Bicycle Light Combining Direct Visibility and Leg Motion Reflection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current bicycle lights primarily focus on direct visibility, lacking effective enhancement of cognitive awareness of a rider's motion to other road users, especially in low-light conditions.

Innovation Solution

A bicycle light device that combines direct visibility lighting with leg motion reflective lighting, where the reflective lighting casts light downwardly and forwardly from the rider's legs, enhancing cognitive awareness, and includes a controller to adjust lighting based on conditions.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of information

If bicycle lights only provide direct visibility illumination, then the device complexity is low, but the cognitive awareness enhancement of rider motion is insufficient

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecognitive awareness of rider motionVSAvoidlighting system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The lighting system is segmented into two distinct functional components: direct visibility lighting for basic illumination and leg motion reflective lighting for enhancing motion awareness. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function optimally while maintaining overall system manageability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent merges direct visibility lighting with leg motion reflective lighting into a single integrated bicycle light device. This combination provides both basic visibility and enhanced cognitive awareness of rider motion, resolving the contradiction between functionality and complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Reliability

If leg motion reflective lighting is added to enhance cognitive awareness, then visibility and safety are improved, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovesafetyVSAvoidlighting system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The light device performs multiple functions simultaneously: it provides direct visibility illumination for basic safety and generates reflective lighting from leg motion to enhance cognitive awareness. This multi-functionality improves reliability without requiring entirely separate systems.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The leg motion reflective lighting component utilizes the natural motion of the rider's legs as part of its operation. The reflective material activates automatically when light reflects off moving legs, eliminating the need for additional sensors, power sources, or control mechanisms for this safety enhancement.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

3Loss of information

If beamforming is used for targeted illumination of legs, then cognitive awareness enhancement is improved, but the manufacturing precision requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetargeted motion visibilityVSAvoidbeamforming precision
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The reflective lighting is directed specifically at the rider's legs, which are the most indicative body part for motion assessment. This local quality approach concentrates the reflective light where it provides maximum cognitive awareness benefit without requiring precise beamforming across the entire scene.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The device significantly improves cognitive awareness of a rider's motion by providing both direct and reflective lighting, enhancing visibility and safety through adaptive control of lighting intensity and pattern based on road conditions and terrain.

Implementation Method 1

the illuminating light reflects visible light from the moving legs of the rider thereby enhancing cognitive awareness of motion in other road users

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectLight reflection: Reflection

Data Source

PatentUS12043337B2Bicycle light device
Publication Date: 2024.07.23 PROJECT FLOCK PTY LTD
  • US12043337B2 patent drawing
  • US12043337B2 patent drawing
  • US12043337B2 patent drawing

AI summary

A bicycle light device has a body encapsulating direct visibility lighting and leg motion reflective lighting. The lighting is respectively directed so that, when the device is attached to a bicycle in use, the leg motion reflective lighting casts illuminating light downwardly and forwardly with respect to a visible beam directed rearwardly by the direct visibility lighting to enhance leg motion cognitive awareness in other road users.