Abstract:
A method of displaying an electronic placard on a vehicle, the method including positioning an electronic display on a vehicle, providing a controller in communication with the display, selecting a placard from a library of placards using the controller, the placards pertaining to cargo carried by the vehicle, and displaying the selected placard on the display.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    The present invention relates to a placard for use with a vehicle, and particularly to an electronic placard. 
         [0002]    Placards are mounted on trucks and other vehicles carrying cargo. The placards communicate important information regarding the contents of cargo being transported or the hazard type associated with the cargo being transported. The information contained on the placards is particularly important when an accident or other incident occurs which may compromise the containment of the cargo and pose a risk to the driver of the vehicle or others. For example, a placard may indicate when a hazardous material is being transported by the vehicle or may indicate a hazard type, for example flammable. The information on the placard provides the driver and others with information that enables them to handle the vehicle during an incident in an appropriate manner. 
         [0003]    The placards are generally mounted to the exterior of the vehicle and include some type of indicator identifying the characteristics of the cargo or hazard type. When drivers transport cargo from one location to another, circumstances can arise in which it is important to know the contents or hazards of the cargo being transported. For example, if a truck carrying hazardous substance is in a traffic accident that may compromise the containment of the cargo, it may be important to know how dangerous the substance is and what characteristics it may possess. By identifying the type of cargo being transported and/or hazards, professionals can better assess the incident to determine what level of precaution must be taken when addressing the incident. 
         [0004]    Typically, placards have been one of two styles: a flip-book style or an insert style. The flip-book style placard includes a predetermined set of images that are fixed to the base of a vehicle. Before transporting the cargo in the vehicle, the driver can “flip” to the image that best identifies the contents or hazards of the cargo. The flip-book style placard is limited to the images provided in the set. When the images or information needs to be updated, the entire flip- book may be replaced. The insert style placard is not limited to a predetermined set of images, but rather, any number of inserts can be created to slide into a housing mounted on a vehicle. However, the insert style placard is limited by the number of placard inserts stored in the vehicle during transportation. For example, if a driver drops off the cargo in the truck and picks up new cargo, the driver may not have access to a placard insert that properly identifies the new cargo or its hazards. Additionally, it is often difficult to read the information presented on the flip-book style and the insert style placards in the dark. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0005]    In one embodiment, the invention provides a method of displaying an electronic placard on a vehicle, the method including positioning an electronic display on a vehicle, providing a controller in communication with the display, selecting a placard from a library of placards using the controller, where the placards relate to cargo carried by the vehicle, and displaying the selected placard on the display. 
         [0006]    In another embodiment the invention provides a method of displaying an electronic placard on a vehicle, the method including interfacing with a smart device having access to a library of placard images relating to cargo in the vehicle, selecting a particular placard image to be displayed, and wirelessly communicating the selected placard image to an electronic display on the vehicle. 
         [0007]    In yet another embodiment the invention provides an electronic placard system for use with a vehicle containing cargo, the placard system including an electronic display configured to be positionable on an exterior of a vehicle, and a smart device application in wireless communication with said display, said application having access to a library of placard information relating to vehicle cargo such that placard information selected using the smart device application is displayed on said display. 
         [0008]    In yet another embodiment the invention provides an electronic placard system for use with a vehicle containing cargo, the placard system including a housing mounted to the exterior of the vehicle, an electronic display secured to said housing, and a controller secured to the housing, where the controller is in communication with said display and in communication with a library of placards pertaining to vehicle cargo, and where the placard information is selected using said controller is displayed on said display. 
         [0009]    Other aspects of the invention will become apparent by consideration of the detailed description and accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0010]      FIG. 1  is a schematic drawing of a placard display coupled to a vehicle. 
           [0011]      FIG. 2  is a schematic drawing of a placard display. 
           [0012]      FIG. 3  is a schematic diagram of a placard assembly according to an embodiment of the invention. 
           [0013]      FIG. 4  is a schematic diagram of a placard assembly according to an embodiment of the invention. 
           [0014]      FIG. 5  is a schematic diagram of a placard assembly according to an embodiment of the invention. 
           [0015]      FIG. 6  is a schematic diagram of a placard assembly according to an embodiment of the invention. 
           [0016]      FIG. 7  is a schematic diagram of a placard assembly according to an embodiment of the invention. 
