US 5,786,772 · Granted 1998-07-28
The Blind Spot Warning System That Became Standard on Modern Cars
Imagine a system that watches the areas on both sides of your car that you can't see in your mirrors—the dangerous blind spots—and alerts you when a vehicle or object is lurking there. This patent describes putting warning lights both outside (on the mirror) and inside (on the rearview mirror) so drivers get a clear heads-up before changing lanes.
The plain-English version
What it protects
The claim covers a dual-indicator blind spot detection system: one light assembly mounted on or near the exterior side mirror that signals the presence of objects beside the vehicle, and a second light assembly on the interior rearview mirror that shows the same information. What's protected is the specific arrangement of redundant indicators at both locations to give drivers multiple visual cues before they maneuver.
Why it matters
Blind spot accidents are real killers on highways and city streets. This patent tackled a genuine safety problem by putting alerts exactly where drivers are already looking—at the mirrors. By filing this in 1997 and getting it granted in 1998, Donnelly Corporation helped pioneer a feature that has become standard equipment on millions of vehicles today, influencing how the entire automotive industry approaches collision avoidance.
Real-world use
When you're merging on the highway and a car is riding in your blind spot, an amber light on your side mirror suddenly illuminates to warn you before you turn into it.
Original USPTO abstract
A vehicle blind spot detection display system displays indications from a blind spot detector. The system includes a first indicator assembly positioned on the vehicle in the vicinity of an exterior mirror and adapted to producing an indication at least of the presence of an object adjacent the corresponding side of the vehicle. A second indicator assembly is provided on the vehicle interior mirror assembly and adapted to producing an indication at least of the presence of an object adjacent the same corresponding side of the vehicle. In this manner, redundant indications are provided at both the interior and exterior mirrors in order to assist the driver in a premaneuver evaluation of conditions surrounding the vehicle.
Patent details
- Publication number
- US 5,786,772
- Filing date
- 1997-02-12
- Grant date
- 1998-07-28
- Assignee
- Donnelly Corporation
- Inventor(s)
- SCHOFIELD; KENNETH, LYNAM; NIALL R.
- CPC class
- B60R21/01566
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