Vehicle direction signal and slow warning system employing moving pattern of simultaneously ON lamps
First Claim
1. A method of signaling the condition of a movable vehicle in the presence of traffic, comprising the following steps:
- (1) providing a movable vehicle,(2) providing a row of individual lamps on a side of said vehicle, and(3) turning said lamps on and off to form a moving pattern of turned-on lamps, as follows;
(a) turning on a plurality of spaced-apart lamps simultaneously so that each lamp in said turned-on plurality will present one visual characteristic and the rest of said lamps, including at least one lamp physically intermediate and separating said turned-on plurality of lamps, will present a different visual characteristic, and so that said turned-on plurality of lamps will be visually distinguishable from the rest of said lamps and present a recognizable predetermined pattern of spaced-apart and simultaneously-turned-on lamps,(b) turning off said previously-turned-on plurality of said lamps and simultaneously turning on a new and different plurality of spaced-apart lamps, said different plurality of lamps being adjacent said respective previously-turned-on plurality of lamps in one direction along said row, such that said recognizable predetermined pattern of spaced-apart lamps will appear to have moved along said row to a new position in said one direction, and(c) thereafter repeating said step (b) so that each last-turned-on plurality of lamps will be turned off and simultaneously a new plurality of said lamps will be turned on, each new plurality of turned-on lamps being adjacent the last-turned-on plurality of lamps in said one direction along said row, such that said recognizable predetermined pattern of spaced-apart lamps will appear to move along said row in said one direction,whereby said vehicle will present a moving pattern of turned-on lamps which will be recognizable in the presence of conventional flashing static turn signals and traffic lamps.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A signaling device consists of single or multiple rows or banks of lights extending the entire width of both the front (FIG. 13) and rear (FIG. 14) of a vehicle that are alternately turned on and off in such a precise, timed, sequential manner (FIGS. 1-7) so as to give the visual effect of a row of lights moving or traveling in either the right or left direction, moving sign style, depending on which direction the driver of the vehicle indicates. The system also consists of a slowing or stopping warning feature whereas the rear row or rows of lights (112), upon activation of the brake pedal, divides its traveling or running effect from the centerline toward both the right and left sides simultaneously (FIGS. 10-12), giving the visual effect of the rear bank of lights coming toward the observer. With the use of multiple rows of lights (FIGS. 9-12 and 14), the patterns of lights may be staggered or sequenced to create vertical bars (FIG. 9), chevron-shaped arrows (FIG. 10), or diagonal bars (FIGS. 11 and 12) of light moving in the direction desired.
167 Citations
18 Claims
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1. A method of signaling the condition of a movable vehicle in the presence of traffic, comprising the following steps:
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(1) providing a movable vehicle, (2) providing a row of individual lamps on a side of said vehicle, and (3) turning said lamps on and off to form a moving pattern of turned-on lamps, as follows; (a) turning on a plurality of spaced-apart lamps simultaneously so that each lamp in said turned-on plurality will present one visual characteristic and the rest of said lamps, including at least one lamp physically intermediate and separating said turned-on plurality of lamps, will present a different visual characteristic, and so that said turned-on plurality of lamps will be visually distinguishable from the rest of said lamps and present a recognizable predetermined pattern of spaced-apart and simultaneously-turned-on lamps, (b) turning off said previously-turned-on plurality of said lamps and simultaneously turning on a new and different plurality of spaced-apart lamps, said different plurality of lamps being adjacent said respective previously-turned-on plurality of lamps in one direction along said row, such that said recognizable predetermined pattern of spaced-apart lamps will appear to have moved along said row to a new position in said one direction, and (c) thereafter repeating said step (b) so that each last-turned-on plurality of lamps will be turned off and simultaneously a new plurality of said lamps will be turned on, each new plurality of turned-on lamps being adjacent the last-turned-on plurality of lamps in said one direction along said row, such that said recognizable predetermined pattern of spaced-apart lamps will appear to move along said row in said one direction, whereby said vehicle will present a moving pattern of turned-on lamps which will be recognizable in the presence of conventional flashing static turn signals and traffic lamps. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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Specification