GB2517789A - Vehicle with system for imaging - Google Patents

Vehicle with system for imaging Download PDF

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Publication number
GB2517789A
GB2517789A GB1315614.6A GB201315614A GB2517789A GB 2517789 A GB2517789 A GB 2517789A GB 201315614 A GB201315614 A GB 201315614A GB 2517789 A GB2517789 A GB 2517789A
Authority
GB
United Kingdom
Prior art keywords
vehicle
light
visible
controller
openable door
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
GB1315614.6A
Other versions
GB201315614D0 (en
Inventor
Paul Widdowson
Mark Cund
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Jaguar Land Rover Ltd
Original Assignee
Jaguar Land Rover Ltd
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Jaguar Land Rover Ltd filed Critical Jaguar Land Rover Ltd
Priority to GB1315614.6A priority Critical patent/GB2517789A/en
Publication of GB201315614D0 publication Critical patent/GB201315614D0/en
Priority to US14/915,963 priority patent/US10195980B2/en
Priority to EP14758906.3A priority patent/EP3041709B1/en
Priority to PCT/EP2014/068688 priority patent/WO2015032795A2/en
Priority to GB1415555.0A priority patent/GB2520127B/en
Publication of GB2517789A publication Critical patent/GB2517789A/en
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60Q—ARRANGEMENT OF SIGNALLING OR LIGHTING DEVICES, THE MOUNTING OR SUPPORTING THEREOF OR CIRCUITS THEREFOR, FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60Q1/00—Arrangement of optical signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor
    • B60Q1/26—Arrangement of optical signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor the devices being primarily intended to indicate the vehicle, or parts thereof, or to give signals, to other traffic
    • B60Q1/32—Arrangement of optical signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor the devices being primarily intended to indicate the vehicle, or parts thereof, or to give signals, to other traffic for indicating vehicle sides, e.g. clearance lights
    • B60Q1/323—Arrangement of optical signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor the devices being primarily intended to indicate the vehicle, or parts thereof, or to give signals, to other traffic for indicating vehicle sides, e.g. clearance lights on or for doors
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60Q—ARRANGEMENT OF SIGNALLING OR LIGHTING DEVICES, THE MOUNTING OR SUPPORTING THEREOF OR CIRCUITS THEREFOR, FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60Q1/00—Arrangement of optical signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor
    • B60Q1/26—Arrangement of optical signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor the devices being primarily intended to indicate the vehicle, or parts thereof, or to give signals, to other traffic
    • B60Q1/32—Arrangement of optical signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor the devices being primarily intended to indicate the vehicle, or parts thereof, or to give signals, to other traffic for indicating vehicle sides, e.g. clearance lights
    • B60Q1/323—Arrangement of optical signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor the devices being primarily intended to indicate the vehicle, or parts thereof, or to give signals, to other traffic for indicating vehicle sides, e.g. clearance lights on or for doors
    • B60Q1/324—Arrangement of optical signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor the devices being primarily intended to indicate the vehicle, or parts thereof, or to give signals, to other traffic for indicating vehicle sides, e.g. clearance lights on or for doors for signalling that a door is open or intended to be opened
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60Q—ARRANGEMENT OF SIGNALLING OR LIGHTING DEVICES, THE MOUNTING OR SUPPORTING THEREOF OR CIRCUITS THEREFOR, FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60Q1/00—Arrangement of optical signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor
    • B60Q1/26—Arrangement of optical signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor the devices being primarily intended to indicate the vehicle, or parts thereof, or to give signals, to other traffic
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60Q—ARRANGEMENT OF SIGNALLING OR LIGHTING DEVICES, THE MOUNTING OR SUPPORTING THEREOF OR CIRCUITS THEREFOR, FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60Q1/00—Arrangement of optical signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor
    • B60Q1/26—Arrangement of optical signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor the devices being primarily intended to indicate the vehicle, or parts thereof, or to give signals, to other traffic
    • B60Q1/2661—Arrangement of optical signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor the devices being primarily intended to indicate the vehicle, or parts thereof, or to give signals, to other traffic mounted on parts having other functions
    • B60Q1/2669—Arrangement of optical signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor the devices being primarily intended to indicate the vehicle, or parts thereof, or to give signals, to other traffic mounted on parts having other functions on door or boot handles
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60Q—ARRANGEMENT OF SIGNALLING OR LIGHTING DEVICES, THE MOUNTING OR SUPPORTING THEREOF OR CIRCUITS THEREFOR, FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60Q1/00—Arrangement of optical signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor
    • B60Q1/26—Arrangement of optical signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor the devices being primarily intended to indicate the vehicle, or parts thereof, or to give signals, to other traffic
    • B60Q1/32—Arrangement of optical signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor the devices being primarily intended to indicate the vehicle, or parts thereof, or to give signals, to other traffic for indicating vehicle sides, e.g. clearance lights
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60Q—ARRANGEMENT OF SIGNALLING OR LIGHTING DEVICES, THE MOUNTING OR SUPPORTING THEREOF OR CIRCUITS THEREFOR, FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60Q1/00—Arrangement of optical signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor
    • B60Q1/26—Arrangement of optical signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor the devices being primarily intended to indicate the vehicle, or parts thereof, or to give signals, to other traffic
    • B60Q1/46—Arrangement of optical signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor the devices being primarily intended to indicate the vehicle, or parts thereof, or to give signals, to other traffic for giving flashing caution signals during drive, other than signalling change of direction, e.g. flashing the headlights or hazard lights
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60Q—ARRANGEMENT OF SIGNALLING OR LIGHTING DEVICES, THE MOUNTING OR SUPPORTING THEREOF OR CIRCUITS THEREFOR, FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60Q1/00—Arrangement of optical signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor
    • B60Q1/26—Arrangement of optical signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor the devices being primarily intended to indicate the vehicle, or parts thereof, or to give signals, to other traffic
    • B60Q1/50—Arrangement of optical signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor the devices being primarily intended to indicate the vehicle, or parts thereof, or to give signals, to other traffic for indicating other intentions or conditions, e.g. request for waiting or overtaking
    • B60Q1/543—Arrangement of optical signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor the devices being primarily intended to indicate the vehicle, or parts thereof, or to give signals, to other traffic for indicating other intentions or conditions, e.g. request for waiting or overtaking for indicating other states or conditions of the vehicle
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60Q—ARRANGEMENT OF SIGNALLING OR LIGHTING DEVICES, THE MOUNTING OR SUPPORTING THEREOF OR CIRCUITS THEREFOR, FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60Q1/00—Arrangement of optical signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor
    • B60Q1/26—Arrangement of optical signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor the devices being primarily intended to indicate the vehicle, or parts thereof, or to give signals, to other traffic
    • B60Q1/50—Arrangement of optical signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor the devices being primarily intended to indicate the vehicle, or parts thereof, or to give signals, to other traffic for indicating other intentions or conditions, e.g. request for waiting or overtaking
    • B60Q1/544—Arrangement of optical signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor the devices being primarily intended to indicate the vehicle, or parts thereof, or to give signals, to other traffic for indicating other intentions or conditions, e.g. request for waiting or overtaking for indicating other states or conditions of the vehicle occupants, e.g. for indicating disabled occupants
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60Q—ARRANGEMENT OF SIGNALLING OR LIGHTING DEVICES, THE MOUNTING OR SUPPORTING THEREOF OR CIRCUITS THEREFOR, FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60Q2400/00—Special features or arrangements of exterior signal lamps for vehicles
    • B60Q2400/50—Projected symbol or information, e.g. onto the road or car body

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Lighting Device Outwards From Vehicle And Optical Signal (AREA)

Abstract

A vehicle (10) comprising a system (90) for emitting a visible warning (22) externally of the vehicle in the region of an openable door (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) of the vehicle (10), which visible warning (22) is emitted in dependence upon the system (90) determining that an openable door (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) of the vehicle (10) is about to be opened or has been opened and which visible warning (22) is projected onto a surface external to the vehicle in the region of an openable door (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) of the vehicle (10) as or before the openable door (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) of the vehicle is opened.

Description

VEHICLE WITH SYSTEM FOR IMAGING
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present disclosure relates to a vehicle having a system for emitting externally of the vehicle visible warnings, images or icons. More particularly, but not exclusively, the disclosure relates to a system for emitting light from a vehicle and projecting the light to create a static or dynamic visible warning, image or icon for communicating with or providing a warning to other useis of the road. Aspects of the invention relate to a vehicle, to a system, to a program and to a method.
BACKGROUND
In typical road vehicles, the way in which one road user communicates with other users of the road and pedestrians around him is limited to using: indicator and warning lights that are provided on the vehicle itself (for example, the left and right indicators, brake lights, reverse lights and hazard warning lights); a horn provided on the vehicle to sound an alert; hand gesturing; miming or lip reading between drivers; and flashing of headlights. The use of some of these "external alerts" is governed by the Highway Code and their use is clear.
However, the use of some of these external alerts, for example hand gesturing and flashing of headlights can be confusing and can give rise to further uncertainty. Furthermore, the external alerts are limited in the information they can convey and in the clarity of that information. There are many situations where a typical known vehicle has no means at all, or no convenient and/or clear means, of communicating the intentions of the driver or other users of the vehicle to third party users of the road or to pedestrians. For example, when an occupant of a stationary vehicle exits the vehicle, accidents can occur if a pedestrian, cyclist or other road user fails to give the occupant sufficient room to open their door to exit the vehicle. Similarly, accidents can occur if the occupant does not carefully consider the approach of cyclists, pedestrians and other road users before opening the door.
