Puddle Light Projects Battery Status
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems for electric vehicles do not provide a conspicuous and functional display of the drive battery's state of charge to the driver before entering the vehicle, limiting the driver's ability to assess charge sufficiency for a journey without vehicle activation.
Innovation Solution
A puddle light system that projects the drive battery's status onto a surface, such as the ground or vehicle body, using LED technology and a controller to display information like charge percentage, charging status, and predicted range, which can be integrated into the side mirror or door handle, allowing the driver to view this information before entering the vehicle.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If the vehicle ignition is not activated, then the driver cannot check the battery state of charge before entering the vehicle, but activating the ignition consumes energy and requires vehicle entry
Solution Approach 1:
The puddle light projects the battery state of charge information onto the ground before the driver enters the vehicle, allowing preliminary assessment of battery status without requiring vehicle ignition or entry. The information is displayed in advance on the projection surface.
2Loss of information
If a separate dashboard display is used for battery status, then the information is available, but it is not visible to the driver before entering the vehicle
Solution Approach 1:
The battery status information is projected from the interior dashboard onto the exterior ground surface, moving the display from the traditional dashboard dimension to an exterior projection dimension that is visible before vehicle entry. This spatial relocation allows the driver to see battery status from outside the vehicle.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the puddle light is used only for illumination, then the lighting function is simple, but it does not provide additional battery status information
Solution Approach 1:
The existing puddle light structure is enhanced to serve dual functions: traditional ground illumination and battery status information projection. The same light source and projection mechanism are used for both lighting purposes and information display, making the device multi-functional without requiring entirely separate systems.
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
Enables the driver to assess the battery's charge status and charging information conveniently and efficiently before entering the vehicle, enhancing journey planning and reducing uncertainty about battery sufficiency.
Implementation Method 1
The lighting arrangement can also comprise lenses for focusing and adjusting the size of the display on the projection surface
Data Source
AI summary
A puddle light for a motor vehicle, in particular for a battery-operated motor vehicle, wherein the puddle light projects the status of charge of a drive battery of the vehicle onto a surface; and a method for projecting the status image.