Vehicle Proximity Detection and Indication Devices and Methods

摘要

A vehicle proximity sensor includes an indicator having a plurality of light sources arranged in series along a path. The light sources are in sequential groups, with each group featuring multiple light sources arranged to illuminate in a same common illumination colour that differs from the illumination colour of each other group. Considering the area being monitored to be divided into segments and subsegments, the latest color to be illuminated provides indication of the current segment reached by the vehicle, and a count of the light sources illuminated in said latest color provides indication of how far the vehicle has reached into the current segment. The sensor is mounted at bumper height, and linked by a flexible connector to a strip on which the light sources are mounted, which may be oriented to reach upward from the sensor location into the windshield site line of the vehicle.

主权项

1. A vehicle proximity sensing and indicating device comprising:
a proximity sensor arranged for mounting to an object from which proximity of an approaching vehicle is to be detected; a controller linked to the proximity sensor and arranged to receive input signals therefrom that are reflective of proximity values detected thereby, and generate output responsive to said input signals; and a proximity indicator linked to the controller and arranged to receive the output from said controller, the proximity indicator comprising a plurality of light sources arranged in a series along a path, the series comprising multiple groups of lights sources arranged one after the other along the path from a first end thereof to a second end thereof and each group of light sources comprising multiple light sources arranged to illuminate in a same common illumination colour, the common illumination colour being different for each group; wherein the controller is arranged illuminate the light sources of the series in a sequential manner moving from the first end of the path toward the second end of the path as the input signals from the proximity sensor denote an increasing level of proximity detected thereby.