Vehicle drive overdrive system

• US 6,691,015 B1
• Filed: 01/29/2003
• Issued: 02/10/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Alfred B. Levine
• Original Assignee: Alfred B. Levine
• Inventors: Levine, Alfred B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuchlinski, Jr., William A
• Assistant Examiner(s): MANCHO, RONNIE M
• Application Number:
  US10/352,864
• Time in Patent Office: 377 Days
• Field of Search: 701/1, 701/23, 701/38, 701/37, 701/24, 701/71, 701/29, 701/93, 701/70, 340/435-437, 340/905, 180/168, 180/170, 180/171, 377/23
• US Class Current: 701/70
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 31/00 Vehicle fittings, acting on a single sub-unit only, for automatically controlling vehicle speed, i.e. preventing speed from exceeding an arbitrarily established velocity or maintaining speed at a particular velocity, as selected by the vehicle operator fittings acting on two or more sub-units B60W30/14; speedometers G01P; systems or devices for controlling speed in general G05D13/00 ; in traffic anti-collision system for road vehicles G08G1/16
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 31/0058 responsive to externally generated signalling
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 7/12 for automatic initiation; for initiation not subject to will of driver or passenger limiting speed of vehicles other than rail vehicles B60K31/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/143 Alarm means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2530/10 Weight
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/00 Input parameters relating to objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/40 Dynamic objects, e.g. animals, windblown objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/801 Lateral distance
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2555/20 Ambient conditions, e.g. wind or rain
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2720/106 Longitudinal acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: E01F 9/30 Arrangements interacting with transmitters or receivers otherwise than by visible means, e.g. using radar reflectors or radio transmitters E01F11/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/085 using electronic data carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/22 Platooning, i.e. convoy of communicating vehicles

Abstract

An electronic subsystem for automotive vehicles for overriding the manual control of the vehicles and substituting limited automatic control in response to onboard sensors detecting external and internal conditions that are in violation of the traffic laws or adverse to the normal manually controlled operation of the vehicle. Traffic laws and regulations are digitally detected from the vehicle by wireless acquisition, and the vehicle is automatically controlled to insure compliance. The system detects adverse environmental conditions, including degraded traction and visibility, proximity of other vehicles and objects, uncontrolled vehicle movements, including skidding and fishtailing, and others, and overrides the manual control of the vehicle to minimize the effects of such conditions. The system also provides for monitoring traffic flow along roadways and wirelessly regulating such flow.

Claims

1. An automatic system for a manually controlled, steerable automotive vehicle that responds to adverse weather conditions to limit the vehicle speed and acceleration to inhibit skidding or other instability of the vehicle during such adverse weather, while enabling other manually controlled functions to be performed including steering and stopping of the vehicle, said automatic system comprising:

a controller adapted to be connected to the vehicle for regulating the maximum speed and acceleration of the vehicle exclusively of any manual control but unaffectibg the manually controlled steering or stopping of the vehicle,

sensor means for detecting adverse weather conditions externally of the vehicle, said adverse weather conditions including one of iceing, sleet, snow, rain, and impaired visibility external of the vehicle,

said sensor means energizing said controller to proportionally limit the vehicle speed and acceleration responsively to detecton of said adverse weather conditions thereby to automatically assist in safe operation of the vehicle during said adverse weather condition,

said automatic system being independent of any attempted manual override of the limit of vehicle speed and acceleration during said adverse weather conditions.

2. In the automatic system of claim 1, said controller including a time delay means for time delaying any manually controlled changes in speed and acceleration during periods of adverse weather conditions.

3. In the automatic system of claim 1, The addition of further sensor means for continually detecting traffic regulations as the vehicle proceeds, and also concurrently monitoring the existing movements of the vehicle, said additional sensor means energizing said controller when traffic regulations have been violated, thereby to automatically control the speed and movement of the vehicle to comply with said traffic regulations.

4. A safety control system for automotive vehicles operated by a driver, said system automatically responding to adverse weather conditions that may result in slippery roads and impaired vision by the driver, said system being coupleable to the vehicle speed and acceleration controls to override manual control of the speed and acceleration of the vehicle to automatically adjust the speed and permissible acceleration of the vehicle to compensate for said adverse weather conditions, thereby to promote safer driving of the vehicle, said system being free of controlling the steering of the vehicle whereby the driver is able to manually steer the vehicle and is free to manually control the stopping of the vehicle but is unable to overcome the speed and acceleration that has been automatically imposed by the system,

sensor means onboard of the vehicle for detecting adverse weather conditions resulting in slippery roads with reduced traction of the vehicle, said sensor means additionally detecting adverse weather conditions that result in impaired vision of the driver to observe the road ahead of the vehicle,

a controller coupleable to the vehicle to regulate the speed of the vehicle and the ability of the vehicle to accelerate,

said controller being energized by said sensor means and responsive to said sensor means detecting adverse weather conditions to automatically override manual control of the vehicle by the driver and regulate the speed of the vehicle and its ability to accelerate in proportion to the extent of adverse weather conditions detected by said sensor means, whereby upon detection of adverse weather conditions, the system regulates the extent of speed and acceleration of the vehicle exclusive of manually controlled efforts of the driver to do so yet permits the driver to continue steering of the vehicle and permits the driver to bring the vehicle to a stop.

