[System] You are an expert US patent attorney. Draft a set of independent and dependent claims based on the provided invention description. Use correct USPTO formatting.

[User]
Title: Exterior Mirror Assembly With Actuator

Technical Field and Background:
It is known to provide a vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly that has a mirror head having a mirror casing that is adjustable relative to a mirror mounting portion at the side of the vehicle to which the mirror assembly is mounted. The mirror assembly may comprise a powerfold assembly where the mirror head is adjusted or pivoted relative to the vehicle via an actuator disposed at the mirror mounting portion and/or mirror head. Examples of adjustable or powerfold rearview mirror assemblies and actuators are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,314,285; 7,267,449; 7,159,992; 7,093,946; 6,312,135; 6,243,218 and 5,703,731, which are hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. As the size and/or electrical content of exterior rearview mirror assemblies is increased (such as for pickup trucks and the like), the weight of the mirror head portion likewise is increased, and a larger actuator motor or multiple gears or gear elements are required to provide sufficient torque output to pivot the mirror head via an actuator motor, with such multiple gears adding to the cost and complexity of the actuator assemblies.

Invention Disclosure:
An exterior rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle includes a mounting portion mountable at a side of a vehicle and a mirror head portion pivotally adjustable relative to the mounting portion. An actuator is operable to impart pivotal movement of the mirror head portion relative to the mounting portion to adjust the mirror head portion relative to the side of the vehicle at which the mounting portion is mounted. The actuator includes a first motor and a second motor operable in tandem to cooperatively drive a common drive gear of a gear system to adjust the mirror head portion relative to the mounting portion. Operation of the first and second motors is synchronized. Operation of the first motor drives a first gear that rotatably drives the common drive gear and operation of the second motor drives a second gear that rotatably drives the common drive gear.

[Assistant]
1. An exterior rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle, said exterior rearview mirror assembly comprising:
a mounting portion mountable at a side of a vehicle;
a mirror head portion pivotally adjustable relative to said mounting portion;
a reflective element at said mirror head portion;
an actuator operable to impart pivotal movement of said mirror head portion relative to said mounting portion to adjust said mirror head portion relative to the side of a vehicle at which said mounting portion is mounted;
wherein said actuator comprises at least two motors;
wherein said at least two motors comprises a first motor and a second motor;
wherein said first motor and said second motor are operable in tandem to cooperatively drive a common drive gear of a gear system to adjust said mirror head portion relative to said mounting portion;
wherein operation of said first and second motors is synchronized;
wherein operation of said first motor drives a first gear that rotatably drives said common drive gear; and
wherein operation of said second motor drives a second gear that rotatably drives said common drive gear.

2. The exterior rearview mirror assembly of claim 1, wherein said first and second gears comprise worm gears.

3. The exterior rearview mirror assembly of claim 2, wherein said first and second gears comprise worm gears driven by respective shafts of said first and second motors.

4. The exterior rearview mirror assembly of claim 1, wherein said first and second gears engage teeth of said common drive gear at opposite sides of said common drive gear.

5. The exterior rearview mirror assembly of claim 1, wherein said common drive gear is interconnected with an attaching portion of said actuator that attaches at one of said mirror head portion and said mounting portion, and wherein rotation of said common drive gear adjusts said mirror head portion relative to said mounting portion.

6. The exterior rearview mirror assembly of claim 1, wherein said first gear engages a first gear element that rotatably drives said common drive gear and wherein said second gear rotatably drives a second gear element that engages said common drive gear.

7. The exterior rearview mirror assembly of claim 6, wherein said first gear element is interconnected with a first worm gear that rotates with said first gear element, and wherein said first worm gear engages said common drive gear, and wherein said second gear element is interconnected with a second worm gear that rotates with said second gear element, and wherein said second worm gear engages said common drive gear.

8. The exterior rearview mirror assembly of claim 7, wherein said first and second worm gears engage said common drive gear at diametrically opposite portions of said common drive gear.

9. The exterior rearview mirror assembly of claim 1, wherein, during operation of said actuator, a shutoff circuit determines rotational movement of the shaft of said first motor and the shaft of said second motor and, responsive to a determination of rotational movement being below a threshold speed, said shutoff circuit deactivates said first and second motors.

10. The exterior rearview mirror assembly of claim 1, wherein, responsive to operation of said first motor driving said first gear that rotatably drives said common drive gear and to operation of said second motor driving said second gear that rotatably drives said common drive gear, said mirror head portion pivots relative to said mounting portion to adjust said mirror head between (i) a rearward viewing position or orientation where said reflective element at said mirror head is positioned so as to provide a rearward field of view to a driver of the vehicle and (ii) a folded or stowed position where said mirror head is oriented generally along the side of the vehicle.

11. The exterior rearview mirror assembly of claim 1, wherein said first motor comprises a first drive shaft defining a first axis and wherein said second motor comprises a second drive shaft defining a second axis, and wherein said first axis is oriented generally parallel to said second axis when said first motor is driving said first gear that rotatably drives said common drive gear and said second motor is driving said second gear that rotatably drives said common drive gear.

12. An exterior rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle, said exterior rearview mirror assembly comprising:
a mounting portion mountable at a side of a vehicle;
a mirror head portion pivotally adjustable relative to said mounting portion;
a reflective element at said mirror head portion;
an actuator operable to impart pivotal movement of said mirror head portion relative to said mounting portion to adjust said mirror head portion relative to the side of a vehicle at which said mounting portion is mounted;
wherein said actuator comprises at least two motors;
wherein said at least two motors comprises a first motor and a second motor;
wherein said first motor and said second motor are operable in tandem to cooperatively drive a common drive gear of a gear system to adjust said mirror head portion relative to said mounting portion;
wherein operation of said first and second motors is synchronized;
wherein operation of said first motor drives a first gear that rotatably drives said common drive gear;
wherein operation of said second motor drives a second gear that rotatably drives said common drive gear;
wherein said first and second gears engage teeth of said common drive gear at opposite sides of said common drive gear; and
wherein, responsive to operation of said first motor driving said first gear that engages said common drive gear and to operation of said second motor driving said second gear that engages said common drive gear, said mirror head portion pivots relative to said mounting portion to adjust said mirror head between (i) a rearward viewing position or orientation where said reflective element at said mirror head is positioned so as to provide a rearward field of view to a driver of the vehicle and (ii) a folded or stowed position where said mirror head is oriented generally along the side of the vehicle.

13. The exterior rearview mirror assembly of claim 12, wherein said first and second gears engage said common drive gear at diametrically opposite portions of said common drive gear.

14. The exterior rearview mirror assembly of claim 13, wherein said first motor comprises a first drive shaft defining a first axis and wherein said second motor comprises a second drive shaft defining a second axis, and wherein said first axis is oriented generally parallel to said second axis when said first motor is driving said first gear that engages said common drive gear and said second motor is driving said second gear that engages said common drive gear.

15. An exterior rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle, said exterior rearview mirror assembly comprising:
a mounting portion mountable at a side of a vehicle;
a mirror head portion pivotally adjustable relative to said mounting portion;
a reflective element at said mirror head portion;
an actuator operable to impart pivotal movement of said mirror head portion relative to said mounting portion to adjust said mirror head portion relative to the side of a vehicle at which said mounting portion is mounted;
wherein said actuator comprises at least two motors;
wherein said at least two motors comprises a first motor and a second motor;
wherein said first motor and said second motor are operable in tandem to cooperatively drive a common drive gear of a gear system to adjust said mirror head portion relative to said mounting portion;
wherein operation of said first and second motors is synchronized;
wherein operation of said first motor drives a first gear that rotatably drives said common drive gear;
wherein operation of said second motor drives a second gear that rotatably drives said common drive gear;
wherein said first motor comprises a first drive shaft defining a first axis and wherein said second motor comprises a second drive shaft defining a second axis, and wherein said first axis is oriented generally parallel to said second axis when said first motor is driving said first gear that rotatably drives said common drive gear and said second motor is driving said second gear that rotatably drives said common drive gear; and
wherein, responsive to operation of said first motor driving said first gear that rotatably drives said common drive gear and to operation of said second motor driving said second gear that rotatably drives said common drive gear, said mirror head portion pivots relative to said mounting portion to adjust said mirror head between (i) a rearward viewing position or orientation where said reflective element at said mirror head is positioned so as to provide a rearward field of view to a driver of the vehicle and (ii) a folded or stowed position where said mirror head is oriented generally along the side of the vehicle.

16. The exterior rearview mirror assembly of claim 15, wherein said first and second gears comprise worm gears and wherein said first and second worm gears engage said common drive gear at diametrically opposite portions of said common drive gear.

17. The exterior rearview mirror assembly of claim 15, wherein, during operation of said actuator, a shutoff circuit determines rotational movement of the shaft of said first motor and the shaft of said second motor and, responsive to a determination of rotational movement being below a threshold speed, said shutoff circuit deactivates said first and second motors.

