Electronic safety assurance system for an automotive vehicle

• US 3,877,541 A
• Filed: 01/31/1974
• Issued: 04/15/1975
• Est. Priority Date: 02/03/1973
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Takayuki Yanagishima, Yasuhisa Takeuchi
• Original Assignee: Takayuki Yanagishima, Yasuhisa Takeuchi
• Inventors: Takeuchi, Yasuhisa, Yanagishima, Takayuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Schonberg, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): Siemens, Terrance L.
• Application Number:
  US05/438,363
• Time in Patent Office: 439 Days
• Field of Search: 180/99,82R 340/52R,279
• US Class Current: 180/272
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 28/06 responsive to incapacity of driver
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 31/0075 responsive to vehicle steering angle
• 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: B60W 2540/18 Steering angle
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/06 indicating a condition of sleep, e.g. anti-dozing alarms

Abstract

A first pulse storage counter is provided for counting a steering oscillation frequency for a predetermined interval when the vehicle speed exceeds a preselected speed to establish a reference count for comparison purposes, clears the reference count at a transition when the vehicle speed exceeds again the preselected speed after it has reduced to a speed level lower than the preselected speed, and starts counting the steering oscillation frequency again to update its content to establish a new reference count. A second pulse storage counter is provided for counting the oscillation frequency at the instant a reference count has been established for the same predetermined interval to establish a second count and updates it repeatedly at the predetermined interval while the reference count remains unchanged until such a transition occurs. The reference and second counts are compared repeatedly at the predetermined interval. When the second count is smaller than the reference count by a predetermined amount, a warning signal will be given to alert the driver.

Claims

1. In a safety apparatus for a vehicle having a steering wheel in which a series of pulses is produced in response to oscillatory movement of said steering wheel and counted for comparison with a reference count to give a warning signal, the improvement comprising:

a. speed sensing means for producing a first signal when the speed of said vehicle exceeds a preselected value;

b. means responsive to said first signal for producing a second signal at a preselected interval;

c. first storage means responsive to said first signal for counting said series of pulses to establish said reference count during the initial period of a given run length;

d. second storage means responsive to said first and second signals for counting said series of pulses to repeatedly establish a second count during the remaining period of said run length;

e. means responsive to said second signal for comparing said second signal with said reference count to produce an output when said second count is smaller than said reference count; and

f. means responsive to said output for giving said warning signal to alert the driver in said vehicle.

2. The improvement of claim 1, wherein said first storage means clears said reference count at each transition of run lengths to establish a fresh reference count.

3. The improvement of claim 1, wherein said reference count is multiplied by a factor less than unity.

4. The improvement of claim 1, wherein said reference count varies in accordance with the speed of said vehicle.

5. The improvement of claim 1, wherein said first storage means comprises a plurality of flip-flops each being connected to each of a plurality of resistors connected to a d.c. amplifier having a feedback loop including a variable resistor.

6. The improvement of claim 5, wherein said plurality of resistors have a resistance value of R/2n 1, wherein R is the maximum value of said variable resistor and n is the number of said resistors.

7. The improvement of claim 1, wherein said second storage means comprises a plurality of flip-flops each being connected to each of a plurality of first resistors connected to a d.c. amplifier having a feedback loop including a second resistor.

8. The improvement of claim 7, wherein said plurality of first resistors have a resistance value of R/2n 1, wherein R is the value of said second resistor and n is the number of said first resistors.

9. The improvement of claim 5, wherein said first storage means is coupled to said speed sensing means via an operational amplifier.