Vehicle Turn Indicator Control for Hazard-Safe Road Projection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle indicator apparatuses can cause confusion among pedestrians by illuminating light on the road surface when the hazard switch is activated, leading to misunderstandings about the vehicle's movement.
Innovation Solution
An indicator apparatus that prevents drawing operations on the road surface when the hazard switch is activated, and allows drawing operations when a travel course changing operation is performed, especially when the vehicle is moving or being steered.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the hazard switch is set to ON state during vehicle stopping, then the lamps on both sides of the vehicle blink to indicate hazard, but the indication of predetermined shape is drawn on the road surface which may cause pedestrians to misunderstand that the vehicle will start traveling
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the road surface drawing function from the hazard warning function. When the hazard switch is activated during vehicle stopping, the system prohibits the drawing operation on the road surface while still allowing the lamps to blink for hazard indication. This separation prevents the conflicting information that would otherwise be displayed simultaneously, eliminating pedestrian confusion about vehicle intentions.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the drawing operation is prohibited when hazard switch is ON during vehicle stopping, then pedestrian confusion is prevented, but the visibility of hazard warning to surrounding vehicles and pedestrians is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies asymmetric treatment to different warning modes. For hazard warnings during stopping, the road surface drawing is prohibited while lamp blinking continues. For turn signal warnings during travel or steering operations, the road surface drawing is permitted. This asymmetric approach tailors the visibility enhancement to the specific operational context, preventing confusion when appropriate while maintaining visibility when needed.
3Illumination intensity
If the indication is drawn on the road surface in linked manner with turn signal lamp, then the visibility of turn signal indication is enhanced, but confusion of pedestrians may occur when hazard switch is activated
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic control of the road surface drawing function based on vehicle operation state and switch activation. The system dynamically adjusts whether drawing is permitted by checking both the hazard switch state and vehicle operation state (stopping vs. traveling/steering). This dynamic approach allows the drawing function to be enabled or disabled in real-time based on contextual factors, optimizing both visibility and clarity simultaneously.
Data Source
AI summary
An indicator apparatus for a vehicle is provided which draws an indication of a predetermined shape on a road surface on a side of a course of travel by illuminating light onto the road surface when a user performs a travel course changing operation which is an operation for changing a course of travel of a vehicle, in which a drawing operation on the road surface is prohibited when a hazard switch is set in an ON state.