Microwave vehicle-to-vehicle warning system

• US 20040145494A1
• Filed: 12/29/2003
• Published: 07/29/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aurora Operations Incorporated (Aurora Innovation, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: John Arthur Scholz
• Inventors: Scholz, John Arthur
• Granted Patent: US 7,102,536 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/902
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0965 responding to signals from another vehicle, e.g. emergency vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/161 Decentralised systems, e.g. inter-vehicle communication

Abstract

The current invention describes a microwave vehicle-to-vehicle signaling device that converts microwave warning signals transmitted by a first vehicle into control signals in a second vehicle that are suitable for controlling audio devices or displays in such a way that the warning signals are perceived by the driver of a second vehicle to originate from the direction and distance of the first vehicle. Receiving vehicles located beyond the defined distance do not react to the warning messages due to the weakness of the signal. The purpose of the invention is to reduce the ambient noise level in the environment by reducing the noise produced by automobile horns and other audible vehicle-to-vehicle signaling devices, and also to improve the effectiveness of warning signals exchanged among vehicles.

Claims

1. Method for exchanging warning signals among vehicles,

whereby an information-carrying electromagnetic wave is used to transmit warning signals, and

whereby intercepted electromagnetic waves that carry the warning signals are transformed into electronic control signals according to the information carried in the electromagnetic wave.

2. Vehicle-to-vehicle microwave signaling device,

whereby a first vehicle transmits a microwave warning signal to one or more receiving vehicles by means of a microwave transceiver, and

whereby the microwave warning signal is intercepted by one or more receiving vehicles by means of a microwave transceiver in each receiving vehicle, and

whereby the received microwave warning signal is transformed by the microwave transceiver into a set of electronic warning messages on one or more electrical channels, and

whereby the electronic warning messages on each electrical channel are transformed by a multiple channel controller into control signals that are suitable for controlling devices that produce audible and visible warnings within each receiving vehicle.

3. Microwave transceiver for vehicle-to-vehicle signaling, as described in claim 2 above,

whereby an information-carrying electronic signal containing warning signals is generated by means of a waveform generator and amplified by means of an amplifier and converted to an electromagnetic wave and radiated by means of an antenna array, and

whereby electromagnetic waves carrying warning signals that are incident on the antenna array are transformed into one or more electronic signals on one or more electrical channels by means of the antenna array, and the electronic signals are amplified by means of an amplifier, and the electronic warning signals are retrieved from the electrical channels by means of a demodulator.

4. Multiple channel controller, as described in claim 2 above,

whereby warning signals provided on separate electrical channels are transformed into control signals that are suitable for controlling devices that produce audible and visible warnings.