Warning signal controlling device for blind zones when vehicles making a lane change

Abstract

A warning signal controlling device for blind zones when vehicles making a lane change is provided. The device is disposed inside each inner side of each rearview mirror of the vehicle, and comprises a lens masked by PMMA which is black and opaque, a mirror utilizing a light guide made of PMMA which is transparent, and a base assembly consisting of LED lamps, a PCB board and a base. The lens and the mirror are obtained by two-color molding, the PCB board is secured to the base, LED lamp holders are provided on the PCB board, the LED lamps are secured in the corresponding LED lamp holders and the base assembly is secured to the lens by ultrasonic welding.

Claims

1. A warning signal controlling device for blind zones when a vehicle makes a lane change, the device being disposed on an inner side of a driver's side rearview mirror of the vehicle, and on an inner side of a passenger's side rearview mirror of the vehicle, comprising: a lens masked by poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) which is black and opaque, a mirror utilizing a light guide made of PMMA which is transparent, and a base assembly, consisting of LED lamps, a PCB board and a base; wherein, the lens and the mirror are obtained by two-color molding, the PCB board is secured to the base, LED lamp holders are provided on the PCB board, the LED lamps are secured in the corresponding LED lamp holders and the base assembly is secured to the lens by ultrasonic welding; wherein a controller inside the PCB board emits yellow light in a wavelength range of 586 nm to 592 nm, and according to lightness of surrounding environment and different positions of the driver and the passenger, four different illumination regions are provided at different positions for the day and night modes; wherein light emitted by the device disposed on the driver's rearview mirror, and light emitted by the device disposed on the passenger's side rearview mirror, converge to an eyellipse region of the driver, or the passenger, to form the four illumination regions; wherein information about the four illumination regions is listed in the tables below: information about a first illumination region of the four illumination regions at the position of the driver for the day mode: TABLE-US-00009 Luminance Angle Value (cd/m.sup.2) Object Horizontal Vertical Minimum Position of the 60 to 85 degrees 7.5 degrees 4500-9000 driver information about a second illumination region of the four illumination regions at the position of the passenger for the day mode: TABLE-US-00010 Luminance Angle Value (cd/m.sup.2) Object Horizontal Vertical Minimum Position of the 32.5 to 70 degrees 7.5 degrees 4500-9000 passenger information about a third illumination region of the four illumination regions at the position of the driver for the night mode: TABLE-US-00011 Luminance Angle Value (cd/m.sup.2) Object Horizontal Vertical Minimum Position of the 60 to 85 degrees 7.5 degrees 45-90 driver information about a fourth illumination region of the four illumination regions at the position of the passenger for the night mode: TABLE-US-00012 Luminance Angle Value (cd/m.sup.2) Object Horizontal Vertical Minimum Position of the 32.5 to 70 degrees 7.5 degrees 225-450 passenger wherein a line between the device disposed on the driver's rearview mirror, and the device disposed on the passenger's side rearview mirror, is a horizontal baseline; wherein an angle in horizontal direction between at least one of the four illumination regions and the horizontal baseline is the horizontal angle; wherein the device disposed on the driver's rearview mirror, and the device disposed on the passenger's side rearview mirror, are located on a reference horizontal plane, and wherein an angle in vertical direction between the illumination region and the reference horizontal plane is the vertical angle.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein a cavity or a light guide bar is provided inside the lens, and the LED lamps are placed in the cavity or at a light entrance of the light guide bar.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein a plurality of LED lamp holders are provided on the PCB board, and a control circuit is disposed inside the PCB board, wherein one end of the control circuit is connected to a circuit of the Body Controller Module (BCM) of the vehicle, and the other end is connected to the control circuit inside the PCB board.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the number of the LED lamps is 2 to 6 and these LED lamps are configured to provide different alarm signals in the form of a flash, light staying for a short period, and light staying for a long period.

5. The device of claim 3, wherein the control circuit is provided with day and night modes.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein different display patterns are provided on a housing of the alarm signal controlling device.

