VEHICLE PROXIMITY WARNING SYSTEM

• US 20170178512A1
• Filed: 12/18/2015
• Published: 06/22/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avraham Zaken, Serge Kannon
• Original Assignee: Avraham Zaken, Serge Kannon
• Inventors: Kannon, Serge, Zaken, Avraham
• Granted Patent: US 9,787,951 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/249 for illuminating the field of view of a sensor or camera
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/2696 Mounting of devices using LEDs
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/535 to prevent rear-end collisions, e.g. by indicating safety distance at the rear of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 5/006 indicating risk of collision between vehicles or with pedestrians
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/005 using a video camera
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/007 providing information about the distance to an obstacle, e.g. varying sound
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/008 for anti-collision purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/08 Registering or indicating performance data other than driving, working, idle, or waiting time, with or without registering driving, working, idle or waiting time
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/085 using electronic data carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/168 Driving aids for parking, e.g. acoustic or visual feedback on parking space
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/185 from a mobile camera, e.g. for remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/188 Capturing isolated or intermittent images triggered by the occurrence of a predetermined event, e.g. an object reaching a predetermined position signal generation from motion picture films H04N5/253

Abstract

A vehicle proximity warning system, installed in a primary vehicle having a front, a rear, a front bumper, a rear bumper, a horn, a front windshield, and a rear window, and an associated smartphone. Sensor bars are mounted near the front and rear bumpers for determining a proximity distance of a secondary vehicle as it approaches, each sensor bar having an accelerometer and a camera for detecting a collision with the secondary vehicle and acquiring images thereof that are wirelessly shared with the smartphone. Indicator bars are located in the front windshield and rear window and each have indicator LEDs that are successively illuminated as the proximity distance decreases, to provide a visual indication that can be seen by the secondary vehicle. When the proximity distance falls below a predetermined danger threshold, the system sounds the horn, flashes the indicator LEDs, and activates the camera.

Claims

1. A vehicle proximity warning system, installed within a primary vehicle having a front and rear, a front windshield toward the front, a rear window toward the rear, and a front and rear bumper, for warning of the approach of a secondary vehicle, comprising:

at least one sensor bar, located near one of the bumpers of the primary vehicle, the sensor bar adapted for detecting a proximity distance of the secondary vehicle with respect to said bumper, the sensor bar having a camera adapted for acquiring images of the secondary vehicle and an accelerometer for detecting collision with said bumper;

at least one indicator bar, the indicator bar having a plurality of distance indicator LEDs, the indicator bar located in the primary vehicle in the one of the front windshield and rear window that is closest to the bumper having the sensor bar so that the indicator bar and its distance indicator LEDs are visible to the secondary vehicle when near said bumper; and

a processing unit, for individually activating the distance indicator LEDs in the sensor bar, wherein more distance indicator LEDs are activated as the proximity distance decreases, and adapted for acquring and storing images of the secondary vehicle from the camera when the proximity distance is below a predetermined threshold and when the accelerometer detects a collision with the bumper.

2. The vehicle proximity warning system as described in claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor bar further comprises front and rear sensor bars, the front sensor bar located at the primary vehicle front and the rear sensor bar located at the primary vehicle rear, and wherein the at least one indicator bar, comprises indicator bars located near the front windshield and rear window of the primary vehicle.

3. The vehicle proximity warning system as described in claim 2, wherein the primay vehicle has a constant power connection, a switched power connection, and a reverse gear signal;

wherein the processing unit is connected to the switched power connection, and wherein the processing unit automatically enters a parked mode when the switched power connection is active, and automatically enters a driven mode when the switched power connection is not active, such that in the parked mode both sensor bars and their associated indicator bars are active, and in the driven mode the sensor bars at the primary vehicle rear and primary vehicle front are normally deactivated but are activated for a predetermined time after the reverse gear signal is active.

4. The vehicle proximity warning system as recited in claim 3, further comprising a smartphone, and a wireless data transceiver in communication with the processing unit for communicating images and data acquired by the processing unit from one of the sensor bars to the smartphone.

5. The vehicle proximity warning system as recited in claim 4, wherein each sensor bar has at least one illumination LED next to the camera on said sensor bar, the illumination LED is activated to facilitate image capture by the camera when the proximity distance to the sensor bar is below a predetermined distance.

