Sensor-friendly vehicle warning sign

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11851002-B2
Application number	US-202117444544-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 5, 2021
Priority date	Aug 5, 2021
Publication date	Dec 26, 2023
Grant date	Dec 26, 2023

Abstract

A vehicle warning sign comprises: a reflective material for at least visible light; and at least one of (i) a heating element for detection by a thermal sensor or (ii) a corner reflector for detection by a radar, the corner reflector oriented substantially in a common direction with the reflective material.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A sensor-friendly vehicle warning sign having features designed to increase a likelihood of, or enable earlier, detection of the sensor-friendly vehicle warning sign by a sensor of an oncoming vehicle, the sensor-friendly vehicle warning sign comprising:
a retroreflector having a planar or a three-dimensional shape;
a coating applied to a planar surface, the coating including one or more metamaterials or metasurfaces;
a power source;
a light powered by the power source;
a first controller regulating the light, the first controller receiving electric power from the power source, the first controller including a switch that turns the light on and off in a repeated pattern;
a heating element powered by the power source, the heating element including one or more wires that emit thermal energy upon receiving electric power;
a second controller regulating the heating element, the second controller receiving electric power from the power source;
a reflective coating having a triangular shape, the reflective coating including a reflective material applied to a planar surface or a three-dimensional surface, the reflective material including beads of a transparent material acting like mirrors by way of being coated with a material, wherein the heating element is positioned around at least part of a periphery of the reflective material such that the heating element forms a border of the reflective material both on an outside and an inside of the triangular shape; and
a corner reflector including a dihedral structure or a trihedral structure, wherein the reflective material is oriented substantially in a common direction with the corner reflector and the light;
wherein respective geometric centers of each of the light, the heating element, the reflective material, and the corner reflector coincide with each other.

2. The sensor-friendly vehicle warning sign of claim 1 , wherein the sensor-friendly vehicle warning sign includes a support substrate, and wherein rectangular areas of the reflective material are applied to at least one side of the support substrate.

3. The sensor-friendly vehicle warning sign of claim 2 , wherein the heating element forms a border of the reflective material on an outside of each of the rectangular areas.

4. The sensor-friendly vehicle warning sign of claim 1 , wherein control signals for one or more active elements of the sensor-friendly vehicle warning sign are integrated with a hazard light control, for automatically activating the one or more active elements upon a hazard-lights operating mode being active.

5. The sensor-friendly vehicle warning sign of claim 1 , wherein one or more active elements of the sensor-friendly vehicle warning sign is configured for automatic activation in response to detection of a flat tire or deployment of an airbag.

Assignees

• Atieva Inc

Inventors

• Lu Qiang

Classifications

• B60Q7/02 Primary

  to be attached to overhanging loads or extending parts of vehicle · CPC title

• B60Q1/525

  automatically indicating risk of collision between vehicles in traffic or with pedestrians, e.g. after risk assessment using the vehicle sensor data · CPC title

• G09F13/16

  Signs formed of or incorporating reflecting elements or surfaces, e.g. warning signs having triangular or other geometrical shape · CPC title

• B60Q7/00 Primary

  Arrangement or adaptation of portable emergency signal devices on vehicles · CPC title

• G02B5/122

  cube corner, trihedral or triple reflector type · CPC title