Platooning traffic annunciator

• Main Author: Grolle, Kenneth A
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 16.02.2021
• Subjects: ALARM SYSTEMS; ARRANGEMENT OF SIGNALLING OR LIGHTING DEVICES, THE MOUNTING ORSUPPORTING THEREOF OR CIRCUITS THEREFOR, FOR VEHICLES INGENERAL; BLASTING; CALCULATING; COMPUTING; CONJOINT CONTROL OF VEHICLE SUB-UNITS OF DIFFERENT TYPE ORDIFFERENT FUNCTION; CONTROL SYSTEMS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR HYBRID VEHICLES; COUNTING; ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING; FUNCTIONAL FEATURES OR DETAILS OF LIGHTING DEVICES OR SYSTEMSTHEREOF; HEATING; LIGHTING; MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; ORDER TELEGRAPHS; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PHYSICS; ROAD VEHICLE DRIVE CONTROL SYSTEMS FOR PURPOSES NOT RELATED TOTHE CONTROL OF A PARTICULAR SUB-UNIT; SIGNALLING; SIGNALLING OR CALLING SYSTEMS; STRUCTURAL COMBINATIONS OF LIGHTING DEVICES WITH OTHERARTICLES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEMS; TRANSPORTING; VEHICLES IN GENERAL; WEAPONS

An annunciator system annunciates a mode of a platoon operation being performed between first and second platooning vehicles travelling cooperatively in accordance with a selected mode of the platoon operation. First and second visual indicators generate first and second visual signals having different colors based on visual indicator command signals generated by an annunciator control unit that operates to generate the first and second visual indicator command signals based on a determined mode of the platoon operation being performed between the associated first and second platooning vehicles. The visual annunciator system may be installed on the rear of platooning capable commercial vehicles in an unambiguous location so that it is not confused with other vehicle lamps, and is of a low intensity that does not shine directly at following traffic. The annunciator system generates two different visual colors that may be illuminated and/or flashed to encode the platoon operating mode.