VEHICLE SPEED REGULATION, CONTROL MEANS, AND WARNING SYSTEM

• US 3,686,628 A
• Filed: 12/29/1969
• Issued: 08/22/1972
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/1969
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Arthur E. Keller, Claude W. Earles
• Original Assignee: Arthur E. Keller, Claude W. Earles
• Inventors: Keller, Arthur E., Earles, Claude W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Waring, Alvin H.
• Application Number:
  US04/888,598
• Time in Patent Office: 967 Days
• Field of Search: 340/27,53,62,263,224 325/64,312 180/103,105,106,109
• US Class Current: 340/905
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 31/18 including a device to audibly, visibly, or otherwise signal the existence of unusual or unintended speed to the driver of the vehicle devices primarily intended for indicating speed to other traffic B60Q1/54
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/052 with provision for determining speed or overspeed speed measuring in general G01P

Abstract

A vehicle speed regulation and control system, utilizing radio signals from highway transmitters, which provides an indication to the vehicle driver of the speed limit along that portion of the highway, and provides other psychological controls and indications relating to vehicle speed.

Claims

1. A vehicle speed regulation and control system comprising:

transmitting means apart from said vehicle for transmitting a plurality of signals each designating a certain maximum vehicle speed limit;

receiving means carried by the vehicle for receiving each of said signals;

an overspeed control means carried by the vehicle;

signal-responsive means carried by the vehicle, and responsive to the said receiving means receiving any of said signals, and contributing to the operative actuation of said overspeed control means by designating the value of the vehicle speed at which said overspeed control means are operatively actuated; and

speed-responsive means carried by the vehicle and responsive to the vehicle'"'"''"'"'s speed, and also contributing to the operative actuation of said overspeed control means, by designating to the said overspeed control means the vehicle speed;

the signalresponsive means being such that when a signal from an outside transmitter is sensed, that signal de-activates all other channels and causes the actuation of the particular channel for which that signal is associated and de-activates the input to that particular channel, and the system is immediately thereafter ready to accept a control signal for actuation of a different channel, but until such a different speed-control signal is received, the particular channel which is then in actuation is maintained actuated without any need of a continuation or repetition of that input signal.

2. The invention as set forth in claim 1 in a combination in which there are also provided visible speed limit indicator means, and the said signal-responsive means also operatively actuates said speed-limit indicator meaNs to indicate speed limit information relating to only what speed limit value information was last transmitted by the transmitting means.

3. The invention as set forth in claim 1 in a combination in which means are provided for maintaining the said signal-responsive means operatively at a certain output designation, once a certain speed limit value signal is transmitted by said transmitting means, unless and until a different speed limit value signal is transmitted by the transmitting means.

4. The invention as set forth in claim 1 in a combination including a plurality of switch means each operatively responsive to the receiving of a certain speed limit signal and which also contribute to the operative actuation of said overspeed control means with reference to that certain speed limit.

5. The invention as set forth in claim 2 in a combination in which a plurality of switch means are provided, each of which is operatively responsive to the receiving of a certain speed limit signal by said receiving means, and is operative to effect the energization of an associated one of the speed-limit indicator means and is also contributory to the operative actuation of said overspeed control means with reference to that certain speed limit.

6. The invention as set forth in claim 2 in a combination in which the one of said visible speed limit indicator means actuated by the highest speed limit signal is an indicator means which does not specify any certain numerical speed limit value, and there are means which provide that if the vehicle-carried components of the system are operatively de-energized it will be that particular indicator means which will be operatively actuated upon reenergizing the said vehicle-carried components of the system.

7. The invention as set forth in claim 3 in a combination in which time-period means are also provided which maintain said signal-responsive means at a certain output-designation, once a certain speed limit value signal is transmitted by said transmitting means, for a time period following de-energization of the vehicle-carried components of the system.

8. The invention as set forth in claim 1 in a combination in which a plurality of relay means are provided, all except one of which is operatively energized by the receiving of any certain speed limit signal by said receiving means, and the energization of each of which is operative to block energization of associated means contributory to the operative actuation of the said overspeed control means, at a certain value-designation, but is also operative to operatively energize other associated means which are operative to contribute to the operative actuation of the said overspeed control means at a different value-designation.

9. The invention as set forth in claim 8 in a combination in which a plurality of means are provided for the designation of different values of operative actuation of the overspeed control means, and overspeed indicator means are provided, and the energization of each of said relay means is also operative to block energization of said overspeed indicator means by circuitry other than that associated with a certain one of the means for the designation of a certain value-designation of the overspeed control means. 10 The invention as set forth in claim 1 in a combination in which the said overspeed control means includes overspeed indicator means which includes a first control circuit means including a calibratable circuit and operatively energized by the said speed-responsive means designation of a vehicle speed operative to contribute to the operative actuation of the overspeed control means at a value operatively designated by the said signal-responsive means, a second circuit means operatively energized upon energization of said first control circuit means, and an overspeed indicator circuit means energized upon energization of said second control circuit means.

11. The invention as set forth in claim 1 in a combination in which said vehicle includes a manually operable vehicle-braking means, there being a switch means provided in cooperative association with said braking means, and said switch means and associated circuitry being such as to de-energize said overspeed control means if said vehicle-braking means is being actuated even if said speed-responsive means is designating a speed otherwise sufficient to contribute to the operative actuation of said overspeed control at the value-designation then designated by said signal-responsive means.

