The automatic backlight controller (ABC) is a device designed to be fitted in a centered, high-mounted position at the rear of a vehicle. It displays the current state of the vehicle – acceleration, braking to a halt, turn direction – through distinct signals and signs on one or several stackable LED matrices, thereby alerting other traffic participants and pedestrians.
Sharing information that may be relevant to other traffic participants can improve traffic flow and safety.
Fig. 1
ABC is made of one or more stackable LED matrices (Fig. 1), ATMEGA32U4 micro-controller board (Fig. 4) which controls the LED screen, reads and transmits data from the sensors and from the ESP module (Fig. 3), a rechargeable battery, and a splitter which houses the wireless module and the multi-sensor MPU9150 (Fig. 2): gyroscope, accelerometer, magnetic field meter, temperature sensor.
Fig. 2 Fig. 3
ABC is equipped with a free slot which allows plugging a wireless module to transmit data also to a LCD display or Google Glasses thus indicating the speed, the acceleration, compass, map and the traffic behind to the cyclist or to the driver.
The device has a SD card slot which keeps all sensor data collected during the trip for further analysis.
Fig. 4
ABC has been developed using an innovative topology (Topology 1). It is a combination of familiar elements applied in a way which upgrades their established functions into an original product for enhanced information exchange.
Topology 1
ABC has the advantage to present data accurately and the benefit of automatic alert signal with no need of manual activation.
An additional accessory to the automatic back-light is a LCD display connected to a micro computer. It can be fitted on the wheel to visualize the sensor data of the automatic back-light and the traffic behind.