Deceleration warning system

• US 5,594,416 A
• Filed: 11/20/1995
• Issued: 01/14/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG, Volkswagen AG
• Original Assignee: Max Gerhaher
• Inventors: Gerhaher, Max
• Primary Examiner(s): SWARTHOUT, BRENT
• Application Number:
  US08/561,206
• Time in Patent Office: 421 Days
• Field of Search: 340/467, 340/464, 340/479, 340/903, 340/435, 307/10.8
• US Class Current: 340/467
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/302 mounted in the vicinity, e.g. in the middle, of a rear window
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/444 with indication of the braking strength or speed changes, e.g. by changing shape or intensity of the indication B60Q1/1407, B60Q1/442, B60Q1/447 take precedence

Abstract

A deceleration warning unit and a method for the control thereof serve for reducing the danger of rear end collisions in road traffic or in other movements of bodies. In order to avoid the disadvantages of conventional brake lights and warning blinking systems the intensity of the warning by the deceleration warning system of a vehicle ahead is made dependent on the level of the danger factor G, which applied for such vehicle and may be relevant for the following vehicle.

Claims

1. A deceleration warning system for reduction in danger of rear end collisions in road traffic or in connection with other movements of objects, said warning system comprising two or more deceleration warning lights in a decelerating vehicle which are intermittently turned on, wherein an intensity of a warning produced by the deceleration warning lights of the decelerating vehicle is dependent on a level of a danger factor G which originates from the decelerating vehicle and which is seen by following vehicles;

wherein said deceleration warning system responds when a deceleration of the decelerating vehicle exceeds a selected deceleration value and the danger factor is an overall danger factor Σ

G which is dependent on a level of an instantaneous or preceding level of a deceleration b of the decelerating vehicle; and

wherein the overall danqer factor Σ

G is dependent on duration t or a deceleration distance s of a preceding deceleration b of the deceleratinq vehicle.

2. The deceleration warning system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the overall danger factor Σ

G is dependent on the deceleration b of the decelerating vehicle and the time t or the deceleration distance s as a product b x t or b x s, which is ascertained as an integral of varying deceleration b of the decelerating vehicle over a period of time t or along a deceleration distance s, according to the following formulae;

##EQU8##

3. The deceleration warning system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the overall danger factor is ascertained according to the following formulae:

##EQU9##

4. The deceleration warning system as claimed in claim 2, wherein a level of speed at which the decelerating vehicle is moving prior to deceleration caused by braking, V_o, is taken into account and the overall danger factor is ascertained according to the following formulae:

##EQU10##

5. The deceleration warning system as claimed in claim 1, wherein, during a response of an anti-wheel lock system of the decelerating vehicle, a limitation of hydraulic brake pressure is taken into account in ascertaining the overall danger factor.

6. The deceleration warning system as claimed in claim in claim 1, further comprising a proximity radar unit or an ultrasonic distance warning device mounted on a rear of the decelerating vehicle for measuring a distance from a following vehicle.

7. The deceleration warning system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the overall danger factor is increased and updated by a continuous recording, by integration and by storage of new, additional partial danger factors Δ

G.

8. The deceleration warning system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the overall danger factor is decreased and updated by an integration of negative partial danger factors -Δ

G.

9. The deceleration warning system as claimed in claim 8, wherein storage of negative overall danger factors is suppressed.

10. The deceleration warning system as claimed in claim 8, wherein cancellation of the stored overall danger factor takes place based on elapse of time.

11. The deceleration warning system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the cancellation takes place in accordance with time or is dependent on a respective residual danger factor.

12. The deceleration warning system as claimed in claim 11, wherein the cancellation is interrupted at a certain stored residual danger factor.

13. The deceleration warning system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the cancellation is interrupted dependent on a speed of the decelerating vehicle or an operation of an anti-wheel lock system of the decelerating vehicle at a certain stored residual danger factor.

14. The deceleration warning system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the cancellation is interrupted dependent on a certain speed-related minimum distance of the decelerating vehicle from a following vehicle.

15. The deceleration warning system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the cancellation is interrupted continuously on storage of positive partial danger factors Δ

G.

16. The deceleration warning system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the warning is produced responsive to a rearwardly directed proximity radar unit and is dependent on a minimum distance from a following vehicle from the decelerating vehicle.

17. The deceleration warning system as claimed in claim 1, wherein a deceleration warning light produces light phases of unequal duration with short constant dark phases therebetween, said light phases being shorter when there is an increase in the danger factor.

18. The deceleration warning system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the deceleration warning light produces light phases of constant duration with shorter unequal dark phases therebetween, said dark phases being shorter when there is an increase in the danger factor.

19. The deceleration warning system as claimed in claim 1, wherein a deceleration warning light produces light phases of constant duration with dark phases of equal duration therebetween, which dark phases being shorter when there is an increase in the danger factor.

20. The deceleration warning system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the intensity of a deceleration warning light increases with an increase in the danger factor.

21. The deceleration warning system as claimed in claim 1, wherein a number of turned on deceleration warning lights or an effective surface area thereof increases with an increase in the danger factor.

22. The deceleration warning system as claimed in claim 1, wherein a number of turned on deceleration warning lights are arranged in strip arrays, and a turned on length thereof increases with an increase in the danger factor.

23. The deceleration warning system as claimed in claim 1, wherein a brightness of a deceleration warning light depends on ambient light brightness.