Automotive vehicle early open door warning system

• US 8,963,701 B2
• Filed: 08/08/2008
• Issued: 02/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alejandro Rodriguez Barros, Jose Manuel Rodriguez Fernandez
• Original Assignee: Alejandro Rodriguez Barros, Jose Manuel Rodriguez Fernandez
• Inventors: Rodriguez Barros, Alejandro, Rodriguez Fernandez, Jose Manuel
• Primary Examiner(s): Zimmerman, Brian
• Assistant Examiner(s): MCCORMACK, THOMAS S
• Application Number:
  US12/672,772
• Publication Number:
  US 20110260848A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,391 Days
• Field of Search: 340/438, 340/468, 340/457, 340/425.5, 340/426, 340/473, 340/545, 340/430, 340/431, 340/568, 340/693, 340/321, 340/541, 340/463, 340/471, 307/49.1, 307/10.1, 307/9.1
• US Class Current: 340/438
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/2665 on rear-view mirrors lighting devices for vehicle interior on or for rear-view mirrors B60Q3/258
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/324 for signalling that a door is open or intended to be opened

Abstract

The invention relates to an automotive vehicle early open door warning system, including a first light device arranged in a first external area of a side of the vehicle, for emitting a warning light signal, prior to the opening of a door, a second light device arranged in a second area of the side of the vehicle spaced from the first area for emitting a warning light signal, and an electronic controller circuit in connection with the light devices, for controlling the first light device so that it emits the warning light signal prior to the opening of the door and the second light device so that it emits the warning light signal prior to or during the opening of the door.

Claims

1. An automotive vehicle early open door warning system, for preventing external collisions with pedestrians or vehicles traveling in a dangerous side passageway or adjacent side area parallel to the axis of travel of the automotive vehicle when the latter is stopped with or without the engine running, comprising:

a single light source arranged in a first external area of a side with respect to a vertical longitudinal mid-plane of said automotive vehicle and located in an external side mirror assembly, including at least one casing or cover casing, a frame casing and a plate glass-mirror assembly, for emitting at least one warning light signal to the front, rear and side of the vehicle, prior to the opening of a door of said side, visible from at least eye points located in a side passageway or side area adjacent to said vehicle, when said door is closed and with the side mirrors in a normal operating position and in a folded position;

said single light source easily visible by the driver with the side mirrors in the normal operating position and in the folded position;

at least one first sensor-detector-switch associated with an interior operating element used to open said door, said first sensor-detector-switch being suitable for detecting when said operating element, which is at least one of the group comprising the following operating elements;

interior handle exterior handle, button, cable applying traction which operates the locks, lock-catch assembly, or a combination thereof, is operated in an initial phase and produces a signal or closes a contact; and

an electronic controller circuit in connection with said first sensor-detector-switch with said single light source, said electronic controller circuit for controlling the single light source providing said warning light signal to the front, rear, and side of the vehicle so that it emits said warning light signal and for

a simultaneous activation of said light indicator capturing the attention of the driver upon closing the contact or receiving a signal through the first sensing-detecting-switch device and even if no vehicle or cyclist is approaching,

wherein light is provided through a light outlet conveying one part of the illumination of said single light source, so that at the same time part of the light is projected towards the rear and at the same time is visible by the driver eyes attracting the attention of the driver toward the mirror.

2. The system according to claim 1 wherein said single light source is a turn signal device operating with a different frequency from the periodic light signal indication to turn.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein said single light source is provided by a turn signal device operating with a different frequency from the periodic light signal indication to turn.

4. The system according to claim 1 further comprising at least one second light device, arranged in a second area for at least one side of said automotive vehicle spaced from said first area, for emitting at least one warning light signal visible from any of said eye points located in said side passageway, said second light device being connected with said electronic controller circuit, for controlling said second light device so that it emits said warning light signal which is initiated right before and/or during the action of acting on the lock or catches of said door.

5. The system according to claim 4, wherein said warning light signal emitted by said second light device is visible when the door is not completely closed.

6. The system according to claim 4, further comprising a second sensor-detector-switch in connection with said electronic controller circuit and arranged in the automotive vehicle for detecting the opening of at least said door, the electronic controller circuit being suitable for making the second light device start to emit said warning light signal when said second sensor-detector-switch detects the opening or movement of the door.

7. The system according to claim 4, wherein said second area forms part of an edge of the door or of an internal area of the door, or of said external side of the automotive vehicle which is visible from behind, such as the warning light signal (FL-OD) emitted by the second light device, when the door is open within a range of angular positions, which includes the positions of the door when the latter blocks vision from behind of the light signal emitted towards the rear by the single light source.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein one of said warning light signals emitted by said single light source and visible from said rear eye points located in said side passageway is provided by a module or light outlet of independent construction with respect to another source of said light signals emitted by the single light source, but associated in operation therewith, said module visible from behind being isolated since it is located in at least one of the following parts of said external side mirror assembly:

in the frame-casing, in which case it emits a light signal visible from behind,

in a position of the frame-casing below the plane of the plate glass-mirror assembly, in which case it emits a light signal visible from behind,

in the plate glass-mirror assembly or thereunder, in which case it emits a light signal visible from behind,

in the edge of the plate glass-mirror assembly, in which case it emits a light signal visible from behind, and

in a complementary optical light outlet towards the rear located in the frame of the casing or in the frame of the plate glass using the same light source of said light signal emitted by the single light source, said optical light outlet being visible by the eyes of the driver with the function of serving to locate the plate glass-mirror assembly upon activating the system.

