Microwave vehicle-to-vehicle warning system

• US 7,102,536 B2
• Filed: 12/29/2003
• Issued: 09/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/2003
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Aurora Operations Incorporated (Aurora Innovation, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: John Arthur Scholz
• Inventors: Scholz, John Arthur
• Primary Examiner(s): Crosland, Donnie L.
• Application Number:
  US10/746,692
• Publication Number:
  US 20040145494A1
• Time in Patent Office: 981 Days
• Field of Search: 340/902, 340/901, 340/903, 340/904, 455/575.9
• US Class Current: 340/902
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0965 responding to signals from another vehicle, e.g. emergency vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/161 Decentralised systems, e.g. inter-vehicle communication

Abstract

A microwave vehicle-to-vehicle signaling device that converts microwave warning signals transmitted by a first vehicle into control signals in a second vehicle that are suitable for controlling audio devices or displays in such a way that the warning signals are perceived by the driver of a second vehicle to originate from the direction and distance of the first vehicle. Receiving vehicles located beyond the defined distance do not react to the warning messages due to the weakness of the signal.

Claims

1. A vehicle to vehicle warning system comprising:

a plurality of vehicle mounted transceivers configured to allow two way communications;

a plurality of multi-channel controllers connected to the transceivers;

a first vehicle configured to transmit a microwave warning signal to at least one receiving vehicle and the microwave warning being received by the transceiver on at least one receiving vehicle;

wherein the warning signal is transformed by the receiving vehicle transceiver into a set of electronic warning messages on one or more electrical channels and the electronic warning messages on each of the electrical channels are transferred by a multi-channel controller into control signals that are configured to activate at least one of an audible or visible warning;

wherein the audible or visible warning is at least one of activating a horn, activating at least one light or adjusting the volume on the stereo.

2. The vehicle to vehicle warning system according to claim 1 wherein the plurality of transceivers includes a plurality of microwave transmitting and receiving elements.

3. The vehicle to vehicle warning system according to claim 2 wherein the plurality of transmitting elements are configured to transmit in different directions and the plurality of receiving elements are configured to receive from different directions.

4. The vehicle to vehicle warning system according to claim 2 wherein the plurality of microwave transmitting elements are configured to transmit on at least one channel and the plurality of receiving elements are configured to receive on at least two channels.

5. The vehicle to vehicle warning system according to claim 1 wherein the control signals are configured to control the audio speakers to provide directional and distance orientating information about the microwave warning signal received by the microwave transceiver.

6. The vehicle to vehicle warning system according to claim 1 wherein when the microwave warning signal received in the plurality of microwave transmitting and receiving elements is strong in amplitude, the control signal generates a high amplitude sound played over the audio speakers.

7. The vehicle to vehicle warning system according to claim 1 wherein when the microwave warning signals received in the plurality of microwave transmitting and receiving elements is low in amplitude, the control signal generates a low amplitude sound played over the audio speakers.

8. The vehicle to vehicle warning system according to claim 1 wherein the multi-channel controller produces signals that are capable of reproducing a number of simultaneous sounds through the audio speakers.

9. The vehicle to vehicle warning system according to claim 8 wherein the sounds may be at least one of an automobile horn, police car siren, ambulance siren, and a fire truck siren.

10. The vehicle to vehicle warning system according to claim 1 wherein an information-carrying electronic signal containing warning signals is generated by means of a waveform generator and amplified by means of an amplifier and converted to an electromagnetic wave and radiated by means of an antenna array;

and

wherein electromagnetic waves carrying warning signals that are incident on the antenna array are transformed into one or more electronic signals on one or more electrical channels by means of the antenna array, and the electronic signals are amplified by means of an amplifier; and

the electronic warning signals are retrieved from the electrical channels by means of a demodulator.

11. The vehicle to vehicle warning system according to claim 10 wherein the waveform generator generates an electronic warning signal that is unique to a specific type of vehicle.

12. The vehicle to vehicle warning system according to claim 11 wherein the specific type of vehicle is at least one of automobile, a police car, fire truck or an ambulance.

13. The vehicle to vehicle warning system according to claim 10 wherein microwave transceivers mounted in different models of automobiles may generate model-specific waveforms in order to cause the multiple channel controller to control audio speakers to replay model specific horn noises.

14. The vehicle to vehicle warning system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one receiving vehicle displays a visible warning.

15. The vehicle to vehicle warning system according to claim 14, wherein the visible warning on the at least one receiving vehicle is displayed on a display mounted in the receiving vehicle.