School bus approaching notification system

• US 6,747,551 B1
• Filed: 07/23/2002
• Issued: 06/08/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Parnell Smith
• Original Assignee: Parnell Smith
• Inventors: Smith, Parnell
• Primary Examiner(s): Hofsass, Jeffery
• Assistant Examiner(s): Blount, Eric
• Application Number:
  US10/200,677
• Time in Patent Office: 686 Days
• Field of Search: 340/433, 340/904, 340/901, 340/994, 340/902, 701/204
• US Class Current: 340/433
• 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

Abstract

A school bus approaching notification system for alerting users of an approaching school bus so that children do not have to stand outside and wait for the school bus. The school bus approaching notification system includes a transmitter assembly being adapted to be mounted in a school bus; and includes a transmitter mounting bracket supporting the transmitter unit and being adapted to be securely fastened in the school bus; and further includes a receiver assembly including a first receiver unit being adapted to be located in a home and also including a second receiver unit being adapted to be located in a passenger vehicle.

Claims

1. A school bus approaching notification system comprising:

a transmitter assembly being adapted to be mounted in a school bus, said transmitter assembly including a housing having a bottom wall, and also including a microprocessor being disposed in said housing and being connected to a power supply, and further including a transmitter being connected to said microprocessor, and also including a bus warning light sensor being connected to said microprocessor for detecting a yellow warning light being emitted from a school bus, and further including a display screen being disposed in a front wall of said housing, and also including a power switch being movably disposed in said front wall of said housing for the energizing of said microprocessor, said transmitter transmits coded signals including a first coded signal identifying an approaching school bus, and also including a second coded signal being actuated upon the emission of the yellow warning light on the school bus;

a transmitter mounting bracket supporting said transmitter assembly and being adapted to be securely fastened in the school bus; and

a receiver assembly including a first receiver unit being adapted to located in a home and also including a second receiver unit being adapted to be located in a passenger vehicle.

2. A school bus approaching notification system as described in claim 1, wherein said transmitter assembly further includes a support shaft being attached to said bottom wall of said housing, and also includes a disc-shaped support base being attached to an end of said support shaft.

3. A school bus approaching notification system as described in claim 2, wherein said transmitter mounting bracket includes a base member;

and also includes a retainer housing member being attached to a topside of said base member and having top and end walls and also having an elongate inverted T-shaped slot being disposed through said end wall and extending along a length of said top wall for receiving said disc-shaped support base.

4. A school bus approaching notification system as described in claim 3, wherein each of said first and second receiver units includes a housing member having a front wall, and also includes a receiver being disposed in said housing member, and further includes a microprocessor member being connected to said receiver and to a power source, and also includes a sound-producing member being disposed in said front wall of said housing member and being connected to said microprocessor member for audibly alerting a user of either an approaching school bus or a stopping school bus, and further includes an antenna being connected to said housing member and to said receiver for receiving a respective one of said coded signals, said receiver of said first receiver unit capable of picking up said first coded signal from approximately 300 feet away.

5. A school bus approaching notification system as described in claim 4, wherein each of said first and second receiver units also includes a display screen being disposed in said front wall of said housing member, and further includes an on/off switch being movably disposed in said front wall of said housing member for energizing said microprocessor unit.