Patent Publication Number: US-2003231108-A1

Title: Vehicle movement warning light system

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001] This invention relates to safety lighting systems for motor vehicles. In particular, it relates to warning systems that indicate a vehicle&#39;s change from a braking state to an accelerating state.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002] There exist numerous warning light systems for motor vehicles. Vehicle equipped for use on roads in traffic have brake lights on the rear of the vehicle that light to show activation of the brake pedal. Headlights on the front of the vehicle not only illuminate the road for the driver of the vehicle, but also warn other drivers of the vehicle&#39;s use and forward orientation. Turn signals are activated to indicate an intention to turn the vehicle. There also exist more sophisticated systems that are not in common use that indicate, for example, the engagement of the accelerator pedal, the speed of the vehicle, or an intention to move forward, with indicator lights located in highly visible locations on the vehicle such as the roof, the hood, the front grill, or the front corners of the vehicle. Previous systems however, have not integrated typical traffic light colour signalling patterns onto a vehicle&#39;s own recognizable warning lights, with red or amber LEDs warning that the vehicle is about to move forward or is in the process of moving forward, and green LEDs on the vehicle indicating to other vehicle drivers that they could proceed in front of the vehicle.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003] A vehicle is provided with front warning lights adjacent to the front corners of the vehicle. When the vehicle&#39;s brake is released, the lights adjacent to the front corner flash red, amber, or a combination of red and amber to warn that the vehicle is about to move, or has begun to move. The lights can be coloured light emitting diodes within a lens, or the lens could be coloured red or amber over a white light bulb. The front warning lights electrical circuit can be connected in parallel with the daytime running lights circuit, such that the front warning lights can only be activated when the ignition circuit is on. A release of the brake pedal deactivates the rear brake lights and completes an electrical circuit to activate the red or amber front warning lights. Optionally, a set of green lights can be added to the system to flash green when the vehicle is stopping and when the vehicle has stopped, thereby signaling to other vehicles at an intersection that those vehicles could safely cross in front of the vehicle, until the front warning lights change from green to the red/amber state.  
       [0004] The invention is thus a vehicle frontal movement warning system comprising warning lights that emit light in a colour in the wavelength range of amber to red, mounted on a front portion of a vehicle that turn on when a brake device for the vehicle is released. The vehicle movement warning system would preferably have the warning lights are mounted adjacent to front corners of the vehicle to provide warning to the front and to the side of the vehicle. An enhanced embodiment of the invention would include the following additional features:  
       [0005] a) the warning lights comprise a pair of banks of light emitting diodes, mounted on the front left and right corners of a vehicle respectively;  
       [0006] b) individual light emitting diodes flash in sequence within each of the banks;  
       [0007] c) the banks of light emitting diodes emit a combination of red and amber light.  
       [0008] d) there are additionally green safety lights, mounted to the front of a vehicle, that are activated when a braking device is engaged;  
       [0009] e) the green safety lights comprise a pair of additional banks of light emitting diodes mounted adjacent to the vehicle&#39;s right and the left front corners respectively;  
       [0010] f) there is an intensity control module for the warning lights that increases the light intensity of the warning lights when an accelerator control for the vehicle is activated.  
       [0011] The enhanced system will thus provide excellent warning of forward movement or imminent forward movement of the vehicle, without the lights that convey the warning being confused with fixed traffic signal lights mounted at an intersection, with rear brake lights, or with the front turn signals of the vehicle. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
     [0012]FIG. 1 is a front view of a vehicle having the vehicle movement warning light system of the present invention.  
     [0013]FIG. 2 is a traffic diagram showing the vehicle of FIG. 1 braking as it approaches an intersection.  
     [0014]FIG. 3 is a traffic diagram showing the vehicle of FIG. 2 stopped at the intersection with the vehicle&#39;s brakes still applied.  
     [0015]FIG. 4 is a traffic diagram showing the vehicle of FIG. 3 with its brake released, about to advance into the intersection.  
     [0016]FIG. 5 is a traffic diagram showing the vehicle of FIG. 4, with its accelerator pedal deeply pressed, advancing through the intersection.  
     [0017]FIG. 6 is a traffic diagram, showing the vehicle of FIG. 5 now almost advanced through the intersection and with its accelerator pedal lightly pressed to maintain speed.  
     [0018]FIG. 7 is a traffic diagram, showing the vehicle of FIG. 5 now advanced past the intersection and with its daytime running lights resumed.  
     [0019]FIG. 8 is a wiring diagram, showing the brake release means of activation of the red front warning lights of the vehicle movement warning system of the present invention.  
     [0020]FIG. 9 is a wiring diagram, showing the brake-applied means of activation of the optional green lights of the vehicle movement warning system of the present invention.  
     [0021]FIG. 10 is a wiring diagram, showing a timer and intensity control module for the vehicle movement warning system of FIG. 8.  
     [0022]FIG. 11 is a wiring diagram, showing a daytime running lights switch module integrated with the vehicle warning system of FIG. 9. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
     [0023] Referring to FIG. 1, the front of the vehicle  1  has a bumper  2 , high beam headlights  3  and  4 , low beam headlights  5  and  6 , parking lights  7  and  8 , left turn signal light  9 , right turn signal light  10 . Typically the turn signal lights are either amber coloured bulbs, or clear bulbs inside an amber coloured lens cover. In the presently shown configuration, the lens covers  11  and  12  are clear, because they also contain a bank of red LEDs (light emitting diodes) on the driver&#39;s side at  13  and on the passenger side at  14 . Likewise, a bank of green LEDs on the driver&#39;s side at  15  and on the passenger side at  16  are contained within the lens covers  11  and  12  respectively. The red and green LED banks could be alternatively be mounted adjacent to the front turn signals, but outside of the amber turn signal lens cover.  
