Patent Publication Number: US-6213401-B1

Title: Speed limit detecting system

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to speed limit detecting systems and more particularly pertains to a new speed limit detecting system for detecting and displaying to a driver the speed limit on the roadway the driver is travelling on. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     The use of speed limit detecting systems is known in the prior art. More specifically, speed limit detecting systems heretofore devised and utilized are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements. 
     Known prior art includes U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,484,992 (Inventors: Wiltz et al); 5,504,320 (Inventor: Adachi); 5,546,188 (Inventors: Wangler et al); 5,629,511 (Inventors: Iwaguchi et al); 5,550,363; and U.S. Pat. No. Design 384,651 (Inventors: Sandor et al), which are each incorporated herein by reference. 
     While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not disclose a new speed limit detecting system. The inventive device includes bar coding indicia is displayed on a road sign. The bar coding indicia graphically indicates predetermined information of the speed limit displayed on the road sign. A scanner is provided in a user&#39;s vehicle for scanning the bar coding indicia to obtain the predetermined information of the bar coding indicia. The scanner has a visual display for visually displaying the predetermined information of the bar coding indicia to the user. 
     In these respects, the speed limit detecting system according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of detecting and displaying to a driver the speed limit on the roadway the driver is travelling on. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of speed limit detecting systems now present in the prior art, the present invention provides a new speed limit detecting system construction wherein the same can be utilized for detecting and displaying to a driver the speed limit on the roadway the driver is travelling on. 
     The general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a new speed limit detecting system apparatus and method which has many of the advantages of the speed limit detecting systems mentioned heretofore and many novel features that result in a new speed limit detecting system which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of the prior art speed limit detecting systems, either alone or in any combination thereof. 
     To attain this, the present invention generally comprises bar coding indicia is displayed on a road sign. The bar coding indicia graphically indicates predetermined information of the speed limit displayed on the road sign. A scanner is provided in a user&#39;s vehicle for scanning the bar coding indicia to obtain the predetermined information of the bar coding indicia. The scanner has a visual display for visually displaying the predetermined information of the bar coding indicia to the user. 
     There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order 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 additional features of the invention 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 invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention 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 invention is capable of other embodiments and of 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 description 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 structure, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. 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. 
     Further, the purpose of the foregoing abstract is to enable the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally, and especially the scientists, engineers and practitioners in the art who are not familiar with patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure of the application. The abstract is neither intended to define the invention of the application, which is measured by the claims, nor is it intended to be limiting as to the scope of the invention in any way. 
     It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new speed limit detecting system apparatus and method which has many of the advantages of the speed limit detecting systems mentioned heretofore and many novel features that result in a new speed limit detecting system which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of the prior art speed limit detecting systems, either alone or in any combination thereof. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a new speed limit detecting system which may be easily and efficiently manufactured and marketed. 
     It is a further object of the present invention to provide a new speed limit detecting system which is of a durable and reliable construction. 
     An even further object of the present invention is to provide a new speed limit detecting system which is susceptible of a low cost of manufacture with regard to both materials and labor, and which accordingly is then susceptible of low prices of sale to the consuming public, thereby making such speed limit detecting system economically available to the buying public. 
     Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new speed limit detecting system which provides in the apparatuses and methods of the prior art some of the advantages thereof, while simultaneously overcoming some of the disadvantages normally associated therewith. 
     Still another object of the present invention is to provide a new speed limit detecting system for detecting and displaying to a driver the new speed limit on the roadway the driver is travelling on. 
     Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new speed limit detecting system which includes bar coding indicia is displayed on a road sign. The bar coding indicia graphically indicates predetermined information of the speed limit displayed on the road sign. A scanner is provided in a user&#39;s vehicle for scanning the bar coding indicia to obtain the predetermined information of the bar coding indicia. The scanner has a visual display for visually displaying the predetermined information of the bar coding indicia to the user. 
     Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new speed limit detecting system that helps drivers become aware about speed limit changes on a roadway to help a driver avoid speeding on roadways where the speed limit is reduced and because the driver did not see a speed limit sign for the roadway. 
     Even still another object of the present invention is to provide a new speed limit detecting system that may be used in pre-existing vehicles and also may be installed as an integral factory feature of the vehicle. 
     These together with other objects of the invention, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the invention, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be made to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there are illustrated preferred embodiments of the invention. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The invention will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein: 
     FIG. 1 is a schematic back perspective view of a new speed limit detecting system according to the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 is a schematic front perspective view of the present invention. 
     FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view of the bottom face of the housing of the scanner of the present invention. 
     FIG. 4 is a schematic side view of a road sign of the present invention. 
     FIG. 5 is a schematic electrically diagram of the scanner of the present invention. 
     FIG. 6 is a schematic perspective view of the radio transmitter additional embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 7 is a schematic plan view of the additional embodiment of the present invention in use on a roadway. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to FIGS. 1 through 7 thereof, a new speed limit detecting 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 7, the speed limit detecting system  10  generally comprises bar coding indicia  11  is displayed on a road sign  12 . The bar coding indicia  11  graphically indicates predetermined information of the speed limit displayed on the road sign  12 . A scanner  15  is provided in a user&#39;s vehicle for scanning the bar coding indicia  11  to obtain the predetermined information of the bar coding indicia  11 . The scanner  15  has a visual display  18  for visually displaying the predetermined information of the bar coding indicia  11  to the user. 