It is desirable therefore to improve the way in which occupants of a vehicle can communicate to other parties external to the vehicle and to improve the effectiveness and clarity of such communications which may improve the safety of the occupants and other parties.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Aspects of the invention provide a vehicle, a system, a method and a program as claimed in the appended claims.
According to another aspect of the invention for which protection is sought, there is provided a vehicle comprising a system for emitting a visible warning externally of the vehicle in the region of an openable door of the vehicle, which visible warning is emitted in dependence upon the system determining that an openable door of the vehicle is about to be opened or has (just) been opened and which visible warning is projected onto a surface external to the vehicle in the region of the openable door of the vehicle, as or before the openable door of the vehicle is opened.
The system may be configured to emit shaped light and to project the emitted shaped light onto said surface external to the vehicle, in the region of an openable door of the vehicle, the projected shaped light may thereby form one or more visible warnings on said surface external to the vehicle in the region of an openable door of the vehicle, which one or more visible warnings comprises: a moving element and/or a coloured element and/or a graphical element, suitable for communicating information externally of the vehicle to another road user. In this way another user of the road or pavement such as a driver, cyclist, motorcyclist or pedestrian, may be alerted to the imminent opening of a vehicle door, and/or to the fact that an occupant of the vehicle is egressing the vehicle and will be about to enter into space just beyond the opened door. The other users of the road or pavement may then be more likely to avoid the space required not only by the door itself but also just beyond the door into which the occupant of the vehicle will step.
The system may be configured to emit shaped light in response to a manual activation by a user of the vehicle and/or in response to an automatic activation by a controller of the system. In other words, a user may press a door mounted button, the depression of which enables the system to confidently determine that an openable door is about to be opened.
Manual activation may be advantageous in that the system may only be deployed when an occupant has decided to exit the vehicle and inappropriate deployment of the system may be avoided because the determination made by the system is a confident determination (unless the user changes their mind or activates the system erroneously). However, this requires the occupant to remember to manually activate the system which they may not do, or which they may find inconvenient. It is therefore considered further advantageous to provide a system that is automatically activated or which verifies a manually triggered activation before permitting a visible warning to be projected.
For an automatically activated system, it is a further optional feature that the controller of the system is configured to receive one or more trigger data signals from one or more trigger sensors disposed on the vehicle, and the controller may determine that an openable door of the vehicle is about to be opened or has been opened in dependence upon said one or more trigger data signals.
At least one of said one or more trigger sensors may be selected from the group comprising: a movement or pressure sensor associated with a seat of the vehicle, a sensor associated with a safety belt, a sensor associated with a buckle for a safety belt, a sensor associated with a door handle of an openable door, a sensor associated with a hinge of an openable door, a sensor associated with a lock of an openable door, a sensor associated with a security locking system for the doors of the vehicle, a sensor associated with the engine or speedometer, a sensor associated with the braking system of the vehicle, and/or a sensor associated with the starting mechanism of the vehicle.
The system may be configured to determine that an openable door is about to be opened upon receiving a trigger data signal from one trigger sensor capable of determining that the vehicle is stationary and upon receiving a trigger data signal from another trigger sensor indicative of movement of an occupant of the vehicle.
Optionally, the system comprises a controller and at least one light emitter mounted to the vehicle, wherein the at least one light emitter: comprises a projection head; comprises or is coupled to one or more light sources; comprises a beam shaper element; and is structured and arranged to emit at least a first light signal directed towards said surface external to the vehicle.
Optionally, the controller is configured to receive first position data relating to the orientation of the vehicle in three-dimensions; and is configured to control the output of the or each light emitter such that the projected shaped light emitted by the system is appropriately positioned and arranged on said surface external to the vehicle and at an appropriate distance from the vehicle.
Optionally, the controller is configured to receive first position data relating to the orientation of the vehicle in three-dimensions; and is configured to receive second position data relating to the orientation of the or each projection head and/or beam shaper element in three-dimensions and in dependence upon said first position data and said second position data, the controller is configured to compute or determine an appropriate orientation of the projection head and/or beam shaper element of the or each light emitter such that the projected shaped light emitted by the system is appropriately positioned and arranged on said surface external to the vehicle and at an appropriate distance from the vehicle.
The one or more visible warnings may comprise a visible warning projected to the side and/or rear of the vehicle and wherein a part of the visible warning that is disposed closest to the vehicle is spaced from the vehicle by a distance between about Urn and about 1 rn.
Optionally, the one or more light sources are coherent or incoherent light sources and comprise any one or rnore, or an array, or a cornbination of: a laser, a light emitting diode (an LED) and an incandescent light source.
Optionally, the at least one light emitter is coupled to the one or more light sources by one or more optical fibres and the one or rnore light sources comprises a plurality of light sources disposed together within a protective housing.
Optionally, the plurality of light sources are disposed together within a protective housing disposed within the boot (trunk) of the vehicle and wherein the plurality of light sources are coupled to a power source and to a cooling means for controlling the temperature of the plurality of light sources.
Optionally, each of the at least one light ernitters is coupled to the plurality of light sources by one or more optical fibres and is coupled via a combining means and a switching means, wherein the controller is coupled to each light source of the plurality of light sources for activating and deactivating each light source and wherein the controller is coupled to the switching means for selecting a colour of light to be transmitted via the one or more optical fibres to each of the at least one light emitters.
The beam shaper element may comprise any one or a combination of: a transmissive LCD, a lens, a collimator, a diffuser, a mask, a gobo, a static slide, a scanning device, a rastering device and/or a vectoring device. Said scanning device, rastering device or vectoring device may comprise any one or more or a combination of: a mirror galvanometer scanner, a MEMS scanner, an acousto-optic modulator and a piezo-driven scanner.
The system may further comprise at least one moveable mounting means, each moveable mounting means for mounting to the vehicle a portion of an optical fibre and/or the beam shaper element and/or the projection head of one of said at least one light emitters, and wherein the moveable mounting means may be structured and arranged for moving the optical fibre and/or the beam shaper element and/or the projection head or one or more components of the beam shaper element to thereby provide said one or more visible warnings.
Optionally, the controller is coupled to each moveable mounting means for controlling the speed of movement and the orientation in three-dimensions of the projection head of the at least one light emitter and thereby for controlling the orientation in three-dimensions of each light signal emitted by one of said at least one light emitters.
Optionally, the controller is configured to receive fourth data from one or more sensors of the vehicle which detect the position of an object in close proximity to the vehicle and wherein the controller is configured in dependence upon said fourth data to automatically deactivate the system and/or to automatically temporarily suspend projection of visible light from at least one light emitter. Said one or more sensors may comprise one or more or a combination of: a parking distance control sensor (PDC), a radar sensor, and a camera.
The projected shaped light is shaped, coloured and/or moved such that said one or more visible warnings on the surface external to the vehicle comprises any one or a combination of: (i) a straight transverse line; (H) a straight longitudinal line; (iii) a grid comprising a plurality of straight transverse lines and a plurality of straight longitudinal lines; (iv) a box; (v) a box comprising a diagonal cross; (vi) a diagonal cross; (vU) a circle with a straight (lateral) line; (viii) a circle; (ix) a spot; (x) a pair of spaced and parallel straight transverse lines; (xi) a fanned array of straight lines; (xU) a pair of spaced and parallel straight longitudinal lines; and (xUi) a flashing triangle having a point or leading portion disposed on a notional transverse line to the side of the vehicle or disposed on a notional longitudinal line to the rear of the vehicle.
Optionally, the projected shaped light is shaped and/or moved such that said one or more visible warnings on the surface external to the vehicle delineates an area or boundary that is swept out by the openable door of the vehicle. Advantageously this allows persons external to the vehicle to readily understand that the area swept out by the door should be avoided and as such acts as a reservation of that area for the openable door.
Optionally said one or more visible warnings comprises amber light, yellow light and/or red light.
The system may be configured to project a range of different visible warnings, and a currently projected visible warning may be a user selectable option. For example, a user may be allowed to select between a cross, a circle with a lateral straight line (mimicking a no-entry road sign, the meaning of which is well known in certain jurisdictions) or a yellow box with hashing (the prohibition not to block the "yellow box" may also be well known); other options may be available.
Optionally, the system may comprise at least one imaging means mounted to the vehicle and positioned and configured to collect one or more secondary images of said one or more visible warnings projected onto said surface external to the vehicle, and wherein the controller is configured to determine from said one or more secondary images collected by the at least one imaging means an estimation of the clarity of the one or more visible warnings on said surface external to the vehicle and in dependence upon the estimation of the clarity being below an acceptable level for a specified period, the system is configured to be automatically deactivated. The at least one imaging means may comprise at least one camera positioned and aligned to collect secondary images of said one or more visible warnings.
According to a further aspect of the invention for which protection is sought, there is provided a method of communicating externally of a vehicle that an openable door of the vehicle is opening, or is about to open, the method comprising: (i) determining that an openable door of the vehicle is about to be opened or has been opened; and (ii) in dependence upon said determining, projecting a shaped visible light from a shaped light emitter onto a surface external to the vehicle in the region of an openable door of the vehicle, the projected shaped light thereby forming one or more visible warnings on a surface external to the vehicle.
Optionally, the method may further comprise determining a position in three-dimensions of the vehicle. The method may additionally include determining a position in three-dimensions of the shaped light emitter which is moveably mounted to the vehicle and/or of a beam shaper element disposed therein.
The method may further comprise: moving the shaped light emitter and/or controlling the colour of the projected shaped visible light and/or computing an accurate positioning of the shaped projected light such that the one or more visible warnings comprise: a moving element and/or a coloured element and/or a shaped warning element suitable for warning another user of the road that an openable door of the vehicle has or is being opened.
