Anti-collision system

• US 5,931,547 A
• Filed: 03/05/1997
• Issued: 08/03/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Meir Yisochor Lerner
• Original Assignee: Meir Yisochor Lerner
• Inventors: Lerner, Meir Yisochor
• Primary Examiner(s): Oberleitner, Robert
• Assistant Examiner(s): TORRES WILLIAMS, MELANIE
• Application Number:
  US08/812,338
• Time in Patent Office: 881 Days
• Field of Search: 303/193, 303/125, 303/3, 180/169, 188/156, 73/128, 73/129, 73/132
• US Class Current: 303/193
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 7/22 initiated by contact of vehicle, e.g. bumper, with an external object, e.g. another vehicle , or by means of contactless obstacle detectors mounted on the vehicle

Abstract

A new Anti-Collision System for providing an audible warning to a vehicle operator indicating that the collision time to an obstacle located ahead of the vehicle is less than a pre-determined warning time and for providing a braking pressure to the vehicle'"'"'s hydraulic fluid braking system upon the condition that the collision time is less than a pre-determined danger time and that the vehicle brake pressure is under a pre-determined brake pressure limit. The inventive device includes a laser rangefinder mountable upon a front side of the vehicle for generating a first electronic signal, a digital speedometer for generating a second electronic signal, a microcontroller for processing the first electronic signal to determine the distance between the vehicle and an obstacle located in front of the vehicle and for processing the second electronic signal to determine the self-speed of the vehicle, an audible alarm functionally connected to the microcontroller for producing an alarm upon the receipt of an alarm signal from the microcontroller and a braking system including a solenoid driven, spring biased piston disposed within a sealed hydraulic fluid reservoir functionally connected to the controller for applying a braking force to the vehicle upon the receipt of a braking signal from the microcontroller.

Claims

1. An Anti-Collision System for use with a vehicle having a hydraulic fluid braking system comprising:

a laser rangefinder mountable upon a front side of the vehicle for generating a first electronic signal;

a self-speed determining means for generating a second electronic signal;

a controller for processing the first electronic signal to determine the distance between the vehicle and an obstacle located in front of the vehicle and for processing the second electronic signal to determine the self-speed of the vehicle;

an alarm means functionally connected to the controller for producing an alarm upon the receipt of an alarm signal from the controller; and

a braking means functionally connected to the controller for applying a braking force to the vehicle upon the receipt of a braking signal from the controller, the braking means further comprising a solenoid driver responsive to the braking signal, the solenoid driver being coupled to a solenoid, and a piston slidably and sealingly disposed within a sealed fluid reservoir in fluid flow communication with the vehicle'"'"'s hydraulic fluid braking system, the piston being fixedly attached to a shaft, the shaft being spring biased against the sealed fluid reservoir and further comprising a solenoid core, the piston exerting a force upon a hydraulic fluid disposed within the sealed fluid reservoir upon the activation of the solenoid, the hydraulic fluid exerting a hydraulic pressure upon the vehicle'"'"'s hydraulic fluid braking system.

2. The Anti-Collision System of claim 1, wherein the controller includes means for determining a collision time by dividing the distance between the vehicle and the obstacle by the self-speed of the vehicle.

3. The Anti-Collision System of claim 2, wherein the controller includes means for comparing the collision time to a pre-determined warning time and generating the alarm signal indicating that the collision time is less than the pre-determined warning time.

4. The Anti-Collision System of claim 2, wherein the controller includes means for comparing the collision time with a pre-determined danger time, means for comparing a vehicle brake pressure with a pre-determined brake pressure limit and means for generating the braking signal indicating that the collision time is less than the pre-determined danger time and that the vehicle brake pressure is less than the pre-determined brake pressure limit.

5. The Anti-Collision System of claim 1, wherein the self-speed determining means further comprise a digital speedometer.

6. The Anti-Collision System of claim 1, wherein the alarm means further comprise an audible alarm mounted in a vehicle interior.

7. The Anti-Collision System of claim 4, wherein the means for comparing the vehicle brake pressure with the pre-determined brake pressure limit further comprise a pressure transducer coupled to the vehicle'"'"'s hydraulic fluid braking system for providing a first brake pressure signal, the first brake pressure signal being coupled to an analog to digital converter for providing a second brake pressure signal to the controller for processing to determine the brake pressure.

8. An Anti-Collision System for use with a vehicle having a hydraulic fluid braking system comprising:

a laser rangefinder mountable upon a front side of the vehicle for generating a first electronic signal;

a digital speedometer for generating a second electronic signal;

a controller for processing the first electronic signal to determine the distance between the vehicle and an obstacle located ahead of the vehicle and for processing the second electronic signal to determine the self-speed of the vehicle, the controller further comprising means for determining a collision time by dividing the distance between the vehicle and the obstacle by the self-speed of the vehicle, means for comparing the collision time to a pre-determined warning time and generating an alarm signal indicating that the collision time is less than the pre-determined warning time, means for comparing the collision time with a pre-determined danger time, means for comparing a vehicle brake pressure with a pre-determined brake pressure limit comprising a pressure transducer coupled to the vehicle'"'"'s hydraulic fluid braking system for providing a first brake pressure signal, the first brake pressure signal being coupled to an analog to digital converter for providing a second brake pressure signal to the controller for processing to determine the brake pressure, and means for generating a braking signal indicating that the collision time is less than the pre-determined danger time and that the vehicle brake pressure is less than the pre-determined brake pressure limit;

an audible alarm mounted in a vehicle interior, the audible alarm being functionally connected to the controller for producing an alarm upon the receipt of the alarm signal from the controller;

a solenoid driver responsive to the braking signal, the solenoid driver being coupled to a solenoid; and

a piston slidably and sealingly disposed within a sealed fluid reservoir in fluid flow communication with the vehicle'"'"'s hydraulic fluid braking system, the piston being fixedly attached to a shaft, the shaft being spring biased against the scaled fluid reservoir and further comprising a solenoid core, the piston exerting a force upon a hydraulic fluid disposed within the scaled fluid reservoir upon the activation of the solenoid, the hydraulic fluid exerting a hydraulic pressure upon the vehicle'"'"'s hydraulic fluid braking system.