Motor vehicle operator alerting apparatus

• US 5,714,925 A
• Filed: 04/10/1996
• Issued: 02/03/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Donna J. Gorby Lee, Patrick J. Lee
• Original Assignee: Donna J. Gorby Lee, Patrick J. Lee
• Inventors: Lee, Patrick J., Lee, Donna J. Gorby
• Primary Examiner(s): Hopsass, Jeffery
• Assistant Examiner(s): TWEEL JR, JOHN ALEXANDER
• Application Number:
  US08/629,882
• Time in Patent Office: 664 Days
• Field of Search: 340/309.15, 340/576, 340/575, 340/439, 180/272
• US Class Current: 340/309.7
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/06 indicating a condition of sleep, e.g. anti-dozing alarms

Abstract

A motor vehicle operator alerting apparatus is disclosed having a portable housing having a front face and a plurality of fastening clips to attach the apparatus to a support structure within a vehicle. An alert indicator and an alarm indicator are mounted visibly to the front face of the housing, and are used to select an alert time duration and an alarm time duration, respectively. An alert time comparison timer and an alarm time counter compare selected time durations, and energize the alert and alarm indicators, respectively, based upon such comparison. A reset button in communication with both the alarm time counter and the alert time comparison timer is used for de-energizing either the alert indicator or the alarm indicator. An LCD or LED display in communication with the alert time comparison timer displays the time remaining on the alert time comparison timer.

Claims

1. A motor vehicle operator alerting apparatus comprising:

a. a housing;

b. an alert indicator mounted to the housing;

c. an alarm indicator mounted to the housing;

d. an alert timer configured to energize the alert indicator after a pre-determined alert time cycle;

e. an alarm timer configured to energize the alarm indicator after a pre-determined alarm time cycle which begins after the alert time cycle;

f. a reset button mounted to the housing and configured to de-energize the alert indicator and the alarm indicator and to reset the alert timer and the alarm timer when the reset button is pressed; and

g. the apparatus configured to change the length of the alert time cycle depending on the time duration between a beginning of the alarm time cycle and a pressing of the reset button.