Abstract:
The present invention concerns that of a new and improved motorcycle-emergency vehicle detection and notification system for use when a motorcycle is in operation in vehicular traffic. As a result, costly and tragic accidents are prevented and, more importantly, precious lives are saved as the system gives a clear indication to avoid a lane change, and to yield to the motorcyclist or emergency vehicle as they approach. By offering both an audible and visual indication that it is, or is not, safe to change lanes, the present invention adds significantly to the safety of a vehicle when driving along streets and highways, which are becoming increasingly congested.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     Not Applicable. 
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
     Not Applicable. 
     REFERENCE TO A MICROFICHE APPENDIX 
     Not Applicable. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Technical Field 
     This invention relates to detection systems and, more particularly, to a motorcycle detection and notification system for providing motorists with an effective means of being aware of the presence of a motorcycle. 
     2. Background of the Invention 
     The roads are becoming more and more congested with vehicular traffic. As traffic congestion has increased, the number of accidents has also increased. Some of these accidents can be traced to driver inattentiveness or to the failure of the driver or of other drivers to see and react to surrounding vehicles. This phenomenon is particularly true when it comes to motorcycles and emergency vehicles. Due to their small size, many motorists are unaware of the presence of a motorcyclist until the motorcycle either passes them or travels directly behind them so as to be visible in the rearview mirror and may also be unaware of quickly approaching emergency vehicles, such as fire trucks, ambulances, and police vehicles. 
     Accordingly, a need remains for a motorcycle-emergency vehicle detection and notification system in order to overcome the above-noted shortcomings. The present invention satisfies such a need by providing a system that is convenient and easy to use, is durable yet lightweight in design, is versatile in its applications, and provides an effective warning system that a motorcycle or emergency vehicle is approaching. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention concerns that of a new and improved motorcycle-emergency vehicle detection and notification system for use when a motorcycle is in operation in vehicular traffic. As a result, costly and tragic accidents are prevented and, more importantly, precious lives are saved as the system gives a clear indication to avoid a lane change, and to yield to the motorcyclist or emergency vehicle as they approach. By offering both an audible and visual indication that it is, or is not, safe to change lanes, the present invention adds significantly to the safety of a vehicle when driving along streets and highways, which are becoming increasingly congested. 
     The instant motorcycle-emergency vehicle detection and notification system includes a passive transmitter that is directly attached onto a motorcycle, emergency vehicle, or police car and a receiver that is installed in automobiles. The transmitter includes a housing that has electronic components positioned therein. The transmitter is powered by the motorcycle&#39;s, emergency vehicle&#39;s, or police car&#39;s own power supply, which is crucial for providing a passive transmitter that requires no activation on the part of the user. 
     The transmitter emits a unique frequency signal, which is important and advantageous for eliminating the possibility of the receiver being inadvertently triggered by spurious signals. The receiver includes a durable housing for holding the components and circuitry of the receiver. The receiver is electrically connected to the automobile&#39;s main internal computer relay with the required wiring and is positioned in the vehicle&#39;s dash area for ease of access. The receiver includes a sound emitting device and a light emitting diode (LED) display. The receiver components and circuitry are frequency selective, which is crucial for presenting minimum impedance to signals generated on the unique frequency transmitted by the transmitter. The receiver also includes a logic device. 
     In use, the motorcycle-emergency vehicle detection and notification system is simple and straightforward to operate. Once the transmitter is automatically activated, the transmitter sends signals to every automobile equipped with a receiver that is within a range of 300 feet. These signals emit outward from the front of the motorcycle at an angle of approximately one hundred forty degrees (140°). Upon reception of the signal generated by the transmitter, the circuitry in the receiver generate an ‘enable’ signal to the logic device which applies a voltage level to the receiver, thus activating the warning for the motorist. This warning is achieved by a beeping sound and/or by flashing the LED indicator lights displayed on the dashboard of the vehicle. 
     The LED indicator light for the motorcycle flashes when a motorcycle is detected while the indicator light for a fire truck or ambulance flashes upon detection of either a fire truck or ambulance. Also, a separate indicator light for a police vehicle flashes upon detection of a police vehicle. Separate LED vicinity lights running across the receiver face increasingly illuminate from left to right and from green to yellow to red as a motorcycle, emergency vehicle, or police car equipped with a system transmitter increasingly approaches an automobile equipped with a system receiver. An additional warning is provided in the form of an image on the automobile&#39;s side mirror which is activated as a motorcycle upon receipt of a unique frequency signal for a motorcycle, as an emergency vehicle upon receipt of a unique frequency signal for an emergency signal, including a fire truck or ambulance, or upon receipt of a unique frequency signal for a police car. 
