System and method to locate vehicle equipment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9487136-B2
Application number	US-201514948860-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 23, 2015
Priority date	Nov 21, 2013
Publication date	Nov 8, 2016
Grant date	Nov 8, 2016

Abstract

A vehicle system configured to identify a location of emergency equipment is disclosed. The vehicle system comprises a storage compartment forming an interior cavity disposed in a cargo area and a cover configured to facilitate access to the storage compartment. An illumination apparatus is disposed in the storage compartment and configured to illuminate a first portion of the storage compartment in response to a first vehicle condition. The illumination apparatus is further configured to illuminate a second portion of the storage compartment in response to a second vehicle condition.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle system configured to identify a location of emergency equipment comprising:
a storage compartment forming an interior cavity disposed in a cargo area;
a cover configured to facilitate access to the storage compartment; and
an illumination apparatus configured to:
illuminate a first portion of the storage compartment in response to a first vehicle condition; and
illuminate a second portion of the storage compartment in response to a second vehicle condition.

2. The vehicle system according to claim 1 , wherein the illumination apparatus is further configured to illuminate a portion of the cover in response to the first vehicle condition and the second vehicle condition.

3. The vehicle system according to claim 1 , wherein the illumination apparatus comprises a plurality of light sources.

4. The vehicle system according to claim 3 , wherein the plurality of light sources comprise a first light source configured to selectively illuminate the first portion and a second light source configured to selectively illuminate the second portion independently.

5. The vehicle system according to claim 1 , wherein the first portion corresponds to a first device corresponds to a utility device configured to remedy the first vehicle condition.

6. The vehicle system according to claim 5 , wherein the second portion corresponds to a second device corresponds to a utility device configured to remedy the second vehicle condition.

7. The vehicle system according to claim 6 , wherein the illumination apparatus receives a notification signal identifying the first vehicle condition and the second vehicle condition from a vehicle control module in communication therewith.

8. The vehicle system according to claim 1 , further comprising a photoluminescent portion disposed on at least one of the first portion and the second portion.

9. The vehicle system according to claim 8 , wherein the photoluminescent portion is configured to illuminate in response to receiving an activation emission from the illumination apparatus.

10. A method for locating emergency equipment in a vehicle comprising:
detecting a vehicle condition;
illuminating a first portion of the vehicle to identify an access panel in response to the vehicle condition;
illuminating a second portion selectively concealed by the access panel in response to opening the access panel, wherein the second portion identifies a location of the emergency equipment, wherein the access panel corresponds to an interior access panel configured to conceal a storage compartment disposed in a cargo area.

11. The method according to claim 10 , further comprising:
displaying a message providing a location of the access panel.

12. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the illuminating the first portion is in response to opening an exterior door configured to provide access to the location.

13. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the access panel corresponds to a cover comprising a handle configured to facilitate access to the storage compartment.

14. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the emergency equipment corresponds to at least one of a spare tire, a funnel, a first aid kit, a fire extinguisher, a tire repair device, and a fuse panel.

15. A vehicle notification apparatus comprising:
a first light source configured to output a first emission in a first direction;
a second light source configured to output a second emission in the first direction;
a controller configured to detect a plurality of vehicle failure conditions and selectively activate the first light source in response to a first failure condition and the second light source in response to a second failure condition; and
a first optic device configured to illuminate an access panel disposed in a cargo area by redirecting the first emission in a second direction.

16. The vehicle notification apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein the first light source and the second light source are disposed in a storage compartment comprising a cover.

17. The vehicle notification apparatus according to claim 16 , further comprising a second optic device in connection with the cover and configured to reflect the first emission and the second emission to illuminate a handle of the cover in response to the cover arranged in a closed configuration.

18. The vehicle notification apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein the first emission illuminates a first portion of the storage compartment in response to a first failure condition received from a vehicle control module.

19. The vehicle notification apparatus according to claim 18 , wherein the second emission illuminates a second portion of the storage compartment in response to a second failure condition received from the vehicle control module.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Salter Stuart C
• Surman James J
• Cooprider Anthony Dwayne
• Buttolo Pietro

Classifications

• B60Q2500/10

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B60Q3/06 Primary

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B60Q3/0209

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B60Q3/0279

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B60Q3/0283

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic