Patent Publication Number: US-2020294402-A1

Title: Enhanced visual safety indicators for parking spaces

Description:
FIELD 
     The present invention relates to visual guides for facilitating the positioning of vehicles, and more particularly, embodiments concern enhanced visual safety indicators for more effectively assisting drivers of automobiles and other operators of other vehicles to more properly and safely position their vehicles in parking spaces. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Safety surface line marking is ubiquitously used to demarcate parking spaces and assist drivers in parking their vehicles in those parking spaces. However, safety surface line marking is less or not at all effective for this purpose for drivers who unable to see the lines while parking their vehicles. There are many reasons why some drivers experience this problem, including the size of the driver, the size and/or design of the vehicle, the limited mobility or other physical imparity of the driver, the position of the lines, fading of the lines from wear, poor lighting, and the inexperience of the driver who is unable to judge distance or gauge the locations of the lines without actually seeing them. 
     All vehicles have side mirrors which can assist their drivers when backing into parking spaces, but which would have to be repositioned downwardly for parking and then returned to their original positions for driving, and are therefore inconvenient to use and of little practical value for this purpose. Further, while some vehicles have cameras that can display relevant information to assist their drivers when backing into parking spaces, such technology is present only on relatively expensive vehicles, or may be malfunctioning, and is therefore not generally available or not always reliable when it is available. 
     As a result, it is not uncommon for drivers to fail to properly center their vehicles in parking spaces. This may be particularly problematic for larger sport utility vehicles and trucks that have smaller margins within standard parking spaces. Reports by the insurance industry indicate that this often results in damage to both the incorrectly parked vehicles, adjacent correctly parked vehicles, and adjacent structures. This issue has been neglected by designers, owners, and operators of both private and commercial parking lots and garages, who have failed to address relevant insurance and law enforcement statistical findings. Similar problems exist for operators of other vehicles. 
     This background discussion is intended to provide information related to the present invention which is not necessarily prior art. 
     SUMMARY 
     Embodiments of the present invention solve the above-described and other problems and limitations by providing enhanced visual safety indicators for more effectively assisting drivers of cars and trucks and other operators of other vehicles (e.g., recreational vehicles, tractor-trailers, trailers of various kinds, boats and other watercraft, aircraft) to more properly and safely position their vehicles in parking spaces. 
     In a first embodiment of the present invention, a system is provided for visually defining a parking space to enhance an ability of an operator of a vehicle to park the vehicle in the parking space. This system may comprise one or more rear safety indicators positioned on a vertical barrier located at a rear limit of the parking space. In a second embodiment of the present invention, a system is provided for visually defining a parking space to enhance an ability of an operator of a vehicle to park the vehicle in the parking space. This system may comprise one or more upper safety indicators positioned on an upper barrier located at an upper limit of the parking space. In a third embodiment of the present invention, a system is provided for visually defining a parking space to facilitate the parking of a vehicle in the parking space. This system may comprise one or more center lower safety indicators positioned on a lower surface at an approximate center of the parking space. Aspects of the first, second, and/or third embodiments may be combined to provide all of one or more rear, upper, and/or center lower safety indicators. 
     Various implementations of the foregoing embodiments may include any one or more of the following additional features. The vehicle may be a car, truck, recreational vehicle, tractor-trailer, trailer of any variety (e.g., camper, cargo, motorcycle, horse, boat), watercraft, or aircraft, or a hybrid vehicle that is a combination of any thereof. The safety indicators may have a form such as a rectangle, circle, symbol, letter, number, or word, or a combination of any thereof. The safety indicators may be constructed of a material such as an adhesive tape, paint, engraving, architectural element, reflective material, artificially illuminated device (whether visible light or non-visible light for assisted-driving or self-driving vehicles), laser generator, or sound generating device (whether audible or non-audible sound for assisted driving or self-driving vehicles), or a combination of any thereof. 
     The rear safety indicators may demarcate a rear limit, a left limit and a right limit, and/or a center of the parking space. Relatedly, the rear safety indicators may include a left rear safety indicator which demarcates the left limit of the parking space, and a right rear safety indicator which demarcates the right limit of the parking space, wherein the left rear safety indicator and the right rear safety indicator cooperate to demarcate the width dimension of the parking space. The rear safety indicators may extend continuously or severally from a lower height to an upper height on the vertical barrier. 
