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Proximity Broadcast Horn

Your honk alerts their electronics
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This is a rather crazed idea for a secondary horn that is used to alert people who know you of your presence, either with or without a sound. Normal horns simply don't do this job properly without leaving puzzled pedestrians behind.

When you get such a horn you get a number similar to a mobile phone number (and in one potential implementation the secondary horn could be a mobile phone) that people you tell it to register with their adapted home, vehicle or portable electronic devices.

The when you honk this horn people around are alerted that someone they know is near and their electronic device will tell someone who the honkers were as well. If they miss the alert it is treated like a missed call and they will have a log of missed honks that they can inspect.

Some devices can have an automatic responses, such as firing a ten gun salute, showering the honker with rose petals or displaying a personalised message.

This has no connection with the American fast food chain with a similar name ...

Aristotle, Apr 25 2010

Not this Restaurant http://www.hooters.com/home.aspx
For people who don't keep themselves abreast with American popular culture ... [Aristotle, Apr 25 2010]

[link]






       I like this plan. Even if my rendition of it would be to fit a ships horn to the roof. Not so quiet or subtle, but as there would only be one ships horn in town, everyone would know who it was.   

       Could also be used to stun and intimidate fools who are driving badly.   

       As usual, there is a flaw. I live near a port, so it wouldn't have it's unique sound here...
saedi, Apr 25 2010
  

       You appear to have mistaken the motor vehicle horn for some kind of audio handwave.   

       The purpose of the horn is to alert other road users to your presence and is most effective when used only in such circumstances.   

       Using your horn to pip at your mate who is staring into a shop window dilutes the original purpose.   

       Despite what the communications companies mightlike us to believe, it is NOT necessary to initiate an exchange with anyone you know whenever you see them. If you really care, stop, get out and speak to your friend. Otherwise, keep the horn as a warning.   

       Smelly bone.
Twizz, Apr 26 2010
  

       Hey, I'm just reporting on the current use locally and remarking on how inefficient it is. Usually I'm the puzzled pedestrian rather than the enthusiastic honker. I use my bell on my bicycle, for example, simply to alert people of my otherwise potentially silent progress.   

       Note that the idea can come without sound, by design.   

       This would take the practise of indiscriminate honking to another, more accurate level - if the adaptions to receive the non-audio signal became ubiquitous enough, of course ...
Aristotle, Apr 27 2010
  

       Aye, there are also proximity badges that people wear that go bleep when a potential match occurrs from another match holder.   

       I see this as replacing the use the car horn for alerting people of their proximity. The exisiting smart phone systems might even provide some infrastructure for these alerts to be processed.   

       Another example of the horn being misused, and where this could replace it, is someone honking for someone to leave a house after their they have pulled up their car. This device means that the intended people could detect the driver without the whole neighbourhood having to ponder such random honking.   

       Originality could well be a valid method to strike out this idea but I believe in a world where people honk in the most effective way possible ...
Aristotle, Apr 27 2010
  

       Bun for the possibility of using this to play high speed proximity tag.
(mans)laughter, Apr 27 2010
  

       // when a potential match occurrs //   

       "Close Cover Before Striking" ?
8th of 7, Apr 27 2010
  
      
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