Proximity warning system for parked vehicles

A mobility assist vehicle, comprising:

• a ramp operatively associated with said vehicle, said ramp being moveable between a deployed position and a stowed position, the ramp defining a ramp access region exterior to the vehicle when the vehicle is stationary;
• a proximity alert system operatively associated with said mobility assist vehicle, said proximity alert system comprising:
• a control system;
• a sensor system operatively associated with said control system, said sensor system operable to detect a presence of an object within the defined ramp access region;
• and
• an annunciator system operatively associated with said control system, said annunciator system being operable to provide an indication that the object has been detected within the defined ramp access region, said control system actuating said sensor system when the vehicle is stationary, said control system operating said annunciator system when said sensor system detects the presence of the object within the ramp access region.

A method of detecting a presence of an object adjacent a vehicle, comprising:

• detecting an ‘enable’ command issued by a user;
• activating a sensor system in response to the sensed enable command;
• determining whether the sensor system has detected the presence of the object within a ramp access region exterior to the vehicle, the ramp access region being defined by a deployable ramp operatively associated with the vehicle;
• and
• operating an annunciator system when the sensor system has detected the presence of the object within the defined ramp access region, the annunciator system providing an indication that an object is present within the defined ramp access region.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon that, when executed by at least one computer processor, cause the processor to:

• detect an ‘enable’ command issued by a user;
• activate a sensor system operatively associated with a vehicle in response to the sensed enable command when the vehicle is stationary;
• determine whether the sensor system has detected the presence of an object within a ramp access region exterior to the stationary vehicle, the ramp access region being defined by a deployable ramp operatively associated with the vehicle;
• and
• operate an annunciator system when the sensor system has detected the presence of the object within the defined ramp access region, the annunciator system providing an indication that an object is present within the defined ramp access region.