     The upper safety indicators may demarcate an upper limit, a left limit and a right limit, and/or a center of the parking space. Relatedly, the upper safety indicators may include a left upper safety indicator which demarcates a left limit of the parking space, and a right upper safety indicator which demarcates a right limit of the parking space, wherein the left upper safety indicator and the right upper safety indicator cooperate to demarcate a width dimension of the parking space. The upper safety indicators may extend continuously or severally from a rearward position to a forward position on the horizontal upper barrier. 
     The vehicle may be a non-autonomous vehicle controlled by a driver or an at least semi-autonomous (i.e., semi- or fully-autonomous) vehicle. The center lower safety indicators may be four inches wide, or between one-eighth inch and six inches wide. The center lower safety indicators may be projected onto the lower surface of the parking space by a laser projector in response to a signal from a remote control device such as a garage door opener. The center lower safety indicators may be detectable by a sensor of the semi- or fully-autonomous vehicle. The center lower safety indicators may include an electromagnetic emitter which produces an electromagnetic signal which is detectable by the sensor of the semi- or fully-autonomous vehicle. The center lower safety indicators may include a rear stop element configured to communicate a stopping point for the semi- or fully-autonomous vehicle in the parking space. 
     This summary is not intended to identify essential features of the present invention, and is not intended to be used to limit the scope of the claims. These and other aspects of the present invention are described below in greater detail. 
     DRAWINGS 
     Embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below with reference to the attached drawing figures, wherein: 
       FIG. 1A  (PRIOR ART) is a front perspective view of a parking space having only conventional safety surface line markings, and with the boundaries of the parking space shown in broken line; 
       FIG. 1B  (PRIOR ART) is a plan view of parking spaces having only conventional safety surface line markings; 
       FIG. 2  is a fragmentary elevation view of a first implementation of a first embodiment of a system of enhanced visual safety indicators for more effectively assisting an operator of a vehicle to more properly and safely position their vehicle in a parking space; 
       FIG. 3  is a fragmentary elevation view of a second implementation of the first embodiment of the system of enhanced visual safety indicators; 
       FIG. 4  is a fragmentary elevation view of a first implementation of a second embodiment of the system of enhanced visual safety indicators; 
       FIG. 5  is a fragmentary elevation view of a second implementation of the second embodiment of the system of enhanced visual safety indicators; 
       FIG. 6  is a fragmentary elevation view of the system of enhanced visual safety indicators combining features of the implementations of  FIGS. 2 and 4 ; 
       FIG. 7  is a fragmentary elevation view of the system of enhanced visual safety indicators combining features of the implementations of  FIGS. 3 and 5 ; 
       FIG. 8  is a fragmentary elevation view of a first implementation of a third embodiment of the system of enhanced visual safety indicators, wherein the indicators are center lower safety indicators; 
       FIG. 9  is a plan view of a parking space employing the center lower safety indicators, wherein the indicators are shown as a plurality of spaced-apart markings; 
       FIG. 10  is a perspective view through a rear camera of the parking space employing the center lower safety indicators, where the indicators are shown as a single elongated marking; 
       FIG. 11  is a front elevation view of a parking space employing the center lower safety indicators, wherein the indicators are projected onto a lower surface of the parking space by a projector; and 
       FIG. 12  is a plan view of the parking space of  FIG. 11 . 
    
    
     The figures are not intended to limit the present invention to the specific embodiments they depict. The drawings are not necessarily to scale. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The following detailed description of embodiments of the invention references the accompanying figures. The embodiments are intended to describe aspects of the invention in sufficient detail to enable those with ordinary skill in the art to practice the invention. Other embodiments may be utilized and changes may be made without departing from the scope of the claims. The following description is, therefore, not limiting. The scope of the present invention is defined only by the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled. 
     In this description, references to “one embodiment”, “an embodiment”, or “embodiments” mean that the feature or features referred to are included in at least one embodiment of the invention. Separate references to “one embodiment”, “an embodiment”, or “embodiments” in this description do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment and are not mutually exclusive unless so stated. Specifically, a feature, structure, act, etc. described in one embodiment may also be included in other embodiments, but is not necessarily included. Thus, particular implementations of the present invention can include a variety of combinations and/or integrations of the embodiments described herein. 