           [0017]      FIG. 8  is a schematic diagram of a placard assembly according to an embodiment of the invention. 
           [0018]      FIG. 9  is a flow chart of a user interface according to one embodiment of the invention. 
           [0019]      FIG. 10  is a schematic drawing of a placard assembly according to an embodiment of the invention. 
           [0020]      FIG. 11  is a schematic drawing of a placard assembly according to an embodiment of the invention. 
           [0021]      FIG. 12  is a schematic drawing of a placard assembly according to an embodiment of the invention. 
           [0022]      FIG. 13  is a schematic drawing of a placard assembly according to an embodiment of the invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0023]    Before any embodiments of the invention are explained in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the following drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways. 
         [0024]    Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limited. The use of “including,” “comprising” or “having” and variations thereof herein is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional items. The terms “mounted,” “connected” and “coupled” are used broadly and encompass both direct and indirect mounting, connecting and coupling. Further, “connected” and “coupled” are not restricted to physical or mechanical connections or couplings, and can include electrical connections or couplings, whether direct or indirect. Also, electronic communications and notifications may be performed using any known means including direct connections, wireless connections, etc. 
         [0025]    It should be noted that a plurality of hardware and software based devices, as well as a plurality of different structural components may be utilized to implement the invention. As such, it should be noted that a plurality of hardware and software based devices, as well as a plurality of different structural components may be utilized to implement the invention. For example, “controller” and “control unit” described in the specification can include one or more processors, one or more memory modules including non-transitory computer-readable medium, one or more input/output interfaces, and various connections (e.g., a system bus) connecting the components. Where the terms “controller” and “processor” are used as identifying a unit performing specific functions, it should be understood that, unless otherwise stated, those functions can be carried out by a single controller or multiple controllers arranged in any form. Furthermore, and as described in subsequent paragraphs, the specific configurations illustrated in the drawings are intended to exemplify embodiments of the invention and that other alternative configurations are possible. 
         [0026]      FIGS. 1 and 2  provide a schematic drawing of a single electronic placard assembly  10  coupled to a vehicle  15 , with multiple assemblies  10  also being an option. The placard assembly  10  is designed to be used with any type of transportation vehicle  15  or bulk container carrying cargo to help identify the cargo or its hazards. As used in this application, the term vehicle  15  includes trucks, cars, trains, planes, ships, bulk containers and intermodal containers. The placard assembly  10  includes a housing  20  that is capable of being coupled anywhere on the exterior of the vehicle  15  and in any orientation such as on point as displayed in the drawing or any other desired orientations. An electronic display  40  is at least partially disposed within the housing  20 . In some embodiments and as shown in other drawings, the placard assembly  10  includes a light  25  to illuminate the display  40 . The light  25  can be an LED, LCD, back-lit or any other suitable light known in the art. 
         [0027]    As shown in  FIG. 2 , the display  40  is capable of showing a placard  45 . Each placard  45  includes information about cargo that may be transported by a vehicle  15 , information related to a hazard relating to the cargo, or any other like information. The information on the placard  45  can be portrayed through an image, alphabetical or numerical text, a coding system, or a combination thereof. For example,  FIG. 2  illustrates a placard for a flammable cargo may include an image of flames and a number characterizing the type of cargo. Likewise, a placard  45  for a poisonous chemical may include an image of cross bones and a code consisting of a combination of numbers and letters that indicate what category of chemical the vehicle  15  is carrying. A coding system may be used in conjunction with the placards  45  to help identify the cargo transported by the vehicle  15 . One type of coding system that may be used is a 4-digit UN/NA number. 
         [0028]    With reference to  FIGS. 3-8 , a controller  30  is used to operate the display  40  and control the placard  45  shown on the display  40 . The controller  30  can be provided with a user interface  35  that enables a user to select the placard  45 . In some embodiments, the controller  30  and the display  40  are electrically coupled together. For example, the controller  30  may be contained in the same housing  10  as the display  40 , as depicted in  FIGS. 5 and 6 . In this case, the user interface  35  may be a part of the display  40  or may be positioned elsewhere on the housing  20 . In other embodiments, the controller  30  operates the display  40  wirelessly. For example, the controller  30  may be incorporated into a smart device  70 , such as cellular phone ( FIGS. 4, 7, and 8 ), tablet, smartwatch, mounted controller, or other such device. In this embodiment, the user interface  35  is provided through a smart device application  37 . Alternatively, the controller  30  and user interface  35  may be a part of an in-vehicle device  80  that is housed inside the vehicle  15  ( FIGS. 3 and 8 ). The in-vehicle device  80  may be attached to the vehicle  15  dashboard or stored in the glove compartment. Alternately, the controller  30  can be outside of the vehicle operator&#39;s control through a separate control step remote from the vehicle  15  or vehicle operator, such as a company HQ or fleet manager. 
