SENSOR SYSTEM FOR MOTOR VEHICLE

• US 20130311035A1
• Filed: 05/15/2012
• Published: 11/21/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: APS Systems, LLC
• Original Assignee: APS Systems, LLC
• Inventors: Impellizzieri, Joseph, Czyz, Thomas, Bucyk, Andrew
• Granted Patent: US 9,738,253 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/36
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/0023 the element being a sensor, e.g. distance sensor, camera
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/245 Searchlights, e.g. adjustable from within the vehicle adjustable headlights B60Q1/06
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/2611 Indicating devices mounted on the roof of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/1004 Alarm systems characterised by the type of sensor, e.g. current sensing means using door lock sensors B60R25/1001
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/87 Combinations of radar systems, e.g. primary radar and secondary radar
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9315 Monitoring blind spots
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93273 on the top of the vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10732 Light sources
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/161 Decentralised systems, e.g. inter-vehicle communication

Abstract

A light bar assembly can comprise an elongated housing mountable to a roof of a motor vehicle and comprising a plurality of light transmissive sections. The light bar assembly can further comprise two or more light sources disposed within the elongated housing, and one or more sensors disposed in an interleaved configuration with the light sources. The light bar assembly can further comprise a controller communicatively coupled to the light bar via a wired interface including data wires and electric power wires. The data wires can be communicatively coupled to the sensors. Each sensor can be configured to output an electrical signal responsive to detecting a physical object within a spatial sector.

Claims

1. A light bar assembly comprising:

an elongated housing mountable to a roof of a motor vehicle, said elongated housing comprising a plurality of light transmissive sections;

two or more light sources disposed within said elongated housing;

one or more sensors disposed in an interleaved configuration with said two or more light sources;

a controller communicatively coupled to said light bar via a wired interface, said wired interface comprising one or more data wires and one or more electric power wires;

wherein at least one data wire of said wired interface is communicatively coupled to at least one sensor of said one or more sensors ;

wherein each sensor of said one or more sensors is configured to output an electrical signal responsive to detecting a physical object within a spatial sector, a projection on a surface sustaining said motor vehicle of said spatial sector being a circle sector, a combination of all circle sectors composing a sensing perimeter; and

wherein said sensing perimeter is provided by a full circle with a center disposed within a projection of said motor vehicle onto said surface.

2. The light bar assembly of claim 1, wherein said plurality of light transmissive sections comprises a first light transmissive section and a second light transmissive section;

wherein a first light source of said two or more light sources is disposed behind said first light transmissive section; and

wherein a second light source of said two or more light sources is disposed behind said first light transmissive section.

3. The light bar assembly of claim 1, wherein at least one sensor of said one or more sensors is provided by a microwave radar sensor.

4. The light bar assembly of claim 1, wherein said one or more sensors are provided by four sensors oriented towards front, rear, left, and right directions relative to a direction of travel of said motor vehicle.

5. The light bar assembly of claim 1, further comprising a second wired interface including one or more one electric power wires and one or more data wires;

wherein said one or more electric power wires of said second wired interface are configured to electrically couple said controller to an electric power supply; and

wherein said one or more data wires of said second wired interface are configured to communicatively couple said controller to a processing unit.

6. The light bar assembly of claim 1, wherein each section of said housing is mechanically coupled to at least two neighboring sections.

7. The light bar assembly of claim 1, wherein each light transmissive section of said plurality of light transmissive sections is configured to transmit light in a pre-determined spectrum region.

8. The light bar assembly of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of light reflectors installed behind said two or more light sources within said housing, said light reflectors configured to reflect light emitted by said two or more light sources.

9. The light bar assembly of claim 1, wherein each sensor of said one or more sensors is disposed in a sensor housing comprising a multi-pin electromechanical connector.

10. The light bar assembly of claim 1, wherein said light transmissive sections are disposed substantially perpendicularly to said surface sustaining said motor vehicle.

11. The light bar assembly of claim 1, wherein said housing further comprises two horizontal sections disposed substantially parallel to said surface sustaining said motor vehicle;

and

wherein said light transmissive sections are mechanically coupled to said two horizontal sections.

12. A light bar assembly comprising:

an elongated housing mountable to a roof of a motor vehicle, said elongated housing comprising a plurality of light transmissive sections;

two or more light sources disposed within said elongated housing;

one or more sensors disposed in an interleaved configuration with said two or more light sources;

a controller communicatively coupled to said light bar via a wired interface, said wired interface comprising one or more data wires and one or more electric power wires;

a user interface in communication with said controller;

wherein at least one data wire of said wired interface is communicatively coupled to at least one sensor of said one or more sensors ;

wherein each sensor of said one or more sensors is configured to output an electrical signal responsive to detecting a physical object within a spatial sector, a projection on a surface sustaining said motor vehicle of said spatial sector being a circle sector, a combination of all circle sectors composing a sensing perimeter; and

wherein said sensing perimeter is provided by a configurable arbitrary shape.

