Advanced audio safety apparatus

• US 6,989,740 B2
• Filed: 02/13/2002
• Issued: 01/24/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Joseph A. Tabe
• Original Assignee: Joseph A. Tabe
• Inventors: Tabe, Joseph A.
• Primary Examiner(s): GOINS, DAVETTA WOODS
• Application Number:
  US10/073,236
• Publication Number:
  US 20020118103A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,441 Days
• Field of Search: 369/21, 340/463, 340/433, 340/436, 340/692, 340/691.1, 340/903, 340/456, 340/453, 340/471, 180/167, 180/271, 704/200
• US Class Current: 340/463
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/22 for reverse drive

Abstract

An audio safety apparatus for vehicles and equipment that operate in a reverse mode using Electro-mechanical or mechanical means adaptable to various electro-mechanical applications. The apparatus is used for cars, buses, trucks, planes or any other vehicle that moves and has a battery as part of its power supply. The audio safety apparatus has a backing safety system, a school bus stop sign arm safety system, and a driver information safety system. Through a system of hardware connected to a CPU (central processing unit), a sound chip and a waterproof speaker, the apparatus is programmed to recognize dangerous vehicle situations and alert the operator of a vehicle in an audible manner before accidents occur. The audio safety apparatus includes a driver inspection program for use before the vehicle is put in operation or put to motion. With the voice auditory warnings, the apparatus is programmed to sound when the vehicle is backing or unloading occupants, or any other potentially dangerous activity in which a passerby to the vicinity of the vehicle or the operator of the said vehicle may become subjected to injuries.

Claims

1. Advanced audio safety apparatus for use with a vehicle and transportation equipment having at least a transmission means, a braking means, and a backing means, for enabling communication signal indicative of communicating at least a predetermined mechanical operation of said vehicle and for broadcasting the said mechanical operation in human voice auditory response thereon, comprising:

a. at least a switch terminal means responsible for energizing said communication signal responsive to said predetermined mechanical condition of a vehicle with the potential to cause injury;

b. an input terminal in connection with a logic switch means for receiving current from said switch terminal and for identifying said energized communication signal indicative of coded data transmission responsible for activating at least a defined voice auditory in response to at least a prescribed predetermined mechanical operation of said vehicle;

c. at least a control means having at least a central processing unit CPU for relaying communication signals and for retrieving said energized signal indicative of communicating with plurality switches, said switches responsive for initiating at least a human voice auditory response with at least a voice auditory chip referencing at least a prescribed mechanical operation of at least a vehicle;

d. means for transforming said energized communication signal into pre-selected human voice auditory communication signal indicative of vehicle normal mechanical operation;

e. an internal logical interface means in communication with said central processing unit;

f. at least a voltage suppressor means in communication with said internal logical interface means responsive for filtering out unwanted voltage;

g. a braking means in communication with at least a chip having at least embedded human voice, and said chip enables communication with said central processing unit;

h. an automatic controller means in communication with at least a switch terminal means for allowing operation of at least a controlled energy means, said controlled energy means responsive for enabling signal communication to said predetermined mechanical component of at least a vehicle, wherein said controlled energy means further enables comparing said coded signals at the logic switch means indicative of operative target of at least a predetermined mechanical operation of a vehicle for enabling activation of at least a specific human voice auditory responses unique to at least said switch terminal output energy source;

i. a database means responsive for data dictionary, said data dictionary in communication with said at least a voice auditory sound chip for defining unique and prescribed human voice auditory messages, and wherein said sound chip in communication with at least a logic interface means for selectively broadcasting said defined human voice auditory response indicative of at least a discernible message;

j. human voice auditory sound chip means responsive for said output and for communicating with said database means, wherein said database means responsive for said human voice auditory output to at least a broadcasting means responsive for amplifying said output signal, and wherein said broadcasting means further includes means for emitting responses indicative of safety warning in response to potentially predetermined mechanical operation associated with the components of at least a vehicle;

k. a microprocessor means in communication with said automatic control means for processing said database system;

n. an amplifier means in connection with said automatic control means, said automatic control means being in communication with said voice auditory sound chip and said amplifying means for receiving and amplifying said human voice auditory communication signal for enabling sound clarity; and

o. a water proof speaker means mounted internal/external to the body of said vehicle for broadcasting said amplified sound signal.

2. Advanced audio safety apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said switch terminal enables communication signal indicative of at least a vehicle transmission in a reverse mode, for initiating selective and prescribed human voice auditory communication signal for broadcasting to at least a passer-by external and/or rearward to the vehicle in response to said vehicle reverse motion, and wherein a delay delays said communication signal response after at least every second.

