Vehicle proximity warning system

A vehicle proximity warning system, installed within a primary vehicle having a front and rear, a front windshield toward the front and bordered by windshield pillars, a rear window toward the rear, and a front and rear bumper, for warning of the approach of a secondary vehicle, comprising:

• a pair of sensor bars, including a first sensor bar located near the front bumper of the primary vehicle and a second sensor bar located near the rear bumper of the primary vehicle, each sensor bar adapted for detecting a proximity distance of the secondary vehicle with respect to said bumper, each sensor bar having a camera adapted for acquiring images of the secondary vehicle and an accelerometer for detecting collision with said bumper;
• at least two indicator bars, each indicator bar having a plurality of distance indicator LEDs, at least one of the indicator bars located in the front windshield along one of the windshield pillars and at least one of the indicator bars located in the rear window so that each indicator bar and its distance indicator LEDs are adapted to be visible to the secondary vehicle when it approaches one of the front bumper and the rear bumper;
• wherein each sensor bar has at least one illumination LED next to the camera on said sensor bar, the illumination LED is activated to facilitate image capture by the camera when the proximity distance to the sensor bar is below a predetermined distance;
• a smartphone, and a wireless data transceiver in communication with the processing unit for communicating images and data acquired by the processing unit from one of the sensor bars to the smartphone;
• and
• a processing unit, for individually activating the distance indicator LEDs in the sensor bar, wherein more distance indicator LEDs are activated as the proximity distance decreases, and for acquiring and storing images of the secondary vehicle from the camera when the proximity distance is below a predetermined threshold and when the accelerometer detects a collision with the bumper.

A vehicle proximity warning method, for warning of the approach of a secondary vehicle to a primary vehicle, the primary vehicle having front and rear bumpers, a front windshield, a rear window, and indicator bars in the front windshield and rear window that each have distance indicator LEDs, and sensor bars at the front and rear bumpers that each have proximity sensors and a camera,

• comprising the steps of:
• determining a proximity distance between the sensor bar and the secondary vehicle;
• providing a warning display visible to the secondary vehicle by illuminating at least one distance indicator LEDs as the proximity distance falls below the display range and illuminating more distance indicator LEDs as the proximity distance decreases;
• activating the camera when the proximity distance is less than a predetermined danger threshold;
• capturing and recording images of the secondary vehicle from the camera when the accelerometer detects a collision;
• wherein each sensor bar has at least one illumination LED next to the camera on said sensor bar, the illumination LED is activated to facilitate image capture by the camera when the proximity distance to the sensor bar is below a predetermined distance;
• wherein a smartphone is associated with the primary vehicle, and wherein the step of capturing and recording images from the camera when the accelerometer detects a collision is followed by the step of transmitting images and event data regarding the collision to the smartphone.