Patent Abstract:
A garment (e.g., vest) designed to be worn over a motorcyclist&#39;s outer clothing with high intensity LED lighting installed on front and rear surfaces thereof and motion-sensing circuitry and corresponding software that detects motorcycle deceleration and controls the sequence, color and/or intensity of the LED lighting. A small, light battery pack installed in the garment powers the system. The motion-sensing circuitry and software detects that the motorcycle is decelerating when the driver releases or reduces the throttle, downshifts and/or applies the brakes. Responsive to the driver releasing or reducing the throttle, downshifting, applying the brakes and/or riding on upward-directed terrain, the electronics and software change the color output of LEDs on the rear surface of the garment to red. The electronics of the garment are sealed in watertight assemblies.

Full Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE 
       [0001]    This application claims priority to U.S. application Ser. No. 62/071,098 filed on Sep. 15, 2014 and which is incorporated herein for any and all purposes. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The embodiments of the present invention relate to an illuminated garment system for riders of motorcycles or bicycles to better notify traffic of deceleration thereof. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    Motorcycles are often not seen by other drivers because motorcycles provide a small visual target such that they are easily overlooked on busy roads. Moreover, motorcycles are capable of more rapid braking deceleration than other vehicles but such use activates brake lights. They can also achieve rapid deceleration by releasing the throttle or down shifting which eliminates the visual cue of the illuminated brake lights. The latter two challenges make the motorcyclist highly vulnerable to accidents with other vehicles and drive the need for an effective means of increasing the motorcyclist&#39;s visibility and for signaling deceleration. 
         [0004]    Various methods have been attempted to make the motorcyclist more visible including the use of illuminated clothing. Some illuminated clothes are heavy and bulky and/or plugged into the motorcycle&#39;s electrical system. Still others have their own battery pack. For one reason or another, illuminated clothing has not become popular with the motorcycling public. 
         [0005]    Thus, it would be advantageous to develop a stylish, light-weight, highly-visible garment that not only makes the motorcyclist more visible but also warns of a decelerating motorcycle regardless of the means of deceleration. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0006]    The embodiments of the present invention comprise a garment (e.g., vest) designed to be worn over a motorcyclist&#39;s outer clothing with high intensity LED lighting installed on front and rear surfaces thereof and motion-sensing circuitry and corresponding software that detects motorcycle deceleration and controls the sequence, color and/or intensity of the LED lighting. A small, light battery pack installed in the garment powers the system. In one embodiment, the software of the present invention illuminates the LEDs using a repeating or random pattern. The motion-sensing circuitry and software detects that the motorcycle is decelerating when the driver releases or reduces the throttle, downshifts and/or applies the brakes. Responsive to the driver releasing or reducing the throttle, downshifting and/or applying the brakes, the electronics and software change the color output of LEDs on the rear surface of the garment to red. In one embodiment, the electronics of the garment are sealed in watertight assemblies. 
         [0007]    Other variations, embodiments and features of the present invention will become evident from the following detailed description, drawings and claims. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0008]      FIG. 1  illustrates a front view of an illuminated vest showing a front LED array, microprocessors and motion-sensing circuitry, and battery and charge management assembly according to the embodiments of the present invention; 
           [0009]      FIG. 2  illustrates a rear view of the illuminated vest showing a rear LED array according to the embodiments of the present invention; 
           [0010]      FIG. 3  illustrates a block diagram of the electronic circuitry according to the embodiments of the present invention; and 
           [0011]      FIG. 4  illustrates a flow chart detailing one methodology of operating said vest according to the embodiments of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0012]    For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles in accordance with the embodiments of the present invention, reference will now be made to the embodiments illustrated in the drawings and specific language will be used to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the invention is thereby intended. Any alterations and further modifications of the inventive feature illustrated herein, and any additional applications of the principles of the invention as illustrated herein, which would normally occur to one skilled in the relevant art and having possession of this disclosure, are to be considered within the scope of the invention claimed. 
         [0013]    Those skilled in the art will recognize that the embodiments of the present invention involve both hardware and/or software elements which portions are described below in such detail required to construct and operate the method and system according to the embodiments of the present invention. 
