Patent ID: 7182492

Claim:
A license plate system for a vehicle which comprises: one clear panel acting as the vehicle license plate, having a thickness, and having a front surface and rear surface bounded by edge surfaces; a smooth one of said edge surfaces being sufficiently smooth to admit light into an interior region of said panel when said light shines from outside said panel directly onto said smooth one of said edge surfaces; said front surface having a letter area that is rough and having a shape of alpha-numeric characters; a row of lights; said row of lights connectable to a means for energizing said row of lights; means for supporting said row of lights; arranged to send a beam of light directly through said smooth one of said edge surfaces into an interior region of said panel; a mirror surface of a flat strip of metal secured along an edge opposite said smooth one of said edge surfaces being sufficiently smooth to admit light; means for supporting said panel; said panel being sufficiently thin to provide that most of said light inside said panel forms an angle with said front and rear surfaces that is less than a critical angle of reflection thereby enhancing contrast of light between said alpha-numeric characters and a remaining area of said front panel.