Classic Automotive Innovations Awarded US Patent for Driving a Mechanical Speedometer via GPS

Classic Automotive Innovations, which blends cutting-edge technology with the original craftsmanship of classic cars, announced that it has received intellectual property protection in the form of U.S. Patent No. 9,802,487 entitled ‘Speedometer Drive System And Method’. This new patent, which was awarded by the United States Patent and Trademark Office on October 31, 2017, is a demonstration of CAI’s commitment to innovation and leadership in making classics and hot rods more drivable and reliable, in order to help keep these pieces of history on the road.

Personal experience and 100’s of forum posts from enthusiasts around the globe indicated that inaccurate speedometer readings were a widespread problem. Typically, this is caused by unavoidable or intentional changes such as transmission conversions or tire size changes made to the vehicles.

“Taking on the challenge, Classic Automotive Innovations looked for better ways to make the speedometer more accurate,” states Brian Induni, CEO. “And while simply keeping a smartphone with a GPS app in the car would give you the correct speed, our interest was in keeping the car as original as possible. Enthusiasts put a lot into restoring a car – it’s not too much to ask to have the gauges read correctly. Classic Speed is the product that we developed and patented. It has been in market since 2015. To have our invention recognized by the USPTO is a testament to CAI’s innovation in the automotive market, and exhibits our strength to our customers, partners, and investors.”

Tracking up to 22 satellites on 66 channels, there’s a small, active antenna that sits anywhere there is line of sight to the sky. It uses that signal to calculate ground speed, and then uses the internal software of the program to change that ground speed into a signal to drive an electric motor in the Classic Speed unit. Classic Speed takes the place of the transmission, the differential, or any other method, to drive the speedometer. Simply unscrew the speedometer cable from the original source and screw it onto the front of the Classic Speed unit. A quick 1 minute setup matches Classic Speed to a user’s own speedometer.

And since each speedometer is different and can change over time due to wear or a desire to move Classic Speed to another vehicle, this matching can be done as needed over the years. Since the mechanical speedometer is now connected directly to Classic Speed, the speed reading becomes ‘car independent’.

This patent award demonstrates the deep understanding by CAI to the needs of the classic automotive and hot rod industry. CAI’s research & development department continues to innovate for other changes coming about in the automotive space.

Details, user testimonials, and an installation photo gallery for Classic Speed can be found at  https://www.classicautoinnovations.com/

Media Contact:

Pam Induni

pam.induni@ClassicAutoInnovations.com

www.ClassicAutoInnovations.com

About Classic Automotive Innovations

Classic Automotive Innovations, LLC is a pioneer and leader in blending cutting-edge technology with the original craftsmanship of classic cars. There is a deep passion among classic owners to maintain originality; yet with the need for modern drivability and reliability to keep them on the road. CAI’s focus on research & development, production-ready proof-of-concepts, and extensive pilots bring innovative products to the millions of classic and hot rod enthusiasts around the globe. The automotive tech company was founded in 2015, and is headquartered in Portland, OR. For more information, visit www.ClassicAutoInnovations.com