According to yet a further aspect of the invention for which protection is sought, there is provided a system for emitting a visible warning externally of a vehicle in the region of an openable door of the vehicle, the system comprising: a controller, one or more light sources and at least one light emitter mountable to a vehicle, wherein the at least one light emitter comprises a projection head, a beam shaper element, and comprises or is coupled to the one or more light sources, the at least one light emitter being configured to emit at least a first light signal directed towards said surface external to the vehicle in the region of an openable door, the controller being configured to receive first position data relating to the orientation of the vehicle in three-dimensions; being configured to receive second position data relating to the orientation in three-dimensions of shaped-light output by the or each light emitter; and being configured to determine that an openable door of a vehicle is open or is about to open, and in dependence upon the system determining that an openable door of the vehicle is about to be opened, or has been opened and in dependence upon said first position data and said second position data, the controller is configured to control the projection head and/or beam shaper element of the or each light emitter, and is configured to project shaped light onto said surface external to the vehicle and at an appropriate distance from the vehicle.
Where reference is made to determining that an openable door of a vehicle is open, it may be intended to mean that it has been determined that the openable door is just open and not yet fully open so that the system has sufficient time to generate and project a shaped warning externally of the vehicle, beneficially before the openable door is fully opened in order to provide a more timely and more useful warning.
The system may be configured such that the projected shaped light forms one or more visible warnings on said surface external to the vehicle, which one or more visible warnings comprises: a moving element and/or a coloured element and/or a graphical element, suitable for communicating to a person external to a vehicle that an openable door of the vehicle is opening or is about to open.
Where reference is made to projecting an image onto a surface, it is envisaged that the visible warning could be projected such that it is above the surface in a legion external to the openable door and as such onto a surface" should not necessarily be interpreted as excluding above a surface. Such visible warnings are additionally not necessarily limited to being two-dimensional images, but images (at least perceived to be) in three-dimensions may also be projected by the systems of envisaged embodiments.
According to an even further aspect of the invention for which protection is sought, there is provided a program for a controller for use in the vehicle of any of the relevant preceding paragraphs or in the system of any of the relevant preceding paragraphs, the program configured such that when running on the controller, the controller determines a position, in three-dimensions, of the vehicle; determines a position, in three-dimensions, of at least one shaped light emitter moveably mounted to the vehicle; determines that an openable door of the vehicle is about to be opened or has been opened, and in dependence thereupon causes a system to project shaped visible light from the at least one shaped light emitter onto a surface external to the vehicle such that the projected shaped light forms one or more visible warnings on a surface external to the vehicle.
Within the scope of this application it is expressly intended that the various aspects, embodiments, examples and alternatives set out in the preceding paragraphs, in the claims and/or in the following description and drawings, may be taken independently or in any combination thereof. For example, features described in connection with one embodiment are applicable to all embodiments, unless such features are incompatible.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
One or more embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: FIGURE 1 is a schematic illustration of a side elevation of a vehicle comprising a system for emitting shaped light from the vehicle and for projecting the emitted shaped light onto (or in the region of) a surface external to the vehicle in a region proximate to an openable door of the vehicle according to an embodiment of the disclosure; FIGURE 2 is a plan view of the vehicle of Figure 1; FIGURE 3 is a schematic illustration of an apparatus comprised in the system of Figure 1 according to an embodiment of the disclosure; the apparatus is shown as being at least partially disposed within the vehicle; FIGURE 4 is a schematic illustration of an apparatus for use in a system for emitting shaped light from a vehicle and for projecting the emitted shaped light onto a surface external to the vehicle according to an embodiment of the disclosure; and FIGURE 5 is a plan view of a vehicle having a system for emitting shaped light from the vehicle and for projecting the emitted shaped light onto a surface external to the vehicle in a region proximate to an openable door of the vehicle according to another embodiment of the
disclosure.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS
Detailed descriptions of specific embodiments of the vehicles, systems, methods and programs of the present invention are disclosed herein. It will be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely examples of the way in which certain aspects of the invention can be implemented and do not represent an exhaustive list of all of the ways the invention may be embodied. Indeed, it will be understood that the vehicles, systems, methods and programs described herein may be embodied in various and alternative forms.
The Figures are not necessarily to scale and some features may be exaggerated or minimised to show details of particular components. Well-known components, materials or methods are not necessarily described in great detail in order to avoid obscuring the present disclosure. Any specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the invention.
Figure 1 shows a side elevation of a vehicle 10 comprising a system 90 for emitting shaped light 26 from the vehicle 10 and for projecting the emitted shaped light 26 onto (or close to or above) a surface 18 that is external to the vehicle 10 and which is proximate to an openable door 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 of the vehicle 10. Figure 2 shows a plan view of the same vehicle 10 projecting the emitted shaped light 26 onto a surface 18 that is external to the vehicle 10 and which is proximate to an openable door 4 of the vehicle 10.
The term "openable door" as used herein is intended to refer to any openable door that, when opened, extends beyond the normal perimeter of the (closed) vehicle 10 and as such
S
may present a temporary obstacle to other users of the road and/or pavement and/or which is used by occupants of the vehicle for exit and as such when opened an occupant is likely to enter a space just beyond the door itself.
S The term "openable door" as used herein is not limited to side doors 1, 2, 3, 4 through which occupants typically enter and exit the vehicle 10 and should where appropriate to do so be interpreted to also include a boot or trunk or tailgate 5 through which occupants (including pets and children) may enter or exit the vehicle 10. The opening, closing, locking and unlocking of any of the openable doors may be controlled remotely by one or more other systems of the vehicle 10.
In Figure 1 the surface external to the vehicle 10 is a road 18; in other envisaged embodiments, the surface external to the vehicle 10 may include a pavement (side walk), a kerb, a hard-shoulder, a pathway, a verge and other similar terrains and objects found around roadways. The shaped light 26 is projected into a viewing zone 50 whereat one or more visible warnings 22 are formed on (or above) the external surface 18. The viewing zone (also referred to as "projection envelope") 50 is illustrated as a region proximate to an openable door, the right-hand rear door 4 of the vehicle 10 in Figures 1 and 2.
The terms "right-hand" and "left-hand" as used herein are to be interpreted as viewed from the driver's perspective looking out of the vehicle. The longitudinal axis as referred to herein should be interpreted as the axis running from the rear 16 of the vehicle to the front 14 of the vehicle. The lateral axis referred to herein should be interpreted as the axis running between the sides of the vehicle.
In the embodiment of Figures 1 and 2 the visible warning 22 is depicted as a substantially square or rectangular box having a diagonal cross therein. Optionally the visible warning 22 is coloured red. Optionally the visible warning 22 is a static image which does not flash or move. In other embodiments, the visible warning 22 may move, flash or otherwise be a dynamic image and/or may comprise more than one colour which may or may not be red. In envisaged embodiments the visible warning sweeps or fills or otherwise highlights the boundary of the area that will be/is swept by the openable door as it moves from the closed position to an open position.
Preferably, but nevertheless optionally, red and to some extent amber or yellow are preferred colours since these colours are often associated with a hazard or a warning and would assist in conveying to other users of the road that the region wherein the image is projected should be avoided because an openable vehicle door is about to open into that region or is opening into that region.
The shortest distance between the vehicle 10 and the visible warning 22 is distance D2. D2 may be zero, but preferably and as in the present embodiment is greater than zero and is optionally between about 30cm and about 50cm Referring now to Figure 3 as well as Figures 1 and 2, the illustrated system 90 comprises: a controller 40, one or more light sources 70 and at least one light emitter 12a, 12b, 12c mounted to the vehicle 10. The at least one light emitter 12a, 12b, 12c is, in the illustrated embodiment, three light emitters 12a, 12b, 12c associated with the sides and rear 16 of the vehicle 10 (as best viewed in Figure 2). Each light emitter 12a, 12b, 12c comprises, is coupled to, or is otherwise suitably associated with, a beam shaper element 82 and comprises or is coupled to the one or more light sources 70. Each light emitter 12a, 12b, 12c is coupled to the one or more light sources 70 via one or more or a network of optical fibres 74. The one or more light sources 70 is a single light source 70; and each light emitter 12a, 1 2b, 1 2c is coupled to the light source 70 via an optical fibre 74. Only one light emitter 1 2a is shown in Figure 12, it being understood that the other light emitters 12b, 12c are substantially the same and are each connected to the or another light source 70 by an optical fibre and to the controller 40. The controller (also referred to as "control unit") 40 is coupled to the light source 70 by another communications link in order to control the operation and activation of the light source 70. A projection head 72 of the light emitter 1 2a is arranged such that light emitted from the projection head 72 is directed externally of the vehicle 10. Advantageously the majority of the components of the system 90 are disposed internally of the vehicle 10 and are thereby protected from environmental conditions, for example rain, dirt, heat and impact.
The single light source 70, in this illustrated arrangement, optionally comprises a single Light Emitting Diode (LED) operable at a wavelength of about 638nm such that it emits visible red light.
In the presently illustrated embodiment, the red-light emitting LED 70 is structured and arranged to transmit a coherent red light signal into the optional optical fibre 74. The optical fibre 74 is preferably packaged within the vehicle 10 such that it is protected and such that it discretely and efficiently transmits the red light signal from the light source 70 to the light emitter 1 2a, whereat the red light signal is shaped and projected towards the road surface 18 externally of the vehicle 10 using the beam shaper element 82. Optionally, the light emitter 1 2a additionally comprises a collimator for focussing the light from the optical fibre 74 into the beam shaper element 82. This may assist in producing a sharp visible warning 22.
Optionally, each optical fibre 74 may be housed within a protective sleeve or narrow trunking which may be threaded within the body of the vehicle 10 such that the optical fibres 74 are predominantly occluded from view as they are networked between the light source 70 and the light emitter 1 2a, 1 2b, 1 2c.
