System with light display and data recorder for monitoring vehicle in relation to adjacent vehicle

• US 6,240,346 B1
• Filed: 09/22/1999
• Issued: 05/29/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Gary D. Pignato
• Original Assignee: Gary D. Pignato
• Inventors: Pignato, Gary D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuchlinski, Jr., William A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hernandez, Olga
• Application Number:
  US09/401,441
• Time in Patent Office: 615 Days
• Field of Search: 701/35, 701/1, 701/301, 701/96, 701/93, 701/23, 340/901, 340/902, 340/903, 340/425.5, 340/438, 340/463, 340/825.06, 342/455, 307/9.1, 280/422
• US Class Current: 701/35
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/535 to prevent rear-end collisions, e.g. by indicating safety distance at the rear of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/008 for anti-collision purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes

Abstract

A system installed in a resident vehicle monitors a number of operating profile parameters of the resident vehicle as well as data associated with the resident vehicle in relation to a leading or trailing vehicle. A light indicator having a number of lights viewable by a trailing vehicle and/or the driver of the resident vehicle is controlled to provide a warning to indicate that one of the vehicles is tailgating another vehicle and/or closing on another vehicle at a speed that is unsafe. The monitored data is stored in association with the time of occurrence of the data to provide a record thereof. Further, the system can include one or more cameras to provide a digital image of the view in front of the resident vehicle or in back thereof. The images are stored in association with the profile and time of occurrence data to provide a record thereof.

Claims

1. A system for use in a resident vehicle for monitoring the resident vehicle in relation to an adjacent vehicle, the resident vehicle having a plurality of operating parameters under a driver'"'"'s control including speed of the vehicle, the system comprising:

a range finder mounted on the resident vehicle to determine a distance from a trailing vehicle;

a controller responsive to the speed of the resident vehicle to determine a safe following distance, the controller comparing the trailing vehicle distance to the safe following distance to determine whether the trailing vehicle is at a distance from the resident vehicle that is less than the determined safe following distance; and

an indicator mounted on the resident vehicle and viewable by the trailing vehicle, the indicator being responsive to the controller to warn the trailing vehicle that it is following the resident vehicle too closely.

2. A monitoring system for use in a resident vehicle as recited in claim 1 wherein said indicator includes a plurality of lights and the controller controls the lights to provide different light presentations to indicate various levels of warnings in response to distance data from the range finder.

3. A monitoring system for use in a resident vehicle as recited in claim 1 wherein the controller samples the trailing vehicle distance over time and is responsive to a plurality of the sampled distance values to determine how fast the trailing vehicle is approaching the resident vehicle, the controller comparing how fast the trailing vehicle is approaching to a predetermined value and the controller controlling the indicator to provide an indication that the trailing vehicle is approaching too fast if the predetermined value is met or exceeded.

4. A monitoring system for use in a resident vehicle as recited in claim 1 wherein the indicator is a plurality of lights controlled by the controller to provide different light patterns depending upon how close the trailing vehicle is to the resident vehicle.

5. A monitoring system for use in a resident vehicle as recited in claim 1 including a memory for storing data and wherein the controller stores in the memory data representing a plurality of operating parameters of the resident vehicle and data representing the distance of a trailing vehicle in association with data representing the time of occurrence of the data to provide a record thereof.

6. A monitoring system for use in a resident vehicle as recited in claim 5 wherein the memory stores a predetermined amount of data, the oldest stored data being replaced with new data as new data exceeding the predetermined amount of data is received.

7. A monitoring system for use in a resident vehicle as recited in claim 5 wherein the memory is a non-volatile data storage device.

8. A monitoring system for use in a resident vehicle as recited in claim 5 wherein the memory includes a temporary memory that stores a predetermined amount of data, the stored oldest data being replaced with new data as new data exceeding the predetermined amount of data is received and a permanent memory that stores a predetermined amount of data.

9. A monitoring system for use in a resident vehicle as recited in claim 8 wherein the controller transfers data from the temporary memory to the permanent memory upon the occurrence of at least one predetermined event.

10. A monitoring system for use in a resident vehicle as recited in claim 9 including a manually actuable switch wherein one event to which the controller responds to transfer the data to the permanent memory is the manual actuation of the switch.

11. A monitoring system for use in a resident vehicle as recited in claim 9 wherein the controller monitors the deceleration of the resident vehicle and transfers the data to the permanent memory if the resident vehicle'"'"'s deceleration is greater than or equal to a predetermined value.

12. A monitoring system for use in a resident vehicle as recited in claim 9 wherein the system is coupled to a power supply and the controller transfers data to the permanent memory if power from the power supply to the system is interrupted.