18. The exterior rearview mirror assembly of claim 17, wherein said first and second gears engage teeth of said common drive gear at opposite sides of said common drive gear.

19. The exterior rearview mirror assembly of claim 18, wherein said first and second gears comprise worm gears.

20. The exterior rearview mirror assembly of claim 18, wherein said first and second gears comprise worm gears driven by respective shafts of said first and second motors.


[System] You are an expert US patent attorney. Draft a set of independent and dependent claims based on the provided invention description. Use correct USPTO formatting.

[User]
Title: Process For Forming Ultra-Micro Leds

Technical Field and Background:
It is well known in the field of LEDs that efficiency is generally improved as the LED die becomes smaller. For example, in the paper by Choi et al. entitled Mechanism of Enhanced Light Output Efficiency In InGaN-Based Microlight Emitting Diodes, Journal of Applied Physics, volume 93, number 10, 15 May 2003, Choi presents data showing the optical power density vs. current of an LED die increases about three fold when reducing the size of a micro-LED from 20 microns in diameter to 8 microns in diameter. The present inventors had previously developed a technique for printing microscopic LEDs and connecting the LEDs in parallel. The LEDs are vertical LEDs with one electrode on top and the other electrode on the bottom. Each LED die has a diameter of about 30 microns and a thickness of about 7 microns. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the inventors' previously developed vertical LED 100 , directly reproduced from U.S. Patent Application Publication 2013/0168658, incorporated herein by reference. As described below, the basic LED design has an inherent limitation that prevents it from being significantly smaller than 30 microns. FIG. 2 is a top down view of the hexagonal LEDs 100 on a carrier wafer prior to singulation. The LEDs 100 are separated by trenches 102 . FIG. 3 is a simplified cross-sectional view of the LED 100 . An elongated metal top electrode 120 B and its metal base 120 A conduct current to the underlying p-type GaN layer 115 . A bottom electrode ( FIG. 3 ) 122 is formed on the bottom surface of a conductive substrate 105 (which may be n-GaN) to provide current to the overlying n-type GaN layer 110 . At the junction of the p and n-type layers are light-generating quantum wells 112 ( FIG. 3 ). The epitaxially grown LED semiconductor layers may be conventional. A metal via 130 ( FIG. 1 ) may be used to bypass any low conductivity layers formed over the bottom electrode 122 . The LED 100 is formed as a hexagon with sides 121 . The singulated LEDs 100 are designed to be suspended in an LED ink and printed over a substrate having a “bottom” conductor layer. A vast majority of the LED will have the same orientation. The bottom electrode 122 of the LED 100 contacts the bottom conductor layer. A dielectric layer is then deposited to insulate the bottom conductor layer and cover the sides of the LEDs yet expose the elongated top electrode 120 B of the LEDs. A top conductor layer is then deposited to contact the top electrode 120 B and connect the printed LEDs 100 in parallel. Either the top conductor layer or the bottom conductor layer, or both, are formed of a transparent conductor material so light exits one or both surfaces of the resulting light sheet. The size of the LED 100 is limited by the smallest practical size of the top electrode 120 B and its metal base 120 A, which is roughly the relative size shown in FIG. 1 . The top electrode 120 A/B obscures and absorbs a substantial portion of the generated light. By making the LED die's diameter smaller, while the size of the top electrode 120 A/B remains the same, there will be less light-generating area, and a higher percentage of the generated light will be obscured by the top electrode 120 A/B, so efficiency drops. Therefore, what is needed is a technique to form LED dies substantially smaller than 30 microns, to obtain an improved optical power output density vs. current, which are printable for manufacturing thin, flexible light sheets.

Invention Disclosure:
A flexible light sheet includes a bottom conductor layer overlying a flexible substrate. An array of vertical light emitting diodes (VLEDs) is printed as an ink over the bottom conductor layer so that bottom electrodes of the VLEDs electrically contact the bottom conductor layer. A top electrode of the VLEDs is formed of a first transparent conductor layer, and a temporary hydrophobic layer is formed over the first transparent conductor layer. A dielectric material is deposited between the VLEDs but is automatically de-wetted off the hydrophobic layer. The hydrophobic layer is then removed, and a second transparent conductor layer is deposited to electrically contact the top electrode of the VLEDs. The VLEDs can be made less than 10 microns in diameter since no top metal bump electrode is used. The VLEDs are illuminated by a voltage differential between the bottom conductor layer and the second transparent conductor layer.

[Assistant]
1. An illumination structure comprising:
a bottom conductor layer;
a plurality of vertical light emitting diodes (VLEDs), each of the VLEDs having a bottom electrode electrically contacting the bottom conductor layer, each of the VLEDs having a flat first transparent conductor layer forming a top electrode, with no opaque metal portions forming the top electrode;
a second transparent conductor layer directly over and contacting the first transparent conductor layer of each of the VLEDs, with no opaque metal layer in-between, such that the plurality of VLEDs are electrically connected in parallel and light passes through the first transparent conductor layer and the second transparent conductor layer when the VLEDs are illuminated by a voltage differential between the second transparent conductor layer and the bottom conductor layer; and
a dielectric material between the VLEDs and overlying the bottom conductor layer but not substantially covering the first transparent conductor layer, wherein the second transparent conductor layer overlies the dielectric layer.

2. The structure of claim 1 wherein the first transparent conductor layer comprises one of ITO or sintered silver nanowires.

3. The structure of claim 1 wherein the first transparent conductor layer covers an entire top semiconductor surface of each of the VLEDs.

4. The structure of claim 1 wherein the bottom conductor layer is reflective.

5. The structure of claim 1 wherein the bottom conductor layer is transparent.

6. The structure of claim 1 further comprising a flexible substrate on which the bottom conductor layer is formed.

7. The structure of claim 1 wherein the VLEDs are microscopic VLEDs printed as an ink over the bottom conductor layer.

8. The structure of claim 1 wherein a diameter of each of the VLEDs is 10 microns or less.


[System] You are an expert US patent attorney. Draft a set of independent and dependent claims based on the provided invention description. Use correct USPTO formatting.

[User]
Title: Power Module And Fabrication Method For The Same

Technical Field and Background:
Conventionally, there have been known power modules in which a power chip including a semiconductor device such as Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor (IGBT) is mounted on a leadframe therein, and of which the whole system thereof is molded with resin. Since such a semiconductor device produces heat during an operating state, it is common to dispose a heat sink via an insulating layer on a back side surface of the leadframe in order to cool the semiconductor device. When such a power module is attached to a cooling body, e.g. the heat sink in this way, a liquid thermal compound is coated to a metal surface (surface of a leadframe) facing (opposed to) the cooling body, and one surface or both surfaces of the cooling body facing (opposed to) the metal surface. Thus, a gap due to roughness, such as surface cracks etc. and a warpage can be filled up with the thermal compound.

Invention Disclosure:
A power module includes: an insulating layer; a leadframe (metal layer) disposed on the insulating layer; a semiconductor chip disposed on the leadframe; and a mold resin formed so as to cover the semiconductor chip, at least a part of the metal layer, and at least a part of the insulating layer, wherein the insulating layer includes a relatively-soft insulating layer disposed at a side of the leadframe and a relatively-hard insulating layer disposed at an opposite side of the leadframes. Accordingly, there can be provided the power module with improved cooling capability and improved reliability, and the fabrication method for such a power module.

[Assistant]
1. A power module comprising:
an insulating layer;
a metal layer disposed on the insulating layer;
a semiconductor chip disposed on the metal layer; and
a mold resin formed so as to cover the semiconductor chip, at least a part of the metal layer, and at least a part of the insulating layer, wherein
the insulating layer includes a relatively-hard insulating layer disposed at a side of the metal layer and a relatively-soft insulating layer disposed at an opposite side of the metal layer.

2. The power module according to claim 1, wherein
the relatively-soft insulating layer deforms so as to be adhered to a cooling body, the cooling body composed of a metal for radiating heat produced from the semiconductor chip.

3. The power module according to claim 1, wherein
a hardness of the relatively-soft insulating layer is softer than A40 in durometer hardness.

4. The power module according to claim 1, wherein
the relatively-soft insulating layer is formed of an organic material.

5. The power module according to claim 1, wherein
the relatively-soft insulating layer is formed of a silicone based resin.

6. The power module according to claim 1, wherein
the relatively-soft insulating layer is filled up with a high thermally-conductive filler.

7. The power module according to claim 6, wherein
the filler is at least one selected from the group consist of aluminium oxide, silicon oxide, aluminum nitride, silicon nitride, boron nitride, beryllia, and magnesia.

8. The power module according to claim 1, wherein
a hardness of the relatively-hard insulating layer is harder than A40 in durometer hardness.

