IP analysis of blind spot / blind area detection sensors on moving vehicles
Blind spot or blind area detection sensors are a normal yet creative feature on newer vehicles that help notify drivers and sometimes depending on use case, parallel vehicles when they are within the proximity of the driver. This sensor has some benefits in that ultimately it is a simple indication to the driver that there is an object to you’re left or to you’re right that signals an alert to not change lanes until it is safe, only when the moving object (vehicle) is outside the range of detection.
In the context of IP and patent differentials—identifying one feature from another in automative feature design is a good example to show engineering in architecture. The blind spot detection sensors with notifications primarily in the form of an LED light are one of many of the basic features on moving vehicles. Although not the most complex feature but simple in design and intricate at the surface level as designs can be distinguished from one rule set to another, blind spot sensors can be useful in some scenarios. Regardless of how the user is notified of blind spot obstruction, there are differentiating engineering attributes within these designs that designate how each works.
When looking at the different engineering aspects of blind spot detection sensors in IP analysis, one doesn’t necessarily need to only look at if the sensor works, but rather the timing and distance thresholds in sensor function in relation to object size, speed and proximity. The identification of these attributes are what indicate the attributes that vary from one design to another.
Pertaining attributes associated to lane change sensors to evaluate differentiating IP from another may include:
Distance
- The distance from the activation node or threshold of the sensor’s trigger between your vehicle and the vehicle parallel to you.
- The distance of the deactivation node or threshold of the sensor’s trigger between your vehicle and the vehicle parallel to you.
- The numerical distance where two vehicles are separated in parallel to one another for the sensor not to pickup the object (an example of this can be demonstrated by moving to the right or left of a vehicle parallel to you to see how much space between the two will deactivate the sensor.
- Motorcycles, moped, scooters, tall trucks and overlapping objects are also important impediments to evaluate. Sometimes moving objects overlap, thus what prerequisites identify overlapping objects to activate sensor trigger.
Although time could be one attribute to measure sensor activation / deactivation, the measurement of distance seems to supersede this attribute, however such features may exists in design. Nevertheless, the numerical values / thresholds of such architecture in design are what differentiate IP in blind spot detection sensors—there is a correct numerical value(s) somewhere in there.