Laser guided parking assistance device

• US 10,106,081 B2
• Filed: 07/22/2016
• Issued: 10/23/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fangqin Liu, Jiang Lu
• Original Assignee: Fangqin Liu, Jiang Lu
• Inventors: Lu, Jiang, Liu, Fangqin
• Primary Examiner(s): Bolourchi, Nader
• Application Number:
  US15/216,987
• Publication Number:
  US 20170021767A1
• Time in Patent Office: 823 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/004 using wave sensors radar designed for anti-collision purposes between land vehicles or between land vehicles and fixed obstacles G01S13/931
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/027 Parking aids, e.g. instruction means
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/024 in combination with a laser lasers per se H01S
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 10/10 Photovoltaic [PV]

Abstract

A laser guided parking assistance device and methods of operation are disclosed. An example laser guided parking assistance device includes a tilt switch to detect a vertical orientation of a horizontal orientation. The laser guided parking assistance device also includes a laser to emit a laser light beam in response to the tilt switch detecting the horizontal orientation. In an example, a laser guided parking assistance device is configured as a circuit including a battery power source, a laser diode connected in series with the battery power source, and a first tilt switch connected between the battery power source and the laser diode. The tilt switch opens in a vertical position to cut electrical power from the battery power source to the laser diode. The first tilt switch closes in a horizontal position to connect electrical power from the battery power source to the laser diode.

Claims

1. A laser guided parking assistance device for parking a vehicle in a parking structure, comprising:

a tilt switch for mounting on an overhead door of the parking structure, the tilt switch open when the overhead door is closed and the tilt switch closed when the overhead door reaches a horizontal position near a ceiling of the parking structure; and

a laser for mounting on the overhead door, the laser turned off by the tilt switch when the overhead door is closed, the laser turned on by the tilt switch when the overhead door reaches the horizontal position near the ceiling of the parking structure to emit a laser light beam onto a floor of the parking structure, the laser positioned at an angle to emit the laser light beam on the floor of the parking structure and as a vehicle moves into the parking structure the laser light beam appearing on a hood of the vehicle and then onto a windshield of the vehicle so that the laser light beam is shining at an angle behind the windshield as the vehicle approaches a desired parking position in the parking structure, the laser light beam split by glass of the windshield of the vehicle into two laser beams, such that one of the two laser beams shines through the windshield of the vehicle and casts a laser light dot onto a dashboard of the vehicle, and another one of the two laser beams is deflected off of the windshield of the vehicle and casts a laser light dot onto a wall of the parking structure in front of the vehicle;

wherein movement of the vehicle toward the wall of the parking causes the laser light dot on the dashboard of the vehicle to move to a different location on the dashboard of the vehicle, and the laser light dot on the wall of the parking structure to move to a different location on the wall of the parking structure as the vehicle travels to different positions in the parking structure so that a driver of the vehicle can monitor locations of both the laser light dot on the dashboard of the vehicle and the laser light dot on the wall of the parking structure as visual position references relative to known positions indicating the desired position of the vehicle in the parking structure to park the vehicle at the desired position in the parking structure.

2. The laser guided parking assistance device of claim 1, wherein the tilt switch is gravity sensing.

3. The laser guided parking assistance device of claim 1, further comprising a body housing the tilt switch and the laser.

4. The laser guided parking assistance device of claim 3, further comprising an attachment to attach the body to a garage door.

5. The laser guided parking assistance device of claim 1, further comprising a time delay circuit to turn off the laser when a garage door is kept in an open position.

6. The laser guided parking assistance device of claim 1, further comprising a battery providing power to the laser without need for a household electric source.

7. A laser guided parking assistance device for parking a vehicle in a garage, comprising:

a battery power source;

a laser diode for mounting on the garage door of the garage, the laser diode electrically connected in series with the battery power source; and

a first tilt switch for mounting on the garage door of the garage, the first tilt switch electrically connected between the battery power source and the laser diode, the tilt switch opening when the garage door is in a vertical position to cut electrical power from the battery power source to the laser diode, the first tilt switch closing when the garage door is in a horizontal position to connect electrical power from the battery power source to the laser diode to emit a laser light onto a windshield of a vehicle as the vehicle is reaching a desired parking position in the garage so that the laser light beam is split by glass of the windshield of the vehicle into two laser beams, such that one of the two laser beams shines through the windshield of the vehicle and casts a laser light dot onto a dashboard of the vehicle, and another one of the two laser beams is deflected off of the windshield of the vehicle and casts a laser light dot onto a wall of the garage in front of the vehicle;

wherein movement of the vehicle toward the wall of the garage causes the laser light dot on the dashboard of the vehicle to move to a different location on the dashboard of the vehicle, and the laser light dot on the wall of the garage to move to a different location on the wall of the garage as the vehicle travels to different positions in the parking structure so that a driver of the vehicle can monitor locations of both of the laser light dots on the dashboard and on the wall as visual position references relative to known positions indicating the desired position of the vehicle in the garage;

a resistor-capacitor time delay circuit, wherein a capacitor charges through a resistor when the garage door is left open, and when a voltage on the capacitor reaches a predetermined level, a MOSFET switches to turn off the laser diode; and

a second tilt switch providing a quick discharge path for the capacitor when the garage door is closed, the second tilt switch perpendicular to the first tilt switch so that the second tilt switch is closed when the garage door is closed, and the second tilt switch is open when the garage door is open.

8. The laser guided parking assistance device of claim 7, further comprising a resistor in series with the laser diode, the resistor setting electrical current to the laser diode to determine brightness of a laser beam generated by the laser diode.

9. The laser guided parking assistance device of claim 7, further comprising a voltage regular to provide a regulated voltage to drive the laser diode, to maintain a substantially constant light output even as the battery power source declines in power output.

10. The laser guided parking assistance device of claim 7, wherein the battery power source is a solar battery.

11. A method of operating laser guided parking assistance device for parking in a garage, comprising:

detecting by a tilt switch mounted on a garage door, an orientation of the garage door; and

emitting a laser light beam in response to the tilt switch detecting the horizontal orientation indicating an open garage door, the laser beam shining onto a windshield of a vehicle as the vehicle is reaching a desired parking position in the garage, the laser light beam shining at an angle selected based on a specific vehicle configuration to be behind the windshield of the vehicle when the vehicle approaches a desired parking position in the garage, the laser light beam split by glass of the winds yield of the vehicle into two laser light beams, such that one of the two laser light beams shines through the windshield of the vehicle and casts a laser light dot onto a dashboard of the vehicle, and another one of the two laser light beams is deflected off of the windshield of the vehicle and casts a laser light dot onto a wail of the garage in front of the vehicle;

wherein the vehicle moving toward the wall of the parking causes the two laser light dots to be visible at different locations on the dashboard of the vehicle and the wall of the garage as the vehicle travels to different positions in the garage so that a driver of the vehicle can monitor both the laser light dots as visual position references relative to known positions on the dashboard and the wall of the garage indicating the desired position of the vehicle in the garage so that the user can to park the vehicle at a desired position in the garage.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising the tilt switch opening in a vertical position to cut electrical power to a laser diode emitting the laser light beam, and the tilt switch closing in a horizontal position to power the laser diode.