement activity;

an interface configured to read vehicle speed data from a host vehicle;

a clock section configured to track the passage of time;

a display configured to display a quarter mile time; and

,

a processor for processing code;

wherein the code contains a routine for monitoring the clock section in relation to vehicle speed data and computing a quarter mile time to be displayed by the display.

10. A police activity transponder comprising:

a receiver section adapted to receive signals indicative of law enforcement activity;

an interface configured to read vehicle speed data from a host vehicle;

a display configured to display vehicle speed; and

,

a processor for processing code;

wherein the code contains a routine for reading the vehicle speed data and sending the vehicle speed data to the display for display.

11. A police activity transponder comprising:

a receiver section adapted to receive signals indicative of law enforcement activity;

an interface configured to read engine revolutions per minute data from a host vehicle;

a display configured to display engine revolutions per minute; and

,

a processor for processing code;

wherein the code contains a routine for reading the engine revolutions per minute data and sending the number of revolutions per minute to the display for display.

14. The police activity transponder of claim 13, wherein the protocol is the International Standards Organization 9141 protocol.

15. The police activity transponder of claim 13, wherein the protocol is the Society of Automotive Engineers J1850 variable pulse width modulation protocol.

16. The police activity transponder of claim 13, wherein the protocol is the Society of Automotive Engineers J1850 pulse width modulation protocol.

17. The police activity transponder of claim 13, wherein diagnosis trouble codes are displayed as an alphanumeric.

18. The police activity transponder of claim 13, wherein diagnosis trouble codes are displayed as a series of flashing lights.

20. The police activity transponder of claim 19, wherein the receiver section is adapted to receive electromagnetic radar signals in a radar band and the transmitter is adapted to transmit electromagnetic signals in a radar band.

21. The police activity transponder of claim 19, wherein the receiver section is adapted to receive signals carried in the visible or infrared spectrum and the transmitter is adapted to transmit signals in the visible or infrared spectrum.

13. A police activity transponder comprising:

a receiver section adapted to receive signals indicative of law enforcement activity;

an interface configured to read a vehicle communication protocol;

a display configured to display diagnosis trouble codes; and

,

a processor for processing code;

wherein the code contains a routine for reading diagnosis trouble codes from the interface and sending them to the display for display.

19. A police activity transponder comprising:

a receiver section adapted to receive signals indicative of law enforcement activity;

a transmitter section adapted to transmit signals in response to received signals; and

,

an interface configured to read vehicle speed data from a host vehicle;

wherein the transmission of the transmit section is disabled in relation to the vehicle speed data.