Exterior lighting and warning system

• US 10,112,528 B1
• Filed: 07/27/2016
• Issued: 10/30/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Mazuir, Clarisse, Zhang, Arthur Y., Golko, Albert J., Varghese, Bivin J., Child, Christopher P., Palmer, Collin J., Potter, Daniel E., Stefanov-Wagner, Thaddeus
• Primary Examiner(s): Cheung, Calvin
• Application Number:
  US15/221,376
• Time in Patent Office: 825 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/0035 relative to the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/268 on windscreens or windows B60Q1/302 takes precedence; lighting devices for vehicle interior on or for windows B60Q3/208
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/28 for indicating front of vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/302 mounted in the vicinity, e.g. in the middle, of a rear window
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/44 for indicating braking action or preparation for braking, e.g. by detection of the foot approaching the brake pedal
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/444 with indication of the braking strength or speed changes, e.g. by changing shape or intensity of the indication B60Q1/1407, B60Q1/442, B60Q1/447 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/503 using luminous text or symbol displays in or on the vehicle, e.g. static text
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/507 specific to autonomous vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/525 automatically indicating risk of collision between vehicles in traffic or with pedestrians, e.g. after risk assessment using the vehicle sensor data
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/54 for indicating speed outside of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/543 for indicating other states or conditions of the vehicle indicating taxis' state of hire or fare G07B13/045
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/549 for expressing greetings, gratitude or emotions
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2900/50 Arrangements to reconfigure features of lighting or signalling devices, or to choose from a list of pre-defined settings
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 5/006 indicating risk of collision between vehicles or with pedestrians
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 17/22 Devices for monitoring or checking brake systems; Signal devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 7/12 for automatic initiation; for initiation not subject to will of driver or passenger limiting speed of vehicles other than rail vehicles B60K31/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/021 specially adapted to land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/00 Control arrangements or circuits, of interest only in connection with visual indicators other than cathode-ray tubes

Abstract

A vehicle may have vehicle controls that are used in steering, braking, and accelerating the vehicle. The vehicle may have sensors that gather information on vehicle speed, orientation, and position. The sensors may also gather information on relative speed between the vehicle and a following vehicle, information on risks of a collision between a vehicle and an external object, and other vehicle status information and vehicle operating environment information. Control circuitry may use light-based devices to display braking information, information on vehicle speed, the relative speed between a vehicle and a following vehicle, autonomous driving mode status information, custom brake light information or other user-selected information, or other information on vehicle status and the operating environment of a vehicle.

Claims

1. A vehicle system for a vehicle that is being driven by a driver, wherein the vehicle is being followed by a following vehicle, the system comprising:

control circuitry;

at least one sensor with which the control circuitry determines a relative speed between the vehicle and the following vehicle; and

a light-based device that emits light, wherein the control circuitry adjusts the light-based device in response to the relative speed, wherein the control circuitry directs the light-based device to display information on the relative speed, and wherein the control circuitry directs the light-based device to display alphanumeric characters representing the relative speed.

2. The vehicle system defined in claim 1 wherein the light-based device comprises light-emitting diodes.

3. The vehicle system defined in claim 1 further comprising wireless circuitry, wherein the control circuitry transmits information wirelessly with the wireless circuitry based on the sensor data.

4. The vehicle system defined in claim 1 wherein the vehicle has a rear, the vehicle system further comprising a brake sensor that detects how strongly the driver is braking the vehicle, wherein the light-based device comprises one of a plurality of light-based devices on the rear of the vehicle, and wherein the control circuitry adjusts the light-based devices on the rear of the vehicle in response to how strongly the driver is braking the vehicle.

5. A vehicle system for a vehicle that is being driven by a driver, wherein the vehicle is being followed by a following vehicle, the system comprising:

control circuitry;

at least one sensor with which the control circuitry determines a relative speed between the vehicle and the following vehicle; and

a light-based device that emits light, wherein the control circuitry adjusts the light-based device in response to the relative speed, wherein the control circuitry directs the light-based device to display information on the relative speed, wherein the control circuitry processes data from the at least one sensor to determine when there is a risk of a collision between the vehicle and an object, and wherein the control circuitry takes action in response to detecting the risk of the collision.

6. The vehicle system defined in claim 5 wherein the action taken by the control circuitry comprises emitting light with the light-based device.

7. The vehicle system defined in claim 5 further comprising an audio output device, wherein the action taken by the control circuitry comprises producing an audible output with the audio output device.

8. A vehicle system for a vehicle that is being driven at a speed, the system comprising:

at least one sensor that measures the speed at which the vehicle is being driven;

a light-based device that emits light representing the speed;

control circuitry that processes sensor data from the sensor and that adjusts the light-based device in response to the speed;

at least one additional sensor with which the control circuitry measures braking of the vehicle by the driver; and

at least four additional light-based devices that the control circuitry progressively illuminates in response to detection of corresponding progressively increasing amounts of measured braking, wherein at least one of the additional four light-based devices is a transparent device that overlaps a window in the vehicle and displays an icon.

9. A vehicle system for a vehicle that is being driven at a speed, the system comprising:

at least one sensor that measures the speed at which the vehicle is being driven;

a light-based device that emits light representing the speed;

control circuitry that processes sensor data from the sensor and that adjusts the light-based device in response to the speed;

vehicle controls that control steering, acceleration, and braking for the vehicle; and

an additional light-based device that emits light, wherein the control circuitry operates in an autonomous mode in which the control circuitry autonomously drives the vehicle using the vehicle controls, and wherein the control circuitry adjusts the additional light-based device in response to operating the vehicle in the autonomous mode.

10. The vehicle system defined in claim 9 wherein the control circuitry directs the additional light-based device to display a given text message in response to operating in the autonomous mode.

11. The vehicle system defined in claim 10 wherein the text message is a warning message and wherein the control circuitry displays the warning message in response to a change in vehicle status.

12. The vehicle system defined in claim 11 wherein the change in vehicle status is a decrease in vehicle speed and wherein the warning message comprises alphanumeric characters displayed on the additional light-based device.

13. The vehicle defined in claim 12 further comprising a body having a front, rear, and sides and wherein the additional light-based device provides illumination for the vehicle in a lighting region that extends in a horizontal strip across at least the front of the body.

14. A vehicle system for a vehicle that is being driven at a speed, the system comprising:

at least one sensor that measures the speed at which the vehicle is being driven;

a light-based device that emits light representing the speed;

control circuitry that processes sensor data from the sensor and that adjusts the light-based device in response to the speed;

a body having a rear;

an additional light-based device that emits light in a brake light region on the rear; and

a user input device that receives input from a user of the vehicle, wherein the control circuitry directs the brake light region to display a custom brake light pattern in the brake light region based on the input received from the user.

15. The vehicle system defined in claim 14 further comprising:

at least one display that displays alphanumeric characters on the rear.

16. The vehicle system defined in claim 15 further comprising:

additional sensors that gather information on vehicle operating status, wherein the control circuitry adjusts the alphanumeric characters that are displayed based at least partly on the vehicle operating status.

17. A vehicle system for a vehicle that is being driven at a speed, the system comprising:

at least one sensor that measures the speed at which the vehicle is being driven;

a light-based device that emits light representing the speed;

control circuitry that processes sensor data from the sensor and that adjusts the light-based device in response to the speed;

a body;

at least one additional sensor with which the control circuitry detects a person outside of the body; and

an additional light-based device that emits light at a location outside of the body, wherein the control circuitry uses the light-based device to display text for the person outside of the vehicle in response to detecting the person.