Vehicle speed limit reminding device

• US 20060061461A1
• Filed: 09/20/2004
• Published: 03/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Shih-Hsiung Li
• Original Assignee: Shih-Hsiung Li
• Inventors: Li, Shih-Hsiung
• Application Number:
  US10/945,628
• Publication Number:
  US 20060061461A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/441
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/582 of traffic signs
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/63 Scene text, e.g. street names
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096716 where the received information does not generate an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/09675 where a selection from the received information takes place in the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096783 where the origin of the information is a roadside individual element
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/183 for receiving images from a single remote source

Abstract

A vehicle speed limit reminding device includes an image receiving unit for receiving images from a speed limit sign, an image processing unit to process the image received by the image receiving unit, a microprocessor to receive a processed image signal from the image processing unit, a speedometer to send a speed signal to the microprocessor, a display to display the processed image signal processed by the image processing unit and an alarm operably connected to a second output of the microprocessor to send a warning signal for reminding a driver that current vehicle speed is over/lower than maximum/minimum speed limit such that the driver is able to grasp all speed information on the road from the display without distraction.

Claims

1. A vehicle speed limit reminding device comprising:

an image receiving unit for receiving images from a speed limit sign along a road;

an image processing unit operably connected to an output of the image receiving unit via a visual signal transforming interface to process the image received by the image receiving unit;

a microprocessor operably connected to the image processing unit to receive a processed image signal from the image processing unit so as to compare with a current vehicle speed;

a speedometer operably connected to the input of the microprocessor to send a speed signal to the microprocessor such that the microprocessor is able to compare the current speed with the processed image signal processed by the image processing unit;

a display operably connected to a first output of the microprocessor to display the processed image signal processed by the image processing unit; and

an alarm operably connected to a second output of the microprocessor to send a warning signal for reminding a driver that current vehicle speed is over/lower than maximum/minimum speed limit such that the driver is able to grasp all speed information on the road from the display without distraction.

2. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the image processing unit is a high speed digital processor.

3. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the warning signal from the alarm is divided into a visual signal, an acoustic signal or a combination thereof.

4. The device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the warning signal is set to have different frequencies.

5. The device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the image receiving unit is adapted for mounting on a rear view mirror inside a vehicle.

6. The device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the image receiving unit is adapted for mounting on a rear view mirror inside a vehicle.

7. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the alarm is integrally formed with the display.

8. The device as claimed in claim 6, wherein the alarm is integrally formed with the display.