Abstract:
An apparatus and method for simultaneously operating the horn and light systems of a motorized vehicle is provided. The controller used to operate the systems can be a single controller that operates the horn when a certain range of pressure is applied to the controller and operates the horn and lights systems when a stronger pressure is applied. The system can include a dedicated horn operating system controller independent of the dual function controller to eliminate the need for differing pressures to operate the horn and light systems substantially simultaneously.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     None 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present disclosure relates to a method and apparatus for simultaneously operating and enhancing multiple automotive warning systems when an operator engages one of the systems. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a method and apparatus for sending audible and visual warning signals when an operator engages an audible warning device in a vehicle. 
     DESCRIPTION OF THE ART 
     As is commonly known, automotive vehicles, (cars, trucks, vans, SUV&#39;s, tractor trailers, buses, etc.), include a horn that can be engaged to produce audible warnings to the operators of other vehicles and/or to pedestrians. Horns work particularly well in rather quiet environments, such as country roadways, where the variety and intensity of sound is limited and relatively subdued. Busy city roads are another matter. Due to the high level of noise as well as the cacophony of sounds, horn signals are often hard to hear particularly by those with diminished hearing. Added to this are the ever advancing automobile sound systems which, in conjunction with improved sound proofing technologies used to block out sounds emanating from outside a vehicle, can severely attenuate and even block out sound warning signals sufficiently to prevent perception by passengers in third party vehicles. 
     What is needed and what I have devised is an apparatus and method to provide a visual warning signal coordinated with the emission of an audible warning signal to enhance third party recognition to a potentially hazardous situation. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In one aspect of the present disclosure, a combined audio/visual warning signal system is provided that coordinates the horn and light systems of motorized vehicle horns and exterior and/or interior lights to provide both an audible and visible emergency or hazard warning to third party vehicle passengers and pedestrians within the reception range of the signals. The system is engaged with a single source controller positioned in the steering wheel, steering column and/or lever extending from the steering column. In one embodiment, differing levels of pressure applied to the controller activate the horn system individually or the horn system/light system simultaneously. The lights and horn can be directly connected via hardwire to the controller. Alternatively, the lights and horn can be connected to a central processing system that engages the lights and horn when a signal is received from the controller. 
     In another aspect of the present disclosure, the horn and lights are wirelessly connected, e.g., via radio frequency communication, to either the controller or an intermediate central processing system. The lights engaged by the system can vary to include one or more sets of vehicle lights to adjust the intensity of the visual emission and/or to comply with any local, state and/or federal regulations. Additionally, the lights may be programmed to flash during selected intervals to convey a specific type of warning. 
     In another aspect of the present disclosure, a disengagement controller is provided to enable a vehicle operator to disengage the combined horn/light system so the horn function can be operated independent of the lights. The disengagement controller can be positioned on the steering wheel, on the steering column, on a lever projecting from the steering column, on the vehicle dash board, on a vehicle door, or on any center console, or at any location ergonomically convenient to the vehicle operator. 