In othei envisaged embodiments a light source 70 is provided for each light emitter 1 2a, 1 2b, 12c and each light source 70 is not remotely placed relative to each light emitter 12a, 12b, 12c and the or each optical fibre 74 is therefore optional.
Each light emitter 12a, 12b, 12c is optionally identical and only one is further described in detail, it being understood that the other light emitters 12b, 12c are the same. In other embodiments where more than one light emitter is provided, they may not be identical.
The beam shaper element 82 comprises optical components configured and arranged such that a first shaped light signal 26 emitted by the light emitter 72 is a shaped beam 26 that is angled and optionally focussed into the region to be occupied by the openable door 4.
Optionally the shaped beam 26 is angled downwardly towards the ground surface 18. The beam shaper element 82 may comprise any one or a combination of: a lens, a diffuser, a mask, a gobo (Go Before Optics i.e. a physical template for shaping the emitted light), a transmissive Liquid Crystal Display (LCD), a collimator, a static slide, a scanning device, a beam deflecting device, a rastering device and/or a vectoring device, in order to generate the emitted shaped light 22. In the present arrangement, the beam shaper element 82 optionally comprises a collimator (not shown) and a mask 83 (see Figure 3) having an arrangement of slots to produce the visible warning depicted. The mask 83 is coupled to the projection head 72, such that when properly oriented, the projection head 72 emits a shaped red crossed square shaped beam of light onto the road 18.
In Figure 3, it can be seen that in the present embodiment, the system 90 also comprises a first mounting means 34a for the projection head 72 and/or for the beam shaper element 82 and/or for the optical fibres 74. The first mounting means 34a is coupled to the controller 40 such that the orientation and angle of the projection head 72 is adjustable and controllable by the controller 40.
The projection head 72 of the light emitter 12a is optionally mounted at a location of at least 50cm above the ground 18. Optionally, lower mounted projection heads 72 may nevertheless work, but the projection range in such an embodiment may be reduced or additional optical components may be required.
The controller 40 is configured to receive one or more first position data signals relating to the orientation of the vehicle 10 in three-dimensions. The attitude of the vehicle 10 (in terms of roll, pitch and yaw) is typically known (optionally by using accelerometers and/or gyroscopes that may be present on the vehicle 10 as part of another vehicle system, for example an Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU)). Additionally, the controller 40 is configured to receive one or more second position data signals relating to the orientation in three-dimensions of each light emitter 12a, 12b, 12c (or a part thereof, for example the projection head 72 or beam shaper element 82). The first and second position data signals may be wirelessly issued or may be issued via a wired link to the controller 40. First and second position data signals (and other data signals) issued to the controller unit 40 and/or received by the control unit 40 are optionally routed via a vehicle Controller Area Network (CAN)-bus or similar vehicle-based data network. Alternatively, data may be transmitted to the controller directly from an auxiliary controller, such as the IMU of the vehicle 10.
In dependence upon said first position data signals and said second position data signals, the controller 40 is configured to compute or determine an appropriate orientation required for the light emitter 12a or only the projection head 72 or the beam shaper element thereof.
This is so that the projected shaped light beam 26 emitted by the system 90 is appropriately positioned and directed towards the road surface 18 external to the vehicle 10 and at an appropriate distance from the vehicle 10 such that a selected visible warning 22 is properly formed and displayed externally of the vehicle 10. For example, a single light emitter 12a emitting from the right-hand side of the vehicle 10 may be moved and arranged such that as required, it can emit a visible warning in a region proximate the driver's door 3 and at another time it can be moved and arranged such that as required, it can emit a visible warning in a region proximate the passenger's door 4 or can be arranged to simultaneously emit two visible warnings (not shown). This may be achieved by moving a laser beam rapidly to draw" the two visible warnings onto the road. The controller 40 may be programmed with a movement sequence for a beam shaper and the mask may be omitted.
The control unit 40 is thereby configured to account for or compensate for the changes in the attitude of the vehicle 10 in a computation or determination of the orientation of the projection head 70 that is required in order to ensure that a selected visible warning 22 is properly formed and displayed externally of the vehicle 10. The visible warning 22 may be projected at a specified distance to the side or rear of the vehicle 10 (for example, at least D2 metres) and a trigonometric computation may be carried out by the controller to determine an appropriate position for the light emitter 12a and/or for the projection head 72 and/or for the beam shaper element 82 to achieve that spacing D2.
The first optional mounting means 34a is optionally electronically adjustable. As such, even though the mounting height of the beam shaper element 72 can be changed, it is a known parameter. Similarly, even though an angle of incidence of the light beam 26 can be adjusted, it is a known parametel. The vehicle 10 of the present embodiment optionally comprises a suspension height adjustment system (also known as variable ride height). It will be recognised that the mounting height of the projection head 72 will change with adjustments in ride height and this is taken into consideration by the control unit 40 (which may receive a data signal relating to vehicle ride height via the vehicle CAN or directly from the suspension system controller) in collating second position data relating to the current position of the light emitter 12a and in determining the required position of the light emitter 12a and in determining if an adjustment of the position of the light emitter 12a or a component thereof is necessary.
The controller 40 of the system 90 is configured to receive one or more trigger data signals either directly from one or more trigger sensors disposed about or within the vehicle 10 and/or indirectly from auxiliary vehicle systems that arc coupled to one or more trigger sensors. Trigger data signals obtained indirectly from auxiliary vehicle control systems may be obtained by direct communication between the controller 40 and the auxiliary vehicle control systems and/or trigger data signals may be routed to the controller 40 via a vehicle Controller Area Network (CAN)-bus or similar vehicle-based data network.
As such, in this embodiment, the system 90 is configured to omit the visible warning 22 in response to an automatic activation of the light emitters 1 2a, 1 2b, 1 2c by the controller 40 of the system 90. In this automatically activated system 90, the one or more trigger data signals from one or more trigger sensors disposed on the vehicle are provided so that the controller can determine that an openable door 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 of the vehicle 10 is about to be opened or has been opened. Optionally, to determine with a greater degree of confidence that an openable door 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 of the vehicle 10 is about to be opened or has been opened, a plurality of trigger data signals are used. In the present embodiment, trigger data signals relating to the following factors are optionally received by the controller 40: (i) a trigger data signal indicative of whether the vehicle 10 is stationary or not stationary (from, for example, a sensor (not shown) associated with the braking system or engine management system of the vehicle 10); (ii) a trigger data signal indicative of whether the openable doors 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 are unlocked or locked (from, for example, a sensor (not shown) associated with a security system of the vehicle 10 and/or a sensor associated with a lock of an openable door 1, 2, 3, 4, 5); (iii) a trigger data signal indicative of a change of a safety belt from buckled to unbuckled (from, for example, a sensor (not shown) associated with a safety belt or safety belt buckle); (iv) a trigger data signal indicative of a door handle being activated from the inside of the vehicle 10 (for example from a contact or pressure sensor associated with an internal door handle of an openable door 1, 2, 3, 4, 5); (v) a trigger data signal indicative of opening movement of an openable door 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 (from, for example, a sensor (not shown) associated with a hinge of an openable door 1, 2, 3, 4, 5); (vi) a trigger data signal indicative of significant movement of an occupant of the vehicle 10 (from, for example, a movement or pressure sensor (not shown) associated with a seat of the vehicle 10; (vU) a trigger data signal indicative of a request to remotely open a remotely openable door (for example an activation button (not shown) for automatically opening the tailgate of the vehicle 10); and (viU) a trigger data signal indicative of the location of the vehicle 10 (for example a GPS data signal).
Based upon an assessment of the data received or sought by the system 90, the controller is configured to make a determination. The determination may be that an openable door 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 is about to be opened. Additionally or alternatively, the determination may be that an openable door 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 has been opened. The system 90 may be deployable sufficiently quickly that upon receiving a trigger data signal indicating that the openable door 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 has been opened, immediately that the openable door 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 was opened (such that the openable door 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 has not yet moved into a fully open position), the system 90 responds by projecting the visible warning 22. In this way, the visible warning 22 is projected before the openable door 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 is fully opened and preferably before the occupant exits the vehicle 10.
Optionally, the system 90 will only project a visible warning 22 when the vehicle 10 is stationary. As such, indications from the various trigger data signals may be assigned different levels of importance (weighting) when being considered by the controller 40. A suitable algorithm may be provided in a program run by the controller 40 which enables the controller 40 to make a determination to project a visible warning 22. It will be recognised that false projection of visible warnings 22 when in fact an openable door 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 is not being opened are very disadvantageous and therefore the system 90 is configured to assess the current vehicle 10 condition based upon the trigger data signals in reaching the determination as to whether a visible warning 22 should be projected or not.
In other envisaged embodiments, the system is configured to emit one or more visible warnings in response to a manual activation by a user of the vehicle. In such embodiments, an internal button, optionally mounted to the openable door and further optionally on the door handle thereof, may be provided. An occupant about to exit the vehicle may press the button, the depression of which enables the system to confidently determine that an openable door is about to be opened. Manual activation has some advantages in that the system may only be deployed when an occupant has decided to exit the vehicle and inappropriate deployment of the system may be avoided, because the determination made by the system is a confident determination (unless the user changes their mind or operates the button unintentionally or erroneously). However, this requires the occupant to remember to manually activate the system which they may not do, or which they may find inconvenient, and it requires users of the vehicle not to press the button at inappropriate times. In particular, where children are concerned, this cannot be guaranteed and therefore it is advantageous to provide a system that is either fully automatically activated or which is manually activated, but not solely in dependence upon activation of an in-vehicle cabin button by an occupant of the vehicle. In such a verified-manual system, upon receipt of a trigger data signal from the in-vehicle cabin button depressed by an occupant requesting projection of a visible warning, the semi-automatically activated system may utilise one or more verification trigger data signals before permitting the request. Such verification trigger data signals may include data from sensors or other vehicle systems which provide the controller of the visible warning system with one or more of the following: the vehicle is stationary; the openable door associated with the request signal is unlocked; the projection zone is free of obstruction; the seat immediately adjacent to the openable door comprises a passenger (pressure sensors and/or safety belt buckle sensors and other vehicle sensors may indicate this); and the projection zone conditions meet the quality criteria (for example ambient light is not too bright).
