Patent ID: 7961086
Filing Date: 2011-06-14
Classification: B60Q,G06K,G08G,H04B

Abstract:
1. A communications arrangement for transmitting a message from a given vehicle for receipt by other vehicles, said given vehicle having an operator controllable assembly operable by a vehicle occupant for selectively energizing a plurality of electrical connectors that connect to operator controllable vehicle lights including one or more of turn signals, brake lights, headlights, running lights, and parking lights, said arrangement comprising: a processor having a modulator and being coupled to the operator controllable assembly, said modulator being adapted to be connected to one or more of the plurality of connectors to affect the one or more of turn signals, brake lights, headlights, running lights, and parking lights, said modulator having an input adapted to receive an occupant-initiated control signal and produce in response an encoded main signal selectively modulated at or above a critical flashing frequency or with a pulse duration that is human imperceptible, said processor having a vehicle sensitive apparatus for producing a dynamic signal signifying traveling information associated with dynamic operation of said given vehicle, said processor being operable to store a plurality of values of said dynamic signal including publishable travel history comprising data about vehicle movement and associated time information, said main signal being modulated and encoded to indicate publishable travel history by periodically grouping together in the main signal updated data about vehicle movement and associated time information as stored by said processor for the given vehicle; and a receiver having a light sensing device with a predetermined two dimensional field of view for producing a detection signal having two dimensional information; and a utilization device coupled to said receiver for using the detection signal, said utilization device being operable to analyze vehicle lights of another vehicle that is oncoming relative to said given vehicle and is within said predetermined two dimensional field of view of said receiver in order to store information therefrom, analysis of vehicle lights of another vehicle being performed to distinguish information broadcast from all others that may be transmitting within said predetermined two dimensional field of view of said receiver and basing analysis on spatially regionalized visual elements occupying less than all of the predetermined two dimensional field of view defined in said two dimensional information, said utilization device being operable to send to said modulator for inclusion in said main signal unrequested stored information from one or more of the other ones of the vehicles.