Vehicle Delivery Lighting Pattern for Distinct Visual Alerts
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle lighting systems, such as hazard lighting, do not adequately alert oncoming drivers and pedestrians to specific delivery situations, as they lack distinct patterns that differentiate delivery events from emergency or fault conditions.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle control system that activates lamps in a delivery lighting pattern, which differs from hazard lighting by varying flashing frequency and activating additional lamps, in response to detected events like delivery events, parked mode, or proximity to a delivery address, ensuring enhanced visibility during delivery operations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If hazard lighting pattern is used for delivery situations, then vehicle visibility is improved, but the ability to differentiate delivery events from emergency or fault conditions deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by modifying the lighting pattern parameters (flashing frequency, lamp configuration) to create a distinct delivery lighting pattern. The delivery lighting pattern uses a specific flashing frequency range (e.g., 0.5-2 Hz) that differs from hazard lighting (typically 1-2 Hz but with different activation patterns), and activates specific lamps (e.g., front and rear turn signal lamps) in a configuration that indicates delivery status rather than emergency conditions. This resolves the contradiction by maintaining visibility while encoding different operational states through parameter variations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by activating specific lamps in specific configurations to convey different meanings. The delivery lighting pattern activates front and rear turn signal lamps simultaneously or in coordinated fashion, whereas hazard lighting activates all turn signal lamps. This localized differentiation in lamp activation patterns allows the system to maintain overall visibility while providing local (specific lamp configuration) quality that encodes the delivery versus emergency distinction.
2Loss of information
If additional lamps are activated in delivery lighting pattern, then awareness of delivery situations is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies universality by using existing vehicle lamps (turn signal lamps, hazard lamps) for multiple functions. The same physical lamps used for hazard indication and turn signaling are repurposed to create the delivery lighting pattern through different activation sequences and configurations. This eliminates the need for additional dedicated delivery indication lamps, thereby improving awareness of delivery situations without increasing device complexity or requiring new hardware components.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies self-service by having the vehicle's existing lighting system serve the delivery indication function using its own components. The control system orchestrates the existing lamps to create distinct patterns that self-identify the vehicle's delivery status without requiring external or additional lighting devices. The system uses its existing resources (lamps, control circuitry) to provide the enhanced visibility function.
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle control system may include one or more processors and a memory comprising instructions executable by the processors, the processors operable to execute the instructions to perform operations comprising detecting a signal to activate vehicle lamps in a delivery lighting pattern. In some embodiments, the processors may be further operable to execute the instructions to perform operations including activating the vehicle lamps in the delivery lighting pattern, wherein a flashing frequency of the delivery lighting pattern differs from a flashing frequency of a hazard lighting pattern.