In some envisaged systems both manual-only activation and automatic activation are provided for. In some envisaged embodiments manual-plus automatic verification activation is provided for instead of, or in addition to, fully automatic activation.
Optionally, the system 90 comprises an imaging means 30 (also referred to as an imager).
The imaging means 30 may take the form of a camera 30 and is configured to collect secondary images, in the appropriate spectral range for the one or more light sources 70, of the visible warning 22 projected into the viewing zone 50. The control unit 40 is optionally wirelessly coupled via a communications link 42 to the camera 30. The control unit 40 is configured to receive data signals relating to the imagery obtained by the camera 30. The control unit 40 comprises a processing means (not shown) for processing the received signals. Optionally, the control unit 40 is configured to issue control signals to the camera 30, for example to activate the camera 30 and/or to adjust its viewing range. Additionally, the control unit 40 is optionally coupled to a second mounting means 34b by which the camera is mounted to the vehicle 10 by a further communications link in order to control the position of the camera 30. The control unit 40 comprises a processing means (not shown) comprising a recognition engine which carries out analysis of the one or more images or frames collected by the camera 30. The processing means is configured to determine whether the actual visible warning 22 as projected onto the road 18 sufficiently closely represents the intended visible warning that the system 90 was attempting to project.
Factors such as, but not limited to, bright ambient light, reflective surfaces, reflections, rain, heat, puddles, dirt or water on the road, dirt or water on the projection head and distortion of the light signal may cause the visible warning 22 to be distorted, interrupted or incomplete, skewed and/or incorrectly positioned. A visible warning 22 that is not represented sufficiently clearly may not only be of little benefit, but may in fact be of detriment since its presence may be distracting. Whereas a user may activate and deactivate the system 90 manually, it is a further optional and beneficial feature of the disclosure, that upon determining that the visible warning 22, as indicated by image data collected of the visible warning 22, is not reproduced sufficiently closely to the intended image, that the system 90 can be automatically deactivated or temporarily suspended. In such a situation a human machine interface (not shown) disposed within the cabin of the vehicle 10 for enabling user control and user selection of customisable features, may issue an error-type message.
The second optional mounting means 34b is optionally electronically adjustable. As such the height and orientation of the camera 30 are known by the controller 40 so that the perspective from which the visible warning 22 is viewed can be taken into consideration in determining whether the secondary images of the visible warning 22 are a sufficiently close match for the intended visible warning In view of the user manually activating and deactivating the system 90, the use of a camera or other imaging means 30 for the purpose of monitoring the quality of the projected visible warning 22, is entirely optional.
Referring now to Figures 4 and 5, there are shown two additional embodiments of the system of the present disclosure. In the further illustrated embodiments, like numerals have, where possible, been used to denote like parts, albeit with the addition of the prefix 100", and "200' to indicate that these features belong to the additional embodiments respectively.
For conciseness of description, like features are not necessarily described in further detail.
In Figure 4 a schematic illustration is provided of a system 190 for projection of one or more visible warnings 122 from a vehicle (not shown in Figure 4). The system 190 differs from the system 90 of Figure 3 in that optionally no imaging means 30 is provided (and a user manually deactivates the system 190 in the event that the projected visible warning 122 is unsatisfactorily distorted). The system 190 further differs in that the one or more light sources comprises two light sources 170a and 170b and in that the at least one light emitter comprises two light emitters 11 2a, 11 2b disposed on the right and left hand sides of the vehicle. As such, the system 190 is not equipped to project visible warnings to the rear of the vehicle.
Optionally, a first laser light source 1 70a emits red light and a second laser light source 1 70b emits green light. The system 190 comprises a combiner 164 and a switching means 160.
Red light emitted from the first laser light source 1 70a is output to both the combiner 164 and to the switching means 160. Similarly, green light emitted from the second laser light source 170b is output to both the combiner 164 and to the switching means 160. In this way, the system 190 can select from three different colours of light (red light, green light or a combination of red and green light which will be seen as an amber coloured light). The three-way switching means 160 is coupled to the controller 140 which can thereby control the three-way switching means 160 to select which of the three available colours will be output by each of the light emitters 112a, 112b at any given time. As such, the three-way switching means has two outputs, each optionally comprising optical fibres 174a, 174b, one output to the first light emitter 11 2a and one output to the second light emitter 11 2b.
The light emitters 112a, 1 12b are each similar in structure to those of the first embodiment, each having an electrically controllable moveable mounting means 134a, 134b, each having a collimator 180a, lSOb which outputs to the beam shaper element 182a, 182b.
Each electrically controllable moveable mounting means 134a, 134b or the beam shaper element 182a, 182b is sufficiently moveable, adjustable and operable at sufficient speed that each light emitter 11 2a, 11 2b can raster, vector, scan or otherwise rapidly move the emitted coloured laser light to draw" the projected visible warning 122 onto the surface external to the vehicle. A section of road 118 is shown in Figure 4 and the visible warning 122 shown therein is optionally a single coloured, red, square box with a diagonal cross. The visible warning 122 is beneficial to an occupant of the vehicle and other users of the road or pavement, as the visible warning 122 clearly illustrates a region which other users of the road should avoid.
It is envisaged that in this and/or in other embodiments, one or more or a series of wavelength appropriate mirror galvanometer scanners and/or one or more or a series of piezo-driven scanners or beam deflectors and/or one or more a series of microelectromechanical (MEMS) scanners (e.g. silicon-based MEMS mirrors / arrays) and/or one or more or a series of acousto-optic spatial light modulators may be used to rapidly deflect, scan, raster, vector or otherwise steer and direct the (laser) light signal to form the visible warnings. Such mirror galvanometer scanners, MEMS scanners, acousto-optic modulators, or piezo-driven scanners may be utilised in addition to, comprised within, or optionally provided as an alternative to the electrically driven mounting means 134a, 134b.
When the projected visible warning 22, 122 is formed in this way, the light beam is scanned or deflected sufficiently rapidly that to the human eye, the complete image can be seen. The use of such scanners is particularly advantageous in that they permit the projection of more complex graphic referencing elements that can comprise one or more colours and permit the use of flashing images. More than one colour of light may be transmitted into such scanners.
In envisaged embodiments, the visible warning may be three-dimensional.
In Figure 5 there is shown, in plan view, a different type of visible warning 222 thaI a vehicle 210 comprising the system 190 is equipped to project onto a road 218. Referring in more detail to Figure 5, there is shown a plan view of a vehicle 210 having a system (not fully shown) optionally comprising at least two light emitters 212a, 212b disposed to the left and right sides of the vehicle 210. A visible warning 222, shown in plan view, proximate to an openable rear passenger door 201, comprises a coloured element and a graphical element which together illustrate or communicate a warning to other users of the road or pavement that the space or area proximate the openable door 201 is about to be used by the door 201 and that other road users should therefore avoid the region demarcated by the visible warning 222. Optionally the coloured element comprises a single colour which is red. Other colours or a combination of colours may be used but because red is associated with a hazard or alert warning, its use is preferable, albeit optional.
The visible warning 222 is optionally a static visible warning 222. That is to say, to the human eye the visible warning 222 appears to be a still image. This is in spite of the fact that the reproduction of the visible warning 222 on the surface 218 external to the vehicle 210 may actually be achieved using a scanning beam shaper element or other vectoring or rastering device within the system that projects separate parts of the visible warning 222 at different times, but projects the parts sufficiently rapidly such that all of the parts of the visible image 222 are observed simultaneously by the human eye and such that the visible image 222 appears to be a still (non-moving) image.
In other embodiments, it is envisaged that the visible warnings may comprise a moving or flashing element. In relation to the visible warning 222 of Figure 5, for example, it is envisaged that each of the straight lines 222a-e that makes up the visible image may flash.
The flashing arrangement of such and other visible warnings may be determined by the controller of the system which may be configured, by means of a computer program, to flash each straight line on and off simultaneously. Optionally the flashing may be achieved by switching the laser sources on and off; and/or by controlling the switching means; and/or by providing a physical moveable mask in front of the projection head of the or each light emitter which can be used to rapidly and alternately block and allow the projection of light from the or each light emitter. Additionally or alternatively, flashing may be achieved by means of the controller controlling a beam scanner to temporarily suspend projection of a light signal and then to re-permit the beam scanner to rapidly scan the required graphics to project the visible warning(s) 222.
Optionally the or each straight line 222a-e may flash on and off sequentially. For example, the longitudinally disposed straight line 222a that is projected closest to the vehicle 210 may be projected first, then switched off and at the same time the next successive diagonal straight line 222b is projected, then projection of that second straight line 222b is temporarily suspended whilst at the same time projection of the third straight line 222c is commenced and so on progressively displaying the other straight lines 222d, 222e comprised in the visible warning 222. The sequence may then return to the first straight line 222a and so on such that the fanned array of lines 222a-e of the visible warning flash in sequence repeatedly until the system suspends projection. It will be recognised that in other envisaged embodiments, the visible warning 222 may comprise different elements or component parts to the straight lines 222a-e described in the context of Figure 5, which other elements or component parts may be projected by the system such that they appear to the human eye to move or flash on and off, simultaneously or progressively or in any other sequence. Such visible warnings may be described as dynamic in contrast to static visible warnings described above.
