Method, apparatus and system for transmitting and receiving data in a moving linear chain
First Claim
1. An apparatus mounted to a first movable unit for receiving a first directional and identifiable electromagnetic signal, or sending a second directional and identifiable electromagnetic signal, said first signal comprising a first portion relating to a change in velocity of any movable unit preceding a second movable unit wherein said second movable unit immediately precedes said first movable unit, and a second portion relating to a change in velocity of said second movable unit wherein said first signal has a predetermined data size, and said second signal comprising a first portion relating to a change in velocity of any movable unit preceding said first movable unit and a second portion relating to a change in velocity of said first movable unit wherein said second signal has a predetermined data size and signal strength, the apparatus comprising:
- a processing unit;
a detector coupled to said processing unit for receiving said first signal;
an emitter coupled to said processing unit for transmitting said second signal;
a deceleration indicator coupled to said processing unit to indicate deceleration of said first movable unit; and
means for analyzing said first portion and said second portion of said first signal to transmit an appropriately updated and integrated, second directional and identifiable electromagnetic signal as a result of such analysis, said first signal and said second signal being equivalent in data size.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method, apparatus, and system for transmitting and receiving an electromagnetic data signal in a moving, linear chain. Each unit in a chain of units has a processing unit interconnecting a directional receiving element, a directional low power transmitting element, a deceleration detector for the unit, and a deceleration detector for preceding units in the chain. In a simple form, motor vehicles are the units. If the invention detects deceleration of a preceding vehicle, deceleration of itself, or an identifiable signal from a preceding vehicle such as a blue light, it causes a rearward facing blue light to illuminate. This blue light indicates to following motorists that the perceived vehicle is decelerating or that a vehicle somewhere in front from of it is decelerating. The blue light also may be received by another vehicle equipped with the invention and consequently be transmitted rearwardly. In a general form, a data encoded high frequency signal is transmitted rearwardly from a vehicle. This signal contains information relating to deceleration of any preceding vehicles (Chain Brake) and of the transmitting vehicle (Brake). A receiving vehicle analyzes and displays this data to provide a motorist with information regarding preceding vehicles that may or may not be seen by the motorist. In a complex form, a variety of data is transmitted and received bi-directionally throughout the chain.
176 Citations
32 Claims
-
1. An apparatus mounted to a first movable unit for receiving a first directional and identifiable electromagnetic signal, or sending a second directional and identifiable electromagnetic signal, said first signal comprising a first portion relating to a change in velocity of any movable unit preceding a second movable unit wherein said second movable unit immediately precedes said first movable unit, and a second portion relating to a change in velocity of said second movable unit wherein said first signal has a predetermined data size, and said second signal comprising a first portion relating to a change in velocity of any movable unit preceding said first movable unit and a second portion relating to a change in velocity of said first movable unit wherein said second signal has a predetermined data size and signal strength, the apparatus comprising:
-
a processing unit; a detector coupled to said processing unit for receiving said first signal; an emitter coupled to said processing unit for transmitting said second signal; a deceleration indicator coupled to said processing unit to indicate deceleration of said first movable unit; and means for analyzing said first portion and said second portion of said first signal to transmit an appropriately updated and integrated, second directional and identifiable electromagnetic signal as a result of such analysis, said first signal and said second signal being equivalent in data size. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
-
-
12. A system for transmitting and receiving information using directional and identifiable electromagnetic signals comprising:
-
a first movable unit having a first processing unit; a detector coupled to said processing unit for receiving a first signal, said first signal comprising a first portion relating to a change in velocity of any movable unit preceding a second movable unit wherein said second movable unit immediately precedes said first movable unit, and a second portion relating to a change in velocity of said second movable unit wherein said first signal has a predetermined data size; an emitter coupled to said first processing unit for transmitting a second signal, said second signal comprising a first portion relating to a change in velocity of any movable unit preceding said first movable unit and a second portion relating to a change in velocity of said first movable unit wherein said second signal has a predetermined data size; a deceleration indicator coupled to said first processing unit to indicate deceleration of said first movable unit; means for analyzing said first portion and said second portion of said first signal to transmit an appropriately updated and integrated, second directional and identifiable electromagnetic signal as a result of such analysis, said first signal and said second signal being equivalent in data size; said second movable unit having a second processing unit; a detector coupled to said second processing unit for receiving said second signal; an emitter coupled to said second processing unit for transmitting a third signal, said third signal comprising a first portion relating to a change in velocity of any movable unit preceding said second movable unit and a second portion relating to a change in velocity of said second movable unit; a deceleration indicator coupled to said second processing unit to indicate deceleration of said second movable unit; and means for analyzing said first portion and said second portion of said second signal to transmit an appropriately updated and integrated, third directional and identifiable electromagnetic signal as a result of such analysis, having a data size equivalent to said first and second signal. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
-
-
18. A method for establishing a data communication conduit between a plurality of movable vehicles, each said vehicle having:
-
a processing unit, a detector coupled to said processing unit for receiving a directional and identifiable electromagnetic signal, an emitter coupled to said processing unit for transmitting a directional and identifiable electromagnetic signal, a deceleration indicator coupled to said processing unit to indicate deceleration of the equipped movable unit, and means for analyzing a received signal to determine if any immediately preceding vehicle is decelerating or if a vehicle preceding said immediately preceding vehicle is decelerating comprising the steps of; a) positioning each vehicle of said plurality of vehicles so as to establish a linear chain of vehicles that are in signal communication with one another; b) transmitting a signal having a predetermined data size, said transmitted signal comprising information relating to conditions of other vehicles preceding a transmitting vehicle and relating to said transmitting vehicle; c) receiving said transmitted signal by a following vehicle, and said following vehicle updating and integrating said signal with information relating to said following vehicle and retransmitting said updated and integrated signal wherein said retransmitted signal has a data size equivalent to said received signal; and d) repeating steps b) and c) wherein said following vehicle becomes said transmitting vehicle upon integrating and retransmitting said information contained in said received signal until no more vehicles receive a last transmitted signal. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
-
-
24. A method for receiving, processing, and transmitting a directional and identifiable electromagnetic signal having a predetermined data size by a first movable unit comprising the steps of:
-
(a) receiving a first signal, if present, wherein said first signal comprises information relating to a change in velocity of any unit preceding said first unit; (b) processing said first signal and integrating said first signal with information relating to a change in velocity of said first unit wherein the data size of said first signal is not changed; and (c) transmitting a second signal wherein said second signal comprises velocity information obtained from said first signal as modified in step (b). - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
-
Specification