Patents Assigned to Escort, Inc.
  • Publication number: 20100214149
    Abstract: Wireless and other external connectivity technology is used in various ways to enhance or improve upon existing radar detector and police activity detection systems. External memory interfaces, such as SD cards or USB, provide external storage. Wireless interfaces such as Bluetooth, Zigbee, 802.11, and wireless personal area network communication protocols, allow a detector processor to interact wirelessly with external devices, such as a Bluetooth headset, a cellular network device providing a server connection, or toggle buttons used to indicate the presence of police activity at a current position. Further, radar detectors are upgraded to provide GPS capabilities, using the existing power/data connector of the radar detector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 13, 2009
    Publication date: August 26, 2010
    Applicant: ESCORT INC.
    Inventor: John Kuhn
  • Publication number: 20100214148
    Abstract: Wireless and other external connectivity technology is used in various ways to enhance or improve upon existing radar detector and police activity detection systems. External memory interfaces, such as SD cards or USB, provide external storage. Wireless interfaces such as Bluetooth, Zigbee, 802.11, and wireless personal area network communication protocols, allow a detector processor to interact wirelessly with external devices, such as a Bluetooth headset, a cellular network device providing a server connection, or toggle buttons used to indicate the presence of police activity at a current position. Further, radar detectors are upgraded to provide GPS capabilities, using the existing power/data connector of the radar detector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 20, 2009
    Publication date: August 26, 2010
    Applicant: ESCORT INC.
    Inventor: John Kuhn
  • Publication number: 20090256736
    Abstract: A GPS enabled radar detector dynamically handles radar sources based upon previously-stored geographically-referenced information on such sources and data from the GPS receiver. The detector includes technology for determining the location of the detector, and comparing this location to the locations of known stationary sources, to improve the handling of such detections. The detector may ignore detections received in an area known to contain a stationary source, or may only ignore specific frequencies or may handle frequencies differently based upon historic trends of spurious police radar signals at each frequency. Notification of the driver will take on a variety of forms depending on the stored information, current operating modes, and vehicle speed. The detector may be also incorporated within a general purpose navigation device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 20, 2008
    Publication date: October 15, 2009
    Applicant: ESCORT INC.
    Inventor: Steven K. Orr
  • Patent number: 7576679
    Abstract: A GPS enabled radar detector dynamically handles radar sources based upon previously stored geographically referenced information on such sources and data from the GPS receiver. The detector includes technology for determining the location of the detector, and comparing this location to the locations of known stationary sources, to improve the handling of such detections. The detector may ignore detections received in an area known to contain a stationary source, or may only ignore specific frequencies or may handle frequencies differently based upon historic trends of spurious police radar signals at each frequency. Notification of the driver will take on a variety of forms depending on the stored information, current operating modes, and vehicle speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2009
    Assignee: Escort Inc.
    Inventors: Steven K. Orr, Robert Gregory Blair, John Kuhn, Timothy A. Coomer
  • Patent number: 7397416
    Abstract: Calibration of an acceleration detector is initiated by a user depressable button such as a button indicating a vehicle is at rest and/or by the detector reading an OBDII vehicle communication protocol to determine the condition of the vehicle. Calibration permits more accurate measurements in a vehicle performance test.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2008
    Assignee: Escort Inc.
    Inventors: Steven K. Orr, John Kuhn, Jeffrey J. Clawson
  • Patent number: 7388537
    Abstract: A radar detector includes features to reduce emissions such as those typically generated by the detector's local oscillator. Two low noise amplifiers (LNA's), operating in X band and a combined K/Ka band, respectively amplify X and K/Ka band signals from separate antennae, and deliver those signals over separate, elongated and narrow signal paths to X and K/Ka mixers, where those signals are mixed with local oscillator (LO) signals to produce IF for detection. The elongated, narrow signal paths from the antennae to the mixers reduce LO emissions, and those emissions are further reduced by incorporating radar absorbers between the circuit board and detector case along the antenna-mixer path, including radar absorptive paint on the circuit board itself along this path, and sealing the case with a conductive sealing gasket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2008
    Assignee: Escort Inc.