9. The power module according to claim 1, wherein
the relatively-hard insulating layer is formed of an organic material.

10. The power module according to claim 1, wherein
the relatively-hard insulating layer is formed of at least one selected from the group consist of an epoxy based resin, an urethane system resin, an acrylic resin, and a silicone based resin.

11. The power module according to claim 1, wherein
the relatively-hard insulating layer is filled up with a high thermally-conductive filler.

12. The power module according to claim 11, wherein
the filler is at least one selected from the group consist of aluminium oxide, silicon oxide, aluminum nitride, silicon nitride, boron nitride, beryllia, and magnesia.

13. The power module according to claim 1, wherein
a groove into which a part of the relatively-hard insulating layer is inserted is formed on a surface of the metal layer facing the relatively-hard insulating layer, the surface of the metal layer on which the groove is formed is a region not opposite to the semiconductor chip.

14. The power module according to claim 1, wherein
the relatively-hard insulating layer is formed so as to cover a bottom surface and a corner portion of the metal layer, and the mold resin is formed so as to cover at least a side surface of the relatively-hard insulating layer.

15. The power module according to claim 14, wherein
an edge part of the relatively-soft insulating layer and an edge part of the relatively-hard insulating layer are intervened between the mold resin and the metal layer.

16. The power module according to claim 1, wherein
the mold resin is formed so as to cover a side surface of the metal layer, and the relatively-soft insulating layer is formed so as to cover a bottom surface of the metal layer and a bottom surface of the mold resin.

17. The power module according to claim 16, wherein
the semiconductor chip is formed of one selected from the group consist of an SiC based power device, a GaN based power device, and an AlN based power device; and
a current change rate di/dt thereof is larger than 3×10 8 (A/s).

18. The power module according to claim 1, wherein
the power module is formed as any one selected from the group consist of 1-in-1 module, 2-in-1 module, 4-in-1 module, and 6-in-1 module.

19. A fabrication method for a power module comprising:
bonding a semiconductor chip to a leadframe with a conductive bonding material;
electrically connecting the semiconductor chip and the leadframe to each other using a connecting member;
disposing the leadframe on a metallic mold, and then forming a relatively-hard insulating layer on a bottom surface of the leadframe so as to cover a bottom surface and a corner portion of the leadframe;
after curing the relatively-hard insulating layer, forming a relatively-soft insulating layer on the bottom surface of the relatively-hard insulating layer; and
after curing the relatively-soft insulating layer, closing the metallic mold, and then pouring a mold resin therein in order to mold the leadframe, the conductive bonding material, the semiconductor chip, and the connecting member.

20. A fabrication method for a power module comprising:
bonding a semiconductor chip to a leadframe with a conductive bonding material;
electrically connecting the semiconductor chip and the leadframe to each other using a connecting member;
disposing the leadframe on a metallic mold, then closing the metallic mold, then pouring a mold resin therein, and then molding of the leadframe, the conductive bonding material, the semiconductor chip, and the connecting member so that a bottom surface of the mold resin and a bottom surface of the leadframe are flush with each other;
forming a relatively-hard insulating layer on the surface of the mold resin and the surface of the leadframe which are flush with each other; and
forming a relatively-soft insulating layer on a surface of the relatively-hard insulating layer.

21. The fabrication method for a power module according to claim 19, wherein
the relatively-soft insulating layer is formed so that a corner portion of the relatively-hard insulating layer.


[System] You are an expert US patent attorney. Draft a set of independent and dependent claims based on the provided invention description. Use correct USPTO formatting.

[User]
Title: Scooter

Technical Field and Background:
1. Field of the Invention This invention relates to a scooter and relates particularly to a scooter can be folded and unfolded with ease to carry and stow conveniently. 2. Description of the Related Art Referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 , a conventional foldable scooter 1 includes a fork 11 , a handlebar rod 12 , a main rod 13 , a lifting device 14 , and a shift rod set 15 . The lifting device 14 has a fixing set 141 , a first locking set 142 , and a second locking set 143 . The fixing set 141 includes an inner bushing 1411 placed in the fixing set 141 and also includes a first fixing part 1412 and a second fixing part 1413 disposed on opposite sides thereof. Further, the first locking set 142 has a rotational handle 1421 with a screwing portion extending through the first fixing part 1412 and a first nut 1422 engaging the rotational handle 1421 . Thus, the fixing set 141 can be fixed to the fork 11 . The second locking set 143 has a male screw 1432 penetrating through the second fixing part 1413 and a female screw 1431 fixing to the male screw 1432 , thereby connecting the second fixing part 1413 with the shift rod set 15 and allowing the shift rod set 15 to go up and down by the movement of the fixing set 141 of the lifting device 14 along the fork 11 . Therefore, the foldable scooter 1 can be folded or unfolded. However, the conventional foldable scooter 1 still has problems. First, although the lifting device 14 can move upwards and downwards by the fixing set 141 and the inner bushing 1411 located inside the fixing set 141 , the fixing set 141 still cannot be fixed to the inner bushing 1411 . This situation causes the inner bushing 1411 to separate from the fixing set 141 easily during the riding. Accordingly, the inner bushing 1411 cannot perform well and cannot assist the fixing set 141 in connecting to the fork 11 stably, and the lifting device 14 can not lift along the fork 11 because of the unstable connection between the fixing set 141 and the fork 11 . Thus, the folding and unfolding effect of the foldable scooter 1 is affected. Second, without a positioning device set between the lifting device 14 and the shift rod set 15 , the user is unable to know whether the foldable scooter 1 completes the unfolding or folding actions while spreading or collecting the foldable scooter 1 . Thus, the using convenience of the foldable scooter 1 is reduced. Third, the lifting device 14 is fixed to the fork 11 by the rotational handle 1421 with the screwing portion of the first locking set 142 . However, the screwing portion of the rotational handle 1421 may loosen from the first nut 1422 if the rotational handle 1421 is carelessly hit by hands of the user or other external force. Therefore, the fixing set 141 cannot be fastened on the fork 11 stably. This causes the lifting device 14 to become loose and drop and affects the folding or unfolding effect of the foldable scooter 1 . Hence,

Invention Disclosure:
A scooter includes a frame where a positioning unit is disposed, a control rod, a front wheel, a braking device, two pedals, a saddle, and at least one rear wheel. A sliding trough is formed on a bottom of the frame. A folding device is situated between the control rod and the frame and has a body fixed to the control rod, an operating unit disposed on the body and sliding within the sliding trough, and an engagement unit capable of engaging the frame with the body. The engagement between the positioning unit and the engagement unit can spread the frame and the control rod easily with less labor and facilitate a riding action. The positioning unit can also be separated from the engagement unit to fold the frame and the control rod, thereby reducing the volume of the scooter and increasing the convenience of carrying and stowing.

[Assistant]
1. A scooter comprising a frame, a control rod connected to said frame, a front wheel pivotally connected to said control rod, a braking device disposed on said control rod, two pedals respectively located at two sides of said frame, a saddle connected to said frame, and at least one rear wheel pivotally connected to said frame, wherein a first handlebar and a second handlebar are respectively formed on said control rod to control a moving direction of said front wheel, the braking device having a brake controller disposed on said first handlebar, a brake unit disposed on said front wheel, and a brake line connecting said brake unit with said brake controller to control a speed of said scooter,
wherein a sliding trough is formed on a bottom of said frame and a positioning unit is disposed on said frame, a folding device being installed between said frame and said control rod, said folding device having a body fixed to said control rod, an operating unit pivotally disposed on said body and capable of sliding within said sliding trough, and an engagement unit disposed on said body to engage said frame with said body, said positioning unit of said frame being capable of providing an engagement with said engagement unit of said folding device to spread said frame and said control rod.

2. The scooter as claimed in claim 1, wherein a fixing unit is disposed between said frame and said operating unit to position said operating unit on said frame.

3. The scooter as claimed in claim 1, wherein two rear wheels are located at two sides of said frame.

4. The scooter as claimed in claim 1, wherein a securing unit is disposed on said frame and located at a place corresponding to said positioning unit to prevent said positioning unit from escaping from said engagement unit.

5. The scooter as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a hub-driving device, said hub-driving device having a power source disposed inside said body, a control unit connected to said second handlebar and having a connection with said power source, and a driving unit disposed on said front wheel and driven by said power source to carry out a rotation of said front wheel.


[System] You are an expert US patent attorney. Draft a set of independent and dependent claims based on the provided invention description. Use correct USPTO formatting.

