Means, methods, and apparatus to reduce the possibility of a motor vehicle entering a freeway ramