Process and device for indicating braking power or delay in cars

• US 6,100,799 A
• Filed: 06/17/1997
• Issued: 08/08/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
• Original Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
• Inventors: Fenk, Johann
• Primary Examiner(s): TONG, NINA C
• Application Number:
  US08/877,577
• Time in Patent Office: 1,148 Days
• Field of Search: 340/467, 340/463, 340/468, 340/479, 340/471, 340/464, 307/10.8, 362/80
• US Class Current: 340/467
• 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 invention relates to a process and an arrangement for indicating the braking intensity or the deceleration of a vehicle. A signal generating device generates a signal corresponding to a deceleration of the vehicle, or a brake pedal force of the driver. An indicating device, which has at least two brake lights, indicates braking information assigned to the respective signal and a controller controls the indicating device on the basis of the signal provided by the signal generating device. The indicating device outputs various signals which correspond to various respective levels of braking intensity. The braking signal information is provided in a detailed form which does not have to be learned separately but which can be perceived directly by the driver based on knowledge already stored in the driver'"'"'s subconscious from normal driving operation and experience.

Claims

1. A process for indicating a braking intensity of a vehicle to a driver of a following vehicle, comprising:

generating a signal which corresponds to a level of deceleration of the vehicle,

displaying lighted areas on at least two brake lights mounted side by side,

controlling the lighted areas based upon said signal to vary the positions of said lighted areas to correspond to the level of deceleration, said variation of the lighted areas simulating at least one secondary visual signal directly perceived as a change in the level of deceleration by the driver of the following vehicle, said variation of the lighted areas comprising at least one of;

(a) moving the lighted areas upward as the level of deceleration increases;

(b) moving the lighted areas downward as the level of deceleration decreases;

(c) moving the lighted areas apart from each other as the level of deceleration increases; and

(d) moving the lighted areas toward each other as the level of deceleration decreases.

2. A process according to claim 1, wherein said variation of the lighted area further comprises increasing the size of said lighted areas as the level of deceleration increases, and decreasing the size of said lighted areas as the level of deceleration decreases.

3. A process according to claim 1, wherein said variation of the lighted area further comprises varying the color of the lighted area as the level of deceleration changes.

4. A process according to claim 1, wherein said variation of the lighted area further comprises increasing a light intensity of the lighted area as the level of deceleration increases, and decreasing the light intensity of the lighted area as the level of deceleration decreases.

5. A process according to claim 1, wherein said at least two brake lights will not light until a predetermined deceleration is reached.

6. A process according to claim 1, wherein the variation in the lighted areas corresponding to the deceleration is controlled to occur in discrete steps.

7. A process according to claim 1, wherein said lighted areas are controllable in a plurality of successive braking indication steps which correspond to increasing levels of said deceleration, and wherein when a signal corresponding to a given deceleration value is generated, all of said braking indication steps which correspond to a lower deceleration are successively passed through.

8. A process according to claim 1, wherein an operation of the brake pedal is analyzed to generate the signal.

9. A process according to claim 1, wherein a brake pressure in a brake circuit is analyzed to generate the signal corresponding to the deceleration.

10. A process according to claim 1, wherein an antilock braking system is analyzed to generate the signal corresponding to the deceleration.

11. A process according to claim 1, wherein a coefficient of friction between wheels of the motor vehicle and a road the vehicle is travelling on is analyzed to generate the signal corresponding to the deceleration.

12. A process according to claim 1, wherein the type of the operation of the gas pedal and/or the brake pedal is analyzed.

13. Arrangement for indicating a braking intensity of a vehicle to a driver of a following vehicle, said arrangement comprising:

a signal generating device which generates a signal corresponding to a level of deceleration of the vehicle,

at least two brake lights with lighted areas mounted side by side, and

a control device which controls the lighted areas based upon said signal to vary a position of said lighted areas to correspond to the level of deceleration, said variation of the lighted areas simulating at least one secondary visual signal directly perceived as a change in the level of deceleration by the driver of the following vehicle, said variation of the lighted areas comprising at least one of;

(a) moving the lighted areas upward as the level of deceleration increases;

(b) moving the lighted areas downward as the level of deceleration decreases;

(c) moving the lighted areas apart from each other as the level of deceleration increases; and

(d) moving the lighted areas toward each other as the level of deceleration decreases.

14. Arrangement according to claim 13, wherein said lighted areas are controllable in a plurality of successive braking indication steps which correspond to increasing levels of said deceleration, and wherein when a signal corresponding to a given deceleration value is generated, all of said braking indication steps which correspond to a lower deceleration are successively passed through.

15. An arrangement according to claim 13, wherein said variation of the lighted areas further comprises increasing the size of said lighted area as the level of deceleration increases, and decreasing the size of said lighted areas as the level of deceleration decreases.

16. An arrangement according to claim 13, wherein said variation of the lighted area consists of moving the lighted area upward as the level of deceleration increases, and moving the lighted area downward as the level of deceleration decreases.

17. An arrangement according to claim 13, wherein said variation of the lighted area further comprises varying the color of the lighted area as the level of deceleration changes.

18. An arrangement according to claim 13, wherein said variation of the lighted area further comprises increasing a light intensity of the lighted area as the level of deceleration increases, and decreasing the light intensity of the lighted area as the level of deceleration decreases.

19. A method for visually signaling a change in a level of deceleration of a vehicle to a driver of a following vehicle via at least two brake lights mounted side by side and having lighted areas which are variable in size and position, said method comprising the act of:

varying at least the position of said lighted areas to correspond to the level of deceleration, said variation of the lighted areas comprising at least one of;

(a) moving the lighted areas upward as the level of deceleration increases;

(b) moving the lighted areas downward as the level of deceleration decreases;

(c) moving the lighted areas apart from each other as the level of deceleration increases; and

(d) moving the lighted areas toward each other as the level of deceleration decreases.

20. A method according to claim 19, wherein said variation of the lighted areas includes increasing the size of said lighted areas as the level of deceleration increases, and decreasing the size of said lighted areas as the level of deceleration decreases.

21. A method according to claim 19, wherein said variation of the lighted area consists of moving the lighted area upward as the level of deceleration increases, and moving the lighted area downward as the level of deceleration decreases.

22. An arrangement for visually signaling a change in a level of deceleration of a vehicle to a driver of a following vehicle, said arrangement comprising:

at least two brake lights mounted side by side and having lighted areas which are variable in size and position; and

a control device controllingly coupled to said at least two brake lights to vary at least one of the size and the position of said lighted areas to correspond to the level of deceleration, said variation of the lighted areas comprising at least one of;

(a) moving the lighted areas upward as the level of deceleration increases;

(b) moving the lighted areas downward as the level of deceleration decreases;

(c) moving the lighted areas apart from each other as the level of deceleration increases; and

(d) moving the lighted areas toward each other as the level of deceleration decreases.

23. An arrangement according to claim 22, wherein said variation of the lighted areas includes increasing the size of said lighted areas as the level of deceleration increases.

24. An arrangement according to claim 22, wherein said variation of the lighted area consists of moving the lighted area upward as the level of deceleration increases, and moving the lighted area downward as the level of deceleration decreases.