         [0014]    As will be appreciated by one skilled in the art, aspects of the present invention may be embodied as a system, method or computer program product. Accordingly, aspects of the present invention may take the form of an entirely hardware embodiment, an entirely software embodiment (including firmware, resident software, micro-code, etc.), or an embodiment combining software and hardware. Program code embodied on a computer readable medium may be transmitted using any appropriate medium, including but not limited to wireless, wireline, optical fiber cable, RF and the like, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. 
         [0015]    Computer program code for carrying out operations for aspects of the present invention may be written in any combination of one or more programming languages, including an object oriented programming language such as Java, Smalltalk, C++ or the like or conventional procedural programming languages, such as the “C” programming language, AJAX, PHP, HTML, XHTML, Ruby, CSS or similar programming languages. 
         [0016]    Aspects of the present invention are described below with reference to flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams of methods, apparatus (systems) and computer program products according to embodiments of the invention. These computer program instructions may be provided to a processor of a general purpose computer, special purpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, such that the instructions, which execute via the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus, create means for implementing the functions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram. 
         [0017]    These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer readable medium that can direct a computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other devices to function in a particular manner, such that the instructions stored in the computer readable medium produce an article of manufacture including instructions which implement the function/act specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram. 
         [0018]      FIG. 1  shows the front surface of a garment in the form of a vest  1  including front LED strips/arrays  5 , battery and charge management circuitry assembly  10  and microprocessors and motion-sensing circuitry  15 .  FIG. 2  shows the back surface of vest  1  including rear LED strips/arrays  20  and battery and charge management circuitry assembly  10 . The electronics of the system are contained in weather-proof assemblies and the electrical connections are weather proof. LED arrays  5  and  20 , battery and charge management circuitry assembly  10 , microprocessors and motion-sensing circuitry  15  as well as the electrical wiring (not shown) are detachable from the vest  1  to allow for cleaning of the same. In one embodiment, hook and loop fasteners are used to attach the components to the garment but any fasteners allowing removal of the components may be used. Alternatively, the components may be integral with the garment such they are not easily removed. As used herein, a “garment” should be understood to be any article (e.g., short, jacket, sweater, etc.) wearable by a user. The position and arrangement of the components on the vest  1 , may be modified without departing from the sprit and scope of the embodiments of the present invention. 
         [0019]    In one embodiment, the battery and charge management circuitry assembly  10  comprises a battery pack  25 , charging circuitry  35 , charge management circuitry  40 , LED power supply  45  and on/off switch  50 . The battery pack  25  may be a rechargeable lithium ion, 7.4 volt UN rated battery. Those skilled in the art will recognize that other batteries may power the system detailed herein. 
         [0020]    Charging circuitry  35  allows the system to be connected to external power supply  55  and configured to detect the battery voltage. If the battery voltage is below a predefined limit and external power supply  55  is connected, charging circuitry  35  executes a constant current/constant voltage-charging algorithm appropriate for a lithium ion battery regardless of whether the LED circuitry is switched on or off via on/off switch  50 . Charging circuitry  35  determines when battery pack  25  is fully charged and discontinues charging thereafter. On/off switch  50  controls power to charge management circuitry  40 , LED power supply  45  and/or microprocessors and motion-sensing circuitry  15 . 
         [0021]    Charge management circuitry  40  monitors the battery pack  25  voltage during usage and provides a visual indication of current battery charge by illuminating a low battery indicator LED (not shown) when charge management circuitry  40  detects battery pack  25  voltage has dropped below a predefined minimum. LED power supply  45  regulates the battery voltage to provide a constant voltage to LED arrays  5  and  20 . 
         [0022]    Microprocessor and motion-sensing circuitry assembly  15  contains electronics power supply  60 , motion sensor  65 , signal processor  70 , LED controller  75 , intensity selector  80 , pattern display selector  85  and color selector  90 . Electronics power supply  60  converts the voltage from battery pack  25  to the appropriate voltages and supplies the power to motion sensor  65 , signal processor  70  and LED controller  75 . 
