ENHANCED COMMUNICATION SYSTEM FOR VEHICLE HAZARD LIGHTS
A system for implementing strobing of existing vehicle hazard lights including an interface to a vehicle wiring harness configured to receive input to an existing vehicle flasher module, and a strobing circuit that responds to an activation signal from the vehicle wiring harness that is indicative of a hazard flasher deployment event by producing an electrical output through the interface to the vehicle wiring harness that causes a strobing of existing vehicle hazard lamps.
1 . A vehicle safety system comprising:
a microcontroller;
a plurality of vehicle lights;
one or more sensors in communication with at least one vehicle subsystem;
wherein the one or more sensors are configured to (i) detect an event and (ii) output a first signal upon detection of an event;
wherein the microcontroller is configured to (i) receive the first signal and (ii) selectively activate at least one vehicle light in response to receiving the first signal and without user input; and
wherein at least one of the plurality of vehicle lights can be activated in a strobing pattern designed, based upon the type of event, to increase safety of the vehicle and/or its occupant(s).
2 . The vehicle safety system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of vehicle lights includes at least a left signal light and a right signal light on a front of the vehicle, and at least one of these signal lights is activated in the strobing pattern.
3 . The vehicle safety system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of vehicle lights includes at least a left signal light and a right signal light on a front of the vehicle, and a left signal light and right signal light on a rear of the vehicle, and at least one of these signal lights is activated in the strobing pattern.
4 . The vehicle safety system of claim 1 , wherein the event detected comprises at least one of an airbag deployment by the vehicle, an activation of an antilock braking system of the vehicle, a rollover over of the vehicle, and activation of a stability control system of the vehicle.
5 . The vehicle safety system of claim 1 , further comprising a user activated switch that provides a second signal to the microcontroller which, in turn, activates at least one of the plurality of vehicle lights in a strobing pattern
6 . The vehicle safety system of claim 5 , wherein the user activated switch comprises a switch that also activates non-strobing hazard flashers associated with the vehicle.
7 . The vehicle safety system of claim 6 , where the user activated switch is operable, with the microcontroller, to provide a plurality of strobing patterns of the at least one vehicle light.
8 . The vehicle safety system of claim 1 , wherein the strobing pattern comprises a directional component.
9 . The vehicle safety system of claim 1 , wherein the microcontroller comprises a body control module having operative control over signal lights of the vehicle, and the plurality of vehicle lights comprises at least the signal lights.
10 . The vehicle safety system of claim 1 , further comprising a shared vehicle data bus that transports the first signal from the one or more sensors to the microcontroller.
11 . A vehicle safety system comprising:
a microcontroller;
a plurality of vehicle lights;
wherein the microcontroller is configured to selectively activate at least one vehicle light in response to user input;
wherein the microcontroller is reprogrammable to select one of a plurality of strobing patterns;
wherein the user can communicate with the microcontroller to provide user input via a mobile device; and
wherein at least one vehicle light can be activated in a strobing pattern designed to increase safety of the vehicle and/or its occupant(s).
12 . The vehicle safety system of claim 11 , further comprising a switch inside the vehicle that can additionally provide the user input.
13 . The vehicle safety system of claim 12 , wherein the switch inside the vehicle comprises a switch that can also activate hazard flashers in a non-strobing pattern.
14 . The vehicle safety system of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of strobing patterns includes directional strobing patterns.
15 . The vehicle safety system of claim 11 , wherein the microcontroller communicates with the mobile device wirelessly.
16 . A vehicle safety system comprising:
a Wi-Fi network provided by the vehicle;
a microcontroller connected to a wireless module;
a plurality of vehicle lights;
wherein the microcontroller is configured to activate at least one vehicle light in a strobing pattern designed to increase safety of the vehicle and/or its occupant(s);
wherein the wireless module comprises a Wi-Fi enabled chip; and
wherein the microcontroller is configured to be reprogrammed using the wireless module.
17 . The vehicle safety system of claim 16 , wherein the microcontroller comprises a body control module of the vehicle.
18 . The vehicle safety system of claim 16 , wherein the plurality of vehicle lights comprise a plurality of lights that are placed and activatable as vehicle turn signal lights by the microcontroller.
19 . The vehicle safety system of claim 18 , wherein the strobing pattern has a cycle that is perceptibly faster than a cycle of the vehicle turn signal lights.
20 . The vehicle safety system of claim 16 , wherein the microcontroller can be signaled to activate the least one vehicle light in a strobing pattern by a user accessible switch inside the vehicle and by a signal from another vehicle safety system.