Abstract:
A car locator is provided having a case for placing on a car dashboard, having openings through which electroluminescent tape mounted to a circuit board within the case are exposed such that, when illuminated, a person will be able to quickly locate his or her car in a crowded parking lot. The car locator may be powered by a portable battery or connected to the car battery via the cigarette lighter. The car locator has a switch which allows a user to illuminate the electroluminescent tape in a variety of ways.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]    This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 09/594,381, filed on Jun. 15, 2000 which is incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     
       FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    The present invention generally relates to a car locator and, more specifically, to a highly visible, car locator that is placed on the dashboard of a car in a conspicuous position to assist a user in locating his or her car in a parking area.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0003]    Various types of markers have been used over the years to help people locate their vehicles in a variety of parking areas. Typically, a car marker, such as a ribbon or a ball, is attached to a radio antenna or in some other conspicuous location on a car to provide enhanced visibility of the car in parking areas.  
           [0004]    One of the problems frequently encountered in utilizing conventional marking devices has been the difficulty of securing such devices to a car to prevent inadvertent detachment while at the same time enabling the devices to be conveniently reoriented or removed if necessary. In many instances, for example, tools may be required to affix or remove the devices. While not an overwhelming problem, the need for tools becomes most inconvenient if the marking device must be removed at remote locations. For example, the need for tools becomes a particular nuisance if the car marker must be temporarily removed at a location such as an automatic car wash.  
           [0005]    In other instances, suction cup mounting has been employed to eliminate the need for tools. However, the use of suction cups is not always satisfactory because suction cups require a suitable mounting surface—one that is dry, clean and relatively flat, to permit secure attachment. The tendency of suction cups to prematurely release due to temperature or pressure changes is also a problem. As a result, the marking device might be damaged or lost in the event that a user neglects to remove the device prior to driving the car.  
           [0006]    Other conventional devices suffer from the drawback that, once mounted, such devices cannot be easily repositioned into less conspicuous orientations. Another major disadvantage of conventional car markers is that they are difficult to see at night or in dark parking areas. Although many are brightly colored, they are still hard to discern under poor lighting conditions.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0007]    In accordance with the present invention, a car locator is provided. More specifically, a car locator having an electroluminescent material is provided thereby facilitating car location at night or in dimly lit areas. The car locator may be placed on the dashboard for the light to shine through the dashboard. A driver looking for his or her car in the darkness of night is attracted to the location of the car due to the light shining through the car windshield. Furthermore, since the device is locatable inside the car and most conveniently on the car dashboard, it cannot be misplaced or removed by anyone but the driver.  
           [0008]    The visibility of the car locator is enhanced by illumination of a selected lighting source such as an electroluminescent material. The car locator may include a base such as a rectangular box having openings in the form of a pattern of apertures for exposing an electroluminescent material. The box can be removably positioned on the dash or some other selected location to facilitate viewing. Different colors of electroluminescent material may be used in association with different patterns of apertures so that selected patterns of apertures may be illuminated in different selected colors to provide an easily recognizable pattern of light for the user. A control circuit is provided including a selected power source for enabling the illumination of the electroluminescent material. A selector is provided for the power control, such as a manual selector switch, to enable selected illumination of the electroluminescent material. The selector switch may, for example, be in the form of one or more push buttons for lighting different patterns or colors or in the form of rotatable thumb switch for rotation into different positions for lighting different patterns or colors of light.  
           [0009]    The power source may be in the form of a battery housed within a base. Alternatively, the power source may be mounted directly to the base. In yet another embodiment, the power source may be the car battery accessible by an adapter that plugs into the cigarette lighter. A switch may be included as part of the selector for the purpose of turning the device “on” when the locator is in use and “off” when the locator is not being used. In another embodiment, a photosensor turn the light on or off in response to the ambient light level sensed by the photosensor.  