13. A system for detecting physical objects within a configurable perimeter, said system comprising:

a light bar mountable on a roof of a motor vehicle, said light bar including two or more light sources and one or more sensors disposed within a housing of said light bar;

a controller communicatively coupled to said light bar via a first wired interface, said first wired interface comprising one or more data wires and one or more power wires;

an electric power supply electrically coupled to said controller via at least one wire;

a processing unit communicatively coupled to said controller via a second wired interface, said second wired interface comprising one or more data wires;

a software module executable by said processing unit, said software module configured to detect a physical object moving within said configurable perimeter; and

a notification device communicatively coupled to said processing unit;

wherein at least one data wire of said first wired interface is configured to carry one or more sensor data items received from at least one sensor of said one or more sensors;

wherein at least one data wire of said second wired interface is configured to carry data received from said controller, said data comprising one of;

said one or more sensor data items, one or more data items derived from said one or more sensor data items;

wherein said software module is configured, responsive to detecting, based on said data received from said controller, a person approaching said motor vehicle, to transmit a notification via said notification device.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein each sensor of said one or more sensors is configured to output an electrical signal responsive to detecting a physical object within a spatial sector, a projection on a surface sustaining said motor vehicle of said spatial sector being a circle sector, a combination of all circle sectors composing a sensing perimeter;

and

wherein said sensing perimeter is provided by a full circle with a center disposed within a projection of said motor vehicle onto said surface.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein each sensor of said one or more sensors is configured to output an electrical signal responsive to detecting a physical object within a spatial sector, a projection on a surface sustaining said motor vehicle of said spatial sector being a circle sector, a combination of all circle sectors composing a sensing perimeter;

and

wherein said sensing perimeter is provided by a configurable arbitrary shape.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein at least one sensor of said one or more sensors is provided by a microwave radar sensor.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein said light sources and said sensors are mounted within said housing in an interleaving order.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein said one or more sensors are provided by four sensors oriented towards front, rear, left, and right directions relative to a direction of travel of said motor vehicle.

19. The system of claim 13, wherein said processing unit is provided by a personal computer installed on said motor vehicle.

20. The system of claim 13, wherein said notification device is provided by a screen of a personal computer installed on said motor vehicle.

21. The system of claim 13, wherein said notification device is provided by a sound output device of a personal computer installed on said motor vehicle.

22. The system of claim 13, wherein said notification device is provided by a search light configured to be switched on and oriented generally in a direction of a person approaching said motor vehicle.

23. The system of claim 13, wherein said electric power supply is provided by a main battery of said motor vehicle.

24. The system of claim 13, wherein said electric power supply is independent from an electric power supply of said motor vehicle.

25. The system of claim 13, further comprising a user interface configured to modify at least one parameter of said system.

26. The system of claim 13, wherein said processing unit is configured to activate said notification device based on at least one of:

a distance to a moving object, a speed of a moving object, a direction of a moving object, and a size of a moving object.

27. The system of claim 13, further configured to store in a non-volatile memory one of:

said one or more data items, at least one data item derived from said one or more data items.

28. The system of claim 13, further configured to transmit to an external computer one of:

said one or more data items, at least one data item derived from said one or more data items.

29. A system for detecting physical objects within a configurable perimeter, said system comprising:

a light bar mountable on a roof of a motor vehicle, said light bar including two or more light sources and one or more sensors disposed within a housing of said light bar;

a processing unit communicatively coupled to said one or more sensors via one of;

a wired interface comprising one or more data wires, a wireless interface;

a software module executable by said processing unit, said software module configured to detect a physical object moving within said configurable perimeter; and

a notification device communicatively coupled to said processing unit;

wherein said software module is configured, responsive to receiving from at least one sensor of said one or more sensors one or more sensor data items comprising coordinates of a physical object, to convert said coordinates into a universal coordinate system common for one or more sensors of said one or more sensors; and

wherein said software module is further configured, responsive to detecting, based on said one or more sensor data items, a person approaching said motor vehicle, to transmit a notification via said notification device.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein each sensor of said one or more sensors is configured to output an electrical signal responsive to detecting a physical object within a spatial sector, a projection on a surface sustaining said motor vehicle of said spatial sector being a circle sector, a combination of all circle sectors composing a sensing perimeter;

and

wherein said sensing perimeter is provided by a full circle with a center disposed within a projection of said motor vehicle onto said surface.

31. The system of claim 29, wherein each sensor of said one or more sensors is configured to output an electrical signal responsive to detecting a physical object within a spatial sector, a projection on a surface sustaining said motor vehicle of said spatial sector being a circle sector, a combination of all circle sectors composing a sensing perimeter;

and

wherein said sensing perimeter is provided by a configurable arbitrary shape.

32. The system of claim 29, wherein at least one sensor of said one or more sensors is provided by a microwave radar sensor.

33. The system of claim 29, wherein said one or more sensors are provided by four sensors oriented towards front, rear, left, and right directions relative to a direction of travel of said motor vehicle.

34. The system of claim 29, wherein said universal coordinate system has an origin disposed within a geometric center of projections of positions of one or more sensors of said one or more sensors.

35. The system of claim 29, wherein said software module is further configured to exclude duplicate event detection caused by overlaying of fields of view of one or more sensors of said one or more sensors.