         [0029]    The controller  30  is in communication with a library of placards  50 . The library of placards  50  contains a plurality of placards  45  that a user may select to show on the display  40 . The library of placards  50  may be stored on an internal memory of the controller  30  ( FIG. 5 ), an internal memory of the smart device application  37  ( FIG. 7 ), and internal memory of the display ( FIGS. 5 and 8 ), or may be stored on an external memory source ( FIGS. 3 and 4 ). The external memory source may include a database on a computer or an internet database. In some embodiments, the external memory source is maintained by a third party company or a government agency. The library of placards  50  can include any number of placards  45 . Additional placards  45  can be wirelessly uploaded to the library of placards  50 . Likewise, updates to the library of placards  50  can be performed wirelessly. 
         [0030]    It should be understood that the wireless communication of the controller  30 , the display  40 , and the library of placards  50  can be carried out through any variety of known wireless communication methods. For example, the controller  30  may wirelessly control the display  40  through Bluetooth communication. Similarly, the controller  30  may be in communication with the library of placards  50  via an internet connection or mobile telecommunications technology. Likewise, it should be understood that the specific placement and configuration of the controller  30 , the user interface  35 , and the location of the library of placards  50  can vary. In addition, in some embodiments, multiple user interfaces  35  may be incorporated within the placard assembly  10 . For example, the placard assembly  10  may include a controller  30  and a user interface on a smart device  70  and in an in-vehicle device  80 .  FIGS. 3-8  illustrate examples of configurations of the controller  30  and user interface  35 , the library of placards  50 , and the display. The placard assembly  10  is not limited to the configurations illustrated in these figures. 
         [0031]    In operation, when cargo is to be stored or transported, the appropriate placard  45  corresponding to the information to be displayed is selected to be shown on the display  40 . The driver utilizes the user interface  35  in order to select a placard  45 . Although the user interface  35  can be operated in a number of different ways,  FIG. 9  illustrates a flow chart of one embodiment of the operation of a user interface  35 . In the illustrated embodiment, when the driver engages with the user interface  35 , a home screen is provided with options for how the driver would like to proceed (step  100 ). The driver can choose to see a list of the placard  45  options (step  110 ) or can choose to search for a specific placard  45  (step  120 ). If the driver chooses to see a list of the placards  45 , the driver may have an additional option of choosing the format in which the list is shown (step  130 ). For example, the list can be provided in consecutive order, for example, according to a numerical code or alphabetical name. The list can also be organized by category with sub-lists containing the placards  45  belonging to each category. If the driver chooses to search for a specific placard  45 , the driver can enter key words into a search bar (step  140 ) such as “diesel fuel”. The user interface  35  will then provide a list of potential placards  45  that match the driver&#39;s search (step  140 ) such as “red flammable 1202”. 
         [0032]    Once the driver identifies the appropriate placard  45  in one of the lists described, the driver will select the placard  45  to be shown on the display  40  (step  150 ). In some embodiments, the user interface  35  will then provide additional information about the placard  45  selected (step  160 ). This enables the driver to ensure that the correct placard  45  is selected. If the driver agrees with the selection, they can confirm the selection, and the controller  30  will show the selected placard  45  on the display  40  (step  170 ). 
         [0033]    In some embodiments, the placard assembly  10  includes additional safety features. For example, in the case of a power outage, an accident, or some other incident which may present complications to the placard assembly  10 , the display  40  automatically retains the placard  45  last shown. In some embodiment, the display  40  provides information in addition to the information presented on the placards  45 . For example, a safety scoreboard may appear that provides the number of lost work days. The display  40  may provide training tips or other safety messaging. Safety messaging can include updates on safety conditions based on the current conditions of the vehicle  15 , the weather, or other travel conditions, such as the roads. In some embodiments, the additional information is provided in the form of a rotating news ticker that appears on the display  40 . 
         [0034]    Various features and advantages of the invention are set forth in the following claims.