     In a further aspect of the disclosure, to enable a vehicle operator to engage the horn without the lights, an auxiliary control is provided within or without the field of the combined system controller. The auxiliary control can be positioned on the steering wheel, steering column or on a lever projecting from the steering column. These and other aspects of the disclosure will become apparent from a review of the appended drawings and the detailed description. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a top view of a steering wheel and horn controller assembly according to one embodiment of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 2  is a top view of a steering wheel and horn controller assembly according to another embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 3  is a top view of a steering wheel and horn controller assembly according to a further embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 4  is a top view of a steering wheel and horn controller bar assembly according to a yet further embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 4A  is a side view of a steering wheel column and steering wheel assembly with a horn lever extending from the steering wheel column according to yet another embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 4B  is a side view of a steering wheel column and steering wheel assembly with a horn control button according to a still further embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 5  shows a front view of an automotive dash board with horn/light combined controller de-select switch with steering wheel and steering wheel column in phantom according to yet another embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 6  shows a schematic of a horn/light controller according to one embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 7  shows a schematic of a horn/light controller according to another according to another embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 8  shows a schematic of a horn/light controller according to a further embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 8A  shows a top view of the horn/light controller shown in  FIG. 8  with contacts in phantom according to the further embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 9  shows a schematic of a combined horn/light operating system with a central processing controller according to one embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 10  shows a schematic of a combined horn/multiple light operating system with a central processing controller according to another embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 11  shows a schematic of a combined horn/light operating system with a light deselect switch according to a further embodiment of the disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring to the drawings and, in particular,  FIG. 1 , one aspect of the present disclosure provides a vehicle steering wheel and combined horn/light controller assembly for a vehicle shown generally as reference numeral  10 . Assembly  10  includes a steering wheel  12  connected to a steering wheel center spoke  14 . Situated in the approximate center of spoke  14  is a dual horn/light controller shown generally as  16 . Controller  16  includes horn controller  18  and a combination horn/light controller  20 . Horn controller  18  enables the user to select the horn function only. Combination horn/light controller  20  allows simultaneous operation of both the horn and the vehicle lights. 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 , another embodiment of a steering wheel and horn/light controller assembly is shown generally at  10 ′. It should be understood that elements referenced with primed numbers in one embodiment correspond to elements in other embodiments with the same unprimed or differently primed numbers. Assembly  10  has a steering wheel  12 ′ and a center spoke  14 ′ that includes two dual horn/light controllers  16 ′ positioned at opposing lateral ends of spoke  14 ′ adjacent to or in close proximity to the juncture of spoke  14 ′ and steering wheel  12 ′ to provide ease of access during vehicle operation. Like the prior embodiment, controller  16 ′ has a horn controller  18 ′ and a horn/light controller  20 ′ positioned centrally within an inner wall of horn controller  18 ′. 
     Horn controller  18 ′ enables a vehicle operator to operate the horn without simultaneous light operation. Horn/light controller  20 ′ enables the operator to operate the horn and lights with a single controller. Either lateral controller  16  can be engaged individually or in conjunction with the other lateral controller to operate the horn/light systems. 
     Referring to  FIG. 3 , another embodiment of the steering wheel and horn/light controller assembly is shown generally at  10 ″. Assembly  10 ″ includes a steering wheel  12 ″ and a hub  14 ″ connected to steering wheel  12 ″ with a plurality of steering wheel spokes  22 ″. A pair of dual horn/light controllers  16 ″ is positioned on an inner radial edge of steering wheel  12 ″ at approximately the 9:00 and 3:00 positions when the steering wheel is positioned for straight travel. The location of the dual controllers can be placed at different locations on the steering wheel without departing from the scope of the invention. 
     Controllers  16 ″ include a horn controller  18 ″ and a horn/light controller  20 ″ that perform the same functions as the similar elements shown in  FIG. 2 . The primary difference from the embodiment shown in  FIG. 2  is that the controllers are situated to provide maximum ease of access for the vehicle operator. 
     Referring to  FIG. 4 , an alternative embodiment of the steering wheel and horn/light controller assembly is shown generally as  10 ″′. Assembly  10 ″ includes a steering wheel  12 ″′ having a hub  14 ″′ attached to wheel  12 ″ via a plurality of spokes  22 ″′. A horn/light control bar  16 ″′ is attached to steering wheel  12 ″′ to allow simultaneous operation of the horn and light systems of the vehicle. Bar  16 ″′ imparts the same function as horn/light controller  20 ″ and  20 ′ described with the previous embodiments of the assembly. The horn/light function is engaged by depressing the bar forward and down relative to steering wheel  12 ″′. In an alternate embodiment, a second bar can be incorporated into steering wheel  12 ″′ to enable an operator to operate the horn independent of the vehicle light system. 
     Referring to  FIG. 4A , a steering column/steering wheel assembly is shown generally as  30  with a steering wheel  32  connected to a steering column  34  with a horn/light control lever  36  attached to column  34 . Lever  36  is configured to provide a vehicle operator with the ability to sound an audible alarm simultaneously with the operation of the vehicle light system. Lever  36  can be configured to engage the horn/light systems via movement in either the forward or rearward directions. 
