Abstract:
A warning system for a vehicle includes a mobile warning tripod and a portable electronic device communicating with the tripod. The tripod includes a driving unit, a movement unit, and a warning unit. The electronic device has an application with a user interface. The user interface includes icons to control a movement control unit in the electronic device. The movement control unit sends control signals to the driving unit of the tripod in response to user operations on one or more of the icons. The driving unit moves the tripod to move as required. A vehicle warning method is also disclosed.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims priority to Taiwan Patent Application No. 105112932, filed on Apr. 26, 2016, the contents of which are incorporated by reference herein. 
       FIELD 
       [0002]    The subject matter herein generally relates to road safety, and especially relates to a vehicle warning system and method. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    Accidents often occur on highways. When an accident occurs, the driver should position a warning tripod one hundred meters behind a stationary vehicle to alert approaching vehicles. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0004]    Implementations of the present technology will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the attached figures. 
           [0005]      FIG. 1  is an isometric view of a warning tripod of the vehicle warning system in  FIG. 1  at a first state. 
           [0006]      FIG. 2  is an isometric view of the warning tripod in  FIG. 2  at a second state. 
           [0007]      FIG. 3  is a block diagram of a vehicle warning system according to an embodiment. 
           [0008]      FIG. 4  is a flowchart of a vehicle warning method according to an embodiment. 
           [0009]      FIG. 5  is another flowchart of the vehicle warning method in  FIG. 4 . 
           [0010]      FIG. 6  is another flowchart of the vehicle warning method in  FIG. 5 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0011]    It will be appreciated that for simplicity and clarity of illustration, where appropriate, reference numerals have been repeated among the different figures to indicate corresponding or analogous elements. In addition, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments described herein. However, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that the embodiments described herein can be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, methods, procedures, and components have not been described in detail so as not to obscure the related relevant feature being described. The drawings are not necessarily to scale and the proportions of certain parts may be exaggerated to better illustrate details and features. The description is not to be considered as limiting the scope of the embodiments described herein. 
         [0012]    A definition that applies throughout this disclosure will now be presented. 
         [0013]    The term “comprising” means “including, but not necessarily limited to”; it specifically indicates open-ended inclusion or membership in a so-described combination, group, series, and the like. 
         [0014]    The instant disclosure provides a vehicle warning system  100 . The vehicle warning system  100  includes a warning tripod  200  and a portable electronic device  300  communicating with the warning tripod  200  as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . In  FIG. 3 , the warning tripod  200  includes a driving unit  22 , a movement unit  24 , and a warning unit  26 . The electronic device  300  has an application. The application provides a user interface  30 . The user interface  30  includes at least one move operation icon  32 . The electronic device  300  includes a move control unit  40 . The move control unit  40  is configured to send movement control signal to the driving unit  22  in response to an operation to the move operation icon  32 . According to the movement control signal, the driving unit  22  drives the movement unit  24  to move in certain ways. The warning unit  26  can follow the driving unit  22  to alert other vehicles audibly and visually. The warning tripod  200  and the electronic device  300  include two BLUETOOTH communication units  28 ,  50 . The electronic device  300  transmits the movement control signal to the warning tripod  200  through BLUETOOTH. The electronic device  300  may be a mobile phone. The driving unit  22  may be a stepper motor. 
         [0015]    The move operation icon  32  includes moving operation icons  36  and swerving operation icons  34 . The move control unit  40  includes a moving control unit  42  and a steering control unit  44 . The moving control unit  42  sends a moving control signal in response to an operation to the moving operation icon  36 . The steering control unit  44  sends a swerving control signal in response to an operation to the swerving operation icon  34 . The movement unit  24  includes a moving unit  23  and a swerving unit  25 . The driving unit  22  connects to the moving unit  23  and the swerving unit  25 . The driving unit  22  drives the swerving unit  25  to swerve in response to the swerving control signal and drives the moving unit  23  to move in the direction of swerve in response to the moving control signal. 
         [0016]    The moving operation icon  36  includes a moving forward icon  35  and a moving backward icon  37 . The moving control unit  42  includes moving forward control unit  41  and moving backward control unit  43 . The moving forward control unit  41  sends a moving forward control signal in response to an operation to the moving forward icon  35 . The moving backward control unit  43  sends a moving backward control signal in response to an operation to the moving backward icon  37 . The driving unit  22  drives the moving unit  23  to move forward in response to the moving forward control signal and drives the moving unit  23  to move backward in response to the moving backward control signal. 