     Broadly characterized, the present invention provides improved visual guides for facilitating the positioning of vehicles. More particularly, embodiments provide enhanced visual safety indicators for more effectively assisting drivers of cars and trucks and other operators of other vehicles (e.g., recreational vehicles, tractor-trailers, trailers of various kinds (e.g., camper, cargo, motorcycle, horse, boat), boats and other watercraft, aircraft) to more properly and safely position their vehicles in parking spaces. Embodiments may facilitate both entering and exiting parking spaces, and may be employed in substantially any suitable location such as in public parking areas, private parking areas, garage parking areas, pathways, docks, and hangars, and particularly in any such location (e.g., hospitals, assisted living facilities, rehabilitation facilities, and/or in handicapped parking spaces anywhere) in which the elderly, disabled, or other persons with relevant physical limitations may need or desire to park their vehicles. The safety indicators advantageously enhance personal and property safety especially with regard to locating the center of a parking space and/or providing an aid in determining distance between a vehicle and a barrier such as curb, wall, fence, post, cable, sign, or other obstacle located proximate to the parking space. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1A and 1B  (PRIOR ART), a parking space  20  is shown having only conventional safety surface line markings  22 , and with the boundaries of the parking space shown in broken line. In particular, the parking space  20  may have a lower surface  24 , a left (or port) limit  26 , a right (or starboard) limit  28 , a center  30  located between the left and right limits  26 , 28 , a rear limit  32 , and an upper limit  34 . As used herein, the “rear” limit  32  is defined as the opposite end of the parking space  20  from where the vehicle ordinarily enters and leaves the parking space  20 , regardless of whether the vehicle enters the parking space with a forward or backward orientation. To be clear, if the entrance of the parking space  20  is considered an “open” end for receiving the vehicle, then the rear limit  32  may be considered a “closed” end. Only the left and right limits  26 , 28  may be indicated by the conventional line markings  22  applied to the lower surface  24  to the parking space  20 , and these may be difficult or impossible to see for a driver of a vehicle  36  for a variety of different reasons. In various additive or alternative implementations, the visual safety indicators of the present invention may be located vertically and/or horizontally, behind and/or above the parking space  20 , and/or to the sides of and/or centered on the parking space  20  so as to replace or supplement the conventional line markings  22  with more clearly visible and effective guides for the driver to more successfully park the vehicle  36  near or in the optimal center  30  of the space  20 , whether maneuvering the vehicle  36  forwardly or backwardly into the space  20 . 
     In more detail, referring to  FIGS. 2-7 , embodiments of a system of enhanced visual safety indicators  40  are shown in an exemplary operating environment for more effectively assisting an operator of a vehicle  36  to more properly and safely park the vehicle  36  in the parking space  20 . Broadly, the system may include one or more of the visual parking space safety indicators  40  which may replace or supplement the two conventional line markings  22  located on the surface  24  of the parking space  20 . 
     The safety indicators  40  may take substantially any suitable form or combinations of forms, such as rectangular (as seen in  FIGS. 2, 4, and 6 ), round (as seen in  FIGS. 3, 5, and 7 ), symbolic (e.g., arrows), and/or alphanumeric (e.g., letters, numbers, and/or words), and combinations thereof. The safety indicators  40  may be constructed of substantially any suitable material or design or combination of materials or designs, such as adhesive tapes, paints, engravings, architectural elements, reflective materials, artificially illuminated devices (whether visible light or non-visible light for assisted-driving or self-driving vehicles), laser generators, or sound generating devices (whether audible or non-audible sound for assisted driving or self-driving vehicles), or a combination of any thereof. 
     The safety indicators  40  may extend from a lower or first height or position to an upper or second height or position in order to ensure visibility for difference sized drivers in different sized vehicles. More generally, the safety indicators  40  may be adapted for use with substantially any suitable vehicle, such as automobiles (e.g., cars, sport utility vehicles, trucks, vans), recreational vehicles, tractor-trailers, trailers of various kinds (e.g., camper, cargo, motorcycle, horse, boat), watercraft (in which case the parking space may be at a dock), and/or aircraft (in which case the parking space  20  may be in a hanger), and/or hybrid vehicles which are combinations thereof. Further, in addition to being more visible to unassisted drivers, one or more of the safety indicators  40  may be positioned so as to be visible by vehicle cameras and/or normally positioned vehicle side and/or rearview mirrors. 