     Referring to  FIG. 4B , another embodiment of the steering column/steering wheel assembly is shown generally at  30 ′. In this embodiment, a button controller  36 ′ is substituted for the lever controller  36  of the previous embodiment. Operation of the horn/light system is performed by depressing button controller  36 ′. Alternatively, button controller  36 ′ can be configured with a lock feature, such as those well known in the art for securing a hazard signal, to allow the operator to lock controller  36 ′ in an operational position to provide a sustained audible/visual signal. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 5-7  and  11 , in another aspect of the invention, a dual action horn/light controller  48  enables a vehicle operator to engage the horn/light systems of the vehicle with a single control. As shown in  FIGS. 5 and 7 , dual horn/light activation is accomplished by pressing a single controller  48 . In this embodiment, the dual activation of the horn and light systems is independent of the amount of pressure applied to controller  48 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 7 , by depressing controller  48  with a pressure  200 , contact is made between an upper contact  62 ′ and a lower contact  60 ′. The pressure needed to activate controller  48  can be set at anything greater than 0 lbs/in 2  by using flexible materials for the spoke/controller and/or spring and/or recoil elements about the contacts. Contacts  60  and  62 ′ are enclosed in a cavity formed by an upper spoke segment  14   a  and a lower spoke segment  14   b . By touching the contacts together, a circuit is completed which sends an electrical signal via light lines  72  to light relay  66   a . The signal is then sent via light relay lines  80  to light(s)  82 . Substantially simultaneous with the transmission of an electrical signal to light(s)  82 , a second electrical signal is sent to horn relay  66  via horn lines  64 . The second electrical signal is then sent via horn relay lines  76  to horn  78 . It should be understood that with respect to light relay  66   a  at least one additional pair of lines connects the conventional light controls to the relay. 
     With respect to the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 5 and 7 , to enable a driver to disconnect the light function from the horn function, a control switch  50  is positioned in electrical communication between controller  48  and light relay  66   a . The “on” setting may be configured to disconnect light relay  66   a  from controller  48  or connect the two elements. 
     In another aspect of the disclosure, a dual action controller  48  engages either the horn system independent of the light system or both the horn and light systems substantially simultaneously by varying the pressure applied to the controller. The functionality is achieved by incorporating two sets of contacts with one set of contacts superposed about the other set or positioned above the other set. 
     As shown in  FIG. 6 , an upper horn contact  70  is positioned above a lower horn contact  68 . Positioned below lower horn contact  68  is an upper light contact  62 . Positioned below upper light contact  62  is lower light contact  60 . The application of a relatively light pressure, for example, less than 5 lbs/in 2 , causes the horn contacts to engage and complete an electrical circuit, which sends an electrical signal to relay  66 , and on to horn  78  without engaging the light system. The application of a more forceful pressure, in this illustrative example, 5 lbs/in 2  or greater, causes both contact systems to engage thereby activating both the horn and light systems. 
     It should be understood that the pressure range to engage the horn system without the light system can be set to any desired range of pressure values. The pressure needed to engage both the horn and light systems can also be set to any predetermined range as long as the pressure range is greater than the pressure range set to operate the horn system alone. For example, if the horn system pressure range is set from about 1 Lb/in 2  to about 10 lb/in 2 , the combination horn/light system pressure range should start at a value greater than 10 lb/in 2 . 
     The pressure differential between the upper limit of the horn operation pressure range and the lower limit of the horn/light operation pressure range should be sufficiently large to enable a vehicle operator a wide latitude of pressure choices to activate the desired horn system or horn/light system without having to apply a precise pressure. For example, the pressure differential separating the two ranges can be from about 1 Lb/in 2  to about 10 lb/in 2 . Of course, any pressure differential less than or greater than this exemplary range is considered to be within the scope of the appended claims, and consistent with the scope and spirit of this invention disclosure. 
