Patent ID: 6812854
Filing Date: 2004-11-02
Classification: B60R,G08G

Abstract:
An emergency vehicle alert system for attachment to an interior rear view mirror assembly of a vehicle wherein the rearview mirror assembly has a housing with a mirror mounted in a front side and a back side facing the vehicle windshield, the alert system comprising:at least one case containing an electronic emergency vehicle alert system including emergency signal receiving, discriminating, and processing circuitry for receiving acoustical warning signals transmitted from an emergency vehicle and processing sound signals within parameters set for particular warning sound signals, an audible alarm and at least one LED activated upon detection of signals within the set parameters to produce an audible and visual warning, and a DC power supply for supplying power to the circuitry; and said at least one case configured to be detachably fixed on said rearview mirror assembly to reside between the back side of the mirror housing and the vehicle windshield; said emergency signal receiving, discriminating, and processing circuitry comprising a sound transducer for sending and receiving signals having a probe engageable with the vehicle windshield, a piezo beeper alarm, an audio pre-amplifier, a sound discriminator, an audio output amplifier and programmed voice warning unit, a speaker, and a DC power supply for powering the circuitry, and said case having apertures to allow said beeper alarm sounds and voice announcements to be clearly heard through the case, and a first and second light emitting diode mounted thereon connected with said piezo beeper alarm and said audio output amplifier and programmed voice warning unit, respectively; wherein said transducer probe receives warning signals in the form of acoustical energy sound waves within certain frequency ranges transmitted by emergency vehicles and other vehicles, converts them into electrical audio frequency signals and sends the electrical signals to said audio pre-amplifier which amplifies the electrical signals and feeds them to said sound discriminator, said sound discriminator being calibrated to evaluate and discriminate between signals that that fit within the parameters set for particular emergency sound frequencies; said piezo beeper alarm and said audio output amplifier and programmed voice warning unit are triggered upon said sound discriminator detecting sounds that that fit within the parameters set for particular types of emergency sound frequencies; and said piezo beeper alarm emits a continuous audible high-pitched tone, and said audio output amplifier and programmed voice warning unit plays a digital voice announcement via said speaker, and said first and second light emitting diodes become illuminated at the same time the audible high-pitched tone and voice announcement are activated.