Land vehicle braking system

• US 20090265069A1
• Filed: 04/17/2008
• Published: 10/22/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Herman Desbrunes
• Original Assignee: Herman Desbrunes
• Inventors: Desbrunes, Herman
• Application Number:
  US12/081,509
• Publication Number:
  US 20090265069A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/70
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 7/22 initiated by contact of vehicle, e.g. bumper, with an external object, e.g. another vehicle , or by means of contactless obstacle detectors mounted on the vehicle

Abstract

A braking system in a land vehicle having wheels for movement and a motor rotating the wheels. The braking system includes a brake rotor that is secured to one of the wheels. A brake caliper is secured to the vehicle for grasping the rotor in response to a caliper actuation signal. A brake pedal is secured to the land vehicle for movement by the vehicle driver. A pedal sensor is connected to the pedal for sensing the movement thereof and generating a braking signal in response to the movement of the pedal. A power train control module is secured to the vehicle for controlling the speed at which the motor rotates the wheels in response to a deactivation signal. A camera is mounting on the vehicle for generating a video signal representative of the incident light entering the camera. A central processing unit (CPU) is connected to the pedal sensor, the brake caliper and the camera. The CPU is adapted to receive the braking signal from the pedal sensor and, in response thereto, transmit a caliper actuation signal to the brake caliper. The CPU is also adapted to receive the video signal from the camera and process the video signal to determine whether the incident light entering camera includes light of a red color. In response to detecting light of a red color, CPU transmits a caliper actuation signal to the brake caliper and a deactivation signal to the power train control module.

Claims

1. A braking system in a land vehicle having a plurality of wheels for movement and a motor for the rotation of the wheels, the braking system comprising:

a brake rotor being secured for rotational movement to one of the wheels of the land vehicle;

a brake caliper being secured to the land vehicle for grasping said brake rotor in response to a caliper actuation signal;

a brake pedal being secured to the land vehicle for movement by the vehicle driver;

a pedal sensor being connected to said brake pedal for sensing the movement thereof and generating a transmissible braking signal in response to the movement of said brake pedal;

a power train control module for controlling the speed at which the motor rotates the wheels in response to a deactivation signal;

a camera being mounting on the land vehicle for generating a transmissible video signal representative of the incident light entering camera; and

,

a central processing unit being connected to said pedal sensor, said brake caliper and said camera, said central processing unit being adapted to receive said braking signal from said pedal sensor and, in response to receiving said braking signal, transmit a caliper actuation signal to said brake caliper, and said central processing unit being adapted to receive said video signal from said camera and process said video signal to determine whether the incident light entering said camera includes light of a red color and, in response to detecting light of a red color, transmit a caliper actuation signal to said brake caliper and a deactivation signal to said power train control module.

2. The braking system according to claim 1 further comprising a brake sensor being connected to said brake caliper for producing a transmissible temperature signal being proportional to the temperature of said brake caliper, and said central processing unit being connected to said brake sensor and using said temperature signal in the formulation of said caliper actuation signal.

3. The braking system according claim 1 wherein said central processing unit is adapted to produce a transmissible alarm actuation signal at a set time prior to producing a caliper actuation signal and said braking system further comprises an alarm being connected to said central processing unit for generating an audible alarm upon receiving said alarm actuation signal from said central processing unit.

4. The braking system according to claim 1 further comprising a bumper sensor being secured to said vehicle for detecting an impact with a foreign object and for producing a contact signal in response to the impact and wherein said central processing unit is connected to said bumper sensor and produces a caliper actuation signal in response to receiving a contact signal from said bumper sensor.