6. The vehicle proximity warning system as recited in claim 5, wherein each sensor bar has a housing having a first end, a second end, an outward side and a vehicle mounting side, one of its proximity sensors is located near the first end, the other proximity sensor located near the second end, the camera is substantially centerd between the first end and second end, and the at least one illumination LED is located alongside the camera.

7. A vehicle proximity warning system, installed within a primary vehicle having a front and rear, a front windshield toward the front and bordered by windshield pillars, a rear window toward the rear, and a front and rear bumper, for warning of the approach of a secondary vehicle, comprising:

a pair of sensor bars, including a first sensor bar located near the front bumper of the primary vehicle and a second sensor bar located near the rear bumper of the primary vehicle, each sensor bar adapted for detecting a proximity distance of the secondary vehicle with respect to said bumper, each sensor bar having a camera adapted for acquiring images of the secondary vehicle and an accelerometer for detecting collision with said bumper;

at least two indicator bars, each indicator bar having a plurality of distance indicator LEDs, at least one of the the indicator bars located in the front windshield along one of the windshield pillars and at least one of the indicator bars located in the rear window so that each indicator bar and its distance indicator LEDs are adapted to be visible to the secondary vehicle when it approaches one of the front bumper and the rear bumper; and

a processing unit, for individually activating the distance indicator LEDs in the sensor bar, wherein more distance indicator LEDs are activated as the proximity distance decreases, and for acquiring and storing images of the secondary vehicle from the camera when the proximity distance is below a predetermined threshold and when the accelerometer detects a collision with the bumper.

8. The vehicle proximity warning system as recited in claim 7, further comprising a smartphone, and a wireless data transceiver in communication with the processing unit for communicating images and data acquired by the processing unit from one of the sensor bars to the smartphone.

9. The vehicle proximity warning system as recited in claim 8, wherein each sensor bar has a housing having a first end, a second end, an outward side and a vehicle mounting side, one of its proximity sensors is located near the first end, the other proximity sensor located near the second end, the camera is substantially centered between the first end and second end, and the at least one illumination LED is located alongside the camera.

10. The vehicle proximity warning system as recited in claim 9, wherein the primary vehicle has a constant power connection, a switched power connection, and a reverse gear signal;

wherein the processing unit is connected to the switched power connection, and wherein the processing unit automatically enters a parked mode when the switched power connection is active, and automatically enters a driven mode when the switched power connection is not active, such that in the parked mode both sensor bars and their associated indicator bars are active, and in the driven mode the sensor bars at the primary vehicle rear and primary vehicle front are normally deactivated but are activated for a predetermined time after the reverse gear signal is active.

11. The vehicle proximity warning system as recited in claim 10, wherein each sensor bar has at least one illumination LED next to the camera on said sensor bar, the illumination LED is activated to facilitate image capture by the camera when the proximity distance to the sensor bar is below a predetermined distance.

12. A vehicle proximity warning method, for warning of the approach of a secondary vehicle to a primary vehicle, the primary vehicle having front and rear bumpers, a front windshield, a rear window, and indicator bars in the front windshield and rear window that each have distance indicator LEDs, and sensor bars at the front and rear bumpers that each have proximity sensors and a camera, comprising the steps of:

determining a proximity distance between the sensor bar and the secondary vehicle;

providing a warning display visible to the secondary vehicle by illuminating at least one distance indicator LEDs as the proximity distance falls below the display range and illuminating more distance indicator LEDs as the proximity distance decreases;

activating the camera when the proximity distance is less than a predetermined danger threshold; and

capturing and recording images of the secondary vehicle from the camera when the accelerometer detects a collision.

13. The vehicle proximity warning method as recited in claim 12, wherein the primary vehicle has a horn, and wherein the step of activating the camera further comprises flashing the distance indicator LEDs and activating the horn when the proximity distance is less than the predetermined danger threshold.

14. The vehicle proximity warning method as recited in claim 13, wherein a smartphone is associated with the primary vehicle, and wherein the step of capturing and recording images from the camera when the accelerometer detects a collision is followed by the step of transmitting images and event data regarding the collision to the smartphone.

15. The vehicle proximity warning method as recited in claim 14, wherein the primary vehicle has a switched power connection and a reverse gear signal, wherein the step of determining a proximity distance is disabled when the switched power connection is active unless one of the reverse gear signals is active, and the reverse gear signal was active within a predetermined prior time period.