[User]
Title: Self-Propelled Floor Apparatus And System Having A Bactericidal Function

Technical Field and Background:
1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to self-propelled robot technology and more particularly, to a self-propelled apparatus and system having a bactericidal function. 2. Description of the Related Art Pathogens are often found on floor surfaces such as bathrooms, day care centers, hospitals, doctors' waiting rooms, gymnasiums, schools, homes, and the like. UV light is a proven form of chemical-free sterilization. The integration of germicidal lamps with robotic control algorithms and hardware provides a low-labor-cost and chemical-free supplement to traditional cleaning methods. Infectious diseases are routinely reported. Announcements include E - coli, MRSA, tuberculosis, Legionnaires disease, staphylococcus, streptococcus, pneumonia, bronchitis, giardia, and many others. Commercially-available robotic home robots may address the vacuum and mopping aspects of cleaning but not the disinfecting needs. A simple-to-use, chemical-free alternative is needed. One that has a long run time, requires no training by the owner, and effectively kills pathogens on the floor while covering an adequate amount of floor space. Techniques for combining a self-propelled apparatus with a germicidal ultraviolet light are known. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 8,779,391 describes the arrangement of a germicidal ultraviolet light in a self-propelled system so that the system is capable of “seek and destroy” functionality by navigating towards contaminated areas and irradiating those areas with ultraviolet light accordingly. However, this technique does not consider the relationship between the moving path of the self-propelled platform and the germicidal ultraviolet light, and thus, there is a room for improvement of in sterilization performance—specifically, applying an adequate dose of UV light to be effective in eradicating pathogens. U.S. Pat. No. 5,321,614, issued to the present inventor, discloses a navigational apparatus and method for guiding an autonomous vehicle throughout a work area. However, this patent does not describe the combination of the navigational apparatus with a germicidal ultraviolet light

Invention Disclosure:
A self-propelled apparatus includes: a self-propelled platform having a recessed chamber located in the bottom side, a control unit mounted in the self-propelled platform for controlling the moving path of the self-propelled platform in a predominantly grid-pattern that causes the self-propelled platform to mainly move in predominantly straight lines, a battery, one or multiple germicidal ultraviolet lights exhibiting an elongated shape and mounted in the self-propelled platform within the recessed chamber in such a manner that the longitudinal axis of the germicidal ultraviolet lights is kept in parallel to the linear moving direction of the self-propelled platform, and obstacle sensors. The self-propelled apparatus utilizes a wireless module for wireless communication with an external smart device that has built therein an application software for controlling and displaying the operating status of the self-propelled apparatus.

[Assistant]
1. A self-propelled apparatus, comprising:
a self-propelled platform comprising a recessed chamber located in a bottom side thereof;
a control unit mounted in said self-propelled platform, and adapted for controlling the moving path of said self-propelled platform in a predominantly grid-pattern that causes said self-propelled platform to mainly move in straight lines;
a battery electrically coupled to said control unit to provide the necessary working electric energy;
at least one germicidal ultraviolet light exhibiting an elongated shape and mounted in said self-propelled platform within said recessed chamber in such a manner that the longitudinal axis of said at least one germicidal ultraviolet light is kept in parallel to the linear moving direction of said self-propelled platform, said at least one germicidal ultraviolet light being electrically coupled to said control unit and controllable by said control unit to radiate light; and
a plurality of obstacle sensors mounted in said self-propelled platform and electrically coupled to said control unit, and adapted for detecting the presence of obstacles for enabling said control unit to modify the traveling of said self-propelled platform on the basis of inputs from the said obstacle sensors.

2. The self-propelled apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the depth of said recessed chamber is larger than the thickness of said at least one germicidal ultraviolet light, said at least one germicidal ultraviolet light being completely accommodated in said recessed chamber above the elevation of said bottom side of said self-propelled platform.

3. The self-propelled apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the center of said at least one germicidal ultraviolet light is kept at a distance of approximately 2.5 cm above the floor when said self-propelled platform is placed on the floor.

4. The self-propelled apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said self-propelled platform further comprises at least one lamp holder mounted in said recessed chamber; said germicidal ultraviolet light is detachably mounted in said at least one lamp holder.

5. The self-propelled apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a light sensor mounted in said self-propelled platform and electrically coupled to said control unit for detecting the ultraviolet light emitted by said at least one germicidal ultraviolet light.

6. The self-propelled apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said control unit comprises a gyroscope.

7. The self-propelled apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the number of said germicidal ultraviolet lights is 2, and the two said germicidal ultraviolet lights are arranged in parallel.

8. The self-propelled apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a micro-fiber pad mounted at said self-propelled platform, said micro-fiber pad being kept in contact with the floor when said self-propelled platform is placed on the floor.

9. The self-propelled apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a lift-off sensing unit mounted in said self-propelled platform and electrically coupled to said control unit for detecting if said self-propelled platform is picked up or turns over.

10. A self-propelled system, comprising:
a self-propelled platform comprising a recessed chamber located in a bottom side thereof;
a control unit mounted in said self-propelled platform, and adapted for controlling the moving path of said self-propelled platform in a predominantly grid-pattern that causes said self-propelled platform to mainly move in straight lines;
a battery electrically coupled to said control unit to provide the necessary working electric energy;
at least one germicidal ultraviolet light exhibiting an elongated shape and mounted in said self-propelled platform within said recessed chamber in such a manner that the longitudinal axis of said at least one germicidal ultraviolet light is kept in parallel to the linear moving direction of said self-propelled platform, said at least one germicidal ultraviolet light being electrically coupled to said control unit and controllable by said control unit to radiate light;
a plurality of obstacle sensors mounted in said self-propelled platform and electrically coupled to said control unit, and adapted for detecting the presence of obstacles for enabling said control unit to modify the traveling of said self-propelled platform from the inputs of said obstacle sensors;
a wireless module mounted in said self-propelled platform and electrically coupled to said control unit for communication with a smart device in a wireless manner; and
an application software installed in said smart device for execution by said smart device;
wherein said self-propelled platform utilizes said wireless module to transmit data to said smart device; said smart device executes said application software to interpret said data and displays said data in a way that a general user is able to understand, and utilizes the wireless communication relationship between said smart device and said wireless module to transmit instructions to said control unit. This wireless communication is optional and not an integral component in the autonomous operation of the self-propelled platform.

11. The self-propelled system as claimed in claim 10, wherein said data contains a moving path data; said smart device records and displays the moving path of said self-propelled platform, and calculates the amount of floor coverage of said moving path when executing said application software.

12. The self-propelled system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the depth of said recessed chamber is larger than the thickness of said at least one germicidal ultraviolet light, said at least one germicidal ultraviolet light being completely accommodated in said recessed chamber above the elevation of said bottom side of said self-propelled platform.

13. The self-propelled system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the center of said at least one germicidal ultraviolet light is kept at a distance of approximately 2.5 cm above the floor when said self-propelled platform is placed on the floor.

14. The self-propelled system as claimed in claim 10, wherein said self-propelled platform further comprises at least one lamp holder mounted in said recessed chamber; said germicidal ultraviolet light is detachably mounted in said at least one lamp holder.

15. The self-propelled system as claimed in claim 10, further comprising a light sensor mounted in said self-propelled platform and electrically coupled to said control unit for detecting the ultraviolet light emitted by said at least one germicidal ultraviolet light.

16. The self-propelled system as claimed in claim 10, wherein said control unit comprises a gyroscope.

17. The self-propelled system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the number of said germicidal ultraviolet light is 2, and the two said germicidal ultraviolet lights are arranged in parallel.

18. The self-propelled system as claimed in claim 10, further comprising a micro-fiber pad mounted at said self-propelled platform, said micro-fiber pad being kept in contact with the floor when said self-propelled platform is placed on the floor.

19. The self-propelled system as claimed in claim 10, further comprising a lift-off sensing unit mounted in said self-propelled platform and electrically coupled to said control unit for detecting if said self-propelled platform is picked up or turns over.


[System] You are an expert US patent attorney. Draft a set of independent and dependent claims based on the provided invention description. Use correct USPTO formatting.

[User]
Title: Blind Spot Indicator

Technical Field and Background:
1. Field of the Invention The present invention generally relates to warning devices for motor vehicles and, more specifically, to a blind spot indicator. 2. Description of the Background Art The vehicle blind spot detection devices and systems have been known to enhance safety on the road. Thus, when a second vehicle is located in a position diagonally behind the driver's vehicle it can be difficult to perceive the second vehicle through the rear or side view mirrors even if the mirrors are correctly or properly aligned. It becomes even more difficult if the mirror is improperly aligned or has been moved by inadvertent actuation of the mirror positioning switches within the cabin or externally by a passerby. When the other vehicle is in the blind spot and, therefore, not visible to the driver, the driver may attempt to move the car into the path of the other vehicle and cause an accident with potential bodily injury or property damage. Most of the prior art discloses blind spot detectors, some of which are quite elaborate and expensive, for alerting a driver that there is a vehicle in a blind spot that is not visible through the rear view mirrors. Examples of such prior art blind spot detectors are disclosed in the following patents: U.S. Pat. No. 5,929,786 issued Jul. 27, 1999; U.S. Pat. No. 6,193,380 issued Feb. 27, 2001; U.S. Pat. No. 6,744,353 issued Jun. 1, 2004; U.S. Pat. No. 7,049,945 issued May 23, 2006; U.S. Pat. No. 7,880,596 issued Feb. 1, 2011; U.S. Publication No. US 2013/0169425 published 7/4/13 and U.S. Pat. No. 8,645,001 issued Feb. 4, 2014. While blind spot detector systems that detect and alert a driver that there is a vehicle in a blind spot, that is not visible in rear or side view mirrors, the other vehicle generally has no way of knowing if that vehicle is within the blind spot of an adjoining vehicle in close proximity. This frequently prevents the driver of the adjoining vehicle to be more alert and prepared to avoid any movements by the vehicle into his blind spot. Therefore, barring a vehicle having an elaborate blind spot detector system, the vehicle that is situated in a blind spot has little or no way of avoiding collisions due to inadvertent movements by the adjoining vehicle.