     In another aspect of the disclosure, two different controllers are employed to allow variability and selectivity in the warning devices implemented to impart a warning signal without the need to apply a specific pressure force, or a pressure force within a pressure range. As shown in  FIGS. 8 and 8A , a central controller  118  provides the ability to activate both the horn and the light systems with a single controller. A top light contact  108  is positioned below central controller  118  and above bottom light contact  110 . Situated below bottom light contact  110  is upper horn contact  102 . Upper horn contact  102  is formed as a disk-like structure with a circular extension projecting upwardly around the light contacts. Positioned directly above the circular extension is a dedicated horn controller  116  that at least partially surrounds central controller  118 . Positioned directly below upper horn contact  102  is lower horn contact  100 . 
     To activate both the horn and light systems, a force  122  is applied directly or indirectly to central controller  118 , which causes the light contacts to touch and complete a circuit that sends an electrical signal via light lines  112  ultimately to light  114 . Force  122  also causes the horn contacts to engage and send an electrical signal via horn lines  104  ultimately to horn  106 . Either system can incorporate relays as previously described or a central processing system to relay the signals to the warning systems. 
     To activate the horn independent of the lights, a second force  120  is applied to dedicated horn controller  116 , the downward force of which causes horn contacts  100  and  102  to engage and send a signal to horn  114 . This system can also incorporate one or more relays as previously described or a central processing system to relay the signal to the horn system. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 9 , a dual horn/light operating system is shown in which controller  48  is connected via hard wire or wirelessly with one or more RF or infra-red transmitters and one or more RF or infrared receivers to a central processing unit or controller  152 . Central processing controller receives the signal from controller  48  and processes it according to preconfigured programming to send a desired signal to the horn and light systems to emit the desired warning signal. As is well known in the art, central processing controller  152  can be programmed to operate a specific light  82  and/or multiple lights  82 ,  84 , and  86  as shown in  FIG. 10 . Controller  152  may also be programmed to activate the light system to emit pulsing light flashes in some pre-determined pattern to impart a specific type of warning signal(s). 
     In another aspect of the invention, in place of controller  48 , a sensor can be imbedded in either the steering wheel, steering column and/or steering wheel spoke(s) to detect a force being exerted on a location above the sensor in the form of downward pressure derived from an occupant of the vehicle. The sensor may be calibrated to detect a specific range of force representative of the downward pressure sensed or may be configured to detect any pressure above a threshold level, which may be as low as any force slightly above 0 lbs./in. 2 . 
     It should be understood and apparent that light configurations shown are for illustrative purposes only and that any combination of light configurations may be possible, including head lights in both high and low beam settings, fog lights, driving lights, parking lights, reverse lights, braking lights, interior lights and dedicated lights included in a vehicle for the specific purpose of operating in conjunction with the vehicle horn system. Redundant sets of lights placed on the rear, sides and/or front of vehicle may also be included for warning specific purposes. 
     It should also be understood and apparent that the lights may be any of a variety of types including incandescent, halogen, ultra violet, infrared and the like. The lights may be further modified to function as strobe or flashing lights to make more conspicuous and improve visibility when a warning signal is being sent. In the event dedicated warning lights are incorporated into a vehicle, the lights may be further distinguished from the conventional lights by being colored with a color selected to be different from the colors used for other vehicle lights like red for brake lights, or emergency lights, such as blue used on law enforcement vehicles. Color schemes may also be implemented to signify different types of warnings. For example, a yellow light could designate an approaching hazard while a green light could signify imminent danger. 
     The dual horn/light system described herein is intended for implementation in any vehicle used to carry passengers including illustratively boats, trains, buses (commercial and school), cars, vans, SUV&#39;s and trucks. The system can be implemented for internal warning, such as in a school bus, to ensure children seated in the bus are properly alerted to any imminent danger 
     While the present disclosure has been described in connection with several embodiments thereof, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that many changes and modifications may be made without departing from the true spirit and scope of the present disclosure. Accordingly, it is intended by the appended claims to cover all such changes and modifications as come within the true spirit and scope of the disclosure.