VEHICLE SAFETY APPARATUS

• US 3,772,690 A
• Filed: 12/07/1971
• Issued: 11/13/1973
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/1971
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: SP-Microwave, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nations CARL T
• Inventors: Nations, Carl T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tubbesing, T. H.
• Application Number:
  US05/205,592
• Time in Patent Office: 707 Days
• Field of Search: 343/7ED,12R
• US Class Current: 342/72
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93271 in the front of the vehicles

Abstract

A vehicle safety apparatus includes radio means for the detection of an impeding collision immediately prior to the contact of a protected vehicle with another vehicle or other object and for the actuation of restraining or other protective devices for the protection of the occupants of the vehicle when the crash actually occurs. Modulated continuous wave high frequency transmitter and receiver apparatus is employed for processing reflected object signals having a wide range of possible amplitudes at the receiver. Range and range rate signals are generated and compared for actuation of passenger restraints or other protective devices.

Claims

1. Vehicle safety apparatus comprising:

radio measurement means adapted to be carried by said vehicle, integrating means responsive to said measurement means for producing a measure of the distance between said vehicle and an object, differentiating means responsive to said integrating means for producing a measure of the rate of change of said distance, comparator means responsive to said integrating means and to said differentiating means for producing an output when said respective measures have predetermined relative values, and safety means responsive to said comparator means.

2. Apparatus as described in claim 1 wherein said safety means comprises passenger protective means operative in response to said comparator means output.

3. Apparatus as described in claim 2 wherein said passenger protective means comprises means for restraining vehicle occupants from impacting interior parts of said vehicle.

4. Vehicle safety apparatus comprising:

radio measurement means adapted to be carried by said vehicle including;

transmitter means for transmitting an amplitude modulated carrier wave toward said object, modulator means for modulating said carrier wave, receiver means for receiving amplitude modulated carrier waves reflected by said object, and circuit means responsive to said receiver means and to said modulator means for producing an output train to like polarity pulses having widths each proportional to the instantaneous value of said distance, integrating means responsive to said circuit means for producing a measure of the distance between said vehicle and an object, differentiating means responsive to said integrating means for producing a measure of the rate of change of said distance, comparator means responsive to said integrating means and to said differentiating means for producing an output when said respective measures have predetermined relative values, and safety means responsive to said comparator means.

5. Apparatus as described in claim 4 wherein said circuit means comprises:

cross over detector means responsive to said receiver means and to said modulator means for producing an output train of alternating polarity pulses varying in width according to the instantaneous distance between said distance measurement means and said object, and means responsive to said detector means for passing pulses of said output train of one polarity only.

6. Apparatus as described in claim 5 additionally including means responsive to said modulator means for permitting manual adjUstment of the phase and amplitude of the output of said modulator means applied to said cross over detector means for compensation for the phase delay of signals propagating within said radio measurement means.

7. Apparatus as described in claim 4 additionally including substantially constant-output amplifier means responsive to said receiver means for supplying an input to said circuit means.

8. Apparatus as described in claim 7 wherein said substantially constant-output amplifier means is additionally responsive to the output of said modulator means for compensating for the adverse effects of direct spill over of modulated carrier waves from said transmitter means to said receiver means.

9. Distance measurement means comprising:

transmitter means for transmitting an amplitude modulated carrier wave toward an object, modulator means for modulating said carrier wave, receiver means for receiving amplitude modulated carrier waves reflected by said object, constant-output amplifier means responsive to said receiver means, cross over detector means responsive to said amplifier means and to said modulator means for producing an output train of alternating polarity pulses each varying in width according to the corresponding distance between said distance measurement means and said object, means responsive to said detector means for passing pulses of said output train of only one polarity, and means for intergrating said pulses of one polarity for producing a unidirectional signal substantially proportional to said distance.

10. Apparatus as described in claim 9 additionally including vehicle passenger restraint means responsive to said means for integrating.

11. Apparatus as described in claim 9 wherein said constant-output amplifier means is additionally responsive to said modulator means for compensating for adverse effects of direct spill over of said carrier waves from said transmitter to said receiver.

12. Apparatus as described in claim 9 including means responsive to said modulator means for permitting adjustment of the output of said modulator means applied to said cross over detector means for compensating for the time of propagation of distance measurement signals within said radio measurement means.

13. Apparatus as described in claim 9 wherein said constant-output amplifier means comprises:

variable gain controlled differential amplifier means responsive to said modulator means and to said reflected amplitude modulation, tuned variable gain controlled amplifier means responsive to said differential amplifier means, fixed gain amplifier means responsive to said tuned amplifier means, emitter follower means responsive to said fixed gain amplifier means, and means responsive to said emitter follower means for controlling the gain of said variably gain controlled differential amplifier means and said tuned amplifier means over a wide dynamic range.