Patent Application
20210134148
This disclosure relates generally to an electronic vehicle height clearance system and more particularly to allow a garage facility or parking lot to manage vehicles with above the permissible height to enter into the facility.
Garages or parking lots which have a vehicle height restrictions, usually have a way of dealing with such vehicles by posting a sign at a visible area indicating the maximum height or a horizontal bar hanged from the ceiling to guide the vehicle when they enter into the garage or the parking lot. However, a driver may sometimes is not aware of the height of his vehicle and decides to go forward even after the height indicators and ends up damaging the vehicle and/or the property. There is a need for a better management system for vehicles with above the permitted height in garage facilities or parking lot.
The present disclosure relates to an electronic vehicle height clearance system. More specifically, the disclosure relates to an electronic vehicle height clearance system with a sensor, such that the sensor helps in indicating a driver of a vehicle that their vehicle is above the permitted height, as required to enter a garage facility or a parking lot.
In one embodiment, the system as disclosed comprise of a bar; an entrance gate; and an electronic sign. In another embodiment, the system comprises of a photo-sensor bar and an infrared emission bar. In yet another embodiment, the infrared emission bar may be installed at a required distance from a garage or a parking lot entrance gate. The distance will depend on how early a signal should reach the driver to let the driver know about vehicle height such that driver can stop the vehicle and also there should be enough space for the vehicle to turn around. Further, the photo-sensor bar may be present at a distance of approximately 2.5 meters from the infrared emission bar, such that the photo-sensor bar and the infrared emission bar are present on opposite side of the garage or a parking lot entrance gate. However, the distance between the photo-sensor bar and the infrared emission bar may also depend on the distance of the entrance way to the garage or parking lot or other such area where the system may be installed.
In one embodiment, the infrared emission bar further comprise of an infrared emission compartment whereas in another embodiment, the photo-sensor bar comprise of a photo-sensor compartment. The infrared emission compartment and the photo-sensor compartment are present at such a height which is equivalent to the permissible height for the garage or parking lot or other such area where the system is installed.
In one embodiment, the infrared emission compartment as attached to the infrared emission bar is a hollow cylindrical metallic body. In another embodiment, the infrared emission compartment may be of other shape such as a rectangle, square as referenced to the shape of the infrared emission bar. The cylindrical shape is open from one side and comprise of more than one wing, which forms an opening. The infrared emission compartment can further be adjusted, moved up or down and fixed onto the infrared emission bar. There is a hole present onto the wings of the infrared emission compartment, wherein a screw can pass through the hole and with the screw nut can help fix the infrared emission compartment at a desirable height onto the infrared emission bar. The infrared emission compartment further comprise of an infrared piece that emits an infrared signal towards the photo-sensor bar, wherein the photo-sensor bar is present on the same line of axis as of the infrared emission bar.
In one embodiment, the photo-sensor compartment as attached to the photo-sensor bar is a hollow cylindrical metallic body. In another embodiment, the photo-sensor compartment may be of other shape such as a rectangle, square as referenced to the shape of the photo-sensor bar. The cylindrical shape is open from one side and comprise of more than one wing, which forms an opening. The photo-sensor compartment can further be adjusted, moved up or down and fixed onto the photo-sensor bar. There is a hole present onto the wings of the photo-sensor compartment, wherein a screw can pass through the hole and with the screw nut can help fix the photo-sensor compartment at a desirable height onto the photo-sensor bar. The photo-sensor compartment further comprise of a photo-sensor piece. The photo-sensor piece and the infrared piece are position in such a way that they face each other and forms an invisible line, invisible to naked eye, when the system is in ON position.
In one embodiment, the system as disclosed further comprise of an entrance gate. The entrance gate is either in ON or OFF position, where ON position indicates that the gate is in the entrance way and is blocking the entrance of the vehicle whereas OFF position indicates that the gate is away from the entrance way, allowing a vehicle to pass through the entrance way to the garage or parking lot or other such area. In another embodiment, an electronic sign is present on the entrance gate, such that the electronic sign display a warning message or other such message for driver of the vehicle.
In one embodiment, the photo-sensor compartment is present at a distance of approximately 0.5 meter from the entrance gate. In another embodiment, the infrared emission compartment is present at a distance of approximately 2.5 meters from the photo-sensor compartment. The infrared emission bar and the photo-sensor bar are installed on either side of the entrance way to the garage or the parking lot such that the infrared piece and the photo-sensor piece face each other. All the compartments and the system is linked to an electronic source.
In one embodiment, an infrared signal being emitted from the infrared piece falls onto the photo-sensor piece present on the photo-sensor compartment and forms an infrared line. In another embodiment, as the system is switch to ON position an infrared line is formed which are invisible to a naked eye.