3. Advanced audio safety apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein said switch terminal enables communication signal to at least a data identifying means indicative of at least a defined pre-mechanical operation of at least a vehicle, said pre-mechanical operation enables selective and prescribed data transmission through energized communication signal indicative of broadcasting said data responsive for at least a unique human voice auditory in recognition of said predetermined mechanical operation of at least a vehicle component and wherein said predetermined mechanical operation further includes at least any of:

a. a transmission engaged in a reverse direction;

b. a school bus stop sign arm extended;

c. a parking brake released;

d. a tailgate raised/opened;

e. a plane traveling in a reverse direction;

f. a bed of a front-end loader raised;

g. a cement mixer truck funneling cement and the chute either being raised/lowered.

4. Advanced audio safety apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein said logical interface means comprising a central processing unit for communicating said energized signal from at least a switch terminal means to a database means responsive for initiating said human voice auditory signal indicative of at least a mechanical operational behavior of at least a vehicle to at least a delay for broadcasting and delaying said responses in repeating times to a passer-by external to the vicinity of said vehicle, and wherein said voice auditory signal is generated to a waterproof speaker mounted at least a top a cab of a vehicle.

5. Advanced audio safety apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein said operational behavior of at least a vehicle includes at least a vehicular component, and wherein said vehicular component having a switch terminal means for signaling upon activation indicative of predetermined mechanical operation of said vehicle, said mechanical operation enables communication between said switch terminal means and at least an automatic control means, said control means allowing operational control of energy means to enable communication signal indicative of at least a human voice auditory responses unique to said vehicle component and switch terminal output source and wherein said energy means in communication with said amplifier means for generating said amplified voice auditory sound signal to a waterproof speaker, said speaker located near a noise producing portion of said vehicle.

6. Advanced audio safety apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein said central processing unit comprising at least a sound chip in communication with database means responsible for outputting coded signal indicative of broadcasting at least a predetermined mechanical operation of at least a vehicle, and wherein said coded signal operable in human voice auditory response through amplifying means to at least a water proof speaker for enabling signal emission to at least a vicinity of said vehicle operation, and wherein said signal emission further response to predefined set of horn auditory signal.

7. Advanced audio safety apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein said predetermined mechanical operation defines an alerting condition whereby at least an operating vehicle influences attention on a passenger and passer-by during normal vehicle operation, includes school bus stop sign indicative of predetermined mechanical operation of said vehicle, said communication signal reflective to human voice auditory response indicative of broadcasting at least an intended unique mechanical operation of said vehicle.

8. Advanced audio safety apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein said predetermined mechanical condition, includes operation of at least a tailgate of at least a dump truck, and wherein said tailgate comprises a switch terminal for enabling communication indicative of broadcasting operational sequences when the said tailgate is being raised, and further comprises a bed of at least a front-end loader vehicle responsive for allowing current pulses to enable selected human voice auditory communication in response to said mechanical operation for broadcasting thereon.

9. Advanced audio safety apparatus, as claimed in claim 8, wherein said means for enabling said discernable message in response to said output from at least a switch terminal for a vehicle component responsible for outputting electrical energy, said electrical energy responsive for activating signal communication means in response to said switch terminal output, said electrical energy further responsive for enabling human voice auditory signal communication in response to specific vehicle component pre-mechanical operation, wherein said communication for pre-mechanical operation of a vehicle is broadcast through at least a speaker means.

10. Advanced audio safety apparatus for a vehicle and transportation equipment having at least a transmission means, a braking means, and a backing means for communicating a safety warning process by alerting pedestrians, vehicle drivers, and vehicle passengers in human voice auditory response the predetermined mechanical operation of a vehicle component, the advanced audio safety apparatus comprising:

a. at least a switch terminal means, for activating initial controlled energy indicative of initiating broadcasting of selected and prescribed voice auditory message;

b. a control means having at least a central processing unit “

CPU,”

for coordinating and processing said switch terminal signals to at least a voice auditory chip;

c. at least a human voice auditory sound chip, for producing sound signal response in human voice auditory for enabling a discernable message;

d. at least a waterproof speaker means, for broadcasting said discernable message;

e. a logic interface means, for enabling interactive signal communication from said sound chip to at least an amplifier means;

f. an amplifier means, for empowering said broadcasting messages responsive for communicating operating signals from at least a predetermined mechanical component of a vehicle; and

g. at least a microprocessor having at least a chip, said chip having embedded human voice representing responses to said predetermined mechanical operation of a vehicle component.