     The visual parking space safety indicators  40  may include one or more first rear safety indicators  42  which may be mounted on a vertical barrier (e.g., a curb or wall  44  or structure  46  (such as a post or cable, whether singular or part of, e.g., a fence)) located at or near the rear limit  32  of the parking space  20 , and/or one or more second upper safety indicators  48  which may be positioned on a horizontal upper barrier (e.g., a ceiling  50  or structure (such as the aforementioned post or cable)) located at or near the upper limit  34  of the parking space  20 . 
     The first rear safety indicators  42  may extend continuously (as seen in  FIGS. 2, 4 , and  6 ) or severally (and seen in  FIGS. 3, 5, and 7 ) from a lower height to an upper height on the vertical barrier  44 , 46 , thereby maximizing their visibility to operators of different seizes and abilities in vehicles of different sizes and designs. The first rear safety indicators  42  may demarcate the rear limit  32  of the parking space  20 . Additionally or alternatively, the first rear safety indicators  42  may demarcate the left and right limits  26 , 28  of the parking space  20 . For example, the first rear safety indicators  42  may include a left rear safety indicator  52  which demarcates the left limit  26  of the parking space  20 , and a right rear safety indicator  54  which demarcates the right limit  28  of the parking space  20 , such that the left and right rear safety indicators  52 , 54  cooperate to demarcate a width dimension of the parking space  20 . Additionally or alternatively, the first rear safety indicators  42  may include a center rear safety indicator  56  (seen in  FIGS. 4-7 ) positioned on the vertical barrier  44 , 46 , which demarcates the center  30  of the parking space  20 . 
     The second upper safety indicators  48  may extend continuously (as seen in  FIGS. 2, 4, and 6 ) or severally (and seen in  FIGS. 3, 5, and 7 ) from a rearward position to a forward position on the upper horizontal barrier  50 , thereby maximizing their visibility to operators of different seizes and abilities in vehicles of different sizes and designs. The second upper safety indicators  28  may demarcate the upper limit  34  of the parking space  20 . Additionally or alternatively, the second upper safety indicators  48  may demarcate the left and right limits  26 , 28  of the parking space  20 . For example, the second upper safety indicators  48  may include a left upper safety indicator  58  which demarcates the left limit  26  of the parking space  20 , and a right upper safety indicator  60  which demarcates the right limit  28  of the parking space  20 , such that the left and right upper safety indicators  58 , 60  cooperate to demarcate the width dimension of the parking space  20 . Additionally or alternatively, the second upper safety indicators  48  may include a center upper safety indicator  62  (seen in  FIGS. 4-7 ) positioned on the horizontal upper barrier  50 , which demarcates the center  30  of the parking space  20 . 
     Some or all aspects of the first implementation of the first embodiment seen in  FIG. 2 , which includes the continuous rectangular left and right rear safety indicators  52 , 54 , and the first implementation of the second embodiment, which includes the continuous rectangular center rear safety indicator  56 , seen in  FIG. 4 , may be incorporated into a single system, such as is shown in  FIG. 6 . Similarly, some or all aspects of the second implementation of the first embodiment seen in  FIG. 3 , which includes the several round left and right upper safety indicators  52 , 54 , and the second implementation of the second embodiment, which includes the several round center upper safety indicator  56 , seen in  FIG. 5 , may be incorporated into a single system, such as is shown in  FIG. 7 . Other combinations of these implementations and embodiments are similarly possible. 
     Referring also to  FIGS. 8-12 , a third embodiment of the enhanced visual safety indicators  40  is shown in an exemplary operating environment for more effectively assisting an operator of the vehicle  36 , including large vehicles such as trucks and vans with limited visibility, or for more effectively enabling an at least semi-autonomous (i.e., semi- or fully-autonomous) vehicle  36  to more properly and safely park the vehicle  36  in the parking space  20 . In general, aspects of the third embodiment may be substantially similar or identical to corresponding aspects of the first and/or second embodiments, except as follows. 
