Door-Opening Alert Light Pattern Projection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems fail to effectively alert pedestrians and bikers of a vehicle door-opening event, particularly in situations where the driver's limited eyesight or insufficient lighting may lead to oversight, potentially causing harm.
Innovation Solution
A door-opening alert system that includes a light-emitting unit connected to the vehicle, a sensing unit to detect the door-opening event, and a control unit to communicate with the light-emitting unit, which projects a light pattern on the ground surface indicative of the door's dimensions or opening path, using a telescopic or retractable arm to position the lights externally and direct them towards the ground.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If existing onboard facilities (lights or speakers) are used to alert pedestrians, then the alerting function is provided, but the alerting effectiveness is insufficient particularly in low-light conditions or when pedestrians have limited visibility
Solution Approach 1:
The patent projects the door opening alert light pattern onto the ground surface (a different dimension) rather than using conventional onboard lights that emit in multiple directions. This ground-level projection creates a visible outline of the door opening path that is easily detectable by pedestrians in low-light conditions, directly addressing the visibility problem.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a ground surface as an intermediary medium to display the alert information. Instead of directly using vehicle lights to alert pedestrians, the system projects light patterns onto the ground between the vehicle and pedestrians, creating a visual indicator that clearly shows the door opening area without requiring intense illumination from the vehicle itself.
2Reliability
If the light-emitting unit is positioned externally to the vehicle, then the light pattern can be clearly projected on the ground surface, but the device complexity increases due to telescopic or retractable arms
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs telescopic or retractable arms that can dynamically adjust their extension state. The arms extend to position the light-emitting unit externally for clear ground projection, then retract when not needed. This dynamic mechanism allows the system to achieve clear light pattern projection only when necessary, balancing reliability with device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The telescopic or retractable arms are pre-positioned in a retracted state during normal vehicle operation. When door opening alert is needed, the arms extend to the required position before the light pattern projection begins. This preliminary positioning ensures the light-emitting unit is already in the optimal position when the alert function is activated.
3Illumination intensity
If a direction adaptor is used to direct light toward the ground surface, then the alert visibility is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The direction adaptor is designed to focus light emission in a specific direction (toward the ground surface) rather than emitting light in all directions. This localized light directionality ensures that the light pattern is projected precisely where needed (on the ground near the door opening area) with sufficient intensity, while avoiding unnecessary light emission in other directions that would waste energy and increase complexity.
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 system provides quiet and clear visual alerts to pedestrians, allowing them to avoid the door-opening area and preventing injuries by clearly indicating the door's opening path, even in low-light conditions, while allowing the driver to determine the maximum opening area without interference from obstacles.
Implementation Method 1
a light-emitting unit to be connected to the vehicle... such that the light-emitting unit is to emit a light pattern indicative of a dimension of a side door of the vehicle
Implementation Method 2
the light-emitting unit may further include a lens to form on the ground surface a light pattern indicative of an outer contour of a side door of the vehicle
Data Source
AI summary
In one or more embodiments, a door-opening alert system of a vehicle includes a light-emitting unit to be connected and at least partially external to the vehicle at a light-emitting position, a sensing unit to signal a door-opening event at the vehicle, and a control unit to communicate between the sensing unit and the light-emitting unit such that the light-emitting unit is to emit a light pattern indicative of a dimension of a side door of the vehicle.