Vehicle collision avoidance system
First Claim
1. A collision avoidance system for a motor vehicle, the system being mounted in place of a side mirror of the vehicle and comprising:
- a rotatable mirror;
means functionally engaged to said mirror for rotating the mirror in a predetermined manner between predetermined positions;
a rotatable ultrasonic transmitting and receiving unit;
means for rotating the ultrasonic transmitting and receiving unit in a predetermined manner between predetermined positions functionally engaged to said unit;
means for producing an audible alarm;
two displays, each indicative of a particular area relative to the vehicle and;
a microprocessor functionally engaged to said mirror rotating means, unit rotating means, alarm producing means, and said displays and programmed to accept input from the transmitting and receiving unit, to process same, to cause rotation of the unit and the mirror, to cause output of processed values selectively to the displays and to cause an audible alarm when said processed values are within predefined limits.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The collision avoidance system includes structure mountable at the side mirror position of a vehicle. The system includes a rotatable mirror and an ultrasonic transmitting and receiving unit which is adaptable to scan a predetermined area about the vehicle to detect the presence of an object and to calculate its distance from the vehicle. If the distance and speed are determined to pose a threat, the distance is placed on a display and an alarm is sounded. Two displays are provided, one for the forward end of the vehicle and another for the rear end of the vehicle. The system operates when the vehicle is moving forwardly and rearwardly. Also, when the vehicle is not moving, the presence of a potential intruder is also monitored and the system can actuate an anti-theft alarm of the vehicle. Further, the system can be programmed by a plurality of operators to particular distances, with the system discerning which operator is driving and automatically using that operator'"'"'s input.
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Citations
42 Claims
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1. A collision avoidance system for a motor vehicle, the system being mounted in place of a side mirror of the vehicle and comprising:
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a rotatable mirror; means functionally engaged to said mirror for rotating the mirror in a predetermined manner between predetermined positions; a rotatable ultrasonic transmitting and receiving unit; means for rotating the ultrasonic transmitting and receiving unit in a predetermined manner between predetermined positions functionally engaged to said unit; means for producing an audible alarm; two displays, each indicative of a particular area relative to the vehicle and; a microprocessor functionally engaged to said mirror rotating means, unit rotating means, alarm producing means, and said displays and programmed to accept input from the transmitting and receiving unit, to process same, to cause rotation of the unit and the mirror, to cause output of processed values selectively to the displays and to cause an audible alarm when said processed values are within predefined limits. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A collision avoidance system for use on a vehicle comprising:
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a housing which is mounted in a vehicle side view mirror position; a mirror mounted on a rotatable shaft in said housing; an acoustical ranging unit mounted on a rotatable shaft in said housing and including an acoustical transducer and a conical wave guide; a stepper motor suitably engaged to the rotatable shaft of said acoustical ranging unit; an angle encoder comprising a plate of semicircular configuration having detents about an arcuate periphery thereof mounted to each rotatable shaft; a detect mechanism which rides along the periphery of each angle encoder plate and produces electrical signals relating to an exact location about the semicircle; an alarm and at least two displays, one corresponding to a front end of the vehicle and another corresponding to the rear of the vehicle; and a microcomputer which receives signals from the transducer, indicating an object in a signal path, calculates the distance to the object, calculates the speed of the object relative to the speed of the vehicle and, if the distance is less than an operator programmed distance within the microcomputer, causes visualization of the speed on an appropriate display as well as causing an audible alarm to sound.
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20. A system for avoiding a vehicular collision by detecting an object in proximity to a vehicle at any angle relative thereto including:
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rotatable means for creating an ultrasonic signal and receiving an echo thereof; means for calculating the time between creation and receiving of said signal; means for determining from which rotational position said echo is received; means for modifying said time calculation relative to speed of a vehicle to which the system is engaged; means for generating a warning signal if said modified time calculation generates a value within predefined limits; and means for resetting said system to cause said signal creating means to generate and receive an echo of another ultrasonic signal at an adjacent rotational position to which said signal creating means are rotated. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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36. A system for avoiding a vehicular collision by detecting an object in proximity to a vehicle at any angle relative thereto including:
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rotatable means for creating an ultrasonic signal and receiving an echo thereof; means for calculating the time between creation and receiving of said signal; means for converting the calculated time to a distance equivalent; means for determining from which rotational position said echo is received; means for modifying said distance equivalent relative to speed of a vehicle to which the system is engaged; means for generating a warning signal if said modified distance equivalent generates a value within predefined limits; and means for resetting said system to cause said signal creating means to generate and receive an echo of another ultrasonic signal at an adjacent rotational position to which said signal creating means are rotated. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42)
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Specification