Apparatus for recording driving data with a temporal resolution adapted to the signal shape of analog measurement signals

• US 5,412,570 A
• Filed: 06/29/1993
• Issued: 05/02/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 11/11/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mannesmann Kienzle GmbH
• Original Assignee: Mannesmann Kienzle GmbH
• Inventors: Bacic, Helmut, Schultze, Hartmut, Gruler, Martin
• Primary Examiner(s): Teska, Kevin J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MCFADDEN, SUSAN IRIS
• Application Number:
  US08/081,347
• Time in Patent Office: 672 Days
• Field of Search: 364/424.04, 364/424.03, 364/424.05, 360/5, 377/16, 377/26, 340/438, 340/439
• US Class Current: 701/35
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/085 using electronic data carriers

Abstract

An apparatus for recording driving data which comprises a data gathering device, which further comprises a sensory measuring device, a control unit, an A/D converter, a plurality of parallel ring storage devices and a semiconductor storage device. Analog measurement signals, which are continuously detected by the sensory measuring device, for recording a vehicle movement, are continuously sensed by the control unit with two different frequencies after being digitized into digital measurement signals in the A/D converter. The digital signals are stored in the plurality of parallel ring storage devices with clock frequencies. Upon a detection of an accident, a trigger signal causes the control unit to stop storing the digital measurement signals in a first of the plurality of parallel ring storage devices with a lower clock frequency after a delay so that a storing of measurement data in the first of the plurality of parallel ring storage devices terminates one of after an after-running period and as a result of a stopping of the vehicle. The control unit interrupts a further storage of the digital measurement signals in a second of the plurality of parallel ring storage devices with a higher clock frequency at the occurrence of the trigger signal and causes the digital measurement signals to be stored in the semiconductor storage device. The semiconductor storage device is arranged in parallel with the second of the plurality of ring storage devices and has the higher clock frequency for the duration of the trigger signal.

Claims

1. An apparatus for recording driving data with a temporal resolution which corresponds to the signal shape of analog measurement signals, which comprises:

a data gathering device, which further comprises;

a sensory measuring device, wherein said sensory measuring device continuously detects analog measurement signals for recording a vehicle movement;

an A/D converter for digitizing said analog measurement signals into digital measurement signals;

a control unit, wherein said control unit continuously senses said digital measurement signals;

a plurality of parallel ring storage devices, wherein said digital signals are stored in said plurality of parallel ring storage devices with clock frequencies; and

a semiconductor storage device,

wherein, upon a detection of an accident, a trigger signal causes said control unit to stop storing said digital measurement signals in a first of said plurality of parallel ring storage devices with a lower clock frequency after a delay so that a storing of measurement data in said first of said plurality of parallel ring storage devices terminates after an after-running period or as a result of a stopping of the vehicle;

wherein said control unit interrupts a further storage of said digital measurement signals in a second of said plurality of parallel ring storage devices with a higher clock frequency at the occurrence of said trigger signal and causes said digital measurement signals to be stored in said semiconductor storage device, wherein said semiconductor storage device is arranged in parallel with said second of said plurality of ring storage devices and has said higher clock frequency for the duration of said trigger signal.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a marker is set in each of said plurality of parallel ring storage devices upon an occurrence of said trigger signal for correlating their data contents.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising:

a first data storage branch which comprises;

said second of said plurality of parallel ring storage devices; and

said semiconductor storage device,

wherein said data storage branch has said higher clock frequency, and further wherein said data storage branch is a multiple parallel construction within said apparatus, and further wherein a next free storage branch is activated by a new impact with an after-running period.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a first data storage branch which comprises;

said second of said plurality of parallel ring storage devices; and

said semiconductor storage device,

wherein said data storage branch has said higher clock frequency, and further wherein said data storage branch is a multiple parallel construction within said apparatus, and further wherein a next free storage branch is activated by a new impact with an after-running period.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, which further comprises:

a means for recording successive accidents in a similar manner.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, which further comprises:

a means for automatically triggering said trigger signal.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, which further comprises:

a means for manually triggering said trigger signal.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said manual triggering means is an accident-related operating control device.

9. An apparatus for recording driving data with a temporal resolution which corresponds to the signal shape of analog measurement signals, which comprises:

a data gathering device, which further comprises;

a sensory measuring device, wherein said sensory measuring device continuously detects analog measurement signals for recording a vehicle movement;

an A/D converter for digitizing said analog measurement signals into digital measurement signals;

a control unit, wherein said control unit continuously senses said digital measurement signals;

a plurality of parallel ring storage devices, wherein said digital signals are stored in said plurality of parallel ring storage devices with clock frequencies; and

a semiconductor storage device,

wherein, upon a detection of an accident, a trigger signal causes said control unit to stop storing said digital measurement signals in a first of said plurality of parallel ring storage devices with a lower clock frequency after a delay so that a storing of measurement data in said first of said plurality of parallel ring storage devices terminates after an after-running period or as a result of a stopping of the vehicle;

wherein said control unit interrupts a further storage of said digital measurement signals in a second of said plurality of parallel ring storage devices with a higher clock frequency at the occurrence of said trigger signal and causes said digital measurement signals to be stored in said semiconductor storage device, wherein said semiconductor storage device is arranged in parallel with said second of said plurality of ring storage devices and has said higher clock frequency for the duration of said trigger signal, and which further has a fixed after-running time after an extinguishment of said trigger signal.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein a marker is set in each of said plurality of parallel ring storage devices upon an occurrence of said trigger signal for correlating their data contents.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising:

a first data storage branch which comprises;

said second of said plurality of parallel ring storage devices; and

said semiconductor storage device,

wherein said data storage branch has said higher clock frequency, and further wherein said data storage branch is a multiple parallel construction within said apparatus, and further wherein a next free storage branch is activated by a new impact with an after-running period.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising:

a first data storage branch which comprises;

said second of said plurality of parallel ring storage devices; and

said semiconductor storage device,

wherein said data storage branch has said higher clock frequency, and further wherein said data storage branch is a multiple parallel construction within said apparatus, and further wherein a next free storage branch is activated by a new impact with an after-running period.