Vehicle safety system

• US 20040227646A1
• Filed: 05/16/2003
• Published: 11/18/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Innervision by Henry, Inc.
• Original Assignee: John Junior Henry
• Inventors: Henry, John Junior
• Granted Patent: US 6,933,839 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/902
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2325/304 Boats
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2325/306 Motorcycles
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/1004 Alarm systems characterised by the type of sensor, e.g. current sensing means using door lock sensors B60R25/1001
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/102 a signal being sent to a remote location, e.g. a radio signal being transmitted to a police station, a security company or the owner
• CPC Class Codes: B62J 3/14 indicating functioning of other devices, e.g. acoustic warnings indicating that lights are switched on
• CPC Class Codes: B62J 6/045 indicating braking
• CPC Class Codes: B62J 6/26 warning or informing other road users, e.g. police flash lights

Abstract

A vehicle safety system used to enhance the safety of motorists by emitting warning signals from a remote unit. The vehicle safety system incorporates a local unit attached to an associated vehicle that detects the operating conditions of the associated vehicle and emits wireless transmissions of the operating conditions to the remote unit, which is removable and portable relative to the associated vehicle. Upon receiving the wireless transmissions, the remote unit produces warning signals based upon the wireless transmissions received.

Claims

1. A vehicle safety system comprising:

a local unit, attached to an associated vehicle, for detecting operating conditions regarding the associated vehicle, and for emitting wireless transmissions based upon the operating conditions detected, wherein the operating conditions comprise an activation of a braking system of the associated vehicle and a movement of the associated vehicle when the associated vehicle is not running; and

a remote unit for receiving the wireless transmissions from the local unit and for producing warning signals based upon the wireless transmissions received.

2. A vehicle safety system of claim 1, wherein the local unit comprises:

a brake detector for detecting an activation of the braking system of the associated vehicle;

a theft detector for detecting a movement of the associated vehicle when the associated vehicle is not running;

a local unit microcontroller responsive to the brake detector and the reverse detector for producing first outputs based upon signals received from the brake detector and second outputs based upon the signals received from the theft detector;

a horn output device responsive to the second outputs from the local unit microcontroller for producing outputs to a horn of the associated vehicle based upon the second outputs received;

an encoder responsive to the first outputs from the local unit microcontroller for producing encoded signals based upon the first outputs received; and

a transmitter responsive to the encoded signals from the encoder for emitting the encoded signals as the wireless transmissions.

3. A vehicle safety system of claim 2, wherein the remote unit comprises:

a receiver responsive to the wireless transmissions emitted from the local unit for producing encoded signals based upon the wireless transmissions received;

a decoder responsive to the encoded signals from the receiver for producing decoded signals;

a remote unit microcontroller responsive to the decoded signals from the decoder for producing outputs based upon the decoded signals received; and

a warning signal producing device responsive to the outputs from the remote unit microcontroller for producing signals based upon the outputs as the warning signals.

4. A vehicle safety system of claim 3, wherein the operating conditions further comprise deceleration of the associated vehicle, wherein the local unit further comprises a deceleration detector for detecting deceleration of the associated vehicle, and wherein the local unit microcontroller is further responsive to the deceleration detector for further producing first outputs based upon signals received from the deceleration detector.

5. A vehicle safety system of claim 4, wherein the operating conditions further comprise rotations-per-minute of an engine of the associated vehicle, wherein the local unit further comprises a rotations-per-minute detector for detecting rotations-per-minute of the engine of the associated vehicle, and wherein the local unit microcontroller is further responsive to the rotations-per-minute detector for further producing first outputs based upon signals received from the rotations-per-minute detector.

6. A vehicle safety system of claim 3, wherein the remote unit further comprises a proximity detector for producing transmission field strength signals, and wherein the remote unit microcontroller is further responsive to the transmission field strength signals from the proximity detector for further producing outputs based upon the transmission field strength signals received.

7. A vehicle safety system of claim 6, wherein the operating conditions further comprise deceleration of the associated vehicle, wherein the local unit further comprises a deceleration detector for detecting deceleration of the associated vehicle, and wherein the local unit microcontroller is further responsive to the deceleration detector for further producing first outputs based upon signals received from the deceleration detector.

8. A vehicle safety system of claim 3, wherein:

the remote unit further comprises;

an input microphone, wherein the remote unit microcontroller is further responsive to the input microphone for producing communication outputs based upon the signals received from the input microphone; and

a remote unit transmitter responsive to the communication outputs from the remote unit microcontroller for wirelessly emitting the communication outputs; and

the local unit further comprises a local unit receiver responsive to the communication outputs emitted from the remote unit for producing signals based upon the communication outputs received, wherein the local unit microcontroller is further responsive to the local unit receiver for producing first outputs based upon the signals received from the local unit receiver.

9. A vehicle safety system comprising:

a local unit, attached to an associated vehicle, for detecting operating conditions regarding the associated vehicle, and for emitting wireless transmissions based upon the operating conditions detected, wherein the operating conditions comprise an activation of a braking system of the associated vehicle and a reverse operation of the associated vehicle; and

a remote unit for receiving the wireless transmissions from the local unit and for producing warning signals based upon the wireless transmissions received.