13. A monitoring system for use in a resident vehicle as recited in claim 5 including at least one camera mounted on the resident vehicle in a position to pick up an image of an adjacent vehicle and the controller storing in the memory an image picked up by the camera in association with data representing the time of occurrence of the image.

14. A system for use in a resident vehicle for monitoring the resident vehicle in relation to an adjacent vehicle, the resident vehicle having a plurality of operating parameters under a driver'"'"'s control including speed of the vehicle, the system comprising:

a range finder mounted on the resident vehicle to determine a distance from a leading vehicle;

a controller responsive to the speed of the resident vehicle to determine a safe following distance, the controller comparing the leading vehicle distance to the safe following distance to determine whether the resident vehicle is at a distance from the leading vehicle that is less than the determined safe following distance;

a first visual indicator mounted on the resident vehicle in a position viewable by the driver of the resident vehicle and responsive to the controller to provide a visual warning that the resident vehicle is following the leading vehicle too closely; and

a second visual indicator mounted on the resident vehicle in a position viewable by the driver of a trailing vehicle to provide a visual warning that the resident vehicle is following the leading vehicle too closely.

15. A monitoring system for use in a resident vehicle as recited in claim 14 including a range finder mounted on the resident vehicle to determine a distance from the trailing vehicle, the controller comparing the trailing vehicle distance to the safe following distance to determine whether the trailing vehicle distance is less than the safe following distance and the controller controlling the first and/or second indicator to provide a warning that a trailing vehicle is following the resident vehicle too closely if the trailing vehicle distance is less than the safe following distance.

16. A monitoring system for use in a resident vehicle as recited in claim 15 wherein the indicator includes a plurality of lights controlled by the controller to provide one light pattern to warn that the trailing vehicle is following the resident vehicle too closely and a different light pattern if the resident vehicle is following a leading vehicle too closely.

17. A system for use in a resident vehicle for monitoring the resident vehicle in relation to an adjacent vehicle, the resident vehicle having a plurality of operating parameters under a driver'"'"'s control including speed of the vehicle, the system comprising:

a range finder mounted on the resident vehicle to determine a distance from a leading vehicle;

a controller responsive to the speed of the resident vehicle to determine a safe following distance, the controller comparing the leading vehicle distance to the safe following distance to determine whether the resident vehicle is at a distance from the leading vehicle that is less than the determined safe following distance; and

an indicator mounted on the resident vehicle and responsive to the controller to provide a warning that the resident vehicle is following the leading vehicle too closely wherein the controller samples the leading vehicle distance over time and is responsive to a plurality of the sampled distance values to determine how fast the resident vehicle is approaching a leading vehicle, the controller comparing how fast the resident vehicle is approaching a leading vehicle to a predetermined value and the controller controlling the indicator to provide an indication that the resident vehicle is approaching too fast if the predetermined value is met or exceeded.

18. A system for use in a resident vehicle for monitoring the resident vehicle in relation to an adjacent vehicle, the resident vehicle having a plurality of operating parameters under a driver'"'"'s control including speed of the vehicle, the system comprising:

a range finder mounted on the resident vehicle to determine a distance from a leading vehicle;

a memory for storing data;

a controller responsive to the speed of the resident vehicle to determine a safe following distance, the controller comparing the leading vehicle distance to the safe following distance to determine whether the resident vehicle is at a distance from the leading vehicle that is less than the determined safe following distance and the controller storing in the memory data representing a plurality of operating parameters of the resident vehicle including data representing the leading vehicle distance in association with data representing the time of occurrence of the data to provide a record thereof; and

an indicator mounted on the resident vehicle and responsive to the controller to provide a warning that the resident vehicle is following the leading vehicle too closely.

19. A monitoring system for use in a resident vehicle as recited in claim 18 wherein the memory stores a predetermined amount of data, the oldest stored data being replaced with new data as new data exceeding the predetermined amount of data is received.

20. A monitoring system for use in a resident vehicle as recited in claim 18 wherein the memory is a non-volatile data storage device.

21. A monitoring system for use in a resident vehicle as recited in claim 18 wherein the memory includes a temporary memory that stores a predetermined amount of data, the stored oldest data being replaced with new data as new data exceeding the predetermined amount of data is received and a permanent memory that stores a predetermined amount of data.

22. A monitoring system for use in a resident vehicle as recited in claim 21 wherein the controller transfers data from the temporary memory to the permanent memory upon the occurrence of at least one predetermined event.

23. A monitoring system for use in a resident vehicle as recited in claim 22 including a manually actuable switch wherein one event to which the controller responds to transfer the data to the permanent memory is the manual actuation of the switch.

24. A monitoring system for use in a resident vehicle as recited in claim 22 wherein the controller monitors the deceleration of the resident vehicle and transfers the data to the permanent memory if the resident vehicle'"'"'s deceleration is greater than or equal to a predetermined value.