9. The system according to claim 1, further comprising at least one external sensor system in connection with said electronic controller circuit, or another controller associated therewith in a network, suitable for detecting the Intrusion and the approach of vehicles in said dangerous side passageway, based on the reflection of radio waves or radar, ultrasound, digital camera with an interface that analyzes images, infra red emitter-receiver, or Hall-type magnetic sensors, or laser scanner, which are activated together with the system for emitting, as a response, a sound or visual alert, or blocking for an instant or delaying the opening of the door when said open door warning system Is activated from inside the vehicle.

10. The system according to claim 4, wherein said electronic controller circuit or other associated controller is suitable for controlling, in addition to said second light device, a third light device which is arranged in the knob of the gear shift lever and or in the frame adjacent to said lever and or In the internal rearview mirror and/or in the support of said internal rearview mirror, or in any command display, which commands are perceived from the position of the driver, so that it emits the respective light signal as an indicator of the locked or unlocked state of the locks, related to the speed or stopped state of the vehicle, or state of its locks and of the response to external sensors or intercommunication between vehicles.

11. The system according to claim 1, further comprising an internal acoustic warning device arranged in the interior of the vehicle, and in connection with at least said electronic controller circuit or integrated in said circuit controller or said interior handle such that they form an assembly associated and or in connection with internal equipment of the automotive vehicle which reproduces sound, suitable for emitting an acoustic warning or a message with a predetermined frequency, formed by sounds or a modifiable recordable spoken message simultaneously with said first warning light signal activation.

13. The system according to claim 9, wherein the electronic controller circuit is suitable for reacting to the stimulus of said external sensors performing individual or combined operations while at the same time it keeps the single light source operating according to said open door early warning function, said individual or combined operations being the following:

A. blocking the opening of the door, after which time it can be opened by pushing any additional unblock button, or operating again;

B. delaying the opening of the door an instant;

C. alerting with light or acoustic signals of a dangerous situation by means of a spoken message signs, or written In the display of the instruments-or by a light indicator, or using the light signal acting as an internal locater of the handle, or the light signals in the gear shift lever or in the adjacent frame, or in the internal rearview mirror or any other internal acoustic or visual signal that can be perceived as a stimulus-warning by the passengers or driver of said vehicle; and

D. varying the frequency of the external or internal open door light or sound signal.

14. The system according to claim 1, wherein said operating element is an exterior element or an element that can be activated from outside the vehicle, the system being enabled to operate when the operating element has been activated from outside by a user when getting in the automotive vehicle, and once the catches of its doors have been released.

15. The system according to claim 10, wherein the electronic controller circuit is suitable for activating at least one of said single light source and or other devices for carrying out equal or different functions, according to an operation by time intervals, said time intervals being at least one and being equal in time or different from one another, adjustable and able to be continuously restarted.

16. The system according to claim 9, wherein said electronic controller circuit is suitable for activating and keeping the open door warning signals and said external sensors operating upon the first movement of said interior handle and upon repeating said movement of the interior handle opening the lock associated in operation and keeping the open door warning signals operating.

17. The system according to claim 6, wherein said second sensor-detector-switch is also associated with several internal locater lights located in the doors, their handles, or in a location visible to the eyes of the driver, or associated with external light signal devices of the system with external sound indicators or internal sound Indicators to indicate when a door is poorly closed and which is at least perceived from outside said vehicle.

18. The system according to claim 1, wherein the elements forming the system are assembled in an automotive vehicle as replacement assemblies to replace similar parts which cannot produce nor be associated in operation with said open door warning function, or as integrated assemblies of series sharing parts such as their circuit interface, wiring, connector, or support-structure and are:

interior handle with switch-sensor,

side mirror assembly with signals,

plate glass-signal assembly,

plate glass-signal-antenna assembly,

cover casing assembly with location signal device and/or turn front signal device,

cover casing assembly with front light locater for daytime/nighttime use,

second sensor-detector-switch assembly integrated in a module with second light emitter device emitting a warning signal, or structure, said module arranged being in said second area forming part of said edge of the door, or

being integrated in said assemblies with an electronic controller circuit which operates the system.

12. An automotive vehicle early open door warning system, for preventing external collisions with pedestrians or vehicles traveling in a dangerous side passageway or adjacent side area parallel to the axis of travel of the vehicle or when the latter is stopped with or without the engine running, comprising:

a single light source arranged in a first external area of a side with respect to a vertical longitudinal mid-plane of said automotive vehicle and located in an external side mirror assembly, including at least one casing or cover casing, a frame casing and a plate glass-mirror assembly, for emitting at least one first warning light signal to the front, rear and side of the vehicle, prior to the opening of a door of said side, visible from at least eye points located in a side passageway or side area adjacent to said vehicle, when said door is closed and with the side mirrors in a normal operating position and in a folded position;

said single light source is located in an external side mirror assembly, including at least one casing or cover casing, a frame casing, a plate glass-mirror assembly thereof which connects it to the bodywork,

an internal acoustic warning device arranged in the interior of the vehicle;

at least one first sensor-detector-switch associated with an interior operating element used to open said door, said first sensor-detector-switch for detecting when said operating element, which is at least one of the group comprising the following operating elements;

interior handle exterior handle, button, cable applying traction which operates the locks,

lock-catch assembly, or a combination thereof, is operated in an initial phase and produces a signal or closes a contact; and

an electronic controller circuit in connection with said first sensor-detector-switch with said single light source and with said internal acoustic warning device, said electronic controller circuit for controlling the single light source so that it emits said warning light signal and for simultaneous activation of said internal acoustic warning device arranged upon closing the contact or receiving a signal through the first sensing-detecting-switch device,

wherein light is provided through a light outlet in the frame of said side mirror conveying one part of the illumination of said single light source, so that at the same time part of the light is projected towards the rear and at the same time is visible by the driver eyes attracting the attention of the driver toward the mirror.