    Inventors: Glen D. Martinson, Marian Mark Burin, Feliks K. Lisowski
  • Patent number: 7271760
    Abstract: A radar detector for a motorcycle having an electrical power supply and a receiver housing. The radar detector includes a housing adapted to attach to the receiver housing. The housing is divided into a right-hand side and a left-hand side. A plurality of user controls is disposed within the housing. A majority of the controls are disposed on the left-hand side of the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2007
    Assignees: Harly-Davidson Motor Company Group, Inc., Escort, Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel J. Bartosik, Timothy Coomer, Nelson J. Cobb, Jeffrey E. Richlen
  • Publication number: 20070120728
    Abstract: A GPS enabled radar detector dynamically handles radar sources based upon previously-stored geographically-referenced information on such sources and data from the GPS receiver. The detector includes technology for determining the location of the detector, and comparing this location to the locations of known stationary sources, to improve the handling of such detections. The detector may ignore detections received in an area known to contain a stationary source, or may only ignore specific frequencies or may handle frequencies differently based upon historic trends of spurious police radar signals at each frequency. Notification of the driver will take on a variety of forms depending on the stored information, current operating modes, and vehicle speed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 29, 2006
    Publication date: May 31, 2007
    Applicant: ESCORT INC.
    Inventor: Steven Orr
  • Publication number: 20060284756
    Abstract: Calibration of an acceleration detector is initiated by a user depressable button such as a button indicating a vehicle is at rest and/or by the detector reading an OBDII vehicle communication protocol to determine the condition of the vehicle. Calibration permits more accurate measurements in a vehicle performance test.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 24, 2006
    Publication date: December 21, 2006
    Applicant: ESCORT INC.
    Inventors: Steven Orr, John Kuhn, Jeffrey Clawson
  • Patent number: 7098844
    Abstract: Calibration of an acceleration detector is initiated by a user depressable button such as a button indicating a vehicle is at rest and/or by the detector reading an OBDII vehicle communication protocol to determine the condition of the vehicle. Calibration permits more accurate measurements in a vehicle performance test.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2006
    Assignee: Escort Inc.
    Inventors: Steven K. Orr, John Kuhn, Jeffrey J. Clawson
  • Publication number: 20060055583
    Abstract: Calibration of an acceleration detector is initiated by a user depressable button such as a button indicating a vehicle is at rest and/or by the detector reading an OBDII vehicle communication protocol to determine the condition of the vehicle. Calibration permits more accurate measurements in a vehicle performance test.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 10, 2004
    Publication date: March 16, 2006
    Applicant: Escort Inc.
    Inventors: Steven Orr, John Kuhn, Jeffrey Clawson
  • Patent number: 6836238
    Abstract: A method of factory calibrating a police radar/laser detector including a controller, an accelerometer, and a memory, by manipulating the detector to rotate the accelerometer, measuring and feeding real time measurements from the accelerometer to a Least Squares Elliptical Fit algorithm executed by the controller, applying the Least Squares Elliptical Fit algorithm to the real time measurements to find the equation of an ellipse formed by the measurements, storing the coefficients of the ellipse in the memory. The coefficients are then recalled from the memory to thereby calibrate the accelerometer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2004
    Assignee: Escort Inc.
    Inventors: Steven K. Orr, John Kuhn, Jeffrey J. Clawson
  • Publication number: 20040246171
    Abstract: A method of factory calibrating a police radar/laser detector including a controller, an accelerometer, and a memory, by manipulating the detector to rotate the accelerometer, measuring and feeding real time measurements from the accelerometer to a Least Squares Elliptical Fit algorithm executed by the controller, applying the Least Squares Elliptical Fit algorithm to the real time measurements to find the equation of an ellipse formed by the measurements, storing the coefficients of the ellipse in the memory. The coefficients are then recalled from the memory to thereby calibrate the accelerometer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 30, 2003
    Publication date: December 9, 2004
    Applicant: Escort Inc.
    Inventors: Steven K. Orr, John Kuhn, Jeffrey J. Clawson
  • Patent number: 6670905
    Abstract: A GPS enabled radar detector (20) that aids in the management of unrelated or otherwise unimportant sources (16), permitting the detector to dynamically improve its handling of such sources based upon previously-stored geographically-referenced information on such sources. The detector includes technology (30, 32) for determining the location of the detector, and comparing this location to the locations of known stationary sources, to improve the handling of such detections. The detector may ignore detections received in an area known to contain a stationary source, or may only ignore specific frequencies or may handle frequencies differently based upon historic trends of spurious police radar signals at each frequency. A Global Positioning Satellite System (GPS) receiver (30, 32) is used to establish current physical coordinates. The detector maintains a list (50, 82) of the coordinates of the known stationary source “offenders” in nonvolatile memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2003
    Assignee: Escort Inc.
