Patent Application
20190071002
The following includes information that may be useful in understanding the present disclosure. It is not an admission that any of the information provided herein is prior art nor material to the presently described or claimed inventions, nor that any publication or document that is specifically or implicitly referenced is prior art.
The present invention relates generally to the field of vehicle safety accessories and more specifically relates to vehicle brake lights.
Utilizing a vehicle's brake system is integral to driving. Other motorists on the roadway may have a difficult time identifying how quickly another vehicle is decelerating. Some vehicles may come to a sudden stop and be accidentally rear-ended due to other motorists being unaware of how fast he/she is braking. Serious injuries could occur, even during minor rear-end collisions.
Further, all vehicles have automotive lighting. The lighting system of a motor vehicle generally includes lighting and signaling devices mounted or integrated to the front, rear, sides, and in some cases the top of a motor vehicle. This allows other drivers and pedestrians to see a vehicle's presence, position, size, direction of travel, and the driver's intentions regarding direction and speed of travel.
U.S. Publication No. 2014/0309856 to Angela M. Willson-Quayle relates to a vehicle velocity visual alert system with discrete and unambiguous brake and “stopped” status features to reduce rear-end crashes. The described vehicle velocity visual alert system with discrete and unambiguous brake and “stopped” status features to reduce rear-end crashes includes a velocity-contingent rear and interior colored-lights visual alert system which signals real-time information from a lead car to following drivers via a processor-memory-speedometer-brake configuration that shows a lead vehicle's: (1) actual and changing speeds; (2) degree of brake pressure when decelerating and (3) stationary status. The main alert device has a plurality of adjacent speed indicator lights with braking and stopped status elements. A processor memory is configured to store programming and speed and brake look-up tables associating speed ranges with activation of specific colored lights and braking speed with a brake pressure alert subsystem. The processor executes programming via the interconnectedness of the speedometer, accelerator, brake, brake pressure sensor and the main device.
To promote safer driving conditions behind and minimize rear end accidents, a suitable brake light is desired.
In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known vehicle safety accessories art, the present disclosure provides a novel dynamic brake light system. The general purpose of the present disclosure, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a brake light configured to illuminate in accordance with the deceleration velocity of a motor vehicle as registered via an accelerometer or how much pressure is applied to the brake system.
The dynamic brake light system may generally comprise an elongated brake light installed to a rear section of the motor vehicle. The dynamic brake light is configured to receive input from the brake system. The dynamic brake light may be installed conveniently on any make or model of vehicle, including commercial vehicles. The dynamic brake light may replace brake systems during the manufacturing process or as an after-market alternative to standard brake lights. The dynamic brake light of the present disclosure teaches a safer alternative to standard brake lights, enabling other motorists to adjust their braking as needed to maintain a consistent speed.
A dynamic brake light system for a vehicle, the vehicle having a brake pedal, a communication module, and a speedometer, is disclosed herein. The dynamic brake light system may generally include a variable brake light display consisting of a plurality of intensity settings, a deceleration determination unit configured to monitor and determine varying degrees of deceleration of the vehicle, and a controller electronically coupled to the vehicle and to the variable brake light display, and communicably coupled to the deceleration determination unit. The controller may be configured to operate the variable brake light display in the plurality of intensity settings, and responsive to a predetermined change in deceleration of the vehicle, as communicated via the deceleration determination unit.
A method of using the dynamic brake light system for the vehicle having a brake pedal, a communication module, and a speedometer is also disclosed herein. The method of using the dynamic brake light system may comprise the steps of: step one, providing the dynamic brake light system including a variable brake light display may have a plurality of intensity settings, a deceleration determination unit configured to monitor and determine varying degrees of deceleration of the vehicle, and a controller electronically coupled to the vehicle and to the variable brake light display, and communicably coupled to the deceleration determination unit, the controller configured to operate the variable brake light display in the plurality of intensity settings, and responsive to a predetermined change in deceleration of the vehicle, as communicated via the deceleration determination unit; step two, installing the variable brake light display to a back of the vehicle; step three, measuring a deceleration value via the deceleration measurement unit when the vehicle may be braking; and step four, visually-indicating a deceleration range of the vehicle via the variable brake light display.
For purposes of summarizing the invention, certain aspects, advantages, and novel features of the invention have been described herein. It is to be understood that not necessarily all such advantages may be achieved in accordance with any one particular embodiment of the invention. Thus, the invention may be embodied or carried out in a manner that achieves or optimizes one advantage or group of advantages as taught herein without necessarily achieving other advantages as may be taught or suggested herein. The features of the invention which are believed to be novel are particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the concluding portion of the specification. These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following drawings and detailed description.
