Downshifting warning system

• US 6,525,652 B2
• Filed: 03/02/2001
• Issued: 02/25/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Clayton S. Smith
• Original Assignee: Clayton S. Smith
• Inventors: Smith, Clayton S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Toan
• Application Number:
  US09/798,157
• Publication Number:
  US 20020121968A1
• Time in Patent Office: 725 Days
• Field of Search: 340/425.5, 340/463, 340/464, 340/466, 340/467, 340/468, 340/479, 340/456, 340/441, 307/9.1, 307/10.1, 307/10.8
• US Class Current: 340/425.5
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/44 for indicating braking action or preparation for braking, e.g. by detection of the foot approaching the brake pedal

Abstract

The present invention relates to a vehicle warning lighting system having a novel automatic warning light activation system utilized with a conventional vehicle brake lighting system. The downshifting deceleration safety system, including and accelerometer and an optional tachometer, will automatically activate the conventional vehicle brake lighting system under conditions of downshifting causing deceleration. The conventional vehicle brake lighting system includes a battery member being a power source connected through a brake pedal switch to brake light members. Depression of a brake pedal closes the brake pedal switch to energize the brake light members in a conventional manner.

Claims

1. A vehicle downshift warning system comprising:

a) an indicator on the vehicle and energizable to yield a warning signal;

b) a first means for detecting the vehicle'"'"'s acceleration and deceleration and developing a first control signal having a first variable parameter;

c) a second means for detecting the vehicle engine crankshaft'"'"'s increased and decreased rate of rotation and developing a second control signal having a second variable parameter; and

d) means responsive to said first and second variable parameters for energizing said indicator.

2. The vehicular downshift warning system of claim 1 in which the first detecting means includes an accelerometer that develops said first control signal.

3. The vehicular downshift warning system of claim 1 in which the second detecting means includes a tachometer that develops said second control signal.

4. The vehicular downshift warning system of claim 1 in which the responsive means includes a microcontroller to activate the brake lights.

5. A vehicular downshift warning system comprising electronic circuitry which causes the brake lights to automatically activate under deceleration and remain activated until automatically reset by electronic recognition of the absence of deceleration, said electronic circuitry comprising:

a) sensing means for detecting the vehicle'"'"'s deceleration;

b) said sensing means including means to produce a signal indicating the rate of deceleration of the vehicle;

c) means to determine when the rate of deceleration exceeds a predetermined threshold level for a first predetermined time interval;

d) means to automatically deactivate the brake lights when the rate of deceleration drops below the predetermined threshold level for a second predetermined length of time; and

e) whereby the brake lights are automatically activated to provide a warning that a deceleration of the vehicle is occurring or has taken place and automatically deactivate when the vehicle'"'"'s rate of deceleration drops below the predetermined threshold level for the second predetermined length of time.

6. The vehicular warning system of claim 5 in which said sensing means includes a digital accelerometer.

7. The vehicular downshifting warning system of claim 5 wherein the means to activate the brake lights further comprises a microcontroller.

8. A vehicular downshifting warning system for use with a conventional brake lighting system on a vehicle equipped with a power source and a brake pedal, comprising:

(a) warning lights mounted on a vehicle;

(b) brake switch means closed when a brake pedal is engaged; and

opened when the brake pedal is disengaged;

(c) a microcontroller including a clock generator which is activated upon closure of the ignition key switch, said clock generator produces a clock signal which is transmitted to a digital accelerometer and a digital tachometer, said accelerometer generates a number of pulses per clock cycle which represents both the amount and direction of acceleration of the vehicle, said tachometer generates a number of pulses per clock cycle which represents both the amount or rate of change in the vehicle engine crankshaft'"'"'s rotation, said microcontroller is programmed to transmit an “

on”

signal when both an accumulated pulse count indicative of deceleration and an accumulated pulse count indicative of an increase rate of the vehicle crankshaft rotation is recognized.

9. A vehicular downshifting warning method for use with a conventional brake lighting system on a vehicle comprising:

the method of automatically activating the vehicle'"'"'s brake lights when the vehicle exceeds a predetermined rate of deceleration while the vehicle engine'"'"'s crankshaft exceeds a predetermined rate of rotation, indicating deceleration by downshifting.

10. A method of activating a vehicle'"'"'s warning lights while decelerating solely by downshifting, comprising:

a) determining the vehicle'"'"'s rate of acceleration;

b) determining the vehicle engine crankshaft'"'"'s rate of rotation;

c) generating an activation signal when both the vehicle'"'"'s deceleration exceeds a predetermined threshold and the vehicle crankshaft'"'"'s rate of rotation exceeds a predetermined threshold.

11. A vehicle downshift warning system comprising:

a) an accelerometer for measuring the change in speed of the vehicle for generating a first output signal;

b) a tachometer for measuring the vehicle engine crankshaft'"'"'s rate of rotation for generating a second output signal; and

c) a microcontroller that combines the first and second output signals to activate the vehicle'"'"'s brake lights.