Patent Application
20240198897
Not Applicable
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The disclosure relates to lighting devices and more particularly pertains to a new lighting device for enhancing visibility of a license plate. The device includes a translucent frame that is positionable around a license plate and a plurality of light emitters integrated into the frame. The device includes a transceiver that is in wireless communication with a personal electronic device for remotely controlling the light emitters.
The prior art relates to lighting devices including a variety of license plate frames that each at least includes a plurality of light emitters each integrated into a translucent frame for illuminating a license plate. The prior art discloses a plurality of modular license plate devices that at least includes a plurality of panels that are assembled together to define a license plate frame. The prior art discloses a license plate holder that includes a frame and an articulated arm for positioning the frame at a variety of orientations.
An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a frame is mountable around a license plate on a vehicle. The frame is comprised of a translucent material to pass light through the frame. A plurality of light emitters is each integrated into the frame and each of the light emitters emits light outwardly through the frame when the light emitters are turned on to illuminate the license plate. Each of the light emitters is in remote communication with a personal electronic device thereby facilitating the personal electronic device to remotely control the plurality of light emitters.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure 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 disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.
The disclosure 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:
With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to
As best illustrated in
Each of the second members 20 has an inwardly facing edge 22 and each of the second members 20 has a pair of tabs 24 extending away from the inwardly facing edge 22. The tabs 24 on each of the second members 20 are spaced from a respective one of the first members 18. The frame 12 has a plurality of mounting holes 26 each extending through a respective one of the tabs 24. Each of the mounting holes 26 extends along an axis that is perpendicularly oriented with the second members 20 to accommodate a fastener for attaching the frame 12 to the vehicle 16.
A plurality of light emitters 28 is integrated into the frame 12 and each of the light emitters 28 emits light outwardly through the frame 12 when the light emitters 28 are turned on to illuminate the license plate 14. Additionally, the light emitters 28 enhance visibility of the vehicle 16 during nighttime driving to reduce the likelihood of a rear end collision. The light emitters 28 are spaced apart from each other and are distributed along each of the second members 20 and each of the first members 18. Each of the light emitters 28 is in remote communication with a personal electronic device 30 thereby facilitating the personal electronic device 30 to remotely control the plurality of light emitters 28.
A control circuit 32 is integrated into the frame 12 and the control circuit 32 is electrically coupled to the plurality of light emitters 28. The control circuit 32 includes an electronic memory 34 which stores a plurality of operational programs for the light emitters 28 thereby facilitating the plurality of light emitters 28 to emit various colors of lights and to be actuated according to one of a variety of pre-determined patterns. Each of the light emitters 28 may comprise a light emitting diode or other type of electronic light emitter. A transceiver 36 is integrated into the frame 12 and the transceiver 36 is electrically coupled to the control circuit 32. The transceiver 36 is in wireless communication with the personal electronic device 30 and the transceiver 36 downloads operational commands received from the personal electronic device 30 into the control circuit 32 thereby facilitating the personal electronic device 30 to remotely control the light emitters 28. The transceiver 36 may comprise a radio frequency transceiver or the like and the transceiver 36 may employ Bluetooth communication protocols. Additionally, the personal electronic device 30 may comprise a smart phone or other similar type of device.
A power supply 38 is integrated into the frame 12 and the power supply 38 is electrically coupled to the control circuit 32. The power supply 38 comprises a rechargeable battery 40 that is integrated into the frame 12 and the rechargeable battery 40 is electrically coupled to the control circuit 32. The power supply 38 includes a solar panel 42 that is coupled to the frame 12 such that the solar panel 42 is exposed to sunlight when the vehicle 16 is outside. The solar panel 42 is electrically coupled to the rechargeable battery 40 for charging the rechargeable battery 40. Additionally, the solar panel 42 is positioned on an outwardly facing surface 44 of a respective one of the second members 20 of the frame 12 and the solar panel 42 is centrally positioned between the pair of first members 18.
In use, the frame 12 is mounted to surround the license plate 14 and the personal electronic device 30 is synched with the transceiver 36. In this way the light emitters 28 can be remotely controlled with the personal electronic device 30. Furthermore, various patterns of flashing on and off along with various colors of light being emitted can be programmed into the control circuit 32 with the personal electronic device 30. In this way the appearance of the frame 12 and the light emitters 28 can be modified and customized to a user's preferences. Additionally, the light emitters 28 enhance visibility of the vehicle 16 during nighttime hours to reduce collisions.
With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, 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 an embodiment of the disclosure.
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure 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 disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.
