V2X Communication Lighting Systems for Enhanced Traffic Safety

Notifying vehicles behind blocked line-of-sight of traffic signal displays when their view is obstructed by a preceding vehicle. The system uses sensors to detect vehicles in the line of sight of a traffic signal. If a sensor sees a vehicle behind the detected vehicle that can't see the signal due to a preceding vehicle, it notifies the blocked vehicle about the signal state. This allows vehicles to be aware of signal changes even if they can't directly see the signals.

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Integrated vehicle lighting that can simultaneously provide both functional lighting for vehicle operation and communication signals. The system has a single lamp assembly with multiple lights that can be selectively activated based on separate determinations for vehicle lighting needs and communication needs. This allows the vehicle to use the same lighting hardware for both purposes without needing separate dedicated lighting systems. The system can, for example, turn off some lights for functional lighting while activating others for communication signals or vice versa. This enables multimodal lighting functionality from a single lamp assembly.

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Communicating a vehicle's driving status to pedestrians and surrounding vehicles using the vehicle body itself as a communication medium. The system detects if an object is approaching within a certain distance. When an object is nearby, it displays the vehicle's driving status, like braking or turning, through external lights on the vehicle body. This allows pedestrians and other drivers to see the vehicle's intended path and actions before they interact. It expands the communication range beyond just headlights and signals.

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A vehicle with a dynamic lighting system that changes the illumination pattern based on the position of nearby pedestrians and other road users. The system has two lighting configurations: a regular one using the full light surface and an offset configuration using a subset of the surface. When a pedestrian is detected in front of the vehicle, it switches to the offset configuration to illuminate a visible portion of the surface around the pedestrian instead of the whole area. This helps pedestrians see through masks or obstructions that could hide the regular lights.

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A vehicle fog lamp with a secondary display integrated into the lens that can communicate with pedestrians. The fog lamp has a main LED illumination component and a secondary display containing matrix elements. The secondary display can show variable depictions based on processor input. It can communicate with pedestrians directly through the fog lamp's turn signal processor or via external devices using Bluetooth or NFC. The secondary display can notify pedestrians of turns or provide additional information.

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Communication devices for self-driving cars to interact with pedestrians and other drivers. The device uses ring-shaped lights around the headlights that change shape to mimic eye contact when the car communicates. The lights have LEDs that can be selectively turned on to create different shapes. When the car is self-driving, the lights change based on the communication to indicate intentions. This provides clearer and more intuitive communication compared to just turning on all the lights. The lights can also be covered by a lens that darkens the non-lit areas to make the changing shapes more visible.

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Controlling vehicle lighting devices with displays to adapt and enhance visibility in different environments. The method involves collecting vehicle surroundings data and using it to customize the displayed lights. The displays can show conventional lights like headlights, brakes, turn signals, etc., but with optimized characteristics based on conditions. This improves safety by making lights more noticeable/distinguishable. The displays can also provide visual alerts for potential dangers. The displays can fold out to reduce drag when extended, like a boat tail, when the vehicle is platooning.

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Enhanced vehicle notification system that provides information to a vehicle operator using a notification light. The system determines parameters like vehicle speed, direction, and distance to an approaching vehicle and then changes the light characteristics to communicate that information to the other vehicle visually. This allows quicker reaction time and avoidance compared to just seeing the vehicle's presence. The light changes can convey details like braking, reversing, or stopping ahead. To determine the parameters, the system uses onboard sensors and/or inputs like GPS, magnetometers, and off-board signals.

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Vehicle illumination devices to indicate inter-vehicle communication between autonomous vehicles to improve safety when manual and automated vehicles coexist. The device has lights that can flash a pattern when one autonomous vehicle communicates with another. This visual cue alerts pedestrians and other vehicles that the communicating vehicles are coordinating and can help prevent collisions. The communication is initiated by a master vehicle, and other vehicles respond. The master vehicle flashes its lights to indicate communication.

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