Rearview Mirror Brake Light for Anterior Visibility
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current vehicle braking systems lack an effective supplemental optical signaling mechanism that provides clear, visible illumination from the exterior of the vehicle to indicate braking actions, enhancing safety and awareness for other road users.
Innovation Solution
An automotive safety brake light system that mounts on the rearview mirror, utilizing a control circuit and a series of LEDs to generate a series of pulses initially, then continuous illumination when the brake signal is activated, ensuring the illumination is visible from the anterior side of the vehicle, thereby enhancing visibility and safety.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If conventional brake lights are used (visible only from posterior side), then the braking signal is visible to rear vehicles, but the visibility of braking actions to other road users (especially front and side vehicles) is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the conventional posterior-facing brake lights with an additional anterior-facing brake light signal on the rearview mirror into a single integrated brake lighting system. This merging allows the system to provide comprehensive visibility (both front and rear) while maintaining a unified control structure through the VECU, thus improving overall visibility without proportionally increasing system complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent adds a new spatial dimension to brake light visibility by mounting a brake light on the rearview mirror that illuminates toward the front (anterior) of the vehicle. This dimensional change from solely posterior illumination to both anterior and posterior illumination enables front and side vehicles to see braking actions, significantly enhancing the spatial coverage of the braking signal
2Reliability
If a supplemental optical signaling system is added on the rearview mirror, then visibility of braking actions is enhanced from the anterior side, but the device complexity and number of components increase
Solution Approach 1:
The rearview mirror-mounted brake light serves multiple functions: it provides anterior-facing visibility of braking actions, supplements the conventional posterior brake lights, and integrates with the existing VECU control system. This multi-functionality enhances safety signaling reliability while avoiding the need for completely separate control systems, thus managing complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The VECU acts as an intermediary that coordinates both the conventional posterior brake lights and the new anterior-facing rearview mirror brake light. By using the existing VECU as the controlling intermediary, the system achieves reliable coordinated operation without adding complex dedicated control circuitry, thus improving reliability while managing device complexity
3Loss of information
If the control circuit generates continuous illumination, then the braking signal is clearly visible and continuous, but energy consumption increases compared to intermittent signaling
Solution Approach 1:
The control circuit implements periodic pulsed illumination as the default braking signal pattern, where the brake lights activate in a series of pulses rather than continuous illumination. This periodic action maintains clear braking signal visibility (preventing information loss) while significantly reducing energy consumption compared to continuous operation. The system can transition to continuous illumination only when specifically triggered by the VECU for extended braking events
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 a clear and continuous optical signal indicating braking, improving vehicle safety by enhancing the visibility of braking actions to other road users, thus reducing the risk of accidents.
Implementation Method 1
The control circuit initially generates the illumination as a series of pulses when initially actuated by the brake signal. The control circuit subsequently continuously generates a continuous illumination until the brake signal indicates that the plurality of brake lights are no longer illuminated.
Data Source
AI summary
The automotive safety brake light is a supplemental optical signaling system that generates an illumination visible from the exterior of a vehicle. The automotive safety brake light mounts on a rearview mirror such that the field of illumination of the generated illumination is visible from the anterior side of the exterior of the vehicle. The automotive safety brake light generates the visible illumination when a brake signal from the vehicle indicates that the plurality of brake lights have been activated. The automotive safety brake light comprises a circuit housing and a control circuit. The circuit housing contains the control circuit. The control circuit monitors the brake signal. The control circuit initially generates the illumination as a series of pulses when initially actuated by the brake signal. The control circuit subsequently continuously generates a continuous illumination until the brake signal indicates that the plurality of brake lights are no longer illuminated.