Windshield LED Vehicle Alert Assembly for Clear Braking Cues
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle alert systems are limited in their ability to effectively inform pedestrians and other drivers about the vehicle's acceleration or deceleration status, often relying on lighting assemblies mounted at specific locations that can reflect light into the driver's eyes and provide inadequate visual cues.
Innovation Solution
A triangular scoop-shaped visual alert system is adhered to the vehicle windshield, featuring a module with LEDs and a printed circuit board assembly (PCBA) that uses an accelerometer or vehicle diagnostics to provide distinct visual outputs indicating acceleration or deceleration, with optional ambient light sensors for adjusting illumination intensity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a lighting assembly is mounted at a specific location on the vehicle, then the alert function is provided, but light may reflect into the driver's eyes causing distraction
Solution Approach 1:
The lighting assembly is designed with a specific geometric configuration where light sources are positioned and oriented to provide alert functionality in specific directions while avoiding reflection into the driver's eyes. The housing structure creates localized light emission zones that target pedestrians and other drivers without affecting the driver's vision.
2Reliability
If the lighting assembly is mounted on the vehicle, then pedestrians and drivers can be alerted, but the visual cues may be inadequate or unclear
Solution Approach 1:
The lighting assembly utilizes different colors of light to convey different vehicle states and alert meanings. By varying the color of the light emission, the system provides clear and distinguishable visual cues to pedestrians and other drivers about the vehicle's acceleration or deceleration status, preventing information loss.
3Loss of information
If the alert system provides comprehensive visual output for all vehicle conditions, then information completeness is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The lighting assembly is designed to perform multiple alert functions using a single device configuration. The same housing and light source arrangement can indicate different vehicle states (acceleration, deceleration, steady speed) through variations in light emission patterns, colors, or intensities, thereby providing comprehensive information without increasing device complexity.
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 effectively communicates vehicle movement conditions to observers, preventing light reflection into the driver's eyes and providing clear visual cues through adjustable illumination, enhancing safety by clearly indicating steady, accelerating, or decelerating states.
Implementation Method 1
PCBA with built in accelerometer or access to the existing vehicle on-board diagnostic (OBD) network
Implementation Method 2
supports a separate module containing a plurality of illuminating elements, such as LED elements
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle alert system for instructing observers as to movement of the vehicle. A scoop adheres against an inside surface of a windshield and supports a plurality of illuminating elements communicating with a PCBA, along with each of an accelerometer, on board diagnostic system and a power supply. In response to a determined acceleration of the structure, the accelerometer inputs a signal to the PCBA representative of the vehicle movement and the PCBA in turn provides an output signal causing illuminating elements to generate a visual output corresponding to said input signal and further representative of a decelerating or braking condition of the vehicle. An ambient light sensor (ALS) can be incorporated into the assembly for managing lighting/LED intensity based upon exterior lighting conditions.