Thus, in one embodiment, an electronic vehicle height clearance system is disclosed comprising: an infrared emission bar; a photo-sensor bar; an entrance gate and an electronic sign, wherein the system help in managing a vehicle with height above or below a permissible level for an area where the system is installed. In another embodiment, the electronic vehicle height clearance system further comprises: an infrared emission compartment fixed onto the infrared emission bar and a photo-sensor compartment fixed onto the photo-sensor bar. In yet another embodiment, the system as disclosed comprises: an infrared piece present on the infrared emission compartment and a photo-sensor piece present on the photo-sensor compartment, wherein infrared piece emits an infrared signal such that the infrared signal falls onto the photo-sensor piece to form a line invisible to a naked eye.
In one embodiment, a functioning of an electronic vehicle height clearance system is disclosed. The functioning as disclosed, comprising: switching ON the system, such that an infrared signal is emitted from an infrared emission compartment; forming of an infrared line, wherein the line is formed when the infrared signal from the infrared emission compartment falls onto a photo-sensor compartment present on a photo-sensor bar; moving of an entrance gate into an entrance way to the garage or parking lot, such that the entrance gate blocks the entrance way for any vehicle; passing of a vehicle through the system to enter into the garage or parking lot; and moving of the vehicle into the garage or parking lot through an entrance gate, such that if the vehicle is within the permissible height it will not cross the infrared line and will lead to opening of the entrance gate. In another embodiment, the functioning as disclosed further comprises: blocking of the entrance way, wherein the entrance way will be blocked by entrance gate being in close position; and displaying a message onto an electronic sign, wherein the sign indicates a message to the driver that the vehicle is above the permissible height.
Thus, in most embodiments, as the vehicle pass through the entrance of the garage or the parking lot entrance gate, the vehicle will pass in between the infrared compartment and the photo-sensor compartment, wherein if the vehicle cross an infrared line emitted from the infrared compartment, entrance gate will not open to allow the vehicle to pass through.
The system as disclosed depend on a photo-sensor and an infrared to detect the height of the vehicle. As soon as the vehicle crosses the line, a signal will be passed to the entrance gate to not open along with a message display onto the electronic sign.
Other features will be apparent from the accompanying drawings and from the detailed description that follows.
Example embodiments are illustrated by way of example and not limitation in the figures of the accompanying drawings, in which like references indicate similar elements and in which:
Other features of the present embodiments will be apparent from the accompanying drawings and from the detailed description that follows.
When a garage or parking lot is constructed for a residential or commercial building, they usually have a gate to give a permission to the eligible vehicle to enter. For example, when a driver enter the right numbers on the parking keypad or when the driver click on the garage remote, it gives them a permission to enter into the garage or parking lot. All the commercial or residential garage or parking lot have a height limitation whereby a vehicle with a particular height can be parked and does not allow vehicles with a height above those permissible limits. It is important to indicate a garage height limit because some large vehicle of a resident or a guest may have more height than the required and the driver of that vehicle is not aware of their vehicles' height. Further, as entering into the garage or parking lot, drivers are usually in hurry, they click on the remote or keypad and decided to enter without noticing the height sign, damaging their vehicles' ceiling and the garage/parking lot ceiling as well.
The usual way to deal with the vehicle height when entering the garage or parking lot depend mainly on a sign, or a horizontal bar, hanged from the ceiling to guide the vehicle as to the permissible height within that area. However, as mentioned the driver might not be aware of the actual height of his vehicle and decided to go forward and that lead to damages requiring repairs and thus cost.
The presented invention deals with the problem and provides a electronic vehicle height clearance system that can be installed and connected to a regular garage entrance door or a parking lot entrance door which do have height restrictions.
The infrared emission compartment emits an infrared signal such that an infrared signal is emitted from the infrared compartment 103 forming an infrared line 105. The system further comprises of an entrance gate 106. The system further comprises of an electronic sign 107 present on top of the garage or parking lot entrance gate 106. The electronic sign may be present on a desired location such as the left side or the right side of the garage or parking lot entrance gate. The entrance gate is either in ON or OFF position, where ON position indicates that the gate is in the entrance way and is blocking the entrance of the vehicle, whereas OFF position indicates that the gate is away from the entrance way, allowing a vehicle to pass through the entrance way to the garage or parking lot or other such area. Further, an electronic sign 107 is present on the entrance gate, such that the electronic sign display a warning message or other such message for driver of the vehicle.
This is total electronic system, that does not require human intervention. The system depend on photo-sensors and infrared to detect the vehicle upper height. It prevent the vehicle from the entering the garage or parking automatically by closing the garage gate and giving the driver a warning and electronic explanation. Using infrared line help to differentiate in fraction of seconds between a vehicle with acceptable and unacceptable height.
Although the present embodiments have been described with reference to specific example embodiments, it will be evident that various modifications and changes may be made to these embodiments without departing from the broader spirit and scope of the various embodiments. Accordingly, the specification and drawings are to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense.
This application is a continuation in part of and claims priority to patent application Ser. No. 16/675,152 filed on Nov. 5, 2019. The entire application is hereby incorporated by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 16675152 | Nov 2019 | US |
| Child | 16675175 | US |
