Electronic thronttle control with accident recordal unit

• US 6,397,132 B1
• Filed: 08/14/2000
• Issued: 05/28/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH (Continental AG)
• Inventors: Liu, Ching-Po
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuchlinski, Jr., William A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hernandez, Olga
• Application Number:
  US09/638,486
• Time in Patent Office: 652 Days
• Field of Search: 701/35,36,70,78,1,93 123/399,401
• US Class Current: 701/35
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/085 using electronic data carriers

Abstract

A vehicle is provided with an electronic throttle control that electronically senses and interprets an operator demand at the accelerator pedal. This signal is communicated to a throttle control which then opens or closes the throttle accordingly. Information with regard to the driver demand, the throttle position, and preferably braking and accident signals are all stored in a memory. In the case of an accident, this information can identify whether the driver was at fault for a particular accident.

Claims

1. A method of monitoring operation of a vehicle comprising the steps of:

1) providing an electronic throttle control for communicating a signal from an accelerator pedal to a throttle electronically;

2) monitoring operation of the electronic throttle control and temporarily storing recent information with regard to pedal position and throttle position as a first type of temporary memory, and further monitoring for an accident;

3) storing information with regard to pedal position and throttle position at a time at least immediately prior to a detected accident as a permanent second type of memory; and

4) said temporary memory being a random access memory, and a signal from an accident sensor causing said most recent memory to be dumped to a non-erasable memory, which is said second type memory.

2. A method as set forth in claim 1, wherein said temporary storage occurs for said pedal position and throttle position information regardless of the magnitude of said throttle position and pedal position.

3. A method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the step of monitoring and storing information includes further storing information with regard to brake demand.

4. A method as set forth in claim 1, further including the step of detecting a crash by monitoring signals from a crash sensor and storing the most immediately recent monitored information when a crash is detected.

5. A vehicle control comprising:

a controller for receiving signals from an electronic throttle controller and an accelerator pedal, a temporary first type of memory storing the most recent of said signals, said controller communicating with a permanent second type of memory, and said second type of memory storing at least the most recent monitored information with regard to said throttle position and said pedal position when a crash is detected; and

said temporary first type memory is a random access memory, and an accident signal from an accident sensor causing the information stored in said random access memory to be dumped to said second-type of memory.

6. A controller as recited in claim 5, wherein the controller further receives a brake demand signal, and brake demand signals being further stored when an accident is detected.

7. A controller as recited in claim 6, wherein said controller further communicates with an accident sensor, said accident sensor sending a signal to said controller when an accident occurs, and said controller locking the most recently monitored information when an accident is detected.

8. A controller as recited in claim 5, wherein said temporary first-type memory storing said throttle position and pedal position information regardless of the magnitude of said throttle position and pedal position.

9. An electronic throttle control system comprising:

an accelerator pedal for receiving an operator demand for fueling;

a sensor for sensing said operator demand;

said sensor communicating with an electronic throttle control for interpreting said operator demand and controlling a throttle in response to said operator demand, and a throttle control by said electronic throttle controller;

a temporary first type of memory temporarily storing information during operation of said vehicle, and an accident sensor for identifying an accident and sending a signal to a control, said accident signal causing said most recent information to move from said first type memory to a permanent second type of memory which stores information with regard to said operator demand and said throttle position after an accident; and

said temporary first type memory is a random access memory, and an accident signal from an accident sensor causing the information stored in said random access memory to be dumped to said second-type of memory.

10. An electronic throttle control system as recited in claim 9, wherein said temporary first-type memory storing said throttle position and pedal position information regardless of the magnitude of said throttle position and pedal position.

11. A method of monitoring operation of a vehicle comprising the steps of:

(1) providing an electronic throttle control for communicating a signal from an accelerator pedal to a throttle electronically;

(2) monitoring operation of the electronic throttle control and storing information with regard to pedal position and throttle position, regardless of the magnitude of said pedal position and said throttle position, and further monitoring for an accident; and

(3) storing information with regard to pedal position and throttle position at a time at least immediately prior to a detected accident.