Vehicle collision avoidance system

• US 5,714,947 A
• Filed: 01/28/1997
• Issued: 02/03/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation (Northrop Grumman Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Northrop Grumman Corporation
• Inventors: Mittra, Raj, Kuskowski, Leonard J., Richardson, David L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hofsass, Jeffrey
• Assistant Examiner(s): LIEU, JULIE BICHNGOC
• Application Number:
  US08/790,145
• Time in Patent Office: 371 Days
• Field of Search: 340/903, 340/435, 342/70, 342/71, 342/72, 343/781 P, 343/781 CA, 343/837, 343/839, 343/761, 367/909
• US Class Current: 340/903
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/932 using own vehicle data, e.g. ground speed, steering wheel direction
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9325 for inter-vehicle distance regulation, e.g. navigating in platoons
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/02 of systems according to group G01S13/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/3233 particular used as part of a sensor or in a security system, e.g. for automotive radar, navigation systems
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 19/192 with dual offset reflectors
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 367/907 Coordinate determination

Abstract

A collision avoidance system for a vehicle has a vehicle steering sensor for sensing a direction in which the vehicle is being steered, a source of radiation, an articulated reflector for directing radiation from the source in a desired direction, an articulation mechanism for effecting articulation of the articulate reflector, and a close loop control circuit responsive to the vehicle steering sensor for controlling the articulation mechanism so as to cause the articulated reflector to direct radiation in a direction which is generally the same as that direction in which the vehicle is turning.

Claims

1. A collision avoidance system for a vehicle, the system comprising:

a) a vehicle steering sensor for sensing a direction in which the vehicle is being steered;

b) a source of radiation;

c) an articulated reflector for directing radiation from the source in a desired direction;

d) an articulation mechanism for effecting articulation of the articulate reflector; and

e) a closed loop control circuit responsive to the vehicle steering sensor for controlling the articulation mechanism so as to cause the articulated reflector to direct radiation in a direction which is generally the same as that direction in which the vehicle is turning.

2. The collision avoidance system as recited in claim 1 wherein said source of radiation comprises:

a) a feed horn; and

b) a fixed reflector receiving radiation from the feed horn and directing the radiation onto the articulated reflector.

3. The collision avoidance system as recited in claim 1 wherein the radiation comprises microwave radiation.

4. The collision avoidance system as recited in claim 1 wherein the articulated reflector is configured as a elliptic paraboloid.

5. The collision avoidance system as recited in claim 1 wherein the articulation mechanism is configured to effect rotation of the articulated reflector about a generally vertical axis.

6. The collision avoidance system as recited in claim 1 wherein the articulation mechanism is configured to effect translation of the articulated reflector along a transverse axis of the vehicle.

7. The collision avoidance system as recited in claim 1 wherein the vehicle steering sensor senses a direction in which a steering wheel has been turned.

8. The collision avoidance system as recited in claim 1 wherein the closed loop control circuit comprises a microprocessor.

9. A method for avoiding collision of a vehicle, the method comprising the steps of:

a) sensing a direction in which the vehicle is being steered;

b) directing radiation upon an articulated reflector;

c) articulating the articulated reflector so as to direct the radiation therefrom; and

d) using position feedback to control the direction in which the radiation is directed from the articulated reflector, the direction being generally the same as the sensed direction in which the vehicle is being steered.

10. The method as recited in claim 9 wherein the step of directing radiation upon an articulated reflector comprises directing radiation from a feedhorn to the articulated reflector via a fixed reflector.

11. The method as recited in claim 9 wherein the step of directing radiation comprises directing microwave radiation.

12. The method as recited in claim 9 wherein the step of articulating the articulated reflector comprises rotating the articulated reflector about a generally vertical axis.

13. The method as recited in claim 9 wherein the step of articulating the articulated reflector comprises translating the articulated reflector along a transverse axis of the vehicle.

14. The method as recited in claim 9 wherein the step of sensing a direction in which the vehicle is being steered comprises sensing a direction in which a steering wheel has been turned.

15. The method as recited in claim 9 wherein the step of controlling the direction in which the radiation is directed from the articulated reflector comprises performing closed loop control utilizing a microprocessor.