Supplemental automotive traffic safety apparatus and method
First Claim
1. An apparatus for supplementing automotive traffic safety comprising:
- a transmitter associated with a traffic concern or condition external of the vehicle adapted to transmit a wireless directional signal including a code representative of a particular type or class of traffic concern or condition, the transmitter adapted to produce a non-omnidirectional beam of controlled direction, power, and shape to a generaly confined target area, a pattern generator to produce a pattern correlated to said code; and
a modulator to modulate the pattern into the beam;
a receiver associated with an automotive vehicle adapted to store a plurality of different codes, including codes relating to different types or classes of traffic concerns or conditions, adapted to receive said signal when in the target area, and including an indicator perceivable by a human, the receiver comprising a collector for collecting energy from the beam when oriented toward the beam, an automatic gain control and amplifier adapted to amplify the collected energy, a pattern decoder including a demodulator for separating the pattern from the beam, a memory to store a plurality of codes correlated to different patterns and a comparator to compare the pattern for any match with a stored code in memory;
so that when the signal is received by the receiver, if a code is recognized in the signal, the receiver causes the indicator to provide a human perceivable indication of a type or class of traffic concern or condition.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus and method for supplementing automotive safety includes a transmitter associated with the traffic safety concerns or conditions such as traffic signals, traffic barricades, or pedestrians. The transmitter is adapted to transmit a signal conveying information indicative of a type or class of traffic safety concern or condition. A receiver is adapted to receive and distinguish the type or class of traffic safety concern or condition. Some type of alarm or display can be connected to the receiver to convey information about the traffic safety concern or condition to a driver. The apparatus and method could also be applied to search and/or rescue missions for persons, animals or objects.
106 Citations
35 Claims
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1. An apparatus for supplementing automotive traffic safety comprising:
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a transmitter associated with a traffic concern or condition external of the vehicle adapted to transmit a wireless directional signal including a code representative of a particular type or class of traffic concern or condition, the transmitter adapted to produce a non-omnidirectional beam of controlled direction, power, and shape to a generaly confined target area, a pattern generator to produce a pattern correlated to said code; and
a modulator to modulate the pattern into the beam;
a receiver associated with an automotive vehicle adapted to store a plurality of different codes, including codes relating to different types or classes of traffic concerns or conditions, adapted to receive said signal when in the target area, and including an indicator perceivable by a human, the receiver comprising a collector for collecting energy from the beam when oriented toward the beam, an automatic gain control and amplifier adapted to amplify the collected energy, a pattern decoder including a demodulator for separating the pattern from the beam, a memory to store a plurality of codes correlated to different patterns and a comparator to compare the pattern for any match with a stored code in memory;
so that when the signal is received by the receiver, if a code is recognized in the signal, the receiver causes the indicator to provide a human perceivable indication of a type or class of traffic concern or condition. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A system for supplementing automotive traffic safety comprising:
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a plurality of transmitters each associated with at least one traffic, safety concern or condition, each transmitter adapted to generate a directional signal including a code indicative of a traffic safety concern or condition, the transmitter adapted to produce a non-omnidirectional beam of controlled direction, power, and shape to a generally confined target area, a pattern generator to produce a pattern correlated to said code; and
a modulator to modulate the pattern into the beam;
a receiver associated with an automotive vehicle adapted to receive said directional signal when in the target area, each receiver comprising a collector for collecting energy from the beam when oriented toward the beam, an automatic gain control and amplifier adapted to amplify the collected energy, a pattern decoder including a demodulator for separating the pattern from the beam, a memory to store a plurality of codes correlated to different patterns and a comparator to compare the pattern for any match with a stored code in memory;
a database of a plurality of codes related to different types or classes of traffic safety concerns or conditions in the receiver, the database having identifying information regarding each class or type of automotive safety concern or condition;
a user perceivable indicator adapted to trigger when thee receiver recognizes a code and produce an indication of the type or class of traffic concern or condition. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. An apparatus for assistance in identifying and locating a class of object comprising:
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a transmitter associated with an object adapted to transmit a directional wireless signal including a code representative of a particular type or class of traffic concern or condition, the transmitter adapted to produce a non-omnidirectional beam of controlled direction, power, and share to a generally confined target area, a pattern generator to produce a pattern correlated to said code, and a modulator to modulate the pattern into the beam;
a receiver adapted to store a plurality of different codes, including codes relating to different types or classes of traffic concerns or conditions, adapted to receive said signal when in the target area, the receiver comprising a collector for collecting energy from the beam when oriented toward the beam, an automatic gain control and amplifier adapted to amplify the collected energy, a pattern decoder including a demodulator for separating the pattern from the beam, a memory to store a plurality of codes correlated to different patterns and a comparator to compare the pattern for any match with a stored code in memory and including an indicator perceivable by a human so that when the signal is received by the receiver, if a code is recognized in the signal, the receiver causes the indicator to provide a human perceivable indication of a type or class of traffic concern or condition. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33)
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34. An apparatus for supplementing automotive traffic safety comprising:
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a transmitter adapted to transmit a wireless directional signal and for placement and operation from the location of a traffic concern or condition external of the vehicle, the signal including a code representative of a particular type or class of traffic concern or condition, the transmitter adapted to produce a non-omnidirectional beam of controlled direction, power, and shape to a generally confined target area, a pattern generator to produce a pattern correlated to said code; and
a modulator to modulate the pattern into the beam;
a receiver associated with an automotive vehicle adapted to store a plurality of different codes including codes relating to different types or classes of traffic concerns or conditions, adapted to receive said signal when in the target area, the receiver comprising a collector for collecting energy from the beam when oriented toward the beam, an automatic gain control and amplifier adapted to amplify the collected energy, a pattern decoder including a demodulator for separating the pattern from the beam, a memory to store a plurality of codes correlated to different patterns and a comparator to compare the pattern for an match with a stored code in memory and including an indicator adapted to issue an alarm perceivable by a human and indicative of a type or class of traffic concern or condition upon receipt of a signal from the transmitter if a code is recognized in the signal. - View Dependent Claims (35)
a plurality of said transmitters each associated with at least one traffic safety concern or condition, each transmitter adapted to generate a directional signal including information indicative of a class or type of traffic safety concern or condition from a plurality of classes or types of traffic safety concerns or conditions;
a component in the receiver adapted to differentiate between the plurality of classes or types of traffic safety concerns or conditions.
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Specification