Vehicle state indication system

• US 9,694,736 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2015
• Issued: 07/04/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan North America Incorporated (Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Williams, Blair, Cefkin, Melissa
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, DON P
• Application Number:
  US14/871,335
• Publication Number:
  US 20170088035A1
• Time in Patent Office: 643 Days
• Field of Search: 315 77
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/0035 relative to the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/0094 Arrangement of electronic circuits separated from the light source, e.g. mounting of housings for starter circuits for discharge lamps arrangements being part of the light source holder F21V17/06, F21S43/195
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/5037 the display content changing automatically, e.g. depending on traffic situation
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/507 specific to autonomous vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/54 for indicating speed outside of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/543 for indicating other states or conditions of the vehicle indicating taxis' state of hire or fare G07B13/045
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/549 for expressing greetings, gratitude or emotions
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 5/36 using visible light sources

Abstract

A vehicle state indication system includes a light indicator and a controller. The light indicator includes a first on mode and second on mode, and is disposed on a vehicle so as to be capable of selectively externally indicating a first state of the vehicle and a second state of the vehicle at least in a forward direction of the vehicle. The controller is programmed to determine whether the vehicle intends to enter the first state or the second state, and to activate the first on mode while the vehicle intends to enter the first state and the second on mode while vehicle intends to enter the second state.

Claims

1. A vehicle state indication system, comprising:

a light indicator including a first on mode and second on mode, and being disposed on a vehicle so as to be capable of selectively externally indicating a first state of the vehicle and a second state of the vehicle at least in a forward direction of the vehicle, the first on mode being a first color and the second on mode being a second color, the first color being different from the second color; and

a controller programmed to determine whether the vehicle intends to enter the first state or the second state, and to activate the first on mode while the vehicle intends to enter the first state and the second on mode while vehicle intends to enter the second state,

the vehicle state indication system is in communication with a vehicle location determination system, and when the vehicle location determination system determines that the vehicle is in proximity to a stop sign, the controller causes the light indicator to indicate the vehicle intends to enter a stopping state.

2. The vehicle state indication system according to claim 1, wherein the first on mode indicates the vehicle intends to remain in a stopped state, and the second on mode indicates that the vehicle intends to move in the forward direction.

3. The vehicle state indication system according to claim 1, wherein the light indicator is disposed on the vehicle to selectively externally indicate the first state of the vehicle and the second state of the vehicle at least in the forward direction of the vehicle and the lateral direction of the vehicle.

4. The vehicle state indication system according to claim 1, further comprising

a detection system in communication with the controller, and being configured to detect at least one of a pedestrian and a remote vehicle.

5. The vehicle state indication system according to claim 4, wherein

the detection system is configured to detect a gesture from the pedestrian, and

the controller is programmed to cause an external response in response to the gesture detected by the detection system.

6. The vehicle state indication system according to claim 4, wherein the vehicle state indication system is in communication with a vehicle location determination system, and when the vehicle location determination system determines that the vehicle is in proximity to a crosswalk, and the detection system determines a pedestrian is adjacent the crosswalk, the controller causes the light indicator to indicate the vehicle intends to enter a stopping state.

7. The vehicle state indication system according to claim 1, further comprising

a detection system in communication with the controller, and being configured to detect a remote vehicle, and subsequent to the vehicle stopping, when the detection system detects the remote vehicle, the controller causes the light indicator to indicate the vehicle intends to enter a moving state.

8. The vehicle state indication system according to claim 4, wherein the controller is programmed to transition the light indicator from the second on mode to the first on mode, while the detection system detects the at least one of the pedestrian and the remote vehicle.

9. The vehicle state indication system according to claim 8, wherein the controller is programmed to transition the light indicator from the first on mode to a third on mode after a predetermined amount of time.

10. The vehicle state indication system according to claim 4, wherein the detection system is configured to determine the moving state of the at least one of the pedestrian and the remote vehicle, and the controller is programmed to determine whether the vehicle intends to enter the first state or the second state, based on the moving state of the at least one of the pedestrian and the remote vehicle.

11. The vehicle state indication system according to claim 4, wherein the controller is programmed to activate the light indicator when the detection system detects the at least one of the pedestrian and the remote vehicle.

12. The vehicle state indication system according to claim 4, wherein the controller is programmed to transition the light indicator from the first on mode to the second on mode when the detection system detects a determined action performed by the at least one of the pedestrian and the remote vehicle.

13. The vehicle state indication system according to claim 1, further comprising

a sound generator configured to generate a first sound when the light indicator indicates the first on mode and a second sound when the light indicator indicates the second on mode.

14. The vehicle state indication system according to claim 1, wherein the controller is programmed to transition from the first on mode to the second on mode based on a predetermined event, and the controller is capable of being manually set so as to change the predetermined event.

15. A vehicle state indication system, comprising:

a light indicator including a first on mode and second on mode, and being disposed on a vehicle so as to be capable of selectively externally indicating a first state of the vehicle and a second state of the vehicle at least in a forward direction of the vehicle, and the first on mode is a first color and the second on mode is a second color, the first color being different from the second color;

a controller programmed to determine whether the vehicle intends to enter the first state or the second state, and to activate the first on mode while the vehicle intends to enter the first state and the second on mode while vehicle intends to enter the second state; and

a detection system in communication with the controller, and being configured to detect at least one of a pedestrian and a remote vehicle,

the vehicle state indication system being in communication with a vehicle location determination system, and when the vehicle location determination system determines that the vehicle is in proximity to a crosswalk, and the detection system determines a pedestrian is adjacent the crosswalk, the controller causes the light indicator to indicate the vehicle intends to enter a stopping state.

16. A vehicle state indication system, comprising:

a light indicator including a first on mode and second on mode, and being disposed on a vehicle so as to be capable of selectively externally indicating a first state of the vehicle and a second state of the vehicle at least in a forward direction of the vehicle, the first on mode and the second on mode are modes of a plurality of modes, including at least 4 modes, the at least 4 modes each being a color different from each other mode of the at least 4 modes; and

a controller programmed to determine whether the vehicle intends to enter the first state or the second state, and to activate the first on mode while the vehicle intends to enter the first state and the second on mode while vehicle intends to enter the second state.