11. Advanced audio safety apparatus for alerting pedestrians, vehicle driver, and vehicle passengers as claimed in claim 10, wherein said predetermined mechanical operation of a vehicle occurs when any one of:

a transmission is shifted to a reverse direction, a parking means operable in releasing mode, a stop sign arm operable in extending mode, a concrete mixer vehicle operable in funneling mode, vehicle tailgate operable in opening mode, a plane traveling in a reverse direction, and a vehicle bed operable in raising mode, for energizing said central processing unit responsive for coordinating selective and prescribed discernable message in response to said switch terminal output, and wherein said switch terminal is responsive to automatic means.

12. Advanced audio safety apparatus for alerting pedestrians, vehicle drivers, and vehicle passengers as claimed in claim 11, wherein said predetermined mechanical operation of a vehicle occurs when a school bus stop sign arm is extended and activating a switch, said switch output signal activating a sound chip to responsively activating said discernable message for alerting pedestrians, vehicle drivers, and vehicle passenger in human voice auditory response indicative of at least a predetermined mechanical operation of a vehicle component.

13. Advanced audio safety apparatus for alerting pedestrians, vehicle drivers, and vehicle passengers, as claimed in claim 12, wherein said discernible message for alerting pedestrians, vehicle drivers, and vehicle passengers occurs when at least a driver attempts to release the vehicle parking brake, and includes at least a school bus and industrial and/or commercial vehicle operation responsively outputting selective and predefined human voice auditory in response to a switch terminal energy responsive for broadcasting at least said pre-mechanical operation of a vehicle component.

14. Advanced audio safety apparatus for alerting pedestrians, vehicle drivers, and vehicle passengers, as claimed in claim 13, wherein said discernible message for alerting pedestrians, vehicle drivers, and vehicle passengers occurs when a vehicle'"'"'s tailgate is open or said vehicle'"'"'s bed is up, and further includes vehicle pre-mechanical operation for outputting said discernable message in response to said pre-mechanical operation of said vehicle component for enabling human voice auditory responses indicative of broadcasting said operation thereon, and wherein said voice auditory response may be selected from a predefined set horn auditory signals.

15. A safety warning process of an advanced audio apparatus for alerting pedestrians, vehicle drivers, and vehicle passengers, said safety warning process further enables enforceable means of controlling the resultant behavior of said vehicle driver, said vehicle passenger, and said pedestrians upon operation of said vehicle, said process comprising steps of:

a. activating a switch terminal, said switch terminal automatically responsive to predetermined mechanical conditions of a vehicle with potential to cause injury;

b. providing current from said switch terminal to at least an input terminal of at least a logical interface means, said logical interface means containing at least a receiving means and a transmitting means for receiving and transmitting said signal to at least a device responsive for outputting voice auditory communication messages;

c. transforming said current into control energy;

d. dividing said control energy into a predetermined controlled human voice auditory message;

e. comparing said control energy with pre-selected data and generating at least an output;

f. emitting said output in voice auditory response and/or at least a discernable message representing specific predetermined mechanical operation of the vehicle'"'"'s components to the vehicle'"'"'s surrounding;

g. emitting plurality of discernable messages for educational voice sound signals response corresponding to said output; and

h. amplifying said discernable voice sound signal response to at least a speaker means capable of transmitting said sound signal response within a localized area, to individuals both inside and outside a vehicle.

16. The safety warning process of an advanced audio safety apparatus for alerting pedestrians, vehicle drivers, and vehicle passengers as claimed in claim 15, wherein at least one of said predetermined mechanical operations of a vehicle occurs when at least a transmission is engaged in a reverse direction.

17. The safety warning process of an advanced audio safety apparatus for alerting pedestrians, vehicle drivers, and vehicle passengers, as claimed in claim 16, wherein at least one of said predetermined mechanical operations of a vehicle occurs when at least a school bus stop sign arm is extending.

18. A safety warning process of an advanced audio safety apparatus for alerting pedestrians, vehicle drivers, and vehicle passengers, as claimed in claim 17, wherein said predetermined mechanical operation of a vehicle occurs when a driver of the vehicle attempts to release a vehicle'"'"'s parking brake.

19. A safety warning process of an advanced audio safety apparatus for alerting pedestrians, vehicle drivers, and vehicle passengers, as claimed in claim 18, wherein said predetermined mechanical operation of a vehicle occurs when a concrete mixer vehicle is operable in a funneling mode, a vehicle'"'"'s tailgate is operable in an opening mode, a plane traveling in a reverse direction, and a vehicle'"'"'s bed is operable in a raising mode.

20. A safety warning process of an advanced audio safety apparatus for alerting pedestrians, vehicle drivers, and vehicle passengers, as claimed in claim 19, wherein said voice auditory sound signal response is produced by a sound chip, and wherein said sound signal response may be selected from a predetermined set of voice signals and repeated over predetermined period of time.