Vehicle garage warning system

• US 9,937,906 B1
• Filed: 11/11/2016
• Issued: 04/10/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/11/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aaron C. Stell, Thomas J. Stell
• Original Assignee: Aaron C. Stell, Thomas J. Stell
• Inventors: Stell, Thomas J, Stell, Aaron C
• Primary Examiner(s): Marc-Coleman, Marthe Y
• Application Number:
  US15/349,557
• Time in Patent Office: 515 Days
• Field of Search: 701 70, 701301, 701408, 340 571, 340435, 340436, 3409322
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 3/00 Portable devices for preventing unwanted movement of vehicles, e.g. chocks
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 7/22 initiated by contact of vehicle, e.g. bumper, with an external object, e.g. another vehicle , or by means of contactless obstacle detectors mounted on the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/73 responsive to movement or presence of persons or objects
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2400/822 Light emitters, e.g. light emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/165 for passive traffic, e.g. including static obstacles, trees

Abstract

The present invention relates to a system and method of detecting if a garage door is open, in order to prevent a vehicle which is leaving the garage from hitting the door or approaching the door before it is sufficiently open enough for the exiting vehicle to clear the door.

Claims

1. A garage positioned system for alerting a driver of a vehicle exiting the garage that a garage door is not sufficiently open to allow exit of the vehicle comprising:

a) an electronic first sensor positioned in the garage and not in the car for determining only when the vehicle is moving toward the garage door;

b) an electronic second sensor connected to the first sensor and positioned in the garage and not in the car for determining if the garage door is sufficiently open for the vehicle to exit without hitting the garage door; and

c) an alarm to notify the vehicle'"'"'s driver when the garage door is insufficiently open to allow for the vehicle to exit.

2. A system according to claim 1 wherein the garage door trips a switch in the garage when the garage door is sufficiently open to allow the vehicle to exit and gives notice to the vehicle.

3. A system according to claim 1 wherein the electronic device for determining when the vehicle is moving is an electronic position sensor.

4. A system according to claim 1 wherein the electronic device for determining when the vehicle is moving is a floor roll over sensor on the garage floor positioned to indicate when there is a vehicle is moving toward the garage door.

5. A system according to claim 1 wherein the alarm is selected from the group consisting of one or more of a visual alarm and an audio alarm.

6. A system according to claim 1 wherein the alarm is positioned in the vehicle.

7. A system according to claim 1 which further comprises a device positioned in the garage for determining vehicle position in the garage during parking the vehicle.

8. A system according to claim 1 which further comprises a vehicle motion deterring device, which is automatically activated to stop the vehicle if the door is insufficiently open.

9. A system according to claim 8 wherein the motion deterring device is a pop-up wheel chock.

10. A system according to claim 8 wherein the motion deterring device is a device in the vehicle which automatically applies brakes of the vehicle.

11. A system according to claim 1 for alerting a driver of a vehicle exiting a garage that a garage door is not sufficiently open to allow exit of the vehicle which further comprises a microcontroller to control the operation of the sensors and alarm.

12. A method for notifying a driver of a vehicle exiting a garage that a garage door is not sufficiently open to allow the vehicle to exit without hitting the garage door comprising:

a) positioning a first sensor in the garage and not in the car which senses if the vehicle is moving toward the garage door;

b) positioning a second sensor in the garage which senses if the garage door is sufficiently open for the vehicle to exit the garage without hitting the garage door; and

c) initiating an alarm to warn the vehicle'"'"'s driver when the garage door is not sufficiently open for the vehicle to not hit the door when the driver is moving the vehicle toward the garage door.

13. A method according to claim 12 wherein an audible alarm sounds when the alarm is initiated.

14. A method according to claim 12 wherein a visible alarm is flashed when the alarm is initiated.

15. A method according to claim 12 wherein a motion deterrent device is activated when the alarm is initiated.

16. The method according to claim 15 wherein the motion deterrent device is a pop-up wheel chock positioned outside the vehicle in a position to stop the vehicle from moving toward the garage door.

17. A method according to claim 15 wherein the motion deterrent device is a device which automatically applies brakes of the vehicle to stop the vehicle.

18. The method according to claim 12 which further comprises sensing when the vehicle is properly parked in a desired position in the garage.