     When the receiver is activated, the indicator lights, vicinity indicators, and sound from a sound emitting device, as well as an image displayed on the side mirror, signify the presence of a motorcycle, emergency vehicle, or police car in close proximity to the automobile, thereby notifying the automobile driver to pay extra attention while driving so as to not endanger the motorcyclist or occupants of an emergency vehicle or police car. 
     There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of a motorcycle detection and notification system that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional features of the motorcycle detection and notification system that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. 
     In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the motorcycle detection and notification system in detail, it is to be understood that the motorcycle detection and notification system is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The motorcycle detection and notification system is capable of other embodiments and being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of descriptions and should not be regarded as limiting. 
     As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present motorcycle detection and notification system. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention. 
     It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a motorcycle detection and notification system which has all of the advantages of the prior art and none of the disadvantages. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a motorcycle detection and notification system which may be easily and efficiently manufactured and marketed. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a motorcycle detection and notification system which is of durable and reliable construction. 
     It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a motorcycle detection and notification system which is economically affordable and available for relevant market segment of the purchasing public. 
     Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment when considered with the attached drawings and appended claims. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The novel features believed to be characteristic of this invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its organization and method of operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which: 
         FIG. 1  is an in-use side elevation view with a detail of a transmitter of the system installed on a motorcycle; 
         FIG. 2  is an in-use front elevation view with a detail of a receiver of the system installed in a vehicle; 
         FIG. 3  is a front elevation of a transmitter; and 
         FIG. 4  is a schematic diagram showing the interrelationship between the major components of the operation of the system. 
     
    
    
     Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the figures are not intended to be drawn to any particular scale; nor are the figures intended to illustrate every embodiment of the invention. The invention is not limited to the exemplary embodiments depicted in the figures or the shapes, relative sizes or proportions shown in the figures. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which a preferred embodiment of the invention is shown. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiment set forth herein. Rather, this embodiment is provided so that this application will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the true scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout the figures. 
     With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to  FIGS. 1 through 4  thereof, a new motorcycle detection and notification system embodying the principles and concepts of the present invention and generally designated by the reference numeral  10  will be described. As best illustrated in  FIGS. 1 through 4 , the present motorcycle detection and notification system  10  is utilized in conjunction with a motorcycle  4  that is used by an individual for riding purposes, an emergency vehicle, or a police car. 
     The present motorcycle-emergency vehicle detection and notification system  10  is designed for use when a motorcycle, emergency vehicle, or police car, collectively referred to as “vehicle”  80 , is in operation in vehicular traffic. The instant motorcycle-emergency vehicle detection and notification system  10  includes a passive transmitter  20  that is attached on a vehicle  80  and a receiver  50  that is installed in automobiles  90 . The transmitter  20  may include a housing  22  that has electronic components positioned therein to operate the transmitter  20 . 
     The transmitter  20  is powered by the vehicle&#39;s  80  own power supply, such as a cigarette lighter or stock car wiring harness or batteries, which is crucial for providing a passive transmitter  20  that requires no activation on the part of the user. The transmitter  20  emits a selected unique frequency signal  24 , which is important and advantageous for eliminating the possibility of the receiver  50  being inadvertently triggered by spurious signals. 
     The unique frequency signal  24  may be a first frequency signal  26 , a second frequency signal  28 , or a third frequency signal  30  selected from a frequency selector  31 . The first frequency signal  26  is selected when the transmitter  20  is mounted to a motorcycle. The second frequency signal is selected when the transmitter  20  is mounted to an emergency vehicle. The third frequency signal is selected when the transmitter  20  is mounted to a police car. The receiver  50  includes a durable housing  52  for holding the components and circuitry of the receiver  50 . 
     The receiver  50  is operationally connected to the automobile&#39;s  90  main internal computer relay  92  with the required wiring  94  and is positioned in the automobile&#39;s dash  96  area for ease of access. The receiver  50  includes a sound emitting device  54  and a series of light emitting diode (LED) indicator lights  56 . It is noted that elements  54 ,  56  are generally referred to as a transducer  99  in  FIG. 4 . The indicator lights  56  may be positioned atop the receiver  50 . The indicator lights  56  include a first indicator light  61 , a second indicator light  62 , and a third indicator light  63 . A specific indicator light  56  corresponding to a specific frequency signal flashes upon receipt of a unique frequency signal  24  from the transmitter  20  by the receiver  50 . 
