초록 ▼

A display system for motor vehicles provides an array of lamps at the rear of a subject vehicle to provide an indication of the state of motion of the subject vehicle to the driver of a following vehicle. In a first mode of operation, the display indicates a level of warning dependent upon the rate

A display system for motor vehicles provides an array of lamps at the rear of a subject vehicle to provide an indication of the state of motion of the subject vehicle to the driver of a following vehicle. In a first mode of operation, the display indicates a level of warning dependent upon the rate of deceleration of the subject vehicle, the level of warning being determined by deceleration thresholds which are variable in dependence upon the measured speed of the subject vehicle. In a second mode of operation, the lamps provide an indication of the subject vehicle being stationary or near stationary as determined by comparing the measured speed with a threshold speed. An animate display is created by illuminating the lamps and sequentially deactuating selected pairs of lamps to create a pattern cyclically moving semetrically outwardly from the center of the row. The display is discontinued when the speed of the subject vehicle exceeds a second threshold defined independently of the first threshold speed. In a third mode of operation, the display indicates that the subject vehicle is stationary or near stationary in a manner which has less prominence, fewer lamps being illuminated, and in response to detection of a following vehicle being in close proximity to the subject vehicle.

대표청구항 ▼

[ I claim:] [1.] A vehicle display system for indicating the state of motion of a subject vehicle to a driver of a following vehicle; the system comprising;deceleration determining means operable to determine whether the state of motion of the subject vehicle is one of deceleration and to determine

[ I claim:] [1.] A vehicle display system for indicating the state of motion of a subject vehicle to a driver of a following vehicle; the system comprising;deceleration determining means operable to determine whether the state of motion of the subject vehicle is one of deceleration and to determine a measure of deceleration of the subject vehicle;vehicle motion measuring means operable to sense a measure of velocity of the subject vehicle;a processor operable to compare the measure of deceleration with a first set of deceleration thresholds defining a first set of distinct ranges of deceleration and to select a level of warning from a corresponding set of levels of warning according to the range of deceleration in which the measure of deceleration is determined to lie;indicating means comprising an array of lamps controlled by the processor and operable to provide an indication of the state of motion as being one of deceleration by illuminating selected lamps of the array of lamps to provide a pattern of illumination representative of the selected level of warning such that the number of lamps illuminated is proportionate to the level of warning;and wherein the processor is operable to determine the values of the first set of deceleration thresholds dependent upon the measure of velocity over an entire velocity range of the subject vehicle.