     In this third embodiment, the visual parking space safety indicators  40  may include one or more center lower safety indicators  66  which may be mounted on and substantially flush with or raised above, temporarily projected onto, embedded in, or otherwise associated with the lower surface  24  at the approximate center  30  of the parking space  20 , i.e., approximately within five percent of being centered or approximately within ten percent of being centered between the left and right limits  26 , 28  (which may or may not be indicated by conventional markings  22 ). In various implementations, the one or more center lower safety indicators  66  may replace or supplement the conventional markings  22  and/or the rear and/or upper enhanced markings  42 , 48 . 
     The center lower safety indicators  66  may extend severally (as, e.g., a plurality of circles or other shapes, as seen in  FIG. 9 ) or continuously (as, e.g., an elongated rectangle, as seen in  FIG. 10 ) from a rearward position to a forward position on the lower surface  24 , thereby maximizing their visibility to operators of different seizes and abilities in vehicles of different sizes and designs. In various implementations, the center lower safety indicators  66  may be provided along a portion or an entire length of the approximate center  30  of the parking space. In various implementations, the center lower safety indicators  66  may be approximately four inches wide, or approximately between one-eighth inch and six inches wide, or approximately between one-eighth inch and sixteen inches wide. 
     In various implementations, the one or more center lower safety indicators  66  may be visual in nature (i.e., they can be seen by a driver of the vehicle  36 ); reflective, electronic, or otherwise detectable in nature (i.e., they can be detected by a sensor of the vehicle  36 ); or a combination thereof. In particular, the one or more center lower safety indicators  66  may be configured to be conspicuously visible in the displayed view  70  provided by a rearward, or “back-up,” camera of the vehicle  36  to better assist the driver when backing into the parking space  20 , as depicted in  FIG. 10 . Visually perceptible center lower safety indicators  66  may be provided with substantially any desirable coloration, such as yellow, orange, green, or in the case of private garages, an aesthetically matching, complementary, or otherwise desirable color. In one implementation, for public parking spaces the center lower safety indicators  66  may be provided with a color that is both different from the color of the conventional markings  22  to avoid confusion and that is not normally associated with construction or maintenance work or other closure (e.g., not yellow or orange) also to avoid confusion. 
     In one implementation, shown in  FIGS. 11 and 12 , the one or more center lower safety indicators  66  may be temporarily projected onto the lower surface  24  of the parking space  20  as needed. For example, a laser or other projector  72  may be mounted to the upper and/or rear surfaces  32 , 34  and configured to project the center lower safety indicators  66  onto the lower surface  24  when the vehicle  36  begins the parking maneuver. In one implementation, in which the laser projector  72  is mounted in a residential garage, the laser projector  72  may activate and project the center lower safety indicators  66  when a door of the residential garage is opened to receive the vehicle  36 , such as in response to the use of a remote control device  80  which may be a garage door opener or a dedicated remote control device. In one implementation, the laser projector  72  may additionally project the conventional markings  22  and/or the rear and/or upper enhanced markings  42 , 48 . 
     Additionally or alternatively, the one or more center lower safety indicators  66  may comprise or consist of one or more passive reflectors or active emitters  68  (of, e.g., visible or non-visible light or radio-frequency signals) which can be detected by one or more sensors on the vehicle  36  to accomplish (in the case of semi- or fully-autonomous vehicles) or assist in (in the case of non-autonomous vehicles) parking the vehicle  36 , whether in a forward or reverse orientation. For example, the vehicle may be equipped with a visible or infrared light source which emits a light signal which is reflected by one or more reflectors  68  which are part of the indicators  66 . In another example, the vehicle may be equipped with a radio-frequency or other electromagnetic signal detector which senses a radio-frequency or other electromagnetic signal emitted or otherwise produced by one or more radio-frequency signal emitters or other electromagnetic signal producers  68  which are part of the indicators  66 . In one implementation, detectable center lower safety indicators  66  may include a rear stop element  74  physically or functionally configured to communicate a stopping point for the vehicle  36 . 
     Thus, embodiments of the present invention provide substantial advantages for more clearly and effectively assisting operators to more properly and safely park their vehicles in parking spaces, including providing a practical and cost-effective solution for reducing damage to vehicles and structures resulting from poorly parked vehicles. 
     Although the invention has been described with reference to the one or more embodiments illustrated in the figures, it is understood that equivalents may be employed and substitutions made herein without departing from the scope of the invention as recited in the claims. 
     Having thus described one or more embodiments of the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent includes the following: