Patent Application
20210229692
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The disclosure relates to detection and notification assemblies and more particularly pertains to a new detection and notification assembly for reducing vehicle collisions.
The prior art relates to detection and notification assemblies. Prior art detection and notification assemblies generally comprise detectors, transmitters, and receivers and require one of each of these elements to be positioned both on a vehicle and a trailing vehicle to detect a tailgating event.
An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a sensor and a notification module that are mountable to a vehicle. The sensor is proximity type and can detect entry of a following vehicle into a tailgating range. The notification module comprises a microprocessor and a display. The sensor and the notification module are mountable so that the sensor and the display are rear facing. The microprocessor is operationally coupled to the sensor and the display and thus is positioned to selectively actuate the display upon receipt of a signal from the sensor when the following vehicle enters the tailgating range. The display selectively presents a tailgating notification to a driver of the following vehicle.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.
The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:
With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to
As best illustrated in
The present invention anticipates the tailgating detection and notification assembly 10 being at least one of battery powered and operationally coupled to an electrical circuit of the vehicle 16.
The display 20 comprises a first unit 22 that is configured to emit yellow light and a second unit 24 that is configured to emit red light. The microprocessor 18 is positioned to selectively actuate the first unit 22 when the following vehicle enters the tailgating range with the emitted yellow light providing an initial warning to the driver of the following vehicle. The microprocessor 18 is positioned to selectively actuate the second unit 24, as a second and more forceful warning to the driver of the following vehicle, when the following vehicle remains in the tailgating range for a preset length of time.
The first unit 22 comprises a yellow light emitting diode 26, and the second unit 24 comprises a red light emitting diode 28. The first unit 22 is configured for intermittent illumination, thus providing a flashing effect. The present invention also anticipates the second unit 24 being configured for intermittent illumination.
A coupler 30 that is engaged to the notification module 14 is configured to engage the vehicle 16 to couple the notification module 14 to the vehicle 16. The coupler 30 comprise at least one of a base 32 and a fastener 38. The base is configured to support the notification module 14 on an interior surface 34 of the vehicle 16 proximate to a rear window 36 of the vehicle 16, as shown in
The present invention also anticipates the notification module 14 being operationally coupled to an electronic control unit (not shown) of the vehicle 16. Programming code that would be positioned on at least one of the microprocessor 18 and the electronic control unit would enable real time adjustment of the tailgating range and the preset length of time based on the speed of the vehicle 16.
In use, the sensor 12 and the notification module 14 are mounted to a vehicle 16 so that the sensor 12 and the display 20 are rear facing. When the following vehicle enters the tailgating range, the microprocessor 18 actuates the first unit 22 to provide an initial warning to the driver of the following vehicle. Should the following vehicle remain in the tailgating range for the preset length of time, the microprocessor 18 actuates the second unit 24 as a second and more forceful warning to the driver of the following vehicle.
With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the elements is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.
