System and method for displaying radar data

• US 6,744,379 B1
• Filed: 08/16/2001
• Issued: 06/01/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Applied Concepts Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: Applied Concepts Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company)
• Inventors: Vanman, Robert V., Gammenthaler, Robert S., Aker, John L., Mead, Alan B.
• Primary Examiner(s): TRIEU, VAN THANH
• Application Number:
  US09/931,269
• Time in Patent Office: 1,020 Days
• Field of Search: 340/435, 340/903, 340/936, 340/937, 340/902, 340/905, 340/933, 340/441, 342/104, 342/114, 342/115, 342/116, 342/357.1
• US Class Current: 340/936
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/589 measuring the velocity vector
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/92 for velocity measurement
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/04 Display arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/06 Cathode-ray tube displays or other two dimensional or three-dimensional displays
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/052 with provision for determining speed or overspeed speed measuring in general G01P

Abstract

A system for displaying radar data from two or more areas of interest is provided, such as for simultaneously showing vehicle speeds in the opposite lane in front of the patrol vehicle and in the same lane behind the patrol vehicley. The system includes a first display that shows the speed of vehicles in the first area, such as the opposite lane in front of the patrol vehicle, and a second display that shows the speed of vehicles in the second area, such as the same lane behind the patrol vehicle.

Claims

1. A system for displaying radar data from two or more areas of interest comprising:

a first display system receiving first vehicle speed data for a first vehicle and generating user-readable display data;

a second display system receiving second vehicle speed data for a second vehicle and generating user-readable display data; and

wherein the first vehicle and the second vehicle are travelling in different directions.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the first display system is an opposite lane display system.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the first display system is a same lane display system.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the first display system is a front system.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the first display system is a back system.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the first display system further comprises a history system receiving first vehicle historical speed data and generating user-readable display data.

7. The system of claim 1 further comprising one or more additional display systems, each additional display system receiving vehicle speed data for an additional vehicle and generating user-readable display data for that additional vehicle.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the system for displaying radar data from two or more areas of interest is on a stationary vehicle, the first display system is displaying an approaching vehicle, and the second display system is displaying a receding vehicle.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the system for displaying radar data from two or more areas of interest is on a moving vehicle, the first display system is displaying a vehicle in a same lane, and the second display system is displaying a vehicle in an opposite lane.

10. The system of claim 1 further comprising a touch sensitive display system allowing a user to select either a fastest signal or a strongest signal for display by the first display system and either a fastest signal or a strongest signal for display by the second display system.

11. A method for displaying radar data for two or more vehicles comprising:

receiving speed data for a first vehicle traveling in a first direction;

receiving speed data for a second vehicle traveling in a second direction;

generating a user readable display containing the speed data for the first vehicle and the second vehicle; and

wherein the first vehicle and the second vehicle are traveling in different directions.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the first direction is a same lane of travel as the radar observation point and in front of the radar observation point.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the first direction is a same lane of travel as the radar observation point and behind the radar observation point.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein the first direction is an opposite lane of travel as the radar observation point and in front of the radar observation point.

15. The method of claim 11 wherein the first direction is an opposite lane of travel as the radar observation point behind the radar observation point.

16. A controller for use in selecting the display of radar data for two or more vehicles comprising:

a first user-selectable direction select control allowing a user to select radar data for vehicles traveling in a first direction relative to an observation point;

a second user-selectable direction select control allowing the user to select radar data for vehicle traveling in a second direction relative to an observation point; and

wherein a user-readable display generates speed data for vehicles traveling in the first direction and the second direction in response to the first and second user-selectable direction select control, and the first vehicle and the second vehicle are traveling in different directions.

17. The controller of claim 16 wherein the controller further comprises an infrared remote controller.

18. The controller of claim 16 wherein the controller further comprises a touch-sensitive display.

19. The controller of claim 16 wherein the first user-selectable direction select control and the second user-selectable direction select control both comprise a single user-configurable preset control.

20. The controller of claim 16 further comprising one or more additional user-selectable direction select controls, each allowing the user to select radar data for vehicles travelling in a direction relative to an observation point that is different from the direction associated with any of the other user-selectable direction select controls.

21. The controller of claim 16 further comprising a strongest select control allowing the user to select to view speed data for a vehicle travelling in a selected direction having a strongest radar signal.

22. The controller of claim 16 further comprising a fastest select control allowing the user to select to view speed data for a vehicle travelling in a selected direction having a fastest speed.

23. The controller of claim 16 further comprising a history select control allowing the user to select to view history data for a vehicle.