System and method of changing vehicle color according to risk

• US 8,791,811 B2
• Filed: 08/06/2012
• Issued: 07/29/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/26/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Inventors: Park, Seung Hwan
• Primary Examiner(s): TRIEU, VAN THANH
• Application Number:
  US13/567,593
• Publication Number:
  US 20130162447A1
• Time in Patent Office: 722 Days
• Field of Search: 340/435, 340/436, 340/463, 340/464, 340/467, 340/468, 340/471, 340/479, 340/901, 340/903, 701/301, 348/148, 348/149, 367/101, 367/909, 180/169, 180/197
• US Class Current: 340/468
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/50 for indicating other intentions or conditions, e.g. request for waiting or overtaking
• 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

Abstract

Disclosed are a system of changing a vehicle color and a method of changing a vehicle color according to a risk of an accident. According to the present invention, a driver of a vehicle and a surrounding pedestrian and drivers of other vehicles can easily recognize a risk situation and take measurement according to the recognized risk situation, such that it is possible to safely drive the vehicle.

Claims

1. A system of changing a color of a vehicle, comprising:

an information acquiring sensor configured to acquire surrounding information including information of a relative distance, position, and direction angle with respect to a surrounding environment of the vehicle;

a risk measuring unit configured to measure a risk through the acquired surrounding information and through dynamic information including a velocity, acceleration and a driving direction of the vehicle;

a plurality of color emitting units disposed at a plurality of positions arranged around the vehicle, each color emitting unit being controllable to emit light in a plurality of colors; and

a color determining unit configured to determine any of the plurality of positions at which the risk is higher than a threshold, and to determine, for each determined high-risk position, one of the plurality of colors in which the color emitting unit at said each position emits the light, based on the acquired surrounding information and the measured risk.

2. The system of changing a vehicle color of claim 1, wherein the information acquiring sensor acquires image information by using a charge-coupled device (CCD), a complementary metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (CMOS), or a photodetector.

3. The system of changing a vehicle color of claim 1, wherein the information acquiring sensor measures a distance up to a surrounding object by using a laser or an ultrasound wave.

4. The system of changing a vehicle color of claim 1, wherein the information acquiring sensor receives situation information from a surrounding vehicle or an infrastructure.

5. The system of changing a vehicle color of claim 1, wherein the information acquiring sensor is attached to an outside of the vehicle to acquire the surrounding information.

6. The system of changing a vehicle color of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of color emitting units is attached to the vehicle or forms a portion of the vehicle.

7. The system of changing a vehicle color of claim 6, wherein if one of the color emitting units is attached to the vehicle, the vehicle further includes a transparent layer capable of transmitting light on an outside of the vehicle, and the color emitting unit is disposed at a lower portion of the transparent layer.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of positions arranged around the vehicle are arranged at the front, the rear and two sides of the vehicle.

9. A method of changing a color of a vehicle according to a risk, comprising:

an information acquiring step of acquiring surrounding information including information of a relative distance, position, and direction angle with respect to a surrounding environment of the vehicle;

a risk measuring step of measuring the risk through the acquired surrounding information and through dynamic information including a velocity, acceleration and a driving direction of the vehicle;

a color determining step of determining any of a plurality of color emitting positions arranged around the vehicle at which the risk is higher than a threshold, and determining, for each determined high-risk position, one of a plurality of colors in which a color emitting unit at said each position emits light, based on the acquired surrounding information and the measured risk; and

a color emitting step of the color emitting unit at each determined high-risk position emitting the light in the determined color.

10. The method of changing a vehicle color of claim 9, wherein the information acquiring step includes acquiring image information by using a charge-coupled device (CCD), a complementary metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (CMOS), or a photodetector.

11. The method of changing a vehicle color of claim 9, wherein the information acquiring step includes measuring a distance up to a surrounding object by using a laser or an ultrasound wave.

12. The method of changing a vehicle color of claim 9, wherein the information acquiring step includes receiving situation information from a surrounding vehicle or an infrastructure.

13. The method of changing a vehicle color of claim 9, wherein the information acquiring step includes acquiring the surrounding information through at least one information acquiring sensor that is attached to the vehicle.

14. The method of changing a vehicle color of claim 9, wherein each of the color emitting units is attached to the vehicle or forms a portion of the vehicle.

15. The method of changing a vehicle color of claim 14, wherein if one of the color emitting units is attached to the vehicle, the color emitting step further includes emitting the light through a transparent layer formed on an outside of the vehicle, the one color emitting unit being disposed at a lower portion of the transparent layer.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein the plurality of color emitting positions arranged around the vehicle are arranged at the front, the rear and two sides of the vehicle.