         [0023]    In one embodiment, motion sensor  65  is a programmable InvenSense 6500 or similar programmable sensor that monitors the movement of the wearer of the vest  1  and detects linear acceleration and deceleration in x, y and z axes and detects angular rate of rotation around each of the x, y and z axes. Motion sensor  65  also processes the acceleration/deceleration and rotation signals and provides data to signal processor  70 . Other motion sensors and more than one motion sensor may be used as well. 
         [0024]    In one embodiment, signal processor  70  is a programmable Atmel ATmega 1284 or similar programmable processor that reads the data from motion sensor  65 . If signal processor  70  determines from the read data that a deceleration is occurring, the signal processor  70  transmits a signal to LED controller  75 . 
         [0025]    In one embodiment, LED controller  75  is a programmable Atmel AT Mega 32U4 or similar programmable processor that monitors the signal from signal processor  70  and transmits a signal to LED arrays  5  and  20 . In one embodiment, the individual LEDs of LED arrays  5  and  20  are WS2812B RGB (red, green and blue) LEDs or similar LEDs with built in drivers that drive the individual red, green or blue diodes of each RGB LED based on data received from LED controller  75 . If the signal from signal processor  70  indicates no deceleration is occurring, LED controller  75  continually loops the selected display pattern through LED arrays  5  and  20 . The color and pattern configuration of LED arrays  5  and  20  are wearer selected and can be (i) a flashing or steady unchanging array; (ii) a flashing or steady program sequenced changing color array or (iii) a flashing or steady random color array. Various patterns may be stored in memory for access when needed. In one embodiment, each of the LEDs i s capable of displaying multiple colors. Besides LEDS, other illumination devices may be used. 
         [0026]    The light intensity of the LED arrays  5  and  20  can be regulated by the wearer by pressing intensity selector switch  80 . Repeated pressing of the intensity selector switch  80  increases the LED light intensity until a peak intensity is reached. Pressing the light intensity switch  80  again repeats the process starting with the lowest light intensity and progressing to the peak intensity. 
         [0027]    The color and pattern configuration of LED arrays  5  and  20  can be selected by the wearer pressing pattern display selector  85  and color selector  90 . Pressing pattern display selector  85  causes the pattern to cycle to the next available light pattern. Pressing color selector  90  causes the selected pattern to cycle to the next available color. The selected light pattern remains on until pattern display selector  85  is pressed again. The selected color remains on until color selector  90  is pressed again. If power is removed from vest  1 , the previously selected display pattern and color resume when power to vest  1  is restored. 
         [0028]    If signal processor  70  determines from data received from motion sensor  65  that deceleration is occurring, signal processor  70  transmits a signal to LED controller  75 , which transmits a signal to LED array  20  on the rear surface of vest  1  causing the LED array  20  to revert to the “all red” state until such a time as signal processor  70  determines that the deceleration has ended. Such deceleration may be the result letting off the throttle, braking, downshifting and/or riding on upward-directed terrain. Once signal processor  70  determines that deceleration has ended, LED controller  75  resumes looping through the selected display pattern. 
         [0029]      FIG. 4  illustrates a flow chart  100  detailing one methodology of operating said vest  1  according to the embodiments of the present invention. At  105 , the illuminated vest  1  is worn. At  110 , the vest  1  is configured as detailed above. At  115 , one or more motion sensors detect movement of said garment. At  120 , it is determined if deceleration has been detected. If not, the flowchart  100  loops back to  115 . If so, at  125 , a signal is transmitted to a light array controller. At  130 , responsive to receipt of said signal, said light array controller triggers one or more light arrays to illuminate in all red state notifying other traffic that said motorcycle or bicycle is decelerating. 
         [0030]    While a motorcycle is used herein to describe the embodiments of the present invention, it is understood that motorcycle includes scooters, mopeds, three-wheeled vehicles (e.g., Trike) and four-wheeled vehicles (e.g., ATV). In addition, the garment system is also suitable for unpowered vehicles such as bicycles. 
         [0031]    Although the invention has been described in detail with reference to several embodiments, additional variations and modifications exist within the scope and spirit of the invention as described and defined in the following claims.

Technology Classification (CPC): 1