Thermochromic Speed Indication via Thermoelectric Heating
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current speed determination methods for motor vehicles, such as those using LIDAR scanners, face limitations in range and require time for illumination and calculation, leading to potential delays in speed assessment, especially in scenarios like autonomous navigation and collision avoidance.
Innovation Solution
A device and method utilizing thermochromic paint coating layers on a motor vehicle's external surface, regulated by thermoelectric couple strips and temperature sensors, dynamically changes color to visually indicate speed, allowing for instantaneous speed determination without the need for illumination or complex calculations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If LIDAR scanners are used to determine speed, then speed determination accuracy is improved, but response time increases due to illumination and calculation requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the optical LIDAR system with a thermoelectric-thermal system. Thermoelectric couples generate heat proportional to vehicle speed, which is transferred to thermochromic paint layers that change color based on temperature. This substitution eliminates the need for light illumination and complex calculations, providing instantaneous visual speed indication while maintaining measurement accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes thermochromic paint coating layers that change color in response to temperature variations. Each layer is assigned to represent a specific speed range, and the color change provides immediate visual feedback about the vehicle's speed without requiring electronic processing or illumination, thus resolving the time delay issue while preserving measurement precision.
2Measurement precision
If LIDAR scanners are used to determine speed, then speed measurement capability is improved, but device complexity increases due to illumination and calculation systems
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the complex optical and computational LIDAR system with a simpler thermoelectric-thermal-optical system. The complexity of electronic illumination and calculation is substituted with passive thermochromic materials that directly translate thermal energy from thermoelectric couples into visual speed indicators, significantly reducing system complexity while maintaining measurement capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The thermochromic paint layers automatically indicate speed through color change in response to temperature from thermoelectric couples, without requiring external illumination or computational processing. The system serves itself by using the thermal energy already present in the vehicle to create the visual indication, eliminating the need for complex auxiliary systems.
3Measurement precision
If external temperature compensation is implemented, then speed indication accuracy is improved, but device complexity increases due to additional temperature sensors and control logic
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different thermochromic paint layers with specific temperature characteristics to different locations on the vehicle body, each optimized for its local thermal environment. This local optimization allows the system to compensate for external temperature variations without requiring complex centralized control, as each layer independently adapts to its local conditions while contributing to the overall speed indication accuracy.
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 efficient and almost instantaneous speed determination, reducing errors from external heat sources and improving autonomous navigation and collision avoidance by providing a visual and immediate indication of speed.
Implementation Method 1
one or more thermochromic paint coating layers disposed on an external surface of the motor vehicle, wherein each of the one or more thermochromic paint coating layers is indicative of a color based on a variation in a temperature
Implementation Method 2
one or more thermoelectric couple strips disposed underneath the corresponding one or more thermochromic paint coating layers and adapted to regulate the temperature of the corresponding one or more thermochromic paint coating layers
Data Source
AI summary
This disclosure relates generally to motor vehicles, and more particularly to motor vehicle and device for visually indicating a speed of the motor vehicle, and method thereof. In one embodiment, a method is provided for visually indicating a speed of a motor vehicle. The method includes receiving an instantaneous speed of the motor vehicle from one or more odometry devices of the motor vehicle and an instantaneous temperature on an external surface of the motor vehicle from one or more temperature sensors. The method further includes configuring one or more thermoelectric couple strips to regulate temperatures of one or more corresponding thermochromic paint coating layers disposed on the external surface of the motor vehicle, based on the instantaneous speed and the instantaneous temperature, to dynamically control indication of a color pattern associated with a range of instantaneous speed of the motor vehicle.