In other envisaged embodiments, the or each part or component of the visible warning may comprise more than one colour! and/or each part or component may not be coloured similarly to any of the other parts or components. The parts or components may optionally be patterned with hashing, cross-hatching and/or diagonal lines, for example, to colour an area of the road that the openable door of the vehicle will be moved into. Such a coloured area may convey quickly to other road users that the coloured space is reserved for the door of the vehicle and may assist in clearly communicating the driver's intentions so that the road users can interact more effectively and/or safely.
In some envisaged embodiments, the system is provided with a sensor or the controller is provided with a data signal from a sensor of another vehicle system, which is configured to detect the presence of a nearby object. Such a sensor optionally may, for example, be radar, a parking distance control sensor (PDC sensor) or an infra-red sensor. In such an envisaged embodiment, upon verified-manual or upon automatic triggered activation of the system to project an external visible warning, in dependence upon the typo of visible warning, and/or the position externally of the vehicle that the visible warning is to be projected, and/or in dependence upon other factors, the controller of the system may first take a decision as to whether projection of the requested visible warning is permitted or not permitted. Such other factors may include the ambient light or brightness and the condition of the road surface within a projection envelope of the intended visible warning. Such a decision may involve interrogation of the sensor data to determine that the surface external to the vehicle upon which the visible warning is to be projected is not obstructed. If an obstruction is detected within a projection envelope, i.e. within the viewing zone, the controller may decide to not permit the requested visible warning to be projected. Beneficially this avoids projecting an image into or onto another vehicle or road user or pedestrian, which may be disadvantageous.
Conversely, if the sensor does not detect an obstruction, the controller may decide to permit the visible warning to be projected. In either situation, the system is optionally configured to continue to monitor data from such sensors. In the instance where the controller denied the image projection request, the sensor data may be monitored for a time period, during which if the obstruction is removed and the controller's decision can be changed to permit projection, then either the visible warning is automatically projected or a communication is made to the driver of the vehicle (optionally via a beep, haptic signal or visual display on an in-cabin HMI) to inform him that if the request is placed again, it may be allowed. In the instance where the controller perniitted the request, the system may monitor the sensor data and upon an obstruction being detected during projection, projection may be temporarily or permanently suspended automatically.
It can be appreciated that valious changes may be made within the scope of the present invention. For example, in other embodiments of the invention it is envisaged that where a camera or other imaging means is provided to monitor the quality of the projected image, that it may not be essential for the camera and the light emitter to be mounted proximate to one another, although in doing so, the calibration of the apparatus may be simpler compared to an apparatus wherein the camera and the light emitter are spaced apart.
In envisaged embodiments the or each light emitter may be packaged and mounted such that the projection head is at least in part external to the vehicle such that the emitted light signals are emitted externally of the vehicle and do not first pass through the vehicle such that the light signals emitted by the light source do not suffer from being attenuated, distorted or reflected by part of the vehicle itself.
In envisaged embodiments it is envisaged that a light emitter may be mounted to the vehicle in a variety of locations that may differ to those illustrated. For example, a light emitter may be positioned on the left and/or right side mirrors, about or around the openable door (for example, on the vehicle body forming the door frame) proximate to the side indicator lights, proximate to the rear lights, in the rear bumper as non-limiting further examples of suitable locations.
In envisaged embodiments, one or more light emitters are provided at each side of the vehicle. In such an arrangement, the light emitters may be provided along the same lateral axis of the vehicle.
In envisaged embodiments, the system is configured to emit more than one visible warning simultaneously to account for the situation wherein a vehicle is stopped at its destination and more than one vehicle occupant exits the vehicle at or about the same time.
In other envisaged embodiments, the light emitter is fixedly mounted to the vehicle and its position is not readily adjustable.
In other envisaged embodiments, the light emitter does not comprise a beam shaper element or an optical fibre. In such embodiments, the light source is mounted to the vehicle in such a position that the light signal output directly therefrom is incident on a surface about the vehicle. In such an embodiment, the light source may be an LED and may be mounted directly upon a mounting means to enable adjustment of the position of the light source (either for calibration or for scanning). In other envisaged embodiments, the light source is fixedly mounted to the vehicle and its position is not adjustable.
It will be understood that the controller, in computing the angle and position needed for each light emitter and/or each beam shaper element including a beam scanner, may use time-averaged first and second position data. Furthermore, it will be understood that the order in which certain terms are computed may be adjusted and/or that a combination of calculation and/or referencing and/or approximation may be used. For example, any trigonometric function computed by the controller so that the or each light emitter can be correctly positioned, and/or so that the beam scanner can be accurately controlled to project a desired image, may be approximated by a fixed value or a series expansion may be computed to determine the value (such as a Taylor or Euler Series Expansion); further optionally, predefined values for each or any term in a trigonometric relationship may be listed in a look-up table (if appropriate) to be referenced during the computation.
In other envisaged embodiments, the one or more light sources may optionally comprise one or more tuneable lasers such that a single light source can be used to emit different colours (wavelengths) of light, albeit where the one or more light sources comprises only one (wavelength) tuneable laser, only a single colour of light can be emitted at a time.
It will be recognised that the illustrations of Figures 1 to 5 are provided in greyscale for the purpose of compliance with patent regulations. However, the one or more visible warnings 22, 122, 222 shown therein are optionally coloured images. Optionally the coloured visible warnings may comprise green light, yellow light, amber light, red light, orange light and other suitable colours of light, that are bright, easily seen, and assist in conveying a message. For example, and as described above, a red or amber coloured light may be used to illustrate a hazard warning or alert. Legal restrictions in certain jurisdictions may prohibit the use of certain colours of light from being emitted from all or part of the vehicle. Indeed it is for this reason that none of the illustrated embodiments disclose the use of flashing blue light.
However, it will be realised that the systems disclosed herein are capable of emitting a range of colours of visible light that can be shaped in numerous ways for forming bright, noticeable, clear and useful visible warnings projected externally of an openable door of a vehicle timed to provide a useful warning that the openable door is being opened, or is about to open.
The foregoing disclosure has been written particularly in the context of a vehicle being driven on roads in the UK. However, it is recognised that in other jurisdictions, legal requirements for road users, road signage and terminology relating to the same may differ from that disclosed herein. The present disclosure should not be construed in any way as limiting the application of the invention to only left-hand drive vehicles and/or to vehicles for the UK.
Indeed it will be recognised that subject to other legal restrictions governing road use, road signage and the use of coloured and/or flashing light emitted by vehicles that the present invention is not in any way limited in its application.
As used herein the term "pavement" should be taken to be synonymous with the term sidewalk" and the term "boot" should be taken to be synonymous with the term "trunk".
The terms "scan", "raster", "rastered", "vectored" and "scanned" as used herein should be interpreted to include continuous, interrupted and step-wise movement of emitted light.
The following numbered paragraphs comprise statements of invention: 1. A road vehicle comprising a system for emitting a visible warning externally of the vehicle in the region of an openable door of the vehicle, which visible warning is emitted in dependence upon the system determining that an openable door of the vehicle is about to be opened or has been opened and which visible warning is projected onto a surface external to the vehicle in the region of the openable door of the vehicle, as or before the openable door of the vehicle is opened.
2. A vehicle according to paragraph 1 wherein the system is configured to emit shaped light and to project the emitted shaped light onto said surface external to the vehicle, in the region of an openable door of the vehicle, the projected shaped light thereby forming one or more visible warnings on said surface external to the vehicle in the region of an openable door of the vehicle, which one or more visible warnings comprises: a moving element and/or a coloured element and/or a graphical element, suitable for communicating information externally of the vehicle to another road user.
3. A vehicle according to paragraph 2 wherein the system is configured to emit shaped light in response to a manual activation by a user of the vehicle and/or in response to an automatic activation by a controller of the system and/or in response to a manual activation by a user of the vehicle that is verified by a controller of the system.
4. A vehicle according to paragraph 3 wherein the controller of the system is configured to receive one or more trigger data signals from one or more trigger sensors disposed on the vehicle, and wherein the controller determines that an openable door of the vehicle is about to be opened or has been opened in dependence upon said one or more trigger data signals.
5. A vehicle according to paragraph 4 wherein at least one of said one or more trigger sensors is selected from the group comprising: a movement or pressure sensor associated with a seat of the vehicle, a sensor associated with a safety belt, a sensor associated with a buckle for a safety belt, a sensor associated with a door handle of an openable door, a sensor associated with a hinge of an openable door, a sensor associated with a lock of an openable door, a sensor associated with a security locking system for the doors of the vehicle, a sensor associated with the engine or speedometer, a sensor associated with the braking system of the vehicle, and/or a sensor associated with the starting mechanism of the vehicle.
6. A vehicle according to paragraph 5 wherein the system is configured to determine that an openable door is about to be opened upon receiving a trigger data signal from one trigger sensor capable of determining that the vehicle is stationary and upon receiving a trigger data signal from another trigger sensor indicative of movement of an occupant of the vehicle.
7. A vehicle according to paragraph 6 wherein the system comprises a controller and at least one light emitter mounted to the vehicle, wherein the at least one light emitter: comprises a projection head; comprises or is coupled to one or more light sources; comprises a beam shaper element; and is structured and arranged to emit at least a first light signal directed towards said surface external to the vehicle.
8. A vehicle according to paragraph 7 wherein the controller is configured to receive first position data relating to the orientation of the vehicle in three-dimensions; and is configured to control the output of the or each light emitter such that the projected shaped light emitted by the system is appropriately positioned and arranged on said surface external to the vehicle and at an appropriate distance from the vehicle.
9. A vehicle according to paragraph 8, wherein the controller is configured to receive first position data relating to the orientation of the vehicle in three-dimensions; and is configured to receive second position data relating to the orientation of the or each projection head and/or beam shaper element in three-dimensions and in dependence upon said first position data and said second position data, the controller is configured to compute or determine an appropriate orientation of the projection head and/or beam shaper element of the or each light emitter such that the projected shaped light emitted by the system is appropriately positioned and arranged on said surface external to the vehicle and at an appropriate distance from the vehicle.
