Vehicle safety automatic braking apparatus

• US 5,706,909 A
• Filed: 07/01/1996
• Issued: 01/13/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Connolly Enterprises, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Marc W. Plante, Steven D. Bevins
• Inventors: Bevins, Steven D., Plante, Marc W.
• Primary Examiner(s): English, Peter C.
• Application Number:
  US08/673,081
• Time in Patent Office: 561 Days
• Field of Search: 180/273, 180/272, 180/271, 180/287, 188/109, 188/162, 303/19, 340/426, 340/667, 307/10.2, 307/10.3, 307/10.4
• US Class Current: 180/273
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/04 operating on the propulsion system, e.g. engine or drive motor
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/25 using biometry
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 7/12 for automatic initiation; for initiation not subject to will of driver or passenger limiting speed of vehicles other than rail vehicles B60K31/00

Abstract

A vehicle safety automatic braking apparatus having a driver seat weight sensor, a velocity sensor, an emergency brake actuator, and an engine kill switch which are interfaced with a controlling microprocessor. A microprocessor monitors the weight sensor and velocity sensor and, upon detection of the weight in the driver'"'"'s seat falling outside a predetermined range and the speed of the vehicle being below a predetermined threshold, the emergency brake actuator and engine kill switch are activated to arrest motion of the vehicle.

Claims

1. An automatic braking apparatus for a vehicle having a driver seat, a brake and an engine, comprising:

(a) weight sensing means for sensing weight load on said driver seat;

(b) speed sensing means for sensing speed of said vehicle;

(c) braking means for activating said brake;

(d) control processor means operatively coupled to said weight sensing means, said speed sensing means, and said braking means for activating said braking means when said weight load on said driver seat is outside a preset weight load range concurrently with said vehicle moving at a speed below a preset speed threshold.

2. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, further comprising means for deactivating said engine concurrently with activating said braking means.

3. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, further comprising means for activating an automobile horn concurrently with activating said braking means.

4. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said control processor means includes means for entry, storage and selection of a plurality of weight load ranges.

5. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said speed sensing means comprises a magnetic encoder, said magnetic encoder associated with a vehicle transmission.

6. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said braking means comprises an emergency brake actuator, said emergency brake actuator comprising:

(a) a DC motor;

(b) a linear gear, said linear gear mechanically interfaced with said DC motor; and

(c) means, included on an end of said linear gear, for engaging a vehicle emergency brake cable.

7. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, further comprising lock means for controlling access to said control processor means.

8. A vehicle safety automatic braking apparatus, comprising:

(a) a driver seat weight sensor;

(b) a vehicle speed sensor;

(c) braking means for activating a vehicle emergency brake;

(d) engine deactivating means for deactivating a vehicle engine; and

(e) a microprocessor, said microprocessor including program means for receiving a weight load sensed by said weight sensor, for receiving a vehicle speed sensed by said vehicle speed sensor, and for activating both said bring means and said engine deactivating means when said weight load is outside a stored weight load window concurrently with the vehicle speed being below a stored vehicle speed threshold.

9. An apparatus as recited in claim 8, further comprising:

(a) means for activating a vehicle horn;

(b) said microprocessor including program means for activating said vehicle horn activating means when said sensed weight load is outside said stored weight load window concurrently with the vehicle speed being below the stored vehicle speed threshold.

10. An apparatus as recited in claim 8 wherein said vehicle speed sensor comprises a magnetic encoder, said magnetic encoder associated with a vehicle transmission.

11. An apparatus as recited in claim 8, wherein said braking means comprises an emergency brake actuator, said emergency brake actuator comprising:

(a) a DC motor;

(b) a linear gear, said linear gear mechanically interfaced with said DC motor; and

(c) means, included on an end of said linear gear, for engaging a vehicle emergency brake cable.

12. An apparatus as recited in claim 8, further comprising lock means for controlling access to said microprocessor.

13. A vehicle safety automatic braking apparatus, comprising:

(a) a driver weight sensor, said weight sensor associated with a vehicle driver seat;

(b) a vehicle velocity sensor;

(c) an emergency brake actuator;

(d) an engine kill switch;

(e) a vehicle horn activation switch; and

(f) a microprocessor, said microprocessor interfaced with said driver weight sensor, said vehicle velocity sensor, said emergency brake actuator, said engine kill switch, and said vehicle horn activation switch, said microprocessor including program means for simultaneously activating said brake actuator, said engine kill switch and said horn activation switch when the weight sensed by said driver weight sensor is outside a stored weight load window concurrently with the speed of the vehicle sensed by said velocity sensor being below a stored vehicle speed threshold.

14. An apparatus as recited in claim 13, wherein said microprocessor includes programming means for carrying out the operations of:

(a) allowing entry and storage of at least one weight range for said driver weight sensor;

(b) allowing entry and storage of at least one speed threshold for said vehicle velocity sensor;

(c) allowing entry and storage of at least one driver weight value; and

(d) monitoring input from said driver weight sensor and said vehicle velocity sensor.

15. An apparatus as recited in claim 13, wherein said emergency brake actuator comprises:

(a) a DC motor;

(b) a linear gear, said linear gear mechanically interfaced with said DC motor; and

(c) means, included on an end of said linear gear, for engaging a vehicle emergency brake cable.

16. An apparatus as recited in claim 13, further comprising lock means for controlling access to said microprocessor.

17. A method for arresting movement of a vehicle, comprising the steps of:

(a) providing an automatic braking apparatus, said automatic braking apparatus including a driver weight sensor associated with a vehicle driver seat, a vehicle velocity sensor, an emergency brake actuator, an engine kill switch, a vehicle horn activation switch for activating a vehicle horn, and a microprocessor, said microprocessor interfaced with said driver weight sensor, said vehicle velocity sensor, said emergency brake actuator, said engine kill switch, and said vehicle horn activation switch;

(b) entering and storing a weight load window for said driver weight sensor and a vehicle velocity threshold for said vehicle velocity sensor;

(c) monitoring said driver weight sensor and said vehicle velocity sensor;

(d) activating said emergency brake actuator when weight sensed by said driver weight sensor is outside said weight load window concurrently with velocity sensed by said vehicle velocity sensor being below said vehicle velocity threshold; and

(e) activating said engine kill switch when weight sensed by said driver weight sensor is outside said weight load window concurrently with velocity sensed by said vehicle velocity sensor being below said vehicle velocity threshold.

18. A method for arresting movement of a vehicle as recited in claim 17, further comprising the step of activating said vehicle horn when weight sensed by said driver weight sensor is outside said weight load window concurrently with velocity sensed by said vehicle velocity sensor being below said vehicle velocity threshold.