System, method and apparatus for communicating with vehicle occupants

• US 8,200,158 B2
• Filed: 05/13/2009
• Issued: 06/12/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/15/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Eddie B. Lofton
• Original Assignee: Eddie B. Lofton
• Inventors: Lofton, Eddie B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Donovan, Lincoln
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cole, Brandon S
• Application Number:
  US12/464,915
• Publication Number:
  US 20100041337A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,126 Days
• Field of Search: 455 39- 48, 455 59- 90
• US Class Current: 455/42
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096791 where the origin of the information is another vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/26 at least one of which is mobile
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 23/008 using optical signals for detecting or generating sound

Abstract

An application for a two-way communication system for communicating with a person who is within a closed vehicle includes a short-range radio transmission to transmit audio to a radio within the vehicle. Communication from the person is done by reflecting a light beam on a window of the vehicle and receiving the light beam, which is modulated by vibration of the window caused by the person'"'"'s voice. The received light beam is then processed to reproduce the sound of the person'"'"'s voice.

Claims

1. A vehicle communication system comprising:

a means for transmitting a first audio signal to a radio within a vehicle; and

a means for receiving a second audio signal from within the vehicle, the means for receiving the second audio signal including a light source and a detector, the light source emitting light, the light aimed at a window of the vehicle and the detector aimed at the window and positioned to receive at least some of the light reflected back from the window;

the light reflected back modulated by the second audio signal from within the vehicle by vibration of the window;

an audio detector operatively coupled to the detector, the audio detector extracts a second audio signal from the light reflected back from the window;

wherein the means for transmitting the first audio signal is a short-range FM radio transmitter.

2. The vehicle communication system of claim 1, wherein the light source is a laser light source.

3. The vehicle communication system of claim 1, wherein the light source is a semiconductor laser diode.

4. The vehicle communication system of claim 1, wherein the detector is a photo diode.

5. The vehicle communication system of claim 1, wherein the means for receiving the audio signal further comprises a filter, the filter removing at least some environment noise.

6. A method of communicating with a person within a vehicle, the method comprising:

transmitting a first audio signal from a short-range radio frequency transmitter to a radio within a vehicle;

emitting a light beam towards a window of the vehicle;

receiving a reflected light beam from the window of the vehicle, the reflected light beam containing at least some of the light beam reflected from the window; and

extracting a second audio signal from the vehicle from the reflected light beam;

extracting a second audio signal from the reflected light beam containing;

wherein the step of transmitting the first audio signal uses a short-range FM radio transmitter.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of emitting the light beam includes emitting light from a laser light source.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of emitting the light beam includes emitting light from a semiconductor laser diode.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of receiving the reflected light beam uses a photo diode.

10. The method of claim 6, further comprises after the step of extracting, a step of filtering noise from the second audio signal and removing at least some environment noise.

11. A vehicle communication apparatus comprising:

a radio frequency transmitter, the radio frequency transmitter modulates a first audio signal onto a radio frequency signal;

a radio within a vehicle, the radio receives the radio frequency signal, and the radio extracts the first audio signal from the radio frequency signal and reproduces the first audio signal to a sound producing device;

a light source, the light source emits a light, the light aimed at a window of the vehicle;

a detector, the detector aimed at the window and positioned to receive at least part of the light as reflected light from the window of the vehicle; and

an audio detector operatively coupled to the detector, the audio detector extracts a second audio signal from the reflected light from the window of the vehicle, the audio detector amplifies the second audio signal and directs the second audio signal to an audio output device.

12. The vehicle communication apparatus of claim 11, wherein the light source is a laser light source.

13. The vehicle communication apparatus of claim 11, wherein the light source is a semiconductor laser diode.

14. The vehicle communication apparatus of claim 11, wherein the detector is a photo diode.

15. The vehicle communication apparatus of claim 11, wherein the detector further comprises a filter, the filter removing at least some environment noise.

16. The vehicle communication apparatus of claim 11, wherein the radio frequency transmitter is a short-range FM radio transmitter.

17. The vehicle communication apparatus of claim 11, wherein the radio frequency transmitter is a short-range FM radio transmitter.

18. The vehicle communication apparatus of claim 11, wherein the audio output device is a speaker.