Patent ID: 7375627

Claim:
A signaling apparatus for a lead vehicle having a fore and an aft, the apparatus comprising: a signaling structure having an obverse surface vertically configured to include a base portion and a cap portion and horizontally configured to include a lateral portion and a medial portion, and the signaling structure being affixed to the vehicle aft; and a first annunciator disposed on the obverse surface, receiving the variable operational signal and emitting a characteristic hazard alert responsive to the variable operational signal, wherein the first annunciator includes signal lights and a sonic emitter which in combination provide a characteristic hazard alert in signal diversity, wherein the characteristic signal alert uniquely corresponds to a preselected lead vehicle motive state, wherein the signaling structure is configured such that the signal lights are capable of being perceived by a following vehicle operator; wherein the signaling structure further comprises selected signal lights being disposed in diversity to provide a unique visual display disposed to increase conspicuity of the lead vehicle to the following vehicle operator and to correspond to a preselected characteristic of the lead vehicle motive state; and wherein selected ones of the lights provide at least one diversity of intensity diversity, blink frequency diversity, color diversity, and modal diversity, and the at least one signal diversity is configured to increase conspicuity of the lead vehicle to the following vehicle operator and to approximately correspond to a preselected characteristic of the lead vehicle motive state.