25. A monitoring system for use in a resident vehicle as recited in claim 22 wherein the system is coupled to a power supply and the controller transfers data to the permanent memory if power from the power supply to the system is interrupted.

26. A monitoring system for use in a resident vehicle as recited in claim 18 including at least one camera mounted on the resident vehicle in a position to pick up an image of an adjacent vehicle and the controller storing in the memory an image picked up by the camera in association with data representing the time of occurrence of the image.

27. A vehicle operating data recorder for use in a resident vehicle having a plurality of operating parameters under a driver'"'"'s control including speed of the vehicle, the data recorder comprising:

a range finder mounted on the resident vehicle to determine a distance from an adjacent vehicle;

a memory; and

a controller sampling each of a plurality of the operating parameters of the resident vehicle and the adjacent vehicle distance over time, the controller storing in the memory data representing the sampled plurality of operating parameters of the resident vehicle and the adjacent vehicle distance in association with data representing the time of occurrence of the sampled data to provide a record thereof.

28. A vehicle operating data recorder as recited in claim 27 wherein the memory stores a predetermined amount of data, the oldest stored data being replaced with new data as new data exceeding the predetermined amount of data is received.

29. A vehicle operating data recorder as recited in claim 27 wherein the memory is a non-volatile memory.

30. A vehicle operating data recorder as recited in claim 27 wherein the memory includes a temporary memory that stores a predetermined amount of data, the stored oldest data being replaced with new data as new data exceeding the predetermined amount of data is received and a permanent memory that stores a predetermined amount of data.

31. A vehicle operating data recorder as recited in claim 30 wherein the controller transfers data from the temporary memory to the permanent memory upon the occurrence of at least one predetermined event.

32. A vehicle operating data recorder as recited in claim 31 including a manually actuable switch wherein one event to which the controller responds to transfer the data to the permanent memory is the manual actuation of the switch.

33. A vehicle operating data recorder as recited in claim 31 wherein the controller monitors the deceleration of the resident vehicle and transfers the data to the permanent memory if the resident vehicle'"'"'s deceleration is greater than or equal to a predetermined value.

34. A vehicle operating data recorder as recited in claim 31 wherein the data recorder is coupled to a power supply and the controller transfers data to the permanent memory if power from the power supply to the data recorder is interrupted.

35. A vehicle operating data recorder as recited in claim 27 including at least one camera mounted on the resident vehicle in a position to pick up an image of an adjacent vehicle and the controller storing in the memory an image picked up by the camera in association with data representing the time of occurrence of the image.

36. A vehicle operating data recorder as recited in claim 27 including an indicator mounted on the resident vehicle and controlled by the controller to provide a warning if the adjacent vehicle distance is less than a determined value.

37. A vehicle operating data recorder as recited in claim 36 wherein the indicator is viewable by an adjacent vehicle.

38. A vehicle operating data recorder for use in a resident vehicle having a plurality of operating parameters under a driver'"'"'s control, comprising:

at least one camera mounted on the resident vehicle in a position to pick up an image of an adjacent vehicle;

a memory; and

a controller periodically sampling each of a plurality of the operating parameters of the resident vehicle, the controller storing in the memory an image picked up by the camera in association with a plurality of the sampled operating parameters and in association with data representing the time of occurrence of the picked up image and the sampled operating parameters.

39. A vehicle operating data recorder as recited in claim 38 wherein the memory stores a predetermined amount of data, the oldest stored data being replaced with new data as new data exceeding the predetermined amount of data is received.

40. A vehicle operating data recorder as recited in claim 38 wherein the memory is a non-volatile data storage device.

41. A vehicle operating data recorder as recited in claim 40 wherein the memory includes a temporary memory that stores a predetermined amount of data, the stored oldest data being replaced with new data as new data exceeding the predetermined amount of data is received and a permanent memory that stores a predetermined amount of data.

42. A vehicle operating data recorder as recited in claim 41 wherein the controller transfers data from the temporary memory to the permanent memory upon the occurrence of at least one predetermined event.

43. A vehicle operating data recorder as recited in claim 42 including a manually actuable switch wherein one event to which the controller responds to transfer the data to the permanent memory is the manual actuation of the switch.

44. A vehicle operating data recorder as recited in claim 42 wherein the controller monitors the deceleration of the resident vehicle and transfers the data to the permanent memory if the resident vehicle'"'"'s deceleration is greater than or equal to a predetermined value.

45. A vehicle operating data recorder as recited in claim 42 wherein the data recorder is coupled to a power supply and wherein the controller transfers data to the permanent memory if power from the power supply to the recorder is interrupted.