Vehicle Velocity Visual Alert System With Discrete and Unambiguous Brake and "Stopped" Status Features to Reduce Rear-End Crashes
First Claim
1. A vehicle velocity visual alert system for use with a motor vehicle having a speedometer configured to indicate a speed at which the motor vehicle is traveling and a brake pedal configured to decrease the speed of the motor vehicle when depressed, comprising:
- a main alert device mounted to a rear portion of the motor vehicle, said main alert device having opposed ends and including a plurality of speed indicator lights positioned adjacent to one another between said opposed ends;
an auxiliary visual alert device selectively positioned in an interior cabin of the motor vehicle to which said main alert device is mounted, said auxiliary visual alert device having opposed ends and a plurality of auxiliary speed indicator lights being positioned adjacent to one another between said opposed ends;
a memory configured to store programming and data structures, said data structures including a speed look-up table associating predetermined speed ranges with respective speed indicator lights of said main alert device and with respective auxiliary speed indicator lights of said auxiliary visual alert device, wherein each of said predetermined speed ranges corresponds to a colored light band;
a processor electrically connected to said memory and configured to execute said programming, said processor being electrically connected to said main alert device and said auxiliary visual alert device and to the speedometer;
programming in said memory that when executed by said processor causes said processor to determine from the speedometer a present speed of the motor vehicle; and
programming in said memory that when executed by said processor causes said processor to determine from said speed look-up table which indicator light is associated with said present speed; and
programming in said memory that when executed by said processor causes said processor to energize said associated speed indicator light and said associated auxiliary speed indicator light.
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The Speed-Orientation-for-Safety Lights System or (SOS Lights), designed to reduce rear-end motor vehicle crashes, is a velocity-contingent rear and interior colored-lights visual alert system which signals real-time information from a lead car to following drivers via a processor-memory-speedometer-brake configuration that shows a lead vehicle'"'"'s: (1) actual and changing speeds; (2) degree of brake pressure when decelerating and (3) stationary status. The main alert device has a plurality of adjacent speed indicator lights with braking and stopped status elements. A processor memory is configured to store programming and speed and brake look-up tables associating speed ranges with activation of specific colored lights and braking speed with a brake pressure alert subsystem. The processor executes programming via the interconnectedness of the speedometer, accelerator, brake, brake pressure sensor and the main device.
-
Citations
25 Claims
-
1. A vehicle velocity visual alert system for use with a motor vehicle having a speedometer configured to indicate a speed at which the motor vehicle is traveling and a brake pedal configured to decrease the speed of the motor vehicle when depressed, comprising:
-
a main alert device mounted to a rear portion of the motor vehicle, said main alert device having opposed ends and including a plurality of speed indicator lights positioned adjacent to one another between said opposed ends; an auxiliary visual alert device selectively positioned in an interior cabin of the motor vehicle to which said main alert device is mounted, said auxiliary visual alert device having opposed ends and a plurality of auxiliary speed indicator lights being positioned adjacent to one another between said opposed ends; a memory configured to store programming and data structures, said data structures including a speed look-up table associating predetermined speed ranges with respective speed indicator lights of said main alert device and with respective auxiliary speed indicator lights of said auxiliary visual alert device, wherein each of said predetermined speed ranges corresponds to a colored light band; a processor electrically connected to said memory and configured to execute said programming, said processor being electrically connected to said main alert device and said auxiliary visual alert device and to the speedometer; programming in said memory that when executed by said processor causes said processor to determine from the speedometer a present speed of the motor vehicle; and programming in said memory that when executed by said processor causes said processor to determine from said speed look-up table which indicator light is associated with said present speed; and
programming in said memory that when executed by said processor causes said processor to energize said associated speed indicator light and said associated auxiliary speed indicator light. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
-
-
2. (canceled)
-
9. A vehicle velocity visual alert system for use with a motor vehicle having a speedometer indicative of a speed at which the motor vehicle is traveling and a brake pedal configured to decrease the speed of the motor vehicle, comprising:
-
a main alert device mounted to a rear portion of the motor vehicle, said main alert device having opposed ends and including a plurality of speed indicator lights positioned adjacent to one another between said opposed ends; an auxiliary visual alert device selectively positioned in an interior cabin of the motor vehicle to which said main alert device is mounted, said auxiliary visual alert device having opposed ends and a plurality of auxiliary speed indicator lights being positioned adjacent to one another between said opposed ends; a brake pedal pressure sensor electrically connected to the brake pedal and to said processor that is configured to indicate a degree of pressure being applied to the brake pedal, said main alert device including a plurality of brake indicator lights and a “
stopped”
status light, said brake indicator lights being activated according to said brake pressure sensor and said “
stopped”
status lights being energized if the speedometer of the motor vehicle indicates a speed equal to zero;a memory configured to store programming and data structures, said data structures include a speed look-up table associating predetermined speed ranges with respective speed indicator lights of said main alert device and with said auxiliary speed indicator lights of said auxiliary alert device and a brake pressure look-up table associating predetermined brake pressure values with respective brake indicator lights; a processor electrically connected to said memory and configured to execute said programming, said processor being electrically connected to said main alert device and to the speedometer; programming in said memory that when executed by said processor causes said processor to determine from the speedometer a present speed of the motor vehicle; programming in said memory that when executed by said processor causes said processor to determine from said speed look-up table which speed indicator light and which auxiliary speed indicator light is associated with said present speed; and programming in said memory that when executed by said processor causes said processor to energize said associated speed indicator light and said associated auxiliary speed indicator light. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
-
-
17. A method for visually alerting surrounding drivers to the velocity and braking status of a motor vehicle having an ignition switch sensor, a gear engagement sensor, a speedometer configured to indicate a speed at which the motor vehicle is traveling, and a brake pedal configured to decrease the speed of the motor vehicle when depressed, said method comprising the steps of:
-
providing a main alert device mounted to a rear portion of the motor vehicle, said main alert device including a plurality of speed indicator lights positioned adjacent to one another and a plurality of brake pressure indicator lights; providing a brake pedal pressure sensor electrically connected to the brake pedal, said brake pedal pressure sensor configured to detect an amount of pressure being exerted upon the brake pedal; providing an auxiliary alert device having a plurality of auxiliary speed indicator lights, a plurality of brake pressure indicator lights, and a pair of “
stopped”
status lights, said auxiliary alert device being configured to be positioned inside a cabin area of the vehicle to which said main alert device is mounted;determining from the speedometer a current speed of the motor vehicle; energizing a respective speed indicator light and a respective auxiliary speed indicator light associated with said current speed if said current speed is greater than zero; determining a current brake pressure detected by said brake pedal pressure sensor; and energizing a respective brake pressure indicator light associated with said current brake pressure; and wherein said main alert device includes a pair of “
stopped”
status lights at opposed ends of said main alert device and adjacent to said plurality of brake pressure indicator lights, said method further comprising the steps of;determining if the brake pressure of the motor vehicle is equal to zero; and energizing said pair of “
stopped”
status lights if said current speed is equal to zero. - View Dependent Claims (19, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
-
-
18. (canceled)
-
20. (canceled)
Specification