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0010]    The foregoing summary, as well as the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the present invention, will be better understood when read in conjunction with the appended drawings, in which:  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of the car locator of the present invention having a pattern of apertures to expose electroluminescent material for lighting the car locator;  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 2 is a schematic front elevational view of the car locator shown in FIG. 1;  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 3 is a schematic rear internal view of the car locator shown in FIG. 2;  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 4 is a schematic rear elevational view of the car locator shown in FIG. 1;  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 5 is a rear elevational view of a circuit board for the car locator shown in FIG. 1;  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 6 is a schematic circuit diagram of an optional photosensor circuit for activating the car locator of FIG. 1;  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of the car locator of the present invention having a pattern of apertures to expose electroluminescent material for lighting the car locator;  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 8 is a schematic front elevational view of the car locator shown in FIG. 7;  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 9 is a schematic rear internal view of the car locator shown in FIG. 8;  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 10 is a schematic rear elevational view of the car locator shown in FIG. 7; and  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 11 is a rear elevational view of a circuit board for the car locator shown in FIG. 7.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0022]    Referring now to FIGS.  1 - 5 , a car locator  1410  in accordance with the present invention is depicted. The locator  1410  comprises a generally box shaped case  1411 . The case  1411  is preferably molded from a high impact plastic, but may be formed of other suitable materials. The car locator  1410  may be placed on the dashboard or other suitable interior location of a car or other vehicle. The car locator  1410  is then illuminated in order to help a user locate the vehicle in a darkened parking lot.  
         [0023]    Formed into the front face  1401  of the case  1411  are a plurality of openings  1420  through which an underlying electroluminescent material  1412  may be exposed. The electroluminescent material  1412  may be secured to a circuit board  1440  in proper positions to align with the openings  1420 . Three rows of five circular openings are employed on the front face  1401  of the car locator. However, a greater or lesser number of rows and columns of openings may be used. Other configurations and shapes of openings may also be used. Also mounted on case  1411  are actuation switches  1413  for illuminating the electroluminescent material  1412 . Switches  1413  may be comprised of push buttons  1421 A, B, and C, which when depressed, alternately close the electric circuit between contacts  1415  and  1416  to illuminate the electroluminescent material  1412  or open the electric circuit to turn off the electroluminescent material  1412 . As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, one switch  1421 A activates a top electroluminescent tape strip  1412 A, a middle switch  1421 B activates a middle electroluminescent tape strip  1412 B and a third switch  1421 C activates a bottom electroluminescent tape strip  1412 C. Each of the electroluminescent tape strips  1412 A, B, and C, may include a different color to effect a selected color pattern of illumination. The electroluminescent tape  1412  may be a single color or several different colors. For instance, in one embodiment, the top row might be red, the middle row yellow, and the bottom row white. The plurality of switches  1421 A, B, and C, such as shown in FIGS.  1 - 4 , are actuatable to illuminate the different colors or patterns of electroluminescent tape. Alternatively, in the multiple switch embodiment of the present invention, one switch may be used to control the intensity of the electroluminescent tape  1412 . For example, switch  1412 A might be used to turn all three rows on at a lowest intensity, while the other switches  1412 B and C might be used to increase the intensity to a middle and highest intensity, respectively.  
         [0024]    Case  1411  houses a driver  1469  which converts DC power from a car or portable battery into appropriate AC power to light the electroluminescent tape. One contact  1415  of each switch  1412 A, B, and C is electrically connected to the driver  1469  via a lead  1418 , while the other contact  1416  of each switch is electrically connected to a corresponding run  1442  on circuit board  1440  as shown in FIG. 5 via a lead  1417 . Referring to FIG. 4, an external connector  1450  is mounted on the back of case  1411  to connect the locator  1410  to an external power source such as a car battery or other selected external power source. External connector  1450  is electrically connected to the driver  1469  via leads  1419 . The driver  1469  may include additional circuit components such as those shown in FIG. 6, for operation with a photosensor PC 1  which can optionally be used in parallel or series combination with manual switches  1421 A, B, and C.  
         [0025]    Referring to FIG. 6, an op-amp  741  drives transistor Q 1 , where the output of the op-amp is controlled by the value of the variable resistor R 2  and photoresistor PC 1 . Photoresistor PC 1  has a resistance that varies in response to the presence of ambient light. In the presence of light, photoresistor PC 1  attains a small value driving the negative input of the op-amp high and thus minimizing the output of the op-amp. In response, the transistor Q 1  is non-conducting thereby maintaining the car locator in its off, unlit state. On the other hand, when the light level on photoresistor PC 1  falls below a preselected value, the resistance of the photoresistor attains a value large enough to create a voltage drop across PC 1  sufficient to minimize the voltage at the negative input to the op-amp. In response, the output of the op-amp becomes sufficiently large to drive transistor Q 1  into conduction and, thus, turn on the car locator. The sensitivity of the response to light may be adjusted by variable resistor R 2 , which sets a voltage at the positive input of the op-amp. Suitable values of resistors, for example, are R=1100KΩ, R 2 =100KΩ (max) and R 3 =1KΩ.  