         [0017]    The warning unit  26  includes at least one light source  27  and at least one loudspeaker  29 . The electronic device  300  further includes a light control unit  46  and a voice control unit  48 . The user interface  30  further includes a light operation icon  38  and a voice operation icon  39 . The light control unit  46  sends a light control signal in response to an operation to the light operation icon  38  to illuminate or not illuminate the light source  27 . The voice control unit  48  sends a voice control signal in response to an operation to the voice operation icon  39  to control the loudspeaker  29  to emit an audible alert. 
         [0018]      FIGS. 1 and 2  illustrate the warning tripod  200 , which includes a cylindrical main body  60 . The moving unit  23 , the swerving unit  25 , and the loudspeaker  29  are all mounted to the main body  60 . The moving unit  23  includes two wheels  62  positioned at two ends of the main body  60 . The swerving unit  25  is mounted to the bottom of the main body  60  and is positioned between the two wheels  62 . The main body  60  defines a receiving groove  64 . The warning unit  26  includes a foldable tripod  66 . The light source  27  (not shown in  FIG. 2 ) is positioned on the foldable tripod  66 . The light source  27  can be any type of light emitting unit such as a light emitting diode and is not limited to the examples provided herein. The foldable tripod  66  can be unfolded to alert other vehicles and can be folded or refolded to be received in the receiving groove  64 . 
         [0019]      FIGS. 4 to 6  illustrate a vehicle warning method according to an embodiment. The method is employed to control a warning tripod  200  communicating with the portable electronic device  300 . The order of blocks in  FIGS. 4 to 6  is illustrative only and the order of the blocks can change. Additional blocks can be added or fewer blocks may be utilized without departing from this disclosure. The exemplary method begins at block  402 . 
         [0020]    At block  402 , the move control unit  40  sends a movement control signal in response to an operation to a move operation icon  32  of a user interface  30  provided by the electronic device  300 . 
         [0021]    At block  404 , the driving unit  22  drives the warning tripod  200  to move in response to the movement control signal. 
         [0022]    At block  406 , the light control unit  46  sends a light control signal in response to an operation to a light operation icon  38  of the user interface  30 . 
         [0023]    At block  408 , the warning tripod  200  controls at least one light source  27  mounted to the warning tripod  200  to illuminate in response to the light control signal. 
         [0024]    At block  410 , the voice control unit  48  sends a voice control signal in response to an operation to a voice operation icon  39  of the user interface  30 . 
         [0025]    At block  412 , the warning tripod  200  controls at least one loudspeaker  29  mounted to the warning tripod  200  to emit an audible alert. 
         [0026]    The block  402  includes the following blocks. 
         [0027]    At block  501 , the steering control unit  44  sends a swerving control signal in response to an operation to a swerving operation icon  34  of the user interface  30 . 
         [0028]    At block  503 , the moving control unit  42  sends a moving control signal in response to an operation to a moving operation icon  36  of the user interface  30 . 
         [0029]    The block  503  includes the following blocks. 
         [0030]    At block  601 , the moving forward control unit  41  sends a moving forward control signal in response to an operation to a moving forward icon  35  of the user interface  30 . 
         [0031]    At block  603 , the moving backward control unit  43  sends a moving backward control signal in response to an operation to a moving backward icon  37  of the user interface  30 . 
         [0032]    The block  404  includes the following blocks. 
         [0033]    At block  502 , the driving unit  22  drives the warning tripod  200  to swerve in response to the swerving control signal. 
         [0034]    At block  504 , the driving unit  22  drives the warning tripod  200  to move in the direction of swerve in response to the moving control signal. 
         [0035]    The block  504  includes the following blocks. 
         [0036]    At block  602 , the driving unit  22  drives the warning tripod  200  to move forward in response to the moving forward control signal. 
         [0037]    At block  604 , the driving unit  22  drives the warning tripod  200  to move backward in response to the moving backward control signal. 
         [0038]    The embodiments shown and described above are only examples. Even though numerous dataistics and advantages of the present technology have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the present disclosure, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in the details, including in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of the parts within the principles of the present disclosure, up to and including the full extent established by the broad general meaning of the terms used in the claims.