Invention Disclosure:
A beam is projected on the roadway by a vehicle that is visible to vehicles that are in its proximity, the beam on the roadway indicating to adjacent vehicles when they are in a blind spot of the beam generating vehicle. This makes it possible for the vehicle to slow down, speed up or move into another lane to avoid being in a blind spot of the vehicle in its proximity. An optical beam generator is mounted or integrated on a vehicle such as within side view mirror(s). The beam(s) may be generated using any suitable optical beam generator(s) including a laser, LED's or any other suitable source of illumination for projecting a line or other optical illuminated indicia to demarcate blind spot region(s) to operators of adjoining vehicles.

[Assistant]
1. A blind spot indicator for a moving vehicle having side view mirrors on each side of the vehicle creating a blind spot when the driver of the vehicle looks at each of the side view mirrors, comprising projecting means on the moving vehicle for projecting a beam of visible light on a roadway on which the moving vehicle is driving to indicate to proximate vehicles at least one blind spot region of the driver in the moving vehicle associated with at least one of the side view mirrors, said beam forming a sharp or distinct line on the roadway that has a predetermined thickness that is substantially smaller than a length of said line illuminated on the roadway defining boundaries of said at least one of said blind spot regions to the driver of a vehicle proximate to said at least one of said blind spot regions to whom the line on the roadway is visible; and switching means for selectively activating said projecting means.

2. A blind spot indicator as defined in claim 1, wherein projecting means is integrated into at least one exterior side view mirror on the monitored vehicle.

3. A blind spot indicator as defined in claim 2, wherein said projecting means is integrated into a side view mirror on the driver's side and on a side view mirror on the passenger side of the monitored vehicle to thereby project beams on both lateral sides of the monitored vehicle to define blind spot regions that can be detected by proximate vehicles on both sides of said monitored vehicle.

4. A blind spot indicator as defined in claim 1, wherein the blind spot indicator includes a housing and comprising connecting means for connecting or attaching said housing to at least one exterior side view mirror of the monitored vehicle.

5. A blind spot indicator as defined in claim 4, wherein said connecting means permanently connects said housing to said at least one exterior side view mirror.

6. A blind spot indicator as defined in claim 1, wherein said projecting means includes a laser for generating said beam.

7. A blind spot indicator as defined in claim 1, wherein said projecting means includes at least one LED for generating said beam.

8. A blind spot indicator as defined in claim 1, wherein said projecting means is arranged to project a rearward extending beam on the roadway from the location of a side view mirror at a predetermined angle in relation to a lengthwise direction of the monitored vehicle.

9. A blind spot indicator as defined in claim 8, wherein predetermined angle is selected to be within the range of 10°-35°.

10. A blind spot indicator as defined in claim 4, wherein said connecting means removably attaches said housing to said at least one exterior side view mirror.

11. A blind spot indicator as defined in claim 1, wherein said beam is projected in different colors to optimize visibility under different climatic or light conditions.

12. A blind spot indicator as defined in claim 1, wherein said switching means is coupled to an ignition switch for activating said projecting means when the ignition switch is turned on.

13. A blind spot indicator as defined in claim 1, wherein said switching means is coupled to a transmission shifter for activating said projecting means when the transmission shifter is moved to a drive position.

14. A blind spot indicator as defined in claim 1, wherein said switching means is a manual switch within the cabin of the monitored vehicle that can be manually switched by a driver of the monitored vehicle.

15. A blind spot indicator as defined in claim 1, wherein said projecting means includes a housing and adjusting means for adjusting at least one of the location and the orientation of said beam to optimize the projected blind spot indication for a predetermined monitored vehicle.

16. A blind spot indicator as defined in claim 1, wherein said connecting means comprises a suction element for attaching the blind spot indicator directly to a surface of a rear view mirror by means of suction or a vacuum.

17. A blind spot indicator as defined in claim 1, further comprising at least one optical element within the blind spot indicator to produce a more focused or sharper beam or line on the roadway to optimize visibility to drivers in proximate vehicles.

18. A blind spot indicator as defined in claim 17, wherein said at least one optical element comprises a beam splitter.

19. A blind spot indicator as defined in claim 17, wherein said at least one optical element comprises a lens.

20. A method of forming a blind spot indication for a moving vehicle having side view mirrors on each side of the vehicle creating a blind spot when the driver of the vehicle looks at each side view mirror, comprising projecting from the moving vehicle a beam of visible light on a roadway on which the moving vehicle is driving to indicate to proximate vehicles at least one blind spot region of the driver in the moving vehicle associated with at least one of the side view mirrors, said beam forming a sharp or distinct line on the roadway that has a predetermined thickness that is substantially smaller than a length of said line illuminated on the roadway defining boundaries of said at least one of said blind spot regions to a driver of a vehicle proximate to said at least one of said blind spot regions to whom the line on the roadway is visible; and selectively projecting the beam of visible light on the roadway by switching a projecting device on the moving vehicle.


[System] You are an expert US patent attorney. Draft a set of independent and dependent claims based on the provided invention description. Use correct USPTO formatting.

[User]
Title: Vehicle Signal Lamp

Technical Field and Background:
1. Field The presently disclosed subject matter relates to vehicle signal lamps attached continuously to an openable and closable trunk lid and a part of a vehicle body, which is located adjacent the trunk lid, and more particularly relates to the vehicle signal lamps with a simple structure, which can emits light having a favorable light-intensity even from a space between the openable and closable trunk lid and the part of the vehicle body located adjacent the trunk lid. 2. Description of the Related Art Vehicle signal lamps such as a tail lamp, a stop lamp, a turn signal lamp and the like are required to be attached to a rear right and left of vehicles so that drivers moving vehicles from a rearward direction of the vehicles can recognize driving conditions such as moving in a frontward direction of the vehicles, going to turn left, going to decrease speeds of the vehicles, etc. Such a conventional rear signal lamp is disclosed in Patent document No. 1 (Japanese Patent Application Laid Open JP2012-123977). FIG. 9 a is a schematic rear view depicting a vehicle incorporating a first conventional rear signal lamp, and FIG. 9 b is a schematic front view including a partial transparent view depicting the first conventional rear signal lamp to be incorporated into a rear right of the vehicle shown in FIG. 9 a , which is disclosed in Patent document No. 1. The vehicle 20 includes: a vehicular body 21 ; an openable and closable trunk lid 22 attached to the vehicle body 21 , the trunk lid 22 including a trunk knob 23 to open or close the trunk lid; and each of the rear signal lamp 30 R and 30 L be symmetrically attached to a rear right and left of the vehicle 20 , respectively. The rear signal lamp 30 R, which is attached to the rear right of the vehicle 20 , includes a first rear lamp 31 A, a second rear lamp 31 B and a boundary 39 located between the first rear lamp 31 A and the second rear lamp 31 B, as shown in FIG. 9 b when the trunk lid 22 closes. When the trunk lid 22 opens, each of the first rear lamp 31 A and the second rear lamp 31 B may separate with respect to each other from the boundary 39 , because the trunk lid 22 moves in an upward direction of the vehicle body 21 . The first rear signal lamp 31 A includes: a first casing 32 A; a first front lens 35 A attached to the first casing 32 A, extending toward the boundary 39 and bending in an inward direction of the boundary 39 ; a plurality of first light guides 33 A located in the first casing 32 A, extending toward the boundary 39 along the first front lens 35 A; and a plurality of first light-emitting diodes (LEDs) 34 A each located at a respective one end of the first light guides 33 A located in an opposite direction of the boundary 39 so as to emit light toward the second rear signal lamp 31 B via the respective one of the light guides 33 A. The second rear signal lamp 31 B includes: a second casing 32 B; a second front lens 35 B attached to the second casing 32 B, extending toward the boundary 39 and bending in an inward direction of the boundary 39 ; a plurality of second light guides 33 B located in the second casing 32 B, extending toward the boundary 39 along the second front lens 35 B; and a plurality of second LEDs 34 B each located at a respective one end of the first light guides 33 B located in an opposite direction of the boundary 39 so as to emit light toward the first rear signal lamp 31 A via the respective one of the second light guides 33 B. Hence, the first conventional rear signal lamp 30 R may illuminate the boundary 39 by using the lights emitted from the first LEDs 34 A via the respective one of the first light guides 33 A and by using the lights emitted from the second LEDs 34 B via the respective one of the second light guides 33 B. Similarly, the first conventional rear signal lamp 30 L, which is attached to the rear left of the vehicle 20 , may also illuminate a left boundary caused between a first rear signal lamp and a second rear signal lamp of the rear signal lamp 30 L. However, the above-described first conventional lamp 30 R needs the first plurality of light guides 33 A and the second plurality of light guides 33 B to illuminate the boundary 39 , which coordinates with various signal lamps such as a tail lamp, a stop lamp, etc. Such a structure including the light guides may be subject to a complex configuration.