    Inventor: Steven K. Orr
  • Publication number: 20030218562
    Abstract: A GPS enabled radar detector (20) that aids in the management of unrelated or otherwise unimportant sources (16), permitting the detector to dynamically improve its handling of such sources based upon previously-stored geographically-referenced information on such sources. The detector includes technology (30, 32) for determining the location of the detector, and comparing this location to the locations of known stationary sources, to improve the handling of such detections. The detector may ignore detections received in an area known to contain a stationary source, or may only ignore specific frequencies or may handle frequencies differently based upon historic trends of spurious police radar signals at each frequency. A Global Positioning Satellite System (GPS) receiver (30, 32) is used to establish current physical coordinates. The detector maintains a list (50, 82) of the coordinates of the known stationary source “offenders” in nonvolatile memory.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 25, 2003
    Publication date: November 27, 2003
    Applicant: Escort Inc.
    Inventor: Steven K. Orr
  • Patent number: 6614385
    Abstract: A police activity transponder utilizes data available through a vehicle on-board diagnostic system or a intelligent vehicle data bus to adjust the sensitivity of the police activity transponder to law enforcement signals based on speed data. A police activity transponder is configured to read speed data available through an on-board diagnostic system or an intelligent vehicle data bus and using an internal clock, calculate a 0 to 60 mile per hour or a quarter mile time for display and function as a speedometer. A police activity transponder is configured to read engine revolutions per minute (rpm) data and function as a tachometer. A police activity transponder is configured to allow a user to input shift points, read engine rpm data, and provide a user indication.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2003
    Assignee: Escort Inc.
    Inventors: John Kuhn, Steven K. Orr
  • Patent number: 6587068
    Abstract: A police radar and/or laser detector senses radiant electromagnetic signals (e.g. radar, laser) characteristic of a police traffic surveillance device and responds thereto with a displayed and/or audible alert. During periods when no alert is necessary, the detector senses and displays, in numeric or bar graph form, vehicle parameters, such as sound pressure level and acceleration. In addition, calculations based on acceleration provide 0-60 m.p.h. time and quarter mile time. Thereby, the detector enhances information available to the driver without the inconvenience, expense, and clutter of multiple displays.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2003
    Assignee: Escort Inc.
    Inventors: John Kuhn, Jeffrey J. Clawson
  • Publication number: 20030067407
    Abstract: A police radar and/or laser detector senses radiant electromagnetic signals (e.g. radar, laser) characteristic of a police traffic surveillance device and responds thereto with a displayed and/or audible alert. During periods when no alert is necessary, the detector senses and displays, in numeric or bar graph form, vehicle parameters, such as sound pressure level and acceleration. In addition, calculations based on acceleration provide 0-60 m.p.h. time and quarter mile time. Thereby, the detector enhances information available to the driver without the inconvenience, expense, and clutter of multiple displays.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 9, 2001
    Publication date: April 10, 2003
    Applicant: Escort Inc.
    Inventors: John Kuhn, Jeffrey J. Clawson
  • Patent number: 6400305
    Abstract: A police radar detector detects police radar signals in the X, K and wide Ka police radar bands and rejects interfering Ka band signals that are a higher harmonic of a nuisance source having a fundamental frequency adjacent to the X police radar bands. Each of the three police radar bands is separately swept in a first mixer stage with the resulting IF signal concurrently demodulated in two IF circuits. The first IF circuit detects signals that were received in the X, K and outer portions of the wide Ka band during respective sweeps. The second IF circuit detects nuisance signals adjacent to the X and K bands, and the inner portion of the wide Ka band during respective sweeps.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2002
    Assignee: Escort, Inc.
    Inventor: John Kuhn
  • Patent number: 6249218
    Abstract: A remote radar detector (10) includes a receiver unit (12) adapted to be mounted outside the vehicle passenger compartment (22) of a vehicle (20) and an alert unit (14) adapted to be mounted inside the vehicle passenger compartment (22), with a cable (16) electrically coupling the units (12, 14) together. Cable (16) includes a lumen (62) therethrough connected to a vent opening (75) by which to vent the interior (68) of receiver unit (12).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2001
    Assignee: Escort, Inc.
    Inventor: Robert G. Blair