Collision avoidance apparatus
First Claim
1. In apparatus for assessing maneuvers of a first vehicle relative to other vehicles comprising sensing means for providing signals representative of the positions and velocities of the other vehicles relative to the first vehicle, symbology generating means responsive to said signals for generating symbology respectively associated with the other vehicles, and display means coupled to the symbology generating means for displaying the symbology relative to the position of the first vehicle so as to provide indicia to assess maneuvers of the first vehicle which will avoid collision with the other vehicles, and which will ensure that the first vehicle will not pass closer to the other vehicles than a predetermined distance for all relative positions and velocities thereof, said symbology generating means comprising means for generating symbology associated with each of the other vehicles in all encounter circumstances with at least a final escape point (FEP) which, if reached by the first vehicle, will allow the first vehicle still to avoid the associated other vehicle by said predetermined distance, and two vectors, originating at the FEP, which if taken by the first vehicle at the FEP, will take the first vehicle clear ahead or clear astern of said other vehicle by said predetermined distance.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Apparatus for assessing maneuvers of a first vehicle (6) so fitted relative to other vehicles (58, 68, 71-74) comprises sensing means for providing signals representative of the positions and velocities of the other vehicles relative to the first vehicle (6), computing means responsive to said signals for computing symbology respectively associated with the other vehicles, and display means coupled to the computing means for displaying the symbology relative to the position of the first vehicle, thereby providing indicia to assess maneuvers of the first vehicle which will avoid collision with the other vehicles, and which will ensure that the first vehicle will not pass closer to the other vehicles than a predetermined distance for all relative positions and velocities thereof, the symbology associated with each of the other vehicles in all encounter circumstances comprises at least a final escape point (FEP) (40) which, if reached by the first vehicle (6), will allow the first vehicle still to avoid the associated other vehicle by said predetermined distance, and two vectors (49, 50), originating at the FEP, for the first vehicle, which will take the latter clear ahead or clear astern of said other vehicle by said predetermined distance.
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Citations
15 Claims
- 1. In apparatus for assessing maneuvers of a first vehicle relative to other vehicles comprising sensing means for providing signals representative of the positions and velocities of the other vehicles relative to the first vehicle, symbology generating means responsive to said signals for generating symbology respectively associated with the other vehicles, and display means coupled to the symbology generating means for displaying the symbology relative to the position of the first vehicle so as to provide indicia to assess maneuvers of the first vehicle which will avoid collision with the other vehicles, and which will ensure that the first vehicle will not pass closer to the other vehicles than a predetermined distance for all relative positions and velocities thereof, said symbology generating means comprising means for generating symbology associated with each of the other vehicles in all encounter circumstances with at least a final escape point (FEP) which, if reached by the first vehicle, will allow the first vehicle still to avoid the associated other vehicle by said predetermined distance, and two vectors, originating at the FEP, which if taken by the first vehicle at the FEP, will take the first vehicle clear ahead or clear astern of said other vehicle by said predetermined distance.
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5. for a slower intruding vehicle the ratio of the speed of which with respect to the speed of the first vehicle is less than a predetermined constant, or the aspect angle of which is greater than a right angle, the FEP is the particular point along the direction of the heading towards the PPC at which the range to the intruding vehicle bears a fixed ratio to the preselected CPA distance, which fixed ratio is less than that of Rule 2,for a faster intruding vehicle displaying duplex PAD areas, each having a FEP, at the moment when the nearer of the two FEPs approaches to a range from the first vehicle which bears a fixed ratio to the pre-selected CPA distance in a situation in which the heading of the first vehicle lies outside the sector established by the primary and dual CPA positions related to the target passing astern, entering which sector is equivalent to the first vehicle crossing the bow of the faster intruding vehicle, the Rule for the range to the target at FEP will be changed from that established by Rule 1 to one which will ensure that the final CPA distance which will result from the first vehicle altering its heading on reaching the FEP to a heading parallel to the intruder'"'"'s heading will bear a fixed ratio to the pre-selected CPA distance,if the heading of the first vehicle lies within the sector defined in Rule 4, indicating the intention of the first vehicle to cross ahead of the intruding vehicle, as the range to the nearer FEP reaches a predetermined amount greater than the preselected CPA distance, Rule 1 will be maintained or re-established if possible until the duplex PAD areas of the intruding vehicle merge at a position along its trackline which is determined by the intersection of the trackline with the predicted heading of the first vehicle, which will occur some time after the first vehicle has crossed the bow of the intruding vehicle, thereupon the FEP Rule will be changed to the relationships established by Rule 4.
Specification