Invention Disclosure:
A vehicle signal lamp can include a first lamp unit, a second lamp unit and a boundary between the first and second lamp units so as to be attached continuously to vehicles including a trunk lid. Each of at least one first light source, at least one second light source and a boundary light source can be located in the first lamp unit including a first outer lens and the second lamp unit including a second outer lens, respectively. Each of the first light source and the second light source can emit light from the first outer lens and the second outer lens, respectively, and also the boundary light source can illuminate the boundary by using the second outer lens. Thus, the vehicle signal lamps with a simple structure can be used for various signal lamps, and which can provide a favorable light distribution as one continuous favorable light-emitting pattern.

[Assistant]
1. A vehicle signal lamp comprising:
a boundary;
a first lamp unit including a first casing having a first opening, a first outer lens having a first inner portion, and a first lamp room, the first outer lens attached to the first casing and covering the first opening of the first casing, and thereby the first lamp room formed between the first casing and the first outer lens, and the first inner portion of the first outer lens extending in a direction toward the first casing from the first outer lens along the boundary;
at least one first light source having a first light-emitting direction located in the first lamp room, and the first light-emitting direction of the first light source being directed toward the first outer lens of the first lamp unit;
a second lamp unit including a second casing having a second opening, a second outer lens having a second inner portion, and a second lamp room, the second outer lens attached to the second casing and covering the second opening of the second casing, and thereby the second lamp room formed between the second casing and the second outer lens, and the second inner portion of the second outer lens extending in a direction toward the second casing from the second outer lens along the boundary, and therefore facing the first inner portion of the first outer lens via the boundary, which is located between the first lamp unit and the second lamp unit, the second inner portion of the second outer lens including a second inner end surface, a second outer surface and a second inner surface located in an opposite direction of the second outer surface, and substantially facing the boundary, the second inner surface of the second inner portion including a plurality of concavo-convex surfaces, which extends in a substantially horizontal direction of the vehicle signal lamp;
a boundary light source having a boundary light-emitting direction facing the second inner end surface of the second outer lens, and the boundary light-emitting direction of the boundary light source being directed toward the second inner end surface of the second outer lens; and
at least one second light source having a second light-emitting direction located in the second lamp room, and the second light-emitting direction of the second light source being directed toward the second outer lens of the second lamp unit.

2. The vehicle signal lamp according to claim 1, wherein the at least one first light source is used as a light source for at least one of a tail lamp and a stop lamp.

3. The vehicle signal lamp according to claim 1, wherein the at least one second light source is used as a light source for at least one of a tail lamp and a stop lamp.

4. The vehicle signal lamp according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the at least one first light source, the boundary light source and the at least one second light source is a light-emitting diode.

5. The vehicle signal lamp according to claim 1, further comprising:
a second incident surface connecting to each of the second outer surface and the second inner surface of the second outer lens located in an opposite direction of the second inner end surface of the second outer lens; and
a second boundary light source having a second optical axis facing the second incident surface, and the second optical axis of the second boundary light source intersecting with the incident surface at a substantially right angle.

6. The vehicle signal lamp according to claim 5, wherein an incident angle of the second boundary light source is less than 90 degrees with reference to the second outer surface of the second inner portion.

7. The vehicle signal lamp according to claim 1, further comprising:
a first incident surface connecting to the second inner end surface of the second inner portion, being located toward the second casing, facing the boundary light source, and be directed toward the boundary light-emitting direction of the boundary light source.

8. The vehicle signal lamp according to claim 1, further comprising:
a first shade be attached to the second casing; and
a second shade attached to the casing, wherein each of the first shade and the second shade surrounds the boundary light source.

9. The vehicle signal lamp according to claim 7, further comprising:
a first shade be attached to the second casing; and
a second shade attached to the casing, wherein each of the first shade and the second shade surrounds at least one of the boundary light source and the second boundary light source.

10. The vehicle signal lamp according to claim 1, further comprising:
at least one of a reflective layer and a refusing layer formed on the plurality of concavo-convex surfaces of the second inner surface.

11. The vehicle signal lamp according to claim 4, wherein the at least one first light source is used as a light source for at least one of a tail lamp and a stop lamp.

12. The vehicle signal lamp according to claim 4, wherein the at least one second light source is used as a light source for at least one of a tail lamp and a stop lamp.

13. The vehicle signal lamp according to claim 5, wherein the at least one first light source is used as a light source for at least one of a tail lamp and a stop lamp.

14. The vehicle signal lamp according to claim 5, wherein the at least one second light source is used as a light source for at least one of a tail lamp and a stop lamp.

15. The vehicle signal lamp according to claim 6, wherein the at least one first light source is used as a light source for at least one of a tail lamp and a stop lamp.

16. The vehicle signal lamp according to claim 6, wherein the at least one second light source is used as a light source for at least one of a tail lamp and a stop lamp.

17. The vehicle signal lamp according to claim 7, wherein the at least one first light source is used as a light source for at least one of a tail lamp and a stop lamp.

18. The vehicle signal lamp according to claim 7, wherein the at least one second light source is used as a light source for at least one of a tail lamp and a stop lamp.

19. The vehicle signal lamp according to claim 8, wherein the at least one first light source is used as a light source for at least one of a tail lamp and a stop lamp.

20. The vehicle signal lamp according to claim 8, wherein the at least one second light source is used as a light source for at least one of a tail lamp and a stop lamp.


[System] You are an expert US patent attorney. Draft a set of independent and dependent claims based on the provided invention description. Use correct USPTO formatting.

[User]
Title: Apparatus And Method For Providing An Extended Forward Collision Warning

Technical Field and Background:
The background description provided herein is for the purpose of generally presenting the context of the disclosure. Work of the presently named inventors, to the extent the work is described in this background section, as well as aspects of the description that may not otherwise qualify as prior art at the time of filing, are neither expressly nor impliedly admitted as prior art against the present disclosure. Vehicles include brake lights that turn on when a vehicle's brakes are applied by the driver. The brake lights serve as a mechanism to warn other drivers behind the vehicle as to when the vehicle is slowing down, so that the other drivers may also slowdown in order to avoid a collision with the vehicle. However, there are some cases where brake lights are ineffective for warning other drivers that the vehicle is slowing down. For instance, a driver in a rear vehicle may be unable to see the front vehicle's brake lights without having a direct line-of-sight to the front vehicle's brake lights. If the vehicles are traversing a sharp turn or any other intervening vehicles are between the front vehicle and the rear vehicle, the driver of the rear vehicle may be unable to see the front vehicle's brake lights and may therefore not be warned in a timely manner. Additionally, weather conditions such as fog, heavy rain, and/or heavy snow may limit the transmission range of the brake lights. Further, the brake lights may malfunction, and/or the driver of the rear vehicle may simply not be paying attention to the front vehicle's brake lights. Such situations may prove to be potentially harmful to the driver of vehicle. Adaptive cruise control mechanisms are used to maintain a desired cruising velocity of a vehicle to maintain a safe distance from a preceding vehicle. However, in dense traffic, the preceding vehicle may undergo considerable velocity changes, necessitating similar velocity changes in the vehicle. Emergency electronic brake light is another mechanism used to warn the driver of a vehicle of imminent collision. However, these mechanisms typically detect only the case of the preceding vehicle braking hard, thereby not reacting to remote vehicles that are at significantly slow speeds already. Thus, the above stated collision avoidance mechanisms provide an uncomfortable experience for the driver of the vehicle in some cases. Accordingly, there is a requirement for a technique that enables warning the driver of the vehicle about an imminent collision in a time effective manner, wherein the driver of the vehicle may comfortably slow down to avoid collisions.

Invention Disclosure:
An apparatus and method for generating a collision warning to a driver of a host vehicle. The method estimates geometry of a lane of a road in which the host vehicle is traversing and further identifies, via a non-line-of-sight sensor, at least one remote vehicle traversing ahead of the host vehicle in the estimated lane of the road. The host vehicle tracks, via a line of sight sensor, a preceding vehicle traversing directly ahead of the host vehicle in the estimated road-lane and detects a speed of a slowest remote vehicle of the at least one identified remote vehicles. The host vehicle predicts a motion of the preceding vehicle based on the detected speed of the slowest remote vehicle and an inter-vehicle distance, and generates a warning to the driver of the host vehicle based on the predicted relative motion of the preceding vehicle to the host vehicle.

