Perimeter LED Signaling for Access Gate Status and Safety
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing light signaling devices for access gates, such as garage doors, do not effectively enhance safety by indicating the door's movement, differentiation between opening and closing, or illuminate the gate's perimeter, leading to potential safety hazards and unclear access status.
Innovation Solution
A light signaling device featuring elongated LED strips or elements placed along the access gate's perimeter, controlled by an electronic unit, which can indicate door movement, status, and potential malfunctions through color and sequence changes, integrated with a section bar for secure and efficient mounting.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a traditional acoustic and/or luminous signal is placed near the door, then the door movement can be signaled in poor lighting conditions, but the indicator does not indicate whether the door is being opened or closed, does not show the perimeter of the access gate, and does not substantially increase safety requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The lighting system is divided into multiple independent elongated lighting elements positioned at different locations (top, sides) of the gate perimeter. Each element can be controlled independently to provide different lighting patterns and information, allowing the system to convey door status, perimeter definition, and safety information simultaneously through segmented lighting zones
Solution Approach 2:
Different portions of the gate perimeter are illuminated with different lighting characteristics. The top portion shows door movement, the side portions show gate extent, and specific zones can indicate opening/closing status. This local differentiation allows multiple types of information to be conveyed simultaneously without confusion
2Illumination intensity
If a bright flashing indicator is used to signal door movement, then visibility in poor lighting conditions is improved, but the indicator provides undifferentiated signaling that does not distinguish between opening and closing operations
Solution Approach 1:
The lighting elements can change color or lighting pattern to indicate different door operations. For example, one color pattern indicates door opening while another indicates door closing, allowing the system to maintain high visibility while conveying directional information through color or pattern differentiation
Solution Approach 2:
The lighting elements employ different periodic patterns (flashing frequencies, on/off sequences) to indicate different door operations. This allows the system to maintain attention-grabbing periodic illumination while encoding directional information in the timing pattern itself
3Loss of information
If elongated lighting elements are placed along the gate perimeter, then the gate perimeter can be illuminated and door movement signaled, but the device complexity increases compared to traditional point indicators
Solution Approach 1:
The lighting elements are implemented as flexible LED strips that can be easily mounted along the gate perimeter. This flexible film-based approach simplifies installation compared to rigid lighting structures while providing continuous perimeter illumination, reducing the practical complexity despite the extended coverage
Solution Approach 2:
The same elongated lighting elements serve multiple functions: defining the gate perimeter, indicating door movement, showing opening/closing status, and providing safety illumination. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate devices for each function, thereby reducing overall system complexity despite the extended lighting coverage
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 solution enhances safety by clearly signaling door movements and status, facilitating vehicle maneuvering and indicating access availability or malfunctions, thereby improving user safety and operational clarity.
Implementation Method 1
at least one elongated lighting element L, in particular an LED strip
Data Source
Figure 1a~1c
Figure 2a~2c
Figure 3a~4
AI summary
A lighting signaling device applied to an access gate (V) comprising at least one elongated lighting element (L) located in at least part of the perimeter of said access gate.