Electrically powered vehicular device with automatic power reduction

• US 20030208307A1
• Filed: 01/08/2003
• Published: 11/06/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Cobra Electronics Corp. (Cedar Electronics Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Cobra Electronics Corp. (Cedar Electronics Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Chamberlain, William, Mirabelli, Anthony A., Thistlethwaite, Philip E., Formanek, Vincent C.
• Application Number:
  US10/338,806
• Publication Number:
  US 20030208307A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/0231 Circuits relating to the driving or the functioning of the vehicle monitoring tyres B60C23/00; indicating overspeed B60K31/00; for dash boards B60K37/00, B60Q3/10; for indicating emergencies B60Q1/52; brake control systems B60T; registering or indicating the working of vehicles G07C5/00; measuring distance G01C, e.g. combinations of speed and distance G01C23/00; engine indicators G01L; measuring speed or acceleration G01P

Abstract

An electrically powered vehicular device, such as a police radar detector, having an automatic reduced power feature, is disclosed.

Claims

1. For a vehicle having an electrical system and a source of DC power coupled to the electrical system, an electrically powered vehicular device with automatic power reduction, the device comprising:

means for connecting the device to the source of DC power;

means coupled to the connecting means for sensing whether the vehicle is turned on or off; and

limiting means responsive to the sensing means for turning the device to a reduced power mode when the sensing means determines the vehicle is turned off.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the reduced power mode is off.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein the reduced power mode is a stand-by mode.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein the sensing means includes:

means for monitoring the voltage level of the source of DC power; and

means responsive to the monitoring means for determining that the vehicle is off if the voltage level drops to below a set threshold.

5. The device of claim 1 wherein the sensing means includes:

means for monitoring background noise of the source of DC power; and

means responsive to the monitoring means for determining that the vehicle is off if the background noise remains substantially constant over a period of time.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the device is a radar detector.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the device is a radio.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the radio is a two way radio.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the device is a GPS receiver.

10. The device of claim 1 including means for over-riding the limiting means to permit the device to operate when the vehicle is turned off.

11. An electrically powered vehicular device with automatic power reduction for use with a source of DC power coupled to an electrical system of a vehicle, the device comprising:

means for connecting the device to the source of DC power;

means coupled to the connecting means for sensing a voltage level at the source of DC power to determine whether the vehicle is turned on or off;

means responsive to the sensing means for turning the device to a reduced power mode when the sensed voltage level drops below a set threshold.

12. The device of claim 11 wherein the reduced power mode is off.

13. The device of claim 11 wherein the reduced power mode is a stand-by mode.

14. The device of claim 11 wherein the sensing means includes a voltage monitoring circuitry.

15. The device of claim 11 wherein the responsive means includes a switching circuitry.

16. An electrically powered vehicular device with automatic power reduction for use with a source of DC power coupled to an electrical system of a vehicle, the device comprising:

means for connecting the device to the source of DC power;

means coupled to the connecting means for monitoring background noise of the DC power source; and

means responsive to the monitoring means for turning the device to reduced power mode when the background noise drops below a set threshold over a period of time.

17. The device of claim 16 wherein the reduced power mode is off.

18. The device of claim 16 wherein the reduced power mode is a stand-by mode.

19. The device of claim 16 wherein the sensing means includes a voltage monitoring circuit.

20. The device of claim 16 wherein the responsive means includes a switching circuit.

21. An electrically powered vehicular device with automatic power reduction for use with DC power source coupled to an electrical system of a vehicle, the device comprising:

means for connecting the device to the DC power source;

means coupled to the connecting means for monitoring background noise of the DC power source;

means responsive to the monitoring means for turning the device to reduced power mode when the background noise remains substantially constant over a period of time.

22. An electrically powered vehicular device with automatic power reduction for use with a DC power source coupled to an electrical system of a vehicle, the device comprising:

means for connecting the device to the DC power source;

means coupled to the connecting means for sensing a voltage level at the DC power source;

means coupled to the connecting means for monitoring a characteristic of background noise of the DC power source;

means responsive to the sensing means and the monitoring means for turning the device to reduced power mode when the sensed voltage level and the background noise characteristic each reach a set threshold.

23. The device of claim 22 wherein the connecting means is a power cord.

24. The device of claim 22 wherein the sensing means includes a voltage monitoring circuit.

25. The device of claim 22 wherein the voltage monitoring circuit detects whether the voltage level of the DC power source drops below a threshold.

26. The device of claim 25 wherein the threshold is 13.05 volts.

27. The device of claim 22 wherein the background noise characteristic is noise level.

28. The device of claim 22 wherein the background noise characteristic is noise level over a period of time.

29. The device of claim 22 wherein the monitoring means includes a counter that determines the vehicle is off if the background noise characteristic is substantially constant over a period of time.

30. The device of claim 22 wherein the responsive means includes a switch.

31. A connector for coupling an electrically powered device to a DC power source, the connector for removing power to the device when the vehicle has been turned off, the connector comprising:

means for connecting the device to the DC power source;

means for sensing whether the vehicle is turned on or off; and

limiting means responsive to the sensing means for removing power to the device when the sensing means determines the vehicle is turned off.

32. The connector of claim 31 wherein the sensing means includes:

means for monitoring the voltage level of the DC power source; and

means responsive to the monitoring means for determining that the vehicle is off if the voltage level drops to below a set threshold.

33. The connector of claim 31 wherein the sensing means includes:

means for monitoring background noise of the DC power source; and

means responsive to the monitoring means for determining that the vehicle is off if the background noise remains substantially constant over a period of time.