10. A vehicle according to paragraph 9 wherein the one or more visible warnings comprise a visible warning projected to the side and/or rear of the vehicle and wherein a part of the visible warning that is disposed closest to the vehicle is spaced from the vehicle by a distance between about Om and about 1 m.
11. A vehicle according to paragraph 10 wherein the one or more light sources are coherent or incoherent light sources and comprise any one or more, or an array, or a combination of: a laser, a light emitting diode (an LED) and an incandescent light source.
12. A vehicle according to paragraph 11 wherein the at least one light emitter is coupled to the one or more light sources by one or more optical fibres and the one or more light sources comprise a plurality of light sources disposed together within a protective housing.
13. A vehicle according to paragraph 12 wherein the plurality of light sources are disposed together within a protective housing disposed within the trunk of the vehicle and wherein the plurality of light sources are coupled to a power source and to a cooling means for controlling the temperature of the plurality of light sources.
14. A vehicle according to paragraph 13 wherein each of the at least one light emitters is coupled to the plurality of light sources by one or more optical fibres and is coupled via a combining component and a switching component, wherein the controller is coupled to each light source of the plurality of light sources for activating and deactivating each light source and wherein the controller is coupled to the switching component for selecting a colour of light to be transmitted via the one or more optical fibres to each of the at least one light emitters.
15. A vehicle according to paragraph 7 wherein the beam shaper element comprises any one or a combination of: a transmissive LCD, a lens, a collimator, a diffuser, a mask, a gobo, a static slide, a scanning device, a rastering device and/or a vectoring device.
16. A vehicle according to paragraph 15 wherein said scanning device, rastering device or vectoring device comprises any one or more or a combination of: a mirror galvanometer scanner, a MEMS scanner, an acousto-optic modulator and a piezo-driven scanner.
17. A vehicle according to paragraph 15 wherein the system further comprises at least one moveable mount, each moveable mount for mounting to the vehicle a portion of an optical fibre and/or the beam shaper element and/or the projection head of one of said at least one light emitters, and wherein the moveable mount is structured and arranged for moving the optical fibre and/or the beam shaper element and/or the projection head or one or more components of the beam shaper element to thereby provide said one or more visible warnings.
16. A vehicle according to paragraph 17 wherein the controller is coupled to each moveable mount for controlling the speed of movement and the orientation in three-dimensions of the projection head of the at least one light emitter and thereby for controlling the orientation in three-dimensions of each light signal emitted by one of said at least one light emitters.
19. A vehicle according to paragraph 1 wherein the controller is configured to receive fourth data from one or more sensors of the vehicle which detect the position of an object in close proximity to the vehicle and wherein the controller is configured in dependence upon said fourth data to automatically deactivate the system and/or to automatically temporarily suspend projection of visible light from at least one light emitter.
20. A vehicle according to paragraph 19 wherein said one or more sensors comprises one or more or a combination of: parking distance control sensors (PDC), a radar sensor, and a camera.
21. A vehicle according to paragraph 1 wherein the projected shaped light is shaped, coloured and/or moved such that said one or more visible warnings on the surface external to the vehicle comprises any one or a combination of: (i) a straight transverse line; (ii) a straight longitudinal line; (iii) a grid comprising a plurality of straight transverse lines and a plurality of straight longitudinal lines; (iv) a box; (v) a box comprising a diagonal cross; (vi) a diagonal cross; (vii) circle with a straight line; (viii) a circle; (ix) a spot; (x) a pair of spaced and parallel straight transverse lines; (xi) a fanned array of straight lines; (xii) a pair of spaced and parallel straight longitudinal lines; and (xiii) a flashing triangle having a point or leading portion disposed on a notional transverse line to the side of the vehicle or disposed on a notional longitudinal line to the rear of the vehicle.
22. A vehicle according to paragraph 1 wherein the projected shaped light is shaped and/or moved such that said one or more visible warnings on the surface external to the vehicle delineates an area or boundary that is swept out by the openable door of the vehicle.
23. A vehicle according to paragraph 1 wherein said one or more visible warnings comprises amber light, yellow light and/or red light.
24. A vehicle according to paragraph 1 wherein the system is configured to project a range of different visible warnings, wherein a currently projected visible warning is a user selectable option.
25. A vehicle according to paragraph 1 comprising at least one imager mounted to the vehicle and positioned and configured to collect one or more secondary images of said one or more visible warnings projected onto said surface external to the vehicle, and wherein the controller is configured to determine from said one or more secondary images collected by the at least one imager an estimation of the clarity of the one or more visible warnings on said surface external to the vehicle and in dependence upon the estimation of the clarity being below an acceptable level for a specified period, the system is configured to be automatically deactivated.
26. A vehicle according to paragraph 25 wherein the at least one imager comprises at least one camera positioned and aligned to collect secondary images of said one or more visible warnings.
27. A method of communicating externally of a vehicle that an openable door of the vehicle is opening or is about to open, the method comprising: (i) determining that an openable door of the vehicle is about to be opened or has been opened; (ii) and in dependence upon said determining, projecting a shaped visible light from a shaped-light emitter onto a surface external to the vehicle in the region of the openable door of the vehicle, the projected shaped light thereby forming one or more visible warnings on a surface external to the vehicle.
28. A method of projecting a visible warning externally of a vehicle according to paragraph 27 further comprising determining a position in three-dimensions of the vehicle.
29. A method of projecting a visible warning externally of a vehicle according to paragraph 28 further comprising determining a position in three-dimensions of the shaped-light emitter which is moveably mounted to the vehicle and/or of a beam shaper element disposed therein.
30. A method of projecting a visible warning externally of a vehicle according to paragraph 30 wherein the method further comprises: moving the shaped light emitter and/or controlling the colour of the projected shaped visible light and/or computing an accurate positioning of the shaped projected light such that the one or more visible warnings comprise: a moving element and/or a coloured element and/or a shaped warning element suitable for warning another user of the road that an openable door of the vehicle has or is being opened.
31. A system for emitting a visible warning externally of a vehicle in the region of an openable door of the vehicle, the system comprising: a controller, one or more light sources and at least one light emitter mountable to a vehicle, wherein the at least one light emitter comprises a projection head, a beam shaper element, and comprises or is coupled to the one or more light sources, the at least one light emitter being structured and arranged to emit at least a first light signal directed towards said surface external to the vehicle in the region of an openable door, the controller being configured to receive first position data relating to the orientation of the vehicle in three-dimensions; being configured to receive second position data relating to the orientation in three-dimensions of shaped-light output by the or each light emitter; and being configured to determine that an openable door of a vehicle is open or is about to open, and in dependence upon the system determining that an openable doci of the vehicle is about to be opened, or has been opened and in dependence upon said first position data and said second position data, the controller is configured to control the projection head and/or beam shaper element of the or each light emitter, and is configured to project shaped light onto said surface external to the vehicle and at an appropriate distance from the vehicle.
32. A system according to paragraph 31 wherein the system is configured such that the projected shaped light fornis one or more visible warnings on said surface external to the vehicle, which one or more visible warnings comprises: a moving element and/or a coloured element and/or a graphical referencing element.
33. A program configured such that when running on a controller, the controller determines a position, in three-dimensions, of a vehicle; determines a position, in three-dimensions, of shaped light that would be output by at least one shaped light emitters mounted to the vehicle; determines that an openable door of the vehicle is about to be opened or has been opened, and in dependence thereupon causes a system to project shaped visible light from the at least one shaped light emitter onto a surface external to the vehicle such that the projected shaped light forms one or more visible warnings on a surface external to the vehicle.

Claims (34)

  1. CLAIMSA road vehicle comprising a system for emitting a visible warning externally of the vehicle in the region of an openable door of the vehicle, which visible warning is emitted in dependence upon the system determining that an openable door of the vehicle is about to be opened or has been opened and which visible warning is projected onto a surface external to the vehicle in the region of the openable door of the vehicle, as or before the openable door of the vehicle is opened.
  2. 2. A vehicle according to claim 1 wherein the system is configured to emit shaped light and to project the emitted shaped light onto said surface external to the vehicle, in the region of an openable door of the vehicle, the projected shaped light thereby forming one or more visible warnings on said surface external to the vehicle in the region of an openable door of the vehicle, which one or more visible warnings comprises: a moving element and/or a coloured element and/or a graphical element, suitable for communicating information externally of the vehicle to another road user.
  3. 3. A vehicle according to claim 1 or 2 wherein the system is configured to emit shaped light in response to a manual activation by a user of the vehicle and/or in response to an automatic activation by a controller of the system and/or in response to a manual activation by a user of the vehicle that is verified by a controller of the system.
  4. 4. A vehicle according to claim 3 wherein the controller of the system is configured to receive one or more trigger data signals from one or more trigger sensors disposed on the vehicle, and wherein the controller determines that an openable door of the vehicle is about to be opened or has been opened in dependence upon said one or more trigger data signals.
  5. 5. A vehicle according to claim 4 wherein at least one of said one or more trigger sensors is selected from the group comprising: a movement or pressure sensor associated with a seat of the vehicle, a sensor associated with a safety belt, a sensor associated with a buckle for a safety belt, a sensor associated with a door handle of an openable door, a sensor associated with a hinge of an openable door, a sensor associated with a lock of an openable door, a sensor associated with a security locking system for the doors of the vehicle, a sensor associated with the engine or speedometer, a sensor associated with the braking system of the vehicle, and/or a sensor associated with the starting mechanism of the vehicle.