         [0026]    The circuit board  1440 , as shown in FIG. 5, is mounted inside of case  1411  such that electroluminescent tapes  1412 A, B, and C are aligned to be exposed through the openings  1420  of locator  1410  so that the openings become illuminated when the underlying electroluminescent tape is energized. Contained within circuit board  1440  are runs  1441 , which are in electrical contact with the driver  1469  via lead  1422 , as shown in FIG. 3. The runs  1441  function to complete the circuit from one terminal of the electroluminescent tape  1412  to the driver  1469 . Also contained within the circuit board  1440  are the runs  1442  which function to complete the circuit between leads  1417  and a second terminal of the electroluminescent tape  1412 .  
         [0027]    Referring to FIGS.  7 - 11 , another embodiment of the car locator in accordance with the present invention is depicted. The locator  1510  is similar to locator  1410 , except that it comprises a rotatable selector switch  1513  instead of push button switches. The rotatable selector switch  1513 , when rotated, can be set in one of a plurality of positions. One switch setting could be an “off” position, while other settings could be “on” positions for illuminating the electroluminescent material  1512 . For example, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, one switch setting may activate a top electroluminescent tape strip  1512 A by completing the circuit between contact  1516 A and a lead  1518 , a second setting activates a middle electroluminescent tape strip  1512 B by completing the circuit between contact  1516 B and lead  1518 , and a third switch setting activates a bottom electroluminescent tape strip  1512 C by completing the circuit between contact  1516 C and lead  1518 . Each of the electroluminescent tape strips  1512 A, B, and C, may include a different color to effect a selected color pattern of illumination. The electroluminescent tape  1512  may be a single color or several different colors. For instance, in one embodiment, the top row might be red, the middle row yellow, and the bottom row white. The multi-position thumb turn switch  1513  may then be used to illuminate different colors or patterns of electroluminescent tape. Alternatively, different witch positions may be used to control the intensity of the electroluminescent tape  1512 . For example, one switch position might be used to turn all three rows on at a lowest intensity, while other switch positions might be used to increase the intensity to a middle and highest intensity.  
         [0028]    Case  1511  houses a driver  1569 , which converts DC power from a car or portable battery into appropriate AC power to light the electroluminescent tape. One contact  1515  of switch  1513  is electrically connected to the driver  1569  via lead  1518 , while the other contacts  1516 A, B, and C are electrically connected to runs  1542 A, B, and C, respectively, on circuit board  1540  as shown in FIG. 5 via leads  1517 A, B, and C, respectively. Referring to FIG. 10, an external connector  1550  is mounted on the back of case  1510  to connect the locator  1510  to an external power source such as a car battery or other selected external power source. External connector  1550  is electrically connected to the driver  1569  via leads  1519 .  
         [0029]    The circuit board  1540 , as shown in FIG. 11, is mounted inside of case  1511  so that electroluminescent tapes  1512 A, B, and C are aligned to be exposed through the openings  1520  of locator  1510  so that the openings become illuminated when the underlying electroluminescent tape is energized. Contained within circuit board  1540  are runs  1541 , which are in electrical contact with the driver  1569  via lead  1522 , as shown in FIGS. 9 and 11. The runs  1541  function to complete the circuit from one terminal of the electroluminescent tape  1512  to the driver  1569 . Also contained within the circuit board  1540  are the runs  1542 A, B, and C which function to complete the circuit between leads  1517 A, B, and C, respectively, and a second terminal of the electroluminescent tape  1512 . The driver  1569 , in a similar fashion as driver  1469 , may also include additional circuit components such as those shown in FIG. 6, for operation with an optional photosensor.  
         [0030]    It will be recognized by those skilled in the art that changes or modifications may be made to the above-described embodiments without departing from the broad inventive concept of the invention. It should therefore be understood that this invention is not limited to the particular embodiments described herein but is intended to include all changes and modifications that are within the scope and spirit of the invention as set forth in the following claims.