     The receiver  50  components and circuitry are frequency selective, which is crucial for presenting minimum impedance to signals generated on the unique frequency transmitted by the transmitter  20 . The receiver  50  also includes a logic gate  98 . Such a logic gate  98  generates a true output signal when both input signals from processor  55  are true. Processor  55  generates true input signals when the frequency signals  26 ,  28 ,  30  are verified as accepted frequency signals by a control logic algorithm as well as when the vehicles  80  distances are within a threshold range of the automobile  90 . 
     The first indicator light  61  flashes upon receipt of the first frequency signal  26  from the transmitter  20  by the receiver  50 . The second indicator light  62  flashes upon receipt of the second frequency signal  28  from the transmitter  20  by the receiver  50 . The third indicator light  63  flashes upon receipt of the third frequency signal  30  from the transmitter  20  by the receiver  50 . 
     The receiver  50  further includes a plurality of LED vicinity lights  58 . The vicinity lights  58  may be aligned along a face  23  of the receiver  58 . The vicinity lights  58  increasingly illuminate from left to right as a vehicle  80  increasingly approaches an automobile  90 . The vicinity lights  58  may be displayed in a series of colors starting on the left with green, with yellow in the middle, and red on the right. 
     The present system  10  also utilizes an automobile&#39;s  90  side mirror  97 , having similar functional characteristics of a display screen. A graphical user interface may be communicatively coupled to the side mirror  97  for displaying various vehicle  80  images thereon. The side mirror  97  is in operational communication with the receiver  50 , as well. The side mirror  97  displays an image  70  of a specific vehicle  80  upon receipt of a unique frequency signal  24  from the transmitter  20  by the receiver  50 . A first image  71  of a motorcycle is displayed upon receipt of a first frequency signal  24  from the transmitter  20  by the receiver  50 . 
     A second image  73  of an emergency vehicle is displayed upon receipt of a second frequency signal  24  from the transmitter  20  by the receiver  50 . A third image  72  of a police car is displayed upon receipt of a third frequency signal  24  from the transmitter  20  by the receiver  50 . 
     In use, the motorcycle-emergency vehicle detection and notification system  10  transmitter  20  automatically activates upon selection of a unique frequency signal  24  for the type of vehicle  80  to which the transmitter  20  is mounted. The user selects the first frequency signal  26  upon mounting the transmitter  20  to a motorcycle, the second frequency signal  28  upon mounting the transmitter  20  to an emergency vehicle, and the third frequency signal  30  upon mounting the transmitter  20  to a police car. 
     The transmitter  20  sends unique frequency signals  24  from the frequency generating circuit  27  through a transceiver  29  to every automobile  90  equipped with a receiver  50  that is within a range of 300 feet, for example. The frequency signals  24  emit outwardly and forwardly from the vehicle  80  at an angle of approximately one hundred forty degrees (140°). Upon reception of the frequency signal  24  generated by the transmitter  20 , the transceiver  51  in the receiver  50  activates a frequency verification element  53  in the receiver  50 , for verifying whether the frequency signal  24  is an authorized signal that can be acknowledged by receiver  50 . 
     The frequency generating circuit  27  is powered by a power supply source  32 . The frequency verification element  53  is in operational communication with a processor  55 . The frequency verification element  53  signals the processor  55  upon verification of a unique frequency signal  24 ,  26 ,  28 ,  30  from the transmitter  50 . Upon receipt of a signal by the processor  55  having memory  65 , the processor  55  generates two input signals to the logic gate  98 . The first input signal is true if an acceptable object (motorcycle, vehicle, ambulance, etc.) is recognized. The second signal is true if the detected acceptable object  80  is located within a threshold range of 300 ft, for example. Otherwise, the first and second input signals are false. 
     The logic gate  98  is in operational communication with a transducer  99  which activates the proper indicator lights  56 , the proper vicinity lights  58 , and sound emitting device  54 , when both the first and second input signals are true, thus warning a motorist in an automobile  90  equipped with a receiver  50 . The processor also generates a third signal that is transmitted to the side view mirror  97 , for displaying the proper vehicle image  70  on the side mirror  97 . When activated, the indicator lights  56 , the vicinity lights  58 , sound emitting device  54 , and vehicle image  70  on the side mirror  97  signify the presence of and type of vehicle  80  in close proximity to the automobile  90 , thereby notifying the driver of the automobile  90  to pay extra attention while driving so as to not endanger the driver and occupants of a vehicle  80  equipped with the system&#39;s transmitter  20 . A power supply source  91 , such as a cigarette lighter, batteries, or stock car wiring harness, provides power to the receiver  50  components. 
     With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the present system, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by the present invention. 
     Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the present system. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the present system to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the present system.