Chain collision prevention

• US 7,388,477 B1
• Filed: 09/30/2005
• Issued: 06/17/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Neway Systems & Products, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Neway Systems & Products, Inc.
• Inventors: Manning, Roy O.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pope; Daryl C
• Application Number:
  US11/240,413
• Time in Patent Office: 991 Days
• Field of Search: 340/441, 340/426.32, 340/438, 340/479
• US Class Current: 340/441
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/447 with indication of the braking strength or speed changes, e.g. by changing the shape or intensity of the indication
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/161 Decentralised systems, e.g. inter-vehicle communication

Abstract

Chain Collision Prevention (CCP) includes systems, devices, apparatus for preventing chain collisions and chain reaction crashes, in vehicle columns. A vehicle-installed deceleration indicator and immediately relays and sequentially transmits Closing Alert signals using radio or other media, down the chain of closely following vehicles when deceleration occurs. Vehicle operators are alerted by alarms and warnings, Cruise Controls can be automatically turned off, and radios silenced. The Closing Alert signals can include a display of rearwardly facing blue vertical Rear Warning Light(s), that are visible to both CCP equipped and non-equipped vehicles. One light indicates a vehicle is CCP equipped and is moving forward. Two lights can indicate a vehicle deceleration in the chain of vehicles ahead. Three lights can indicate a stopped vehicle, and flashing can be vehicle backing or reversing. Cameras provide images of forward and rearward located vehicles.

Claims

1. A system for preventing chain reaction crashes between trailing vehicles, comprising:

a first deceleration detector mounted in a first vehicle, the deceleration detector for detecting a change in acceleration while the first vehicle is traveling;

a first indicator for directing a visual signal to vehicles behind the first vehicle, the first visual signal indicating the change in the acceleration of the first vehicle, the first visual signal being rearwardly facing lights on the first vehicle which are activated by the change in the acceleration signal from the first vehicle; and

a first relay transmitter for transmitting the change in the acceleration to a second vehicle which trails the first vehicle by a selected trailing distance;

a first relay receiver in the first vehicle for receiving another change in acceleration signal of another vehicle located in front of the first vehicle;

a first forward facing camera on the first vehicle for taking pictures of the another forward located vehicle when the first vehicle trails the another forward located vehicle by the selected trailing distance;

a first rearwardly facing camera on the first vehicle for taking pictures of the second vehicle when the second vehicle trails the first vehicle by the selected trailing distance;

a first audible alarm in the first vehicle which activates and alerts a driver of the first vehicle when the first vehicle trails the another forward located vehicle by the selected trailing distance;

a first cruise control override in the first vehicle which overrides an activated cruise control in the first vehicle to alert the driver when the first vehicle trails the another forward vehicle by the selected trailing distance;

a second deceleration detector mounted in the second vehicle, the deceleration detector for detecting a change in acceleration while the second vehicle is traveling;

a second relay receiver in the second vehicle for receiving the change in the acceleration signal from the first vehicle when the second vehicle reaches the selected trailing distance;

a second indicator for directing a visual signal to additional vehicles following behind the second vehicle, the second visual signal indicating the change in the acceleration of the second vehicle to a third vehicle which trails the second vehicle, the second visual signal being rearwardly facing lights on the second vehicle which are activated by the change in the acceleration signal from the first vehicle; and

a second relay transmitter for transmitting the change in the acceleration to the third vehicle which trails the second vehicle by the selected trailing distance;

a second forward facing camera on the second vehicle for taking pictures of the first vehicle when the second vehicle trails the first vehicle by the selected trailing distance;

a second rearwardly facing camera on the second vehicle for taking pictures of the additional following vehicle when the additional following vehicles trails the second vehicle by the selected trailing distance;

a second audible alarm in the second vehicle which activates and alerts a driver of the second vehicle when the second vehicle trails the first vehicle by the selected trailing distance; and

a second cruise control override in the second vehicle which overrides an activated cruise control in the second vehicle to alert the driver when the second vehicle trails the first vehicle by the selected trailing distance.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first visual signal and the second visual signal each includes:

rearwardly facing lights on the first vehicle and the second vehicle which are activated by the respective change in the acceleration signal from the first vehicle and the second vehicle, the rearwardly facing lights being different from any brake lights on the first and the second vehicles.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the rearwardly facing lights includes:

rearwardly facing blue lights on the first vehicle and the second vehicle which are activated by the respective change in the acceleration signal from the first vehicle and the second vehicle, the rearwardly facing blue lights being different from any brake lights on the first and the second vehicles.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a first radio override in the first vehicle which overrides an activated radio in the first vehicle to alert the driver when the first vehicle trails the another located vehicle by the selected trailing distance; and

a second radio override in the second vehicle which overrides an activated radio in the second vehicle to alert the driver when the second vehicle trails the first vehicle by the selected trailing distance.

5. An automated deceleration alert relaying system for preventing chain crashes between traveling vehicles, comprising:

deceleration detectors mounted in trailing vehicles that detect changes in deceleration in their respective mounted vehicles;

relay transmitters and receivers mounted in the vehicles for relaying detected changes in deceleration sequentially in nonvisual signals down a chain of the trailing vehicles when each trailing vehicle reaches a pre-selected distance behind a forward located vehicle;

visual and audio alarms mounted in the vehicles which immediately notify each driver of the trailing vehicles when each trailing vehicles reaches the pre-selected distance behind the forward located vehicle, the visual alarms include rearwardly facing lights on each of the vehicles, the rearwardly facing lights being different from any brake lights on the vehicles; and

forward and rearward facing cameras on each vehicle for taking pictures of forward located vehicles and rearward located vehicles and for activating each vehicles alarm when each of the vehicles trails the forward located vehicles by the pre-selected distance.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the deceleration detectors detect changes in acceleration selected from the group consisting of:

activation of a vehicle brake, vehicle traveling uphill, vehicle traveling downhill, vehicle turning and changes in road surface conditions.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the visual alarms include:

blue light indicators.

8. The system of claim 5, further comprising:

an override cruise-control in each vehicle for disengaging an activated cruise-control in each vehicle that receives or detects the change in acceleration.

9. The system of claim 8, further comprising:

an override radio-control in each vehicle for overriding an activated radio in each vehicle that receives or detects the change in acceleration.

10. A method for preventing chain reactions between trailing vehicles, comprising the steps of:

detecting deceleration in at least one vehicle in a chain of vehicles;

visually indicating the deceleration from the at least one vehicle to a trailing vehicle by a rearwardly facing light in the at least one vehicle;

relaying the detected deceleration from the at least one vehicle to an alarm in the trailing vehicle when the trailing vehicle reaches a selected distance behind the at least one vehicle so that a driver of the trailing vehicle is alerted by the alarm;

overriding at least one of an activated cruise-control or a radio in the trailing vehicle when the trailing vehicle reaches the selected distance behind the at least one vehicle; and

relaying the detected deceleration to another alarm in another trailing vehicle when the another trailing vehicle reaches the selected distance behind the trailing vehicle; and

providing forward and rearward facing cameras on each vehicle for taking pictures of forward located vehicles and rearward located vehicles and for activating each vehicles alarm when each of the vehicles trails one the forward located vehicles and the rearward located vehicles by the pre-selected distance.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the overriding step includes the step of:

overriding both the activated cruise-control and the radio in the trailing vehicle when the trailing vehicle reaches the selected distance behind the at least one vehicle.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the rearwardly facing light includes:

a different colored light from any brake light on each of the vehicle.