The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Feb. 27, 1996
Filed:
Jul. 27, 1994
Lou McKenna, St. Paul, MN (US);
Other;
Abstract
A light activated alarm system for indicating to the occupants of a second vehicle the presence of a first vehicle. The alarm system comprising a photosensitive cell, a receiver circuit and indicators. The photosensitive cell is mounted in one of a variety of locations on the second vehicle, including the rear bumper, the rear window well, the stop light in the rear window well, the roof or the antenna. The photosensitive cell is either silver dollar shaped or an array of preferably five photo cells in a semispherical or box shape. The signal from the photosensitive cell is detected, amplified, filtered and identified by the receiver circuit. When a signal from an activated light source is identified, the receiver circuit generates an indicator signal. The indicator signal activates one or more indicators to alert the occupants of the second vehicle to the presence of the first vehicle. Indicators include turning on or muting the second vehicle's radio system and transmitting a signal through the radio system, turning off or muting the radio system and transmitting a signal through a separate buzzer system and turning on a separate visual display that flashes the words 'Emergency Vehicle' or a red light. A return, feed-back indicator is also provided for notifying the driver of the first vehicle that the second vehicle received and processed the signal from the light source.