     In use, the speed limit detecting system  10  is designed for detecting and displaying a speed limit of a roadway to a driver of a vehicle. In closer detail, the system comprises bar coding indicia  11  displayed on a road sign  12 . The road sign preferably is a speed limit sign having alpha-numeric indicia  13  indicating a speed limit of the roadway. The road sign  12  may also include street signs, billboard, and other visual display  18  signs that display visual information to a driver. The bar coding indicia  11  graphically indicates predetermined information. The predetermined information corresponds to the speed limit of the roadway. Optionally, the predetermined indicia may also comprise other messages directed to the driver such as information of road obstacles and advertisements. The bar coding indicia  11  is preferably provided on a sticker  14  generally rectangular in configuration and having an adhesive provided thereon adhesively coupling the sticker  14  to the road sign  12 . 
     A scanner  15  is provided in a user&#39;s vehicle designed for travel on the roadway. The scanner is designed for scanning the bar coding indicia  11  to obtain the predetermined information of the bar coding indicia  11 . The scanner  15  has a transmitter  16  for transmitting a signal towards the bar coding indicia  11  and a receiver  40  for receiving a reflected signal of the transmitter  16  from the bar coding indicia  11  to transmit the information of the bar coding indicia  11  to the scanner  15 . The scanner  15  has a visual display  18  for visually displaying the predetermined information of the bar coding indicia  11  to a user. In use, the visual display  18  displays the speed limit displayed on the road sign  12 . The scanner  15  also preferably has a light source  19  for providing a visible indicator to the user when the scanner  15  scans a new bar code indicia from a road sign  12 . In use, the light source  19  preferably activates to provide light therefrom when the scanner  15  scans bar code indicia on a road sign  12 . This way a driver is alerted to a new speed limit sign at will check the speed limit displayed on the visual display  18 . The scanner  15  further preferably includes an audio speaker  20  for projecting an audible alert to the user when the scanner  15  scans bar code indicia on a road sign. The audio speaker  20  has a volume control  21  dial for permitting the user to selectively control the volume of the audible alert of the audio speaker  20 . 
     The scanner  15  has a power switch  22  for selectively activating and deactivating the scanner  15 . The power switch  22  has a push-button actuator  23  designed for depressing by a user to open and close the power switch  22 . The scanner  15  is electrically connectable to a power source of the vehicle. Ideally, the scanner  15  has a power cord  24  for electrically connecting the scanner  15  to the power source of the vehicle. The power cord  24  preferably has a plug  25  designed for insertion into a car electrical socket electrically connected to the power source of the vehicle. 
     Preferably, the scanner  15  is provided in a housing  26  having a generally rectangular configuration. The housing  26  has top and bottom faces  27 , 28 , front and back ends  29 , 30 , and a pair of sides  31 , 32  extending between the front and back ends  29 , 30  of the housing  26 . The housing  26  has a thickness defined between the top and bottom faces  27 , 28  of the housing  26 , a length defined between the front and back ends  29 , 30  of the housing  26 , and a width defined between the sides  31 , 32  of the housing  26 . Preferably, the length of the housing  26  is at least about two times greater than the width of the housing  26 , the width of the housing  26  is at least about four times greater than the thickness of the housing  26  to provide a preferred size for use in a passenger compartment of a vehicle. In an ideal illustrative embodiment, the thickness of the housing  26  is about ½ inch, the length of the housing  26  is about 4 inches, and the width of the housing  26  is about 2 inches to provide an ideal size for resting on the dash or display console of a vehicle. 
     The transmitter  16  has an emitter  33  for emitting the signal and the receiver  40  has a detector  34   17  for detecting the reflected signal. The emitter  33  and detector  34   17  are located on the front end  29  of the housing  26 . The front end  29  of the housing  26  is designed for positioning in a direction towards a front end  29  of the vehicle. The visual display  18 , the light source  19 , and the actuator  23  of the power switch  22  are located on the back end  30  of the housing  26 . In use, the back end  30  of the housing  26  is designed for positioning in a direction towards a rear end of the vehicle. The volume control  21  is preferably located on one of the sides  31  of the housing  26  while the power cord  24  is extended from another side  32  of the housing  26 . 
     The bottom face  28  of the housing  26  is designed for attachment to a surface in a passenger compartment of the vehicle. As illustrated in FIG. 3, the bottom face  28  of the housing  26  preferably has a portion  41  of a hooks and loops fastener provided thereon designed for coupling to a complementary portion  42  of the hooks and loops fastener provided on the surface of the passenger compartment. 
     In use, as a user drives a vehicle with the scanner provided therein on a roadway, the scanner detects bar coding indicia on the passing speed limit signs which contain information indicating the speed limit of the roadway (and displayed on the sign). The scanner then displays the speed limit on the visual display and illuminates the light source and emits an alarm from the speaker to alert the driver of the speed limit of the roadway. 
     As a back up system, a radio transmitter  35  for transmitting a radio signal containing predetermined information may be provided with the system. The transmitter  35  comprises a low frequency radio frequency identification transmitter. The radio transmitter  35  is provided in a housing  36 . A battery power source  37  is also provided in the housing  36  and is electrically connected to the radio transmitter  35 . The housing  36  has a plurality of photo-voltaic cells  38  provided thereon which are electrically connected to the battery power source  37  for recharging the battery power source  37  from energy from sunlight. In use, this housing  36  is designed for mounting to a support structure such as a post  39  supporting a roadside. In this additional embodiment, the scanner has a radio detector for detecting the radio signal transmitted by the radio transmitter  35 . The detector is electrically connected to the visual display for displaying the predetermined information of the radio signal. 
     As to a further discussion of the manner of usage and operation of the present invention, the same should be apparent from the above description. Accordingly, no further discussion relating to the manner of usage and operation will be provided. 
     With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, 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 invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention 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 invention.