12. The invention as set forth in claim 1 in a combination in which the overspeed control means includes warning indicator means which are operatively energized only when the vehicle speed as designated by the said speed-responsive means is at or in excess of the speed value designated by said signal-responsive means.

13. The invention as set forth in claim 12 in a combination in which the said warning indicator means are operative in a first condition when energized as aforesaid but have a second condition of operation, and circuitry is provided which causes said warning indicator means to be in said second condition of operation, the said transmitting means and the said receiving means including means for energizing said circuitry causing the said second condition of operation regardless of whether or not the said warning indicator means are being at that time energized to be in said first condition of operation.

14. The invention as set forth in claim 1 in a combination in which the said overspeed control means includes time means which records the time periods in which the vehicle has been travelling at a speed designated by said speed-responsive means which is at or in excess of the speed value designated by said signal-responsive means.

15. The invention as set forth in claim 1 in a combination in which the said signal-responsive means include a first circuit means and a second circuit means, the said first circuit means being operatively set to be energized by the reception of a signal by the said receiving means, and when energized energizes means which actuates the said second circuit means to be in energized condition, the said second circuit means in said energized condition being operative to do the said contributing to the operative actuation of the said overspeed control means and also to de-energize said first circuit means.

16. The invention as set forth in claim 15 in a combination in which there is provided also an overspeed indicator circuit means, and the energization of the said second circuit means also energizes said overspeed indicator circuit means.

17. The invention as set forth in claim 15 in a combination in which the de-energization of said first circuit means removes the means which actuates the said second circuit means to be in energized condition but the said second circuit means is operative nevertheless to remain in energized condition.

18. The invention as set forth in claim 17 in a combination in which the said receiving means are operative, when a different speed limit signal is received from said transmitting means, to energize a first circuit means associated with control by said different speed limit signal, which is operative to de-energize the said second circuit means which as aforesaid had nevertheless remained in energized condition.

19. The invention as set forth in claim 1 in a combination in which the said overspeed control means includes a transistor means which is calibratable to any associated electric signal and which is energized by the speed-responsive means when the vehicle attains the speed designated by the said signal-responsive means.

20. The invention as set fort in claim 19 in a combination in which there is provided overspeed indicator means, and the energization of the said transistor means energizes said overspeed indicator means.

21. The invention as set forth in claim 3 in a combination in which the said maintaining means includes a time delay relay meaNs.

22. The invention as set forth in claim 6 in a combination in which the said providing means include a circuit which is operatively connected to the vehicle ignition in a manner such that the said last named circuit is energized by turning the ignition to the '"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"'On'"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"' position, and that said circuit operatively energizes the said one of the visible speed limit indicator means.

23. The invention as set forth in claim 7 in a combination in which there are provided speed limit indicators, one of which is of a generalized nature not indicating any specific numerical value of speed limit, and means are also provided which, after said de-energization for said time period, provide that subsequent energization of said vehicle-carried components will operatively energize that said one of the speed limit indicators, and provide also that it will remain operatively energized unless and until a different speed limit value signal is transmitted by the transmitting means.

24. The invention as set forth in claim 8 in a combination in which there is provided one of said relay means for each speed limit to which the signal-responsive means is responsive, and each of the said relay means energizes a signal-responsive means associated with the designation of a certain one speed limit and de-energizes the signal-responsive means associated with the designation of a certain other speed limit.

25. The invention as set forth in claim 10 in a combination in which the said second circuit means includes a transistor means, the energization of which energizes the said second circuit means.

26. The invention as set forth in claim 25 in a combination in which the said second circuit means also includes a relay means which, when the transistor means is energized energizing the second circuit means, energizes the said overspeed indicator circuit means.

27. The invention as set forth in claim 13 in a combination in which the said last-named circuitry includes relay means which:

(a) blocks energization of the warning indicator means from being energized by the energization means which are operative to achieve said first condition of operation, and which (b) energizes said warning indicator means by energization which achieves said second condition of operation.

28. A warning system for a vehicle, comprising:

transmitting means apart from said vehicle for transmitting a signal having a spatially limited range;

receiving means carried by the vehicle and having a low sensitivity and high selectivity to operatively sense said signal when said vehicle is within the said spatially limited range of said transmitting means;

indicator means carried by the vehicle;

energizing means actuated by said receiving means for energizing said indicator means upon receiving a signal from said receiving means;

operator-operable means for operatively muting the said indicator means, the said operator-operable means being a switch means of normally closed type which permits energization of said indicator means by said energizing means;

the arrangement being such that the said indicator means will not be de-energized by the passing of said vehicle out of said spatially limited range except upon the operation of said operator-operable muting means muting said indicator means at a location of the vehicle outside said spatially limited range.

29. The invention as set forth in claim 1 in a combination in which the regulation and control system includes a warning system comprising:

transmitting means apart from said vehicle for transmitting a signal having a spatially limited range;

receiving means carried by the vehicle and having a low sensitivity and high selectivity to operatively sense said signal when said vehicle is within the said spacially-limited range of said transmitting means;

indicator means carried by the vehicle;

energizing means actuated by said receiving means for energizing said indicator means upon receiving a sIgnal from said receiving means;

operator-operable means for operatively muting the said indicator means, the said operator-operable means being a switch means of normally closed type which permits energization of said indicator means by said energizing means;

the arrangement being such that the said indicator means will not be de-energized by the passing of said vehicle out of said spatially limited range except upon the operation of said operator-operable muting means muting said indicator means at a location of the vehicle outside said spatially limited range.