Bus stop call system

• US 5,963,151 A
• Filed: 02/02/1995
• Issued: 10/05/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Rayford C. Hubbard
• Original Assignee: Rayford C. Hubbard
• Inventors: Hubbard, Rayford C.
• Primary Examiner(s): SWARTHOUT, BRENT
• Application Number:
  US08/383,608
• Time in Patent Office: 1,706 Days
• Field of Search: 340/994, 340/996, 340/988, 340/905, 340/433, 340/904, 340/573, 200/DIG. 2, 200/52 R
• US Class Current: 340/996
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/123 indicating the position of vehicles, e.g. scheduled vehicles; Managing passenger vehicles circulating according to a fixed timetable, e.g. buses, trains, tramstransmission of navigation instructions to vehicles G08G1/0968
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 200/02 Body attached switches

Abstract

A passenger notification system to warn (bus) passengers of the next scheduled stop. A sensory indication which may be a verbal announcement or a lighted display (or both) within the bus is activated by the driver as each stop, transfer point or point of interest, approaches. A switch responsive to relative motion between the driver'"'"'s upper arm and torso provides activation of a pre-recorded message in audio form from a sound transcriber. The lighted display is coded and activated from recorded signals. The sequence may easily be modified to fit each bus route.

Claims

1. In a passenger conveyance vehicle, a system for sensory announcement of a series of discrete messages, each of which corresponds to an approaching stop or point of interest, the combinantion comprising:

first means presenting said discrete messages in separate visual and audible form comprising at least one visual display and at least one electric-to-sound transducer;

second means providing separate first and second pre-recorded electrical signals corresponding to said visual and audible displays, respectively, said second means applying said pre-recorded electrical signals to control said first means to present said discrete messages, said second means including a dual-track play-back device to produce contemporaneous electrical signals applied to said first means to present visual display and audible messages each representative of the same stop or point of interest announcement;

and third means for activating said second means including a mechanical pressure operated switch mounted adjacent an arm of the vehicle operator, said mounting being such that said switch operates to activate said second means in response to pressure applied between said operator'"'"'s arm and torso as a voluntary act of said operator.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which said playback device is a magnetic tape player.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2 in which said first means comprises at least one loudspeaker as said electric-to-sound transducer and at least one signal train for controlling said visual display.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which said visual display is a dot-matrix lighted panel.

5. In a passenger conveyance vehicle, a system for sensory announcement of a series of discrete messages, each identifying an approaching stop or point of interest, the combination comprising:

first means including a play-back device for transcribing signals recorded therein;

second means including at least one sensory indicator within said vehicle, said second means being responsive to corresponding transcribed signals from said first means, said sensory indicator further comprising both a lighted display and at least one electrical-to-sound transducer, said lighted display being responsive to coded signals appropriate for controlling said lighted display from said first means, said transducer being responsive to separate audio message representing signals from said first means thereby to produce a contemporaneous lighted display and audio message both representative of the same corresponding stop or point of interest announcement;

third means for controlling said first means including a pressure operated switch mounted adjacent an arm of said vehicle driver, said mounting being such that said switch operates to activate said first means in response to pressure between said driver'"'"'s arm and the torso of said driver, application of said pressure being a voluntary act of said driver; and

said first means further comprising a dual-track recorder and playback device to record and play back said coded signals and said audio message representing signals.