10. A vehicle safety system of claim 9, wherein the local unit comprises:

a brake detector for detecting an activation of the braking system of the associated vehicle;

a reverse detector for detecting a reverse operation of the associated vehicle;

a local unit microcontroller responsive to the brake detector and the reverse detector for producing outputs based upon signals received from the brake detector and the reverse detector;

an encoder responsive to the outputs from the local unit microcontroller for producing encoded signals based upon the outputs received; and

a transmitter responsive to the encoded signals from the encoder for emitting the encoded signals as the wireless transmissions.

11. A vehicle safety system of claim 10, wherein the remote unit comprises:

a receiver responsive to the wireless transmissions emitted from the local unit for producing encoded signals based upon the wireless transmissions received;

a decoder responsive to the encoded signals from the receiver for producing decoded signals;

a remote unit microcontroller responsive to the decoded signals from the decoder for producing outputs based upon the decoded signals received; and

a warning signal producing device responsive to the outputs from the remote unit microcontroller for producing signals based upon the outputs as the warning signals.

12. A vehicle safety system of claim 11, wherein the operating conditions further comprise an activation of a turn signal of the associated vehicle, wherein the local unit further comprises a turn signal detector for detecting an activation of a turn signal of the associated vehicle, and wherein the local unit microcontroller is further responsive to the turn signal detector for further producing outputs based upon signals received from the turn signal detector.

13. A vehicle safety system of claim 11 further comprising a second remote unit for receiving the wireless transmissions emitted from the local unit and for producing additional warning signals based upon the wireless transmissions received, comprising:

a receiver responsive to the wireless transmissions emitted from the local unit for producing encoded signals based upon the wireless transmissions received;

a decoder responsive to the encoded signals from the receiver for producing decoded signals;

a remote unit microcontroller responsive to the decoded signals from the decoder for producing outputs based upon the decoded signals received; and

warning signal producing device responsive to the outputs from the remote unit microcontroller for producing signals based upon the outputs as the additional warning signals.

14. A vehicle safety system of claim 13, wherein the operating conditions further comprise an activation of a turn signal of the associated vehicle, wherein the local unit further comprises a turn signal detector for detecting an activation of a turn signal of the associated vehicle, and wherein the local unit microcontroller is further responsive to the turn signal detector for further producing outputs based upon signals received from the turn signal detector.

15. A vehicle safety system comprising:

a local unit, attached to an associated vehicle, for detecting operating conditions regarding the associated vehicle, and for emitting wireless transmissions based upon the operating conditions detected, wherein the operating conditions comprise deceleration of the associated vehicle and a reverse operating motion of the associated vehicle; and

a remote unit for receiving the wireless transmissions from the local unit and for producing warning signals based upon the wireless transmissions received.

16. A vehicle safety system of claim 15, wherein the local unit comprises:

a deceleration detector for detecting deceleration of the associated vehicle;

a reverse detector for detecting a reverse operation of the associated vehicle;

a local unit microcontroller responsive to the deceleration detector and the reverse detector for producing outputs based upon signals received from the deceleration detector and the reverse detector;

an encoder responsive to the outputs from the local unit microcontroller for producing encoded signals based upon the outputs received; and

a transmitter responsive to the encoded signals from the encoder for emitting the encoded signals as the wireless transmissions.

17. A vehicle safety system of claim 16, wherein the remote unit comprises:

a receiver responsive to the wireless transmissions emitted from the local unit for producing encoded signals based upon the wireless transmissions received;

a decoder responsive to the encoded signals from the receiver for producing decoded signals;

a remote unit microcontroller responsive to the decoded signals from the decoder for producing outputs based upon the decoded signals received; and

a warning signal producing device responsive to the outputs from the remote unit microcontroller for producing signals based upon the outputs as the warning signals.

18. A vehicle safety system of claim 17, wherein the remote unit further comprises a proximity detector for producing transmission field strength signals, and wherein the remote unit microcontroller is further responsive to the transmission field strength signals from the proximity detector for further producing outputs based upon the transmission field strength signals received.

19. A vehicle safety system of claim 17 further comprising a second remote unit for receiving the wireless transmissions emitted from the local unit and for producing additional warning signals based upon the wireless transmissions received, comprising:

a receiver responsive to the wireless transmissions emitted from the local unit for producing encoded signals based upon the wireless transmissions received;

a decoder responsive to the encoded signals from the receiver for producing decoded signals;

a remote unit microcontroller responsive to the decoded signals from the decoder for producing outputs based upon the decoded signals received; and

warning signal producing device responsive to the outputs from the remote unit microcontroller for producing signals based upon the outputs as the additional warning signals.

20. A vehicle safety system of claim 19, wherein the second remote unit further comprises a proximity detector for producing transmission field strength signals, and wherein the remote unit microcontroller of the second remote unit is further responsive to the transmission field strength signals from the proximity detector for further producing outputs based upon the transmission field strength signals received.