IP Library Granted Patent US 12,466,672
Granted Patent B2
US 12,466,672 · App. 18/158,371 · Granted Nov 11, 2025

Loading dock signal light change indicator

Inventor: Al Coshow (Albany, OR)
Assignee: Light Spike Ind. LLC
B65G69/2882B65G2203/044
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,466,672
App. No.
18/158,371
Granted
Nov 11, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

Loading dock signal light change indicator apparatuses and systems including light sensors that detect a change from illumination of a red signal light to illumination of a green signal light from a loading dock signal light assembly, and that generate one or more detection signals in response to that detected change. The apparatuses and systems may additionally include one or more transmitters that transmits one or more wireless signals in response to the one or more light sensor signals, and a receiver that receives the one or more wireless signals from the transmitter(s). The receiver may be a mobile device, such as a smart phone. The receiver may then emit an audio, visual, an/or tactile signal in response to receiving the one or more wireless signals.

Claims (25)

1 . A loading dock signal light change indicator apparatus, comprising:

a light sensor that detects variations in illumination of a loading dock signal light assembly, and that generates one or more detection signals representative of the variations in illumination of said loading dock signal light assembly;

a transmitter that transmits one or more wireless signals based on said generation of said one or more detection signals; and

a receiving data processing system that receives the one or more wireless signals from the transmitter and generates one or more audio or visual outputs based on the receiver receiving at least one of the one or more wireless signals, wherein said receiving data processing system is separate and distinct from the loading dock signal light assembly.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the receiving data processing system generates one or more vibratory outputs in response to the receiver receiving the one or more wireless signals.

3 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the receiving data processing system is one of a smart phone, tablet computer, or wearable device.

4 . The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein an app is downloadable to the receiving data processing system that utilizes that receiving data processing system's existing alert functions as the one or more audio or visual outputs.

5 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein one or both of said transmitting data processing system and said receiving data processing system is a distributed data processing system.

6 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the light sensor is removably mountable to said loading dock signal assembly.

7 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said transmitter periodically transmits said wireless signal to said receiving data processing system; and

said receiving data processing system automatically interprets said wireless signals to automatically determine whether to generate said one or more audio or visual outputs.

8 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said transmitter transmits said wireless signal to said receiving data processing system in response to a detected variation in said illumination of said loading dock signal light assembly.

9 . The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein said detected variation is a change from illumination of a red signal light to illumination of a green signal light on said loading dock signal light assembly.

10 . A loading dock signal light change indicator apparatus, comprising:

a transmitting data processing system that detects variations in illumination of a loading dock signal light assembly, and that generates one or more detection signals representative of the variations in illumination of said loading dock signal light assembly;

wherein said transmitting data processing system transmits one or more wireless signals based on the one or more detection signals; and

a receiving data processing system that receives the one or more wireless signals from the transmitting data processing system and generates one or more audio or visual outputs based on the receiver receiving the one or more wireless signals, wherein both of said transmitting data processing system and said receiving data processing system are separate and distinct from the loading dock signal light assembly.

11 . The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the receiving data processing system generates one or more vibratory outputs in response to the receiver receiving the one or more wireless signals.

12 . The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the receiving data processing system is one of a smart phone, a tablet computer, or a wearable device.

13 . The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein one or both of said transmitting data processing system and/or said receiving data processing system is a distributed data processing system.

14 . The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the transmitting data processing system is removably mountable to said loading dock signal assembly.

15 . The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein said transmitting data processing system periodically transmits said wireless signal to said receiving data processing system; and

said receiving data processing system automatically interprets said wireless signals to automatically determine whether to generate said one or more audio or visual outputs.

16 . The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein said transmitting data processing system transmits said wireless signal to said receiving data processing system in response to a detected variation in said illumination of said loading dock signal light assembly.

17 . The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein said detected variation is a change from illumination of a red signal light to illumination of a green signal light on said loading dock signal light assembly.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 20, 2023
From: COSHOW, ALBERT
To: LIGHT SPIKE IND. LLC
Reel/Frame 063388/0880 →
Continuity (3)
Continuation In Part 16931260 · Jul 16, 2020
Provisional Application 62869631 · Jul 2, 2019
Related Publication 20230159288A1 · May 25, 2023
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