The figures which accompany the written portion of this specification illustrate embodiments and methods of use for the present disclosure, dynamic brake light system, constructed and operative according to the teachings of the present disclosure.
The various embodiments of the present invention will hereinafter be described in conjunction with the appended drawings, wherein like designations denote like elements.
As discussed above, embodiments of the present disclosure relate to vehicle safety accessories and more particularly to a dynamic brake light system as used to improve the vehicle brake light art.
Generally, a dynamic brake light system may generally comprise a customized brake system comprising a vehicular deceleration detector and an elongated brake light to help improve safety on the roadways. The elongated brake light may advantageously include sequential illumination based on a measurement of the vehicle's deceleration. The light array on the brake light may include one or more colors and may increase in strength or length from the center and outward depending on the measurement of the vehicle's deceleration.
In such a manner, a motorist may apply a light amount of pressure to illuminate the center portion of the elongated brake light. As more pressure is applied, the LED light extends on both sides of the brake light system. If pressure is fully applied to the brake to stop the vehicle, the LEDs illuminate the entire elongated brake light, and may even pulsate if the measurement exceeds a maximum deceleration reading. Other motorists on the roadway may then be able to identify how much pressure is being applied to the brake depending on how much of the elongated brake light is illuminated.
A computational system may also be equipped within the brake system designed to decipher the pressure/speed ratio to determine how much the light should be illuminated. This may particularly be useful in “stop-and-go” situations in traffic where drivers may apply light pressure to the brake, but not further illuminate the brake light. The system may be configured to illuminate the light in a manner to extend the full length of the bar, signifying a full stop.
The dynamic brake light system may be constructed using plastic and other suitable materials. The system may be connected directly to a vehicle's interior wiring, thereby accommodating virtually any make or model of vehicle. The system may be manufactured directly into a vehicle or installed as an after-market accessory.
Referring now more specifically to the drawings by numerals of reference, there is shown in
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The variable brake light display 110 may generally comprise a housing having a plurality of lights 170. The housing may be mounted to a rear of a vehicle 10 in an area where typical brake lights are installed. The plurality of lights 170 may include at least a first subset of lights 112 and a second subset of lights 114 (as shown best in
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In one embodiment of the present invention, the plurality of intensity settings 160 may include a setting configured to activate the first subset of lights 112. Further, the plurality of intensity settings 160 may include another setting configured to activate the second subset of lights 114. Additionally, the plurality of intensity settings 160 may further include another setting configured to activate the first subset of lights 112 and the second subset of lights 114 concurrently. The controller 130 may be programmed to control the first subset of lights 112 and the second subset of lights 114 of the plurality of lights 170 in response to deceleration of the vehicle 10.
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In one embodiment of the present invention, the plurality of intensity settings 160 includes a setting for increasing a brightness level of the plurality of lights 170. Further, the plurality of intensity settings 160 may include a pulse setting whereby the plurality of lights 170 are configured to pulsate when the pulsating setting is activated.
Preferably, the plurality of lights 170 may be divided into at least three subsets of lights, including a first subset of lights 112, a second subset of lights 114, and a third subset of lights; and wherein the varying degrees of deceleration of the vehicle 10 include a first deceleration range and a second deceleration range.
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It should also be noted that the steps described in the method of use can be carried out in many different orders according to user preference. The use of “step of” should not be interpreted as “step for”, in the claims herein and is not intended to invoke the provisions of 35 U.S.C. § 112(f). It should also be noted that, under appropriate circumstances, considering such issues as design preference, user preferences, marketing preferences, cost, structural requirements, available materials, technological advances, etc., other methods for the dynamic brake light for a vehicle 100 (e.g., different step orders within above-mentioned list, elimination or addition of certain steps, including or excluding certain maintenance steps, etc.), are taught herein.
The embodiments of the invention described herein are exemplary and numerous modifications, variations and rearrangements can be readily envisioned to achieve substantially equivalent results, all of which are intended to be embraced within the spirit and scope of the invention. Further, the purpose of the foregoing abstract is to enable the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally, and especially the scientist, engineers and practitioners in the art who are not familiar with patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure of the application.
The present application is related to and claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/554,363 filed Sep. 5, 2017, which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62554363 | Sep 2017 | US |