[Assistant]
1. A method of generating a collision warning to a driver of a host vehicle, the method comprising:
estimating, by circuitry, a geometry of a lane of a road in which the host vehicle is traversing;
identifying, via a non-line-of-sight sensor, at least one remote vehicle traversing ahead of the host vehicle in the estimated lane of the road;
tracking, via a line of sight sensor, a preceding vehicle traversing directly ahead of the host vehicle in the estimated road-lane;
detecting a speed of a slowest remote vehicle of the at least one identified remote vehicles;
predicting by circuitry, a motion of the preceding vehicle based on the detected speed of the slowest remote vehicle and an inter-vehicle distance; and
generating a warning to the driver of the host vehicle based on the predicted relative motion of the preceding vehicle to the host vehicle,
wherein identifying the at least one remote vehicle traversing in the estimated lane of the road is based on a path history of the at least one remote vehicle being detected to be within a half-lane displacement across a center of the estimated lane at three predetermined locations, and a heading angle of the at least one remote vehicle being lower than a predetermined angle relative to the estimated lane.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the estimating step further comprising:
determining by the circuitry, based on a decreasing order of priority, whether one of the preceding vehicle's track history is available, track histories of two remote vehicles closest to the detected slowest remote vehicle are available, and a predicted path of the host vehicle is available.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the three predetermined locations include a first location corresponding to a current location of the remote vehicle, a second location corresponding to a location that is midway between the remote vehicle's current location and the preceding vehicle's current location, and a third location corresponding to the preceding vehicle's current location.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein based on the track histories of two remote vehicles closest to the detected slowest remote vehicle being available, the method further comprising:
determining by circuitry, whether a first remote vehicle of the two remote vehicles is displaced further than half-a-lane width from the host vehicle's predicted path over a predetermined length along the host vehicles predicted path.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:
determining by circuitry, whether a displacement of a track history of a second remote vehicle of the two remote vehicles with respect to a track history of the first remote vehicle of the two remote vehicles is constant.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
filtering, based on an identified number of remote vehicles being greater than a predetermined number of remote vehicles, the identified number of remote vehicles in order to determine which remote vehicles are to be tracked by the host vehicle, the filtering being performed based on one of a predicted path of the host vehicle and a predicted path of the preceding vehicle.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the filtering further comprising:
determining, for each remote vehicle of the identified number of remote vehicles, whether the identified remote vehicle is located within an angular prediction region, a speed of the remote vehicle is less than a speed of the host vehicle, a distance between the identified remote vehicle and the host vehicle is within a predetermined distance, and a heading angle of the remote vehicle is lower than a predetermined heading threshold angle.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
determining, the identified remote vehicle to be an in-road remote vehicle based on a path history of the remote vehicle being within two-lane widths across the center of the estimated lane.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the predicting further comprising:
estimating by circuitry, a vehicle density between the host vehicle and the slowest remote vehicle, the inter-vehicle distance being computed based on the estimated vehicle density and a distance between the host vehicle and the slowest remote vehicle.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the motion of the preceding vehicle is predicted to decelerate at a uniform rate of deceleration such that the inter-vehicle distance between the preceding vehicle and the slowest remote vehicle, when the speed of the preceding vehicle is equal to the speed of the slowest remote vehicle, is a fixed distance.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the warning to the driver of the host vehicle is generated based on a rate of deceleration of the host vehicle being equal to a predetermined rate of deceleration, a reaction time of the driver in applying brakes of the host vehicle being equal to a predetermined reaction time, and a distance between the host vehicle and the preceding vehicle, when the speed of the preceding vehicle after said deceleration at the said reaction time is equal to the speed of the slowest remote vehicle, is greater than a predetermined safe distance.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
classifying by circuitry, the road on which the host vehicle is traversing as one of a divided highway and a non-highway based on one of identifying via a camera, a speed limit of posted on a sign on the road, and estimating a speed of the host vehicle in a predetermined time-period, the road being classified as the divided highway based on the estimated speed of the host vehicle in the predetermined time-period being greater than a first speed threshold, and the road being classified as the non-highway based on the host vehicle detecting at least one of another vehicle having a relative longitudinal speed that is greater than a second speed threshold and another vehicle having a lateral speed that is greater than a third speed threshold.

13. A device for generating a collision warning to a driver of a host vehicle, the device comprising:
circuitry configured to
estimate a geometry of a lane of a road in which the host vehicle is traversing,
identify, via a non-line-of-sight sensor, at least one remote vehicle traversing ahead of the host vehicle in the estimated lane of the road,
track, via a line of sight sensor, a preceding vehicle traversing directly ahead of the host vehicle in the estimated road-lane,
detect a speed of a slowest remote vehicle of the at least one identified remote vehicles,
predict a motion of the preceding vehicle based on the detected speed of the slowest remote vehicle and an inter-vehicle distance, and
generate a warning to the driver of the host vehicle based on the predicted relative motion of the preceding vehicle to the host vehicle,
wherein the circuitry is further configured to determine based on a decreasing order of priority, whether one of the preceding vehicle's track history is available, track histories of two remote vehicles closest to the detected slowest remote vehicle are available, and a predicted path of the host vehicle is available.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein based on the track histories of two remote vehicles closest to the detected slowest remote vehicle being available, the circuitry is further configured to determine whether a first remote vehicle of the two remote vehicles is displaced further than half-a-lane width from the host vehicle's predicted path over a predetermined length along the host vehicles predicted path.

15. The device of claim 13, wherein the circuitry is further configured to filter, based on an identified number of remote vehicles being greater than a predetermined number of remote vehicles, the identified number of remote vehicles in order to determine which remote vehicles are to be tracked by the host vehicle, the filtering being performed based on one of a predicted path of the host vehicle and a predicted path of the preceding vehicle.

16. The device of claim 13, wherein the circuitry is further configured to estimate a vehicle density between the host vehicle and the slowest remote vehicle, the inter-vehicle distance being computed based on the estimated vehicle density and a distance between the host vehicle and the slowest remote vehicle.

17. The device of claim 13, wherein the warning to the driver of the host vehicle is generated based on a rate of deceleration of the host vehicle being greater than a predetermined rate of deceleration, a reaction time of the driver in applying brakes of the host vehicle being greater than a predetermined reaction time, and a distance between the host vehicle and the preceding vehicle, when the speed of the preceding vehicle is equal to the speed of the slowest remote vehicle, is greater than a predetermined safe distance.

18. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon a program that when executed by a computer, causes the computer to execute a method of generating a collision warning to a driver of a host vehicle, the method comprising:
estimating a geometry of a lane of a road in which the host vehicle is traversing;
identifying, via a non-line-of-sight sensor, at least one remote vehicle traversing ahead of the host vehicle in the estimated lane of the road;
tracking, via a line of sight sensor, a preceding vehicle traversing directly ahead of the host vehicle in the estimated road-lane;
detecting a speed of a slowest remote vehicle of the at least one identified remote vehicles;
predicting a motion of the preceding vehicle based on the detected speed of the slowest remote vehicle and an inter-vehicle distance; and
generating a warning to the driver of the host vehicle based on the predicted relative motion of the preceding vehicle to the host vehicle,
wherein identifying the at least one remote vehicle traversing in the estimated lane of the road is based on a path history of the at least one remote vehicle being detected to be within a half-lane displacement across a center of the estimated lane at three predetermined locations, and a heading angle of the at least one remote vehicle being lower than a predetermined angle relative to the estimated lane.


[System] You are an expert US patent attorney. Draft a set of independent and dependent claims based on the provided invention description. Use correct USPTO formatting.