  6. 6. A vehicle according to claim 5 wherein the system is configured to determine that an openable door is about to be opened upon receiving a trigger data signal from one trigger sensor capable of determining that the vehicle is stationary and upon receiving a trigger data signal from another trigger sensor indicative of movement of an occupant of the vehicle.
  7. 7. A vehicle according to any preceding claim 1 to 6 wherein the system comprises a controller and at least one light emitter mounted to the vehicle, wherein the at least one light emitter: comprises a projection head; comprises or is coupled to one or more light sources; comprises a beam shaper element; and is structured and arranged to emit at least a first light signal directed towards said surface external to the vehicle.
  8. 8. A vehicle according to claim 7 wherein the controller is configured to receive first position data relating to the orientation of the vehicle in three-dimensions; and is configured to control the output of the or each light emitter such that the projected shaped light emitted by the system is appropriately positioned and arranged on said surface external to the vehicle and at an appropriate distance from the vehicle.
  9. 9. A vehicle according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the controller is configured to receive first position data relating to the orientation of the vehicle in three-dimensions; and is configured to receive second position data relating to the orientation of the or each projection head and/or beam shaper element in three-dimensions and in dependence upon said first position data and said second position data, the controller is configured to compute or determine an appropriate orientation of the projection head and/or beam shaper element of the or each light emitter such that the projected shaped light emitted by the system is appropriately positioned and arranged on said surface external to the vehicle and at an appropriate distance from the vehicle.
  10. 10. A vehicle according to any of claims 3 to 9 wherein the one or more visible warnings comprise a visible warning projected to the side and/or rear of the vehicle and wherein a part of the visible warning that is disposed closest to the vehicle is spaced from the vehicle by a distance between about Om and about 1 m.
  11. 11. A vehicle according to any of claims 7 to 10 wherein the one or more light sources are coherent or incoherent light sources and comprise any one or more, or an array, or a combination of: a laser, a light emitting diode (an LED) and an incandescent light source.
  12. 12. A vehicle according to claim 11 wherein the at least one light emitter is coupled to the one or more light sources by one or more optical fibres and the one or more light sources comprise a plurality of light sources disposed together within a protective housing.
  13. 13. A vehicle according to claim 12 wherein the plurality of light sources are disposed together within a protective housing disposed within the boot of the vehicle and wherein the plurality of light sources are coupled to a power source and to a cooling means for controlling the temperature of the plurality of light sources.
  14. 14. A vehicle according to claim 13 wherein each of the at least one light emitters is coupled to the plurality of light sources by one or more optical fibres and is coupled via a combining means and a switching means, wherein the controller is coupled to each light source of the plurality of light sources for activating and deactivating each light source and wherein the controller is coupled to the switching means for selecting a colour of light to be transmitted via the one or more optical fibres to each of the at least one light emitters.
  15. 15. A vehicle according to any of claims 7 to 14 wherein the beam shaper element comprises any one or a combination of: a transmissive LCD, a lens, a collimator, a diffuser, a mask, a gobo, a static slide, a scanning device, a rastering device and/or a vectoring device.
  16. 16. A vehicle according to claim 15 wherein said scanning device, rastering device or vectoring device comprises any one or more or a combination of: a mirror galvanometer scanner, a MEMS scanner, an acousto-optic modulator and a piezo-driven scanner.
  17. 17. A vehicle according to claim 15 wherein the system further comprises at least one moveable mounting means, each moveable mounting means for mounting to the vehicle a portion of an optical fibre and/or the beam shaper element and/or the projection head of one of said at least one light emitters, and wherein the moveable mounting means is structured and arranged for moving the optical fibre and/or the beam shaper element and/or the projection head or one or more components of the beam shaper element to thereby provide said one or more visible warnings.
  18. 18. A vehicle according to claim 17 wherein the controller is coupled to each moveable mounting means for controlling the speed of movement and the orientation in three-dimensions of the projection head of the at least one light emitter and thereby for controlling the orientation in three-dimensions of each light signal emitted by one of said at least one light emitters.
  19. 19. A vehicle according to any preceding claim 3 to 18 wherein the controller is configured to receive fourth data from one or more sensors of the vehicle which detect the position of an object in close proximity to the vehicle and wherein the controller is configured in dependence upon said fourth data to automatically deactivate the system and/or to automatically temporarily suspend projection of visible light from at least one light emitter.
  20. 20. A vehicle according to claim 19 wherein said one or more sensors comprises one or more or a combination of: parking distance control sensors (PDC), a radar sensor, and a camera.
  21. 21. A vehicle according to any preceding claim wherein the projected shaped light is shaped, coloured and/or moved such that said one or more visible warnings on the surface external to the vehicle comprises any one or a combination of: (i) a straight transverse line; (ii) a straight longitudinal line; (iii) a grid comprising a plurality of straight transverse lines and a plurality of straight longitudinal lines; (iv) a box; (v) a box comprising a diagonal cross; (vi) a diagonal cross; (vii) circle with a straight line; (viii) a circle; (ix) a spot; (x) a pair of spaced and parallel straight transverse lines; (xi) a fanned array of straight lines; (xii) a pair of spaced and parallel straight longitudinal lines; and (xiii) a flashing triangle having a point or leading portion disposed on a notional transverse line to the side of the vehicle or disposed on a notional longitudinal line to the rear of the vehicle.
  22. 22. A vehicle according to any preceding claim wherein the projected shaped light is shaped and/or moved such that said one or more visible warnings on the surface external to the vehicle delineates an area or boundary that is swept out by the openable door of the vehicle.
  23. 23. A vehicle according to claim 21 or 22 wherein said one or more visible warnings comprises amber light, yellow light and/or red light.
  24. 24. A vehicle according to any preceding claim wherein the system is configured to project a range of different visible warnings, wherein a currently projected visible warning is a user selectable option.
  25. 25. A vehicle according to any preceding claim comprising at least one imaging means mounted to the vehicle and positioned and configured to collect one or more secondary images of said one or more visible warnings projected onto said surface external to the vehicle, and wherein the controller is configured to determine from said one or more secondary images collected by the at least one imaging means an estimation of the clarity of the one or more visible warnings on said surface external to the vehicle and in dependence upon the estimation of the clarity being below an acceptable level for a specified period, the system is configured to be automatically deactivated.
  26. 26. A vehicle according to claim 25 wherein the at least one imaging means comprises at least one camera positioned and aligned to collect secondary images of said one or more visible warnings.
  27. 27. A method of communicating externally of a vehicle that an openable door of the vehicle is opening or is about to open, the method comprising: (i) determining that an openable door of the vehicle is about to be opened or has been opened; (ii) and in dependence upon said determining, projecting a shaped visible light from a shaped-light emitter onto a surface external to the vehicle in the region of the openable door of the vehicle, the projected shaped light thereby forming one or more visible warnings on a surface external to the vehicle.
  28. 28. A method of projecting a visible warning externally of a vehicle according to claim 27 further comprising determining a position in three-dimensions of the vehicle.
  29. 29. A method of projecting a visible warning externally of a vehicle according to claim 27 or 28 further comprising determining a position in three-dimensions of the shaped-light emitter which is moveably mounted to the vehicle and/or of a beam shaper element disposed therein.
  30. 30. A method of projecting a visible warning externally of a vehicle according to any of claims 27 to 30 wherein the method further comprises: moving the shaped light emitter and/or controlling the colour of the projected shaped visible light and/or computing an accurate positioning of the shaped projected light such that the one or more visible warnings comprise: a moving element and/or a coloured element and/or a shaped warning element suitable for warning another user of the road that an openable door of the vehicle has or is being opened.
  31. 31. A system for emitting a visible warning externally of a vehicle in the region of an openable door of the vehicle, the system comprising: a controller, one or more light sources and at least one light emitter mountable to a vehicle, wherein the at least one light emitter comprises a projection head, a beam shaper element, and comprises or is coupled to the one or more light sources, the at least one light emitter being arranged to emit at least a first light signal directed towards said surface external to the vehicle in the region of an openable door, the controller being configured to: receive first position data relating to the orientation of the vehicle in three-dimensions; receive second position data relating to the orientation in three-dimensions of shaped-light output by the or each light emitter; determine that an openable door of a vehicle is open or is about to open; and control the projection head and/or beam shaper element of the or each light emitter to project shaped light onto said surface external to the vehicle in dependence thereon.
  32. 32. A system according to claim 31 wherein the system is configured such that the projected shaped light forms one or more visible warnings on said surface external to the vehicle, which one or more visible warnings comprises: a moving element and/or a coloured element and/or a graphical referencing element.
  33. 33. A program for a controller for use in the vehicle of any of claims 2 to 26 or in the system of claims 31 and 32, the program configured such that when running on the controller, the controller determines a position, in three-dimensions, of the road vehicle; determines a position, in three-dimensions, of the shaped light that would be output by the at least one shaped light emitter mounted to the vehicle; determines that an openable door of the vehicle is about to be opened or has been opened, and in dependence thereupon causes a system to project shaped visible light from the at least one shaped light emitter onto a surface external to the vehicle such that the projected shaped light forms one or more visible warnings on a surface external to the vehicle.
  34. 34. A vehicle, system, program or method substantially as described herein with reference to and/or as illustrated by the accompanying Figures.
GB1315614.6A 2013-09-03 2013-09-03 Vehicle with system for imaging Withdrawn GB2517789A (en)

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GB1315614.6A GB2517789A (en) 2013-09-03 2013-09-03 Vehicle with system for imaging
US14/915,963 US10195980B2 (en) 2013-09-03 2014-09-03 System for imaging
EP14758906.3A EP3041709B1 (en) 2013-09-03 2014-09-03 System for imaging
PCT/EP2014/068688 WO2015032795A2 (en) 2013-09-03 2014-09-03 System for imaging
GB1415555.0A GB2520127B (en) 2013-09-03 2014-09-03 System for imaging

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