7. The device of claim 5, wherein, the driver and the passenger can clearly view the light emitted by the controller from different directions, and the circuit of the BCM of the vehicle can provide a voltage of 13.50.1 V and a current of 466 mA and continuously supplies stable energy to the LED lamps through the controller, and the light is then emitted through the mirror and the lens.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

(1) Other characteristics, details and advantages of the invention shall appear when reading the following description provided by way of a non-limiting example, in reference to the annexed drawings wherein:

(2) FIG. 1 is a schematic view of an embodiement of a warning signal controlling device according to the invention;

(3) FIG. 2 is a front view of the warning signal controlling device;

(4) FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line A-A in FIG. 2;

(5) FIG. 4 shows an analogy of focusing light at a driving position; and

(6) FIG. 5 shows an analogy of receiving light at the driving position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(7) As shown in FIGS. 1 through 5, a warning signal controlling device for blind zones when vehicles making a lane change according to the invention, disposed inside each inner side of each rearview mirror of the vehicle, including a lens 1, a mirror 2 and a base assembly. The lens 1 and the mirror 2 may be obtained by two-color molding. The lens 1 may be masked by PMMA which is black and opaque, and the mirror 2 may utilize a light guide made of PMMA which is transparent. The base assembly consists of LED lamps 7, a PCB board 3 and a base 4. The PCB board 3 is secured to the base 4. LED lamp holders are provided on the PCB board 3. The LED lamps 7 are secured in the corresponding LED lamp holders. The base assembly is secured to the lens 1 by ultrasonic welding.

(8) Preferably, a cavity or a light guide bar is provided inside the lens 1, and the LED lamps 7 are placed in the cavity or at a light entrance of the light guide bar.

(9) Preferably, a plurality of LED lamp holders are provided on the PCB board 3, and a control circuit is disposed inside the PCB board 3. One end of the control circuit is connected to a circuit of the Body Controller Module (BCM) of the vehicle, and the other end is connected to the control circuit inside the PCB board.

(10) The number of the LED lamps may be 2 to 6 and these LED lamps may be configured to provide different alarm signals in the form of a flash, light staying for a short period, light staying for a long period, etc.

(11) Preferably, the control circuit is provided with day and night modes.

(12) Preferably, different display patterns are provided on a housing of the alarm signal controlling device.

(13) The controller inside the PCB board emits yellow light in a wavelength range of 586 nm to 592 nm. According to lightness of surrounding environment and different positions of the driver and the passenger, four different illumination regions are provided at different positions for the day and night modes. Information about these four illumination regions is listed in tables below. Information about a first illumination region at the position of the driver for the day mode:

(14) TABLE-US-00005 Luminance Angle Value (cd/m.sup.2) Object Horizontal Vertical Minimum Position of the 60 to 85 degrees 7.5 degrees 4500-9000 driver Information about a second illumination region at the position of the passenger for the day mode:

(15) TABLE-US-00006 Luminance Angle Value (cd/m.sup.2) Object Horizontal Vertical Minimum Position of the 32.5 to 70 degrees 7.5 degrees 4500-9000 passenger Information about a third illumination region at the position of the driver for the night mode:

(16) TABLE-US-00007 Luminance Angle Value (cd/m.sup.2) Object Horizontal Vertical Minimum Position of the 60 to 85 degrees 7.5 degrees 45-90 driver Information about a fourth illumination region at the position of the passenger for the night mode:

(17) TABLE-US-00008 Luminance Angle Value (cd/m.sup.2) Object Horizontal Vertical Minimum Position of the 32.5 to 70 degrees 7.5 degrees 225-450 passenger

(18) The primary driver and the secondary driver can clearly view the light emitted by the controller from different directions.

(19) The circuit of the BCM of the vehicle can provide a voltage of 13.50.1 V and a current of 466 mA. The BCM continuously supplies stable energy to the LED lamps through the controller, and the light is then emitted through the mirror and the lens.

(20) The invention further provides a method for light detection. The alarm signal controlling device of the invention is run at a current of 50 mA and preheated for 5 min, the light intensity is concentrated on an eyellipse region. A measurement is performed for a measurement point A in this eyellipse region by a camera via the brightness. To perform the measurement, the entire module is required to be mounted in the rearview mirror. A brightness value of the central point in the entire eyellipse region is at least 9000 cd/m.sup.2.

(21) Brightness levels of the LED lamps of the invention can be adjusted. The flash, the light staying for a long period and the light staying for a short period are invisible to other vehicles, but can be seen by the drivers through glass from outside. The light can be used for monitoring distances between both sides or the rear of the vehicle making a lane change and other vehicles. The alarm signals can pass through the housing of the device in the form of a flash, light staying for a long period and light staying for a short period so as to alert the driver to vehicles nearby or in blind zones. The alarm signal controlling device of the invention is simple and easy to handle, and can improve the security and reliability of driving.

(22) The descriptions above are just preferred embodiments of the invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention.

REFERENCE LIST

(23) 1 Lens 2 Mirror 3 PCB board 4 Base 5 Housing 6 Rearview mirror 7 LED lamp 8 Display pattern