5. In the control system of claim 4, said controller including a time delay means to delay any manually initiated changes in speed or acceleration of the vehicle by the driver after detection of said adverse weather condition by said sensor means.

6. In the control system of claim 4, sensor means additionally detecting restrictive traffic regulations and concurrently detecting the existing speed and movement of the vehicle,

and said controller responding to said detected traffic regulations and to said exisiting speed and movement of the vehicle to determine if a violation of said regulations has ocurred,

and said controller responding to a detected violation of traffic regulations to control the speed and movement of the vehicle.

7. An automatic control system for manually controlled automotive vehicles operating to regulate the speed and acceleration of the vehicles during adverse weather conditions that may include one of icy roads, snow, sleet, rain, or fog, and wherein the system proportionately reduces the speed and acceleration according to the extent of the adverse weather conditions yet permits continued manually steering of the vehicle and manually controlled stopping of the vehicle as well as permitting other manually controlled functions to be continued other than the automatic regulation of speed and acceleration, and wherein the manual controls are unable to overcome the automatic control system during periods of adverse weather conditions, said system comprising:

a controller coupleable to the vehicle to regulate the extent of its speed and acceleration in response to command signals,

sensor means for detecting said adverse weather conditions and in response thereto generating command signals energizing said controller,

said vehicle having manually controlled steering, manually controlled speed and acceleration controls, and manually controlled braking, and said automatic control system permitting continued manually controlled steering, manually controlled stopping, and permitting other manually contolled functions of the vehicle to be performed during adverse weather conditions except for speed and acceleration regulation performed by the automatic control system whereby the regulated speed and regulated acceleration cannot be changed by the manual controls from those imposed by the automatic control system during periods of detected adverse weather conditions.

8. In the automatic control system of claim 7, said controller including a time delay means to delay any manually initiated changes in the speed or acceleration of the vehicle that may be manually initiated after detection of said adverse weather conditions by said sensor means.

9. In the automatic control system of claim 7, said sensor means additionally detecting restrictive traffic regulations and energizing said controller, and means concurrently energizing said controller according to the existing speed and movement of the vehicle to generate additional command signals,

and said controller responding to said additional command signals to determine if a violation of said regulations has occurred, and responding thereto to regulate the speed and movement of the vehicle to comply with said regulations.

10. An automatic weather responsive control system for manually controlled automotive vehicles that automatically limits the speed and acceleration of the vehicle in response to adverse external weather conditions including road iceing, sleet, snow, rain, and fog;

said automotive vehicle having manually operated controls for steering the vehicle, braking, and normally controlling its speed and acceleration, and wherein said weather responsive control system overrides said manual control of speed and acceleration and automatically regulates the speed and acceleration of the vehicle in response to adverse weather yet permits continued manual controls including steering and stopping of the vehicle but does not permit manual override of the vehicle automatic control system during periods of adverse weather conditions, said automatic system comprising;

onboard detecting means for sensing adverse weather conditions external of the vehicle that may result in vehicle skidding, loss of control, or inability to safely proceed,

an onboard controller connectable to the vehicle and energized by said detecting means, said controller automatically regulating the speed and acceleration of the vehicle independantly of any manual control in response to the sensing of adverse weather conditions by said detecting means, whereby during periods of adverse weather conditions the vehicle speed and acceleration are under control of the automatic control system and cannot be modified by the vehicles manual controls,

said controller enabling continued manual control of vehicle steering and stopping during periods of adverse weather conditions.

11. An automatic control system for a manually controlled vehicle to automatically override manual control of speed movements of the vehicle responsively to adverse weather conditions and violations of traffic laws, whereby during adverse weather conditions said system permits continued manual controlled steering of the vehicle and stopping of the vehicle, and whereby in response to violation of a traffic law, said system regulates the speed and movement of the vehicle to comply with said traffic law, and whereby during both of adverse weather or violation of a traffic law said system operates independently of manual control and prevents any attempted manual control from overriding the control system, said system comprising:

sensor means for detecting adverse weather conditions comprising one of icy roads, sleet, snow, rain, and fog, and generating an adverse weather signal,

a controller coupleable to the vehicle and energized by said adverse weather signal to regulate the speed of the vehicle and its ability to accelerate, thereby to minimize vehicle skidding and loss of road traction,

said contoller enabling continued manual control of steering and stopping of the vehicle during said period of adverse weather condition but preventing manually controlled override of the speed and acceleration of thye vehicle by the controller,

said controller including a time delay means for delaying changes in speed and acceleration during periods of adverse weather,

additional sensor means for detecting traffic laws and regulations as the vehicle proceeds, and energizing said controller with a traffic control signal,

vehicle movement detecting means for energizing said controller according to the existing speed and movement of the vehicle,

and said controller responding to said traffic control signal and to the existing speed and movement of the vehicle to regulate the speed and movement of the vehicle into compliance with the traffic law,

the manual control of the vehicle speed and movement being disable after violation of a traffic law by said automatic control system.