OBSTACLE DETECTION SYSTEM

• US 3,749,197 A
• Filed: 05/12/1971
• Issued: 07/31/1973
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/1971
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Benzion Deutsch
• Original Assignee: Benzion Deutsch
• Inventors: Deutsch, Benzion
• Primary Examiner(s): Betts, Kenneth H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Silverstrim, John P.
• Application Number:
  US05/142,496
• Time in Patent Office: 811 Days
• Field of Search: 180/98,103,105 343/7ED,7.3 340/62,52H,104,258R 188/110
• US Class Current: 180/169
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 31/0008 including means for detecting potential obstacles in vehicle path
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 31/04 and means for comparing one electrical quantity, e.g. voltage, pulse, waveform, flux, or the like, with another quantity of a like kind, which comparison means is involved in the development of an electrical signal which is fed into the controlling means
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/008 for anti-collision purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93185 Controlling the brakes
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9319 Controlling the accelerator
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/932 using own vehicle data, e.g. ground speed, steering wheel direction
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9322 using additional data, e.g. driver condition, road state or weather data
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9324 Alternative operation using ultrasonic waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93271 in the front of the vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/16 Anti-collision systems road vehicle drive control systems for predicting or avoiding probable or impending collision otherwise than by control of a particular sub-unit B60W30/08

Abstract

A vehicle capable of motion, such as a car or a motor boat is provided with beams extending in front of the vehicle. The beams may be ultrasonic beams, radar or laser beams. Devices producing the beams and located within the vehicle have several automatically produced functions, namely, they can cause the beams to be raised or lowered, they can vary their effective lengths depending upon the speed of the vehicle and they can cause the vehicle to stop or to reduce its speed when an object located in front of the vehicle is sensed. The beams are also arranged to provide automatic adjustment to all changes in the angle between the road surface and the horizontal.

Claims

1. In combination with a vehicle and driving means within the vehicle, an obstacle detecting device comprising means for projecting in front of said vehicle at least one beam, means for regulating said driving means, operable in response to said at least one beam striking an object, and an inclined beam extending downwardly relatively to said long beam, separate beam Producing devices for the separate beams, a common shaft carrying said beam producing devices, a motor connected with said shaft and means actuating said motor and causing a turning of said shaft and the raising of said beams when said inclined beam strikes the ground at less than a preset distance.

2. A device in accordance with claim 1, comprising a long beam and a short beam extending parallel to each other projecting in front of said vehicle.

3. A device in accordance with claim 2, wherein the vehicle driving means comprise brakes and a speedometer, said device comprising means actuated by at least one of said beam producing devices and connected with said speedometer for automatically actuating said brakes when the beam projected by the last-mentioned beam producing device strikes an obstacle.

4. A device in accordance with claim 2, comprising means actuated by the vehicle driving means for varying the inclination of said inclined beam relatively to the other two beams.

5. A device in accordance with claim 4, wherein the last-mentioned means comprise a solenoid and a mirror connected with said solenoid and receiving said inclined beam, said solenoid varying the position of said mirror to vary the inclination of said inclined beam.

6. A device in accordance with claim 2, comprising means actuated by the vehicle driving means for varying the lengths of said beams depending upon the speed of the vehicle.

7. A device in accordance with claim 2, comprising manually operable means for varying the lengths of said beams.

8. A device in accordance with claim 2, wherein the vehicle driving means comprise a carburetor, said device comprising means actuated by at least one of said beam producing devices and connected with said carburetor for automatically diminishing the speed of the vehicle when the beam projected by the last-mentioned beam producing device strikes an obstacle.

9. A device in accordance with claim 2, wherein the vehicle driving means comprise brakes, said device comprising means actuated by at least one of said beam producing devices and connected with said brakes for automatically actuating said brakes when the beam projected by the last-mentioned beam producing device strikes an obstacle.