Vehicle Velocity Visual Alert System With Discrete and Unambiguous Brake and "Stopped" Status Features to Reduce Rear-End Crashes

• US 20140309856A1
• Filed: 04/15/2013
• Published: 10/16/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Angela M. Willson-Quayle
• Original Assignee: Angela M. Willson-Quayle
• Inventors: Willson-Quayle, Angela M.
• Application Number:
  US13/863,201
• Publication Number:
  US 20140309856A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/36
• 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

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.

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.

3. The vehicle velocity visual alert system as in claim 1, further comprising 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 received by the brake pedal, said main alert device including a plurality of brake indicator lights and a pair of “

stopped”

status lights;

said brake indicator lights being activated according to said brake pressure sensor and said “

stopped”

status lights being energized if a speed of the speedometer of the motor vehicle is equal to zero.

4. The vehicle velocity visual alert system as in claim 3, further comprising:

programming that when executed by said processor causes said processor to determine from said brake pedal pressure sensor a current brake pressure being applied to the brake pedal;

programming in said memory that when executed by said processor causes said processor to determine from said brake pressure look-up table which brake indicator light is associated with said current brake pressure; and

programming in said memory that when executed by said processor causes said processor to energize said associated brake indicator light.

5. The vehicle velocity visual alert system as in claim 4, further comprising a pair of brake pedal pressure light-bands that are subdivided into smaller equal-sized horizontal red light sub-bands that are configured to represent said current brake pressure.

6. The vehicle velocity visual alert system as in claim 5, wherein said red light sub-bands are energized sequentially and cumulatively as brake pressure on the brake pedal is increased and are extinguished in reverse order as brake pressure is decreased.

7. The vehicle velocity visual alert system as in claim 1, wherein said predetermined speed ranges are 80+ mph, 71 mph-80 mph, 61 mph-70 mph, 51 mph-60 mph, 41 mph-50 mph, 31 mph-40 mph, 21 mph-30 mph, 11 mph-20 mph, >

0-10 mph.

8. The vehicle velocity visual alert system as in claim 1, wherein said colored light-bands include a violet light-band, a pair of dark blue light-bands, a pair of light blue light-bands, a pair of dark green light-bands, a pair of light green light-bands, a pair of yellow light-bands, a pair of orange light-bands, a pair of pink light-bands and blends thereof.

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.

10. The vehicle velocity visual alert system as in claim 9, wherein said predetermined speed ranges each corresponds to a colored light-band.

11. The vehicle velocity visual alert system as in claim 10, wherein said predetermined speed ranges are 80+ mph, 71 mph-80 mph, 61 mph-70 mph, 51 mph-60 mph, 41 mph-50 mph, 31 mph-40 mph, 21 mph-30 mph, 11 mph-20 mph, >

0-10 mph.

12. The vehicle velocity visual alert system as in claim 10, wherein said colored light-bands include a violet light-band, a pair of dark blue light-bands, a pair of light blue light-bands, a pair of dark green light-bands, a pair of light green light-bands, a pair of yellow light-bands, a pair of orange light-bands, a pair of pink light-bands and blends thereof.

13. The vehicle velocity visual alert system as in claim 10, wherein each colored light-band has a clear light bulb and a plastic casing, said plastic casing being one of the violet light-band, a pair of dark blue light-bands, a pair of light blue light-bands, a pair of dark green light-bands, a pair of light green light-bands, a pair of yellow light-bands, a pair of orange light-bands, a pair of pink light-bands and blends thereof.

14. The vehicle velocity visual alert system as in claim 9, further comprising:

programming that when executed by said processor causes said processor to determine from said brake pedal pressure sensor a current brake pressure being applied to the brake pedal;

programming in said memory that when executed by said processor causes said processor to determine from said brake pressure look-up table which brake indicator light is associated with said current brake pressure; and

programming in said memory that when executed by said processor causes said processor to energize said associated brake indicator lights.

15. The vehicle velocity visual alert system as in claim 9, wherein said main alert device includes a pair of brake pedal pressure light-bands that are subdivided into smaller equal-sized horizontal red light sub-bands and configured to represent said current brake pressure.

16. The vehicle velocity visual alert system as in claim 15, wherein said red light sub-bands are energized sequentially and cumulatively when said brake pressure sensor indicates pressure on the brake pedal is increased and are extinguished in reverse order when said brake pressure sensor indicates pressure on the brake pedal is decreased.

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.

19. The method for visually alerting according to claim 17, further comprising de-energizing respective speed indicator lights not associated with said current speed.

21. The method of visually alerting according to claim 17, wherein each said speed indicator light includes a light-band having a color different from a color of any other light-band, each light-band color being associated with a speed range.

22. The method of visually alerting according to claim 17 wherein said main alert device includes a pair of brake pedal pressure light-bands that are subdivided into smaller, equal-sized horizontal red light sub-bands and configured to represent said current brake pressure.

23. The method for visually alerting as in claim 22, wherein said red light sub-bands are energized sequentially and cumulatively when said brake pressure sensor indicates pressure on the brake pedal is increased and are extinguished in reverse order when said brake pressure sensor indicates pressure on the brake pedal is decreased.

24. The method of visually alerting as in claim 22, wherein said “

stopped”

status lights are activated only when vehicle speedometer is at zero.

25. The method of visually alerting as in claim 17, further comprising:

determining if the ignition switch sensor is indicative of the vehicle having been started;

determining if the gear engagement sensor is indicative of the vehicle being in gear;

determining is said brake pressure is equal to zero; and

energizing a respective speed indicator light associated with a minimal speed if said current speed is equal to zero, said break pressure is equal to zero, said ignition sensor is indicative of the vehicle being started, and said gear engagement sensor is indicative of the vehicle being in gear.

18. (canceled)

20. (canceled)