     [0024] Referring to FIG. 2, when the vehicle  1  approaches the intersection  21 , with a second vehicle  22  at the intersection cross-street  23 , the brakes on vehicle  1  are applied, switching on the green LEDs  15  and  16 , and sending green signal light  31  and  32  respectively to let the driver of the second vehicle  22  know that the vehicle  1  is braking and that the second vehicle  22  might proceed with safety if the intersection is uncontrolled, has a stop sign or a stop light for the vehicle  1  to obey.  
     [0025] Referring to FIG. 3, the vehicle  1  has come to a stop but with the brakes still applied. Optionally a brake pressure sensor can be intregrated with a light intensifier module to modify the intensity of the green illumination from the green LEDs. Thus the green light at  41  and  42 , from the passenger side bank of green LEDs  15  and from the driver&#39;s side bank of LEDs respectively, has been diminished to reflect the lesser braking force applied.  
     [0026] Referring to FIG. 4, when the brake on vehicle  1  is released, a switch deactivates the banks of green LEDs  15  and  16  and activates the banks of red LEDs  13  and  14 , sending red illumination  51  and  52  respectively to warn the second vehicle  22  that the vehicle  1  is rolling forward and about to enter the intersection  21 .  
     [0027] Referring to FIG. 5, optionally an intensity module can be integrated with the accelerator pedal, such that the banks of red LEDs  13  and  14  intensify their red illumination beams  61  and  62  when the accelerator pedal is depressed.  
     [0028] Referring to FIG. 6, the intensity module provides that the banks of red LEDs give moderate intensity red illumination beams  71  and  72  when the vehicle  1 , now almost advanced through the intersection  21 , has its accelerator pedal lightly pressed to maintain speed.  
     [0029] Referring to FIG. 7, the red illumination following the above-described sequence of safety and warning signals with the green to red illumination series can remain on as in FIG. 6, but with the daytime running lights from the low beam headlights  5  and  6  with their white beams  81  and  82  turned back on after the braking and accelerating sequence. At night, the low beam headlights would be on all the time, but in the daytime, they could be switched off when either the bank of green LEDs or the bank of red LEDs is on, in order to enhance the visibility of the change.  
     [0030] Referring to FIG. 8, the wiring diagram shows the brake release means of activation of the red front warning lights of the vehicle movement warning system. The electrical current proceeds from the positive battery terminal  90  through the ignition switch  91  to a brake position switch  92 . When the brake is on (position  92 A), the daytime running lights circuit  93  is activated. When the brake pedal is released (position  93 ), the bank of red LEDs  14  is activated. The negative battery terminal  94  completes the circuit to the vehicle&#39;s battery.  
     [0031] Referring to FIG. 9, the wiring diagram shows the brake-applied means of activation of the optional green lights of the vehicle movement warning system as well as the brake release means of activation of the red front warning lights of the vehicle movement warning system. The electrical current proceeds from the positive battery terminal  90  through the ignition switch  91  to a brake position switch  92 . When the brake is on (position  92 A), the bank of green LEDs  15  is activated. When the brake pedal is released (position  93 ), the bank of red LEDs  14  is activated. The negative battery terminal  94  completes the circuit to the vehicle&#39;s battery.  
     [0032] Referring to FIG. 10 an intensity control module  95  can be integrated into the vehicle movement warning system, to receive input from the brake pedal depression position sensor  98  and optionally from an accelerator pedal depression position sensor  99 , and to adjust the intensity of the bank of red or green LEDs in accordingly. Thus the vehicle  1  as shown in FIG. 2 and  3  that has put on its brakes and then eased up on them can have the illumination from the banks of green LEDs turn on but then diminish. Likewise, when the brake on vehicle  1  is released as shown in FIG. 4 and the accelerator pressed with the result as shown in FIG. 5, and continuing to the state described in FIG. 6, the intensity control module receives information from the brake pedal depression position sensor  98  and the accelerator depression position sensor  99  accordingly and causes the switch from green LED illumination to a small degree of red illumination (FIG. 4—brake off), to more intense red (FIG. 5 accelerator depressed), and then to less intense red (FIG. 6—accelerator on).  
     [0033] Still referring to FIG. 10, a timer module  96  can cause even the less intense red of FIG. 6 to be turned off. This is useful to have the warning system operate during a braking, stopping, and taking off sequence, but not to otherwise display until the next intersection or other reason for the vehicle to stop and pause. The system is essentially a change of movement warning system. When the vehicle is not changing its speed by braking, the daytime running lights  93  can remain as sufficient warning that the vehicle is actually moving.  
     [0034] Referring to FIG. 11, the wiring diagram shows a daytime running lights control module  97  that is integrated with the vehicle warning system in order to have the low beam headlight system  97 A turn off if it is daytime and the intensity circuit  97 B from the bank of green LEDs  15  or the bank of red LEDs  14  is on.  
     [0035] It is envisioned that the vehicle movement warning system&#39;s red or amber LEDS (and optionally green LED&#39;s) will take advantage of the usual meaning of red or amber (and green) in traffic signals, but they will be sufficiently different that they will not be mistaken for traffic lights mounted at an intersection. The LED&#39;s can distinguish themselves by pulsing in unison within a bank or by individual LEDs flashing in sequence within the respective bank.  
     [0036] The use of a combination of red and amber lights on the front of the vehicle as described above, to warn that the vehicle is in motion or about to become moving, can be distinguished from the red brake lights on the rear of the vehicle not only by the LED look, the pulsing, and the sequencing options, but also by the addition of the amber in unison or in sequence with the red lights. The warning lights are likewise further distinguished from flashing amber turn signals by one or more of these features the LED look, the use of the red lights in unison or sequence with the amber, or the constant on of the amber during the warning signal.