[User]
Title: Liquid Crystal Device, Method Of Driving Liquid Crystal Device, And Electronic Apparatus

Technical Field and Background:
1. Technical Field The present invention relates to a liquid crystal device, a method of driving a liquid crystal device, and an electronic apparatus. 2. Related Art A liquid crystal device includes a liquid crystal panel with a liquid crystal layer interposed between a pair of substrates. If light is incident on such a liquid crystal device, there may be a case in which a liquid crystal material, an orientation film, and the like that form the liquid crystal panel cause a photochemical reaction due to the incident light and ionic impurities are generated as a reaction product. In addition, it has been known that there are ionic impurities that are diffused in the liquid crystal layer from a sealing member, a shielding member, or the like in the course of manufacturing the liquid crystal panel. In a liquid crystal device used as a light modulation structure (light valve) in a projection-type display apparatus (projector), in particular, light flux density of the incident light is higher than that of a direct view-type liquid crystal device. Therefore, it is necessary to suppress an influence of the ionic impurities on display. As a structure for suppressing the influence of the ionic impurities on display, JP-A-2015-001634 discloses a driving method in which three electrodes (ion trap electrodes) are arranged in an outer circumference of a display region and AC signals with mutually different phases are supplied within a period of time corresponding to one cycle. According to the driving method disclosed in JP-A-2015-001634, an electric field in a lateral direction is caused among the three electrodes, and force that moves the ionic impurities from the display region toward the outer circumference of the display region works in addition to a flow caused by fine fluctuation of the liquid crystal. For this reason, it is possible to efficiently accumulate the ionic impurities at the electrode located at the outermost circumference from among the aforementioned three electrodes, and to thereby provide a liquid crystal device that reduces display failures such as image persistence caused by the ionic impurities. However, according to the liquid crystal device disclosed in JP-A-2015-001634, there is a concern that if the ionic impurities that move from the display region to the outer circumference of the display region are accumulated at the electrode located at the outermost circumference, force of accumulating the ionic impurities gradually deteriorates. This is considered to be because if the ionic impurities are accumulated at the electrode located at the outermost circumference, repelling force between the ionic impurities increases with elapse of time, and as a result, an effect of efficiently accumulating the ionic impurities at the electrode located at the outermost circumference deteriorates. That is, there is a problem that the influence of the ionic impurities included in the liquid crystal layer on the display cannot always be suppressed sufficiently.

Invention Disclosure:
A liquid crystal device includes a first electrode that is supplied with a first potential, a second electrode that is provided between the first electrode and a sealing member and is supplied with a second potential, and a third electrode that is provided between the second electrode and the sealing member and is supplied with a third potential. A width of the third electrode is greater than widths of the first electrode and the second electrode in a direction from an outer edge of a display region toward the sealing member.

[Assistant]
1. A liquid crystal device comprising:
a first substrate and a second substrate that are arranged so as to face each other and are attached to each other via a sealing member;
a liquid crystal layer that is interposed between the first substrate and the second substrate;
pixel electrodes that are provided in a display region on the first substrate;
a counter electrode that is provided on the first substrate or the second substrate so as to face the pixel electrodes;
a first electrode that is provided between the display region and the sealing member in a plan view and is supplied with a first potential;
a second electrode that is provided between the first electrode and the sealing member in a plan view and is supplied with a second potential; and
a third electrode that is provided between the second electrode and the sealing member in a plan view and is supplied with a third potential, the first electrode, the second electrode, and the third electrode being provided on the first substrate or the second substrate,
wherein AC signals with the same frequency are applied to each of the first electrode, the second electrode, and the third electrode such that
the first potential shifts from positive polarity or a reference potential to negative polarity and shifts from the negative polarity to the positive polarity or the reference potential during a period of time corresponding to one and a half cycles of a first potential signal;
the second potential shifts from the positive polarity or the reference potential to the negative polarity after the first potential shifts from the positive polarity or the reference potential to the negative polarity and before the first potential then shifts to the reference potential or the positive polarity during the period of time corresponding to one and a half cycles of the first potential signal;
the third potential shifts from the positive polarity or the reference potential to the negative polarity after the second potential shifts to the negative polarity and before the second potential then shifts to the reference potential or the positive polarity during the period of time corresponding to one and a half cycles of the first potential signal;
the second potential shifts from the negative polarity or the reference potential to the positive polarity after the first potential shifts from the negative polarity or the reference potential to the positive polarity and before the first potential then shifts to the reference potential or the negative polarity during the period of time corresponding to one and a half cycles of the first potential signal; and
the third potential shifts from the negative polarity or the reference potential to the positive polarity after the second potential shifts from the negative polarity or the reference potential to the positive polarity and before the second potential then shifts to the reference potential or the negative polarity during the period of time corresponding to one and a half cycles of the first potential signal; and
wherein a width of the third electrode is wider than widths of the first electrode and the second electrode in a direction from an outer edge of the display region toward the sealing member.

2. The liquid crystal device according to claim 1,
wherein the width of the third electrode is equal to or greater than 1.86 times as wide as the width of the first electrode.

3. An electronic apparatus comprising:
the liquid crystal device according to claim 2.

4. The liquid crystal device according to claim 1,
wherein the first electrode, the second electrode, and the third electrode are provided on the first substrate so as to surround the display region.

5. The liquid crystal device according to claim 4,
wherein the display region includes an electronic parting section with dummy pixel electrodes provided so as to surround the plurality of pixel electrodes, and
wherein a gap between the electronic parting section and the first electrode is greater than a gap between the first electrode and the second electrode.

6. An electronic apparatus comprising:
the liquid crystal device according to claim 4.

7. The liquid crystal device according to claim 1,
wherein the display region includes corners, and
wherein the first electrode, the second electrode, and the third electrode are arranged along at least one of the corners.

8. The liquid crystal device according to claim 1,
wherein the sealing member includes an injection port for injecting liquid crystal into the liquid crystal layer, and
wherein the first electrode, the second electrode, and the third electrode are provided on the side of the injection port.

9. The liquid crystal device according to claim 1,
wherein the first electrode, the second electrode, and the third electrode are provided along a direction that intersects an orientation direction (liquid crystal orientation) of the liquid crystal layer.

10. The liquid crystal device according to claim 1,
wherein the first electrode, the second electrode, and the third electrode are provided along a direction that intersects a scanning direction of an image signal applied to the pixel electrodes in the display region.

11. The liquid crystal device according to claim 1,
wherein the first electrode, the second electrode, the third electrode are provided on the first substrate,
wherein the counter electrode is provided on the second substrate, and
wherein an outer edge of the counter electrode is located between the first electrode and the outer edge of the display region in a plan view.

12. The liquid crystal device according to claim 1,
wherein the first electrode, the second electrode, and the third electrode are provided on the first substrate, and
wherein the counter electrode includes the display region in a plan view on the second substrate, is provided so as to extend to a region at which the counter electrode faces the first electrode, the second electrode, and the third electrode, and is supplied with the reference potential.

13. The liquid crystal device according to claim 1,
wherein each of the pixel electrodes and the counter electrode is covered with an inorganic orientation film.

14. An electronic apparatus comprising:
the liquid crystal device according to claim 1.

15. A method of driving a liquid crystal device including
a first substrate and a second substrate that are arranged so as to face each other and are attached to each other via a sealing member,
a liquid crystal layer that is interposed between the first substrate and the second substrate,
pixel electrodes that are provided in a display region on the first substrate,
a counter electrode that is provided on the first substrate or the second substrate so as to face the pixel electrodes,
a first electrode that is provided between the display region and the sealing member in a plan view and is supplied with a first potential,
a second electrode that is provided between the first electrode and the sealing member in a plan view and is supplied with a second potential, and
a third electrode that is provided between the second electrode and the sealing member in a plan view and is supplied with a third potential, the first electrode, the second electrode, and the third electrode being provided on the first substrate or the second substrate,
the method comprising:
applying AC signals with the same frequency to each of the first electrode, the second electrode, and the third electrode such that
the second potential shifts from positive polarity or a reference potential to negative polarity after the first potential shifts from the positive polarity or the reference potential to the negative polarity and before the first potential then shifts to the reference potential or the positive polarity,
the third potential shifts from the positive polarity or the reference potential to the negative polarity after the second potential shifts to the negative polarity and before the second potential then shifts to the reference potential or the positive polarity,
the second potential shifts from the negative polarity or the reference potential to the positive polarity after the first potential shifts from the negative polarity or the reference potential to the positive polarity and before the first potential then shifts to the reference potential or the negative polarity, and
the third potential shifts from the negative polarity or the reference potential to the positive polarity after the second potential shifts from the negative polarity or the reference potential to the positive polarity and the second potential then shifts to the reference potential or the negative polarity,
wherein a width of the third electrode is wider than widths of the first electrode and the second electrode in a direction from an outer edge of the display region toward the sealing member.

16. The method of driving a liquid crystal device according to claim 15,
wherein the frequency f (Hz) of the AC signals satisfies the following equation:
f≦ 2μ VE/np 2
where μ represents mobility (m 2 /V·s (second)) of ionic impurities in the liquid crystal layer, VE represents an effective voltage (V) of the AC signals, n represents the number of electrodes to which the AC signals are supplied, and p represents an arrangement pitch (m) of the electrodes to which the AC signals are supplied.

17. The method of driving a liquid crystal device according to claim 15,
wherein the AC signals with the same waveform are applied to each of the first electrode, the second electrode, and the third electrode.

18. The method of driving a liquid crystal device according to claim 17,
wherein the AC signals have potentials of three or more levels.

19. The method of driving a liquid crystal device according to claim 17,
wherein the AC signals have a rectangular waveform.

20. An electronic apparatus comprising:
a liquid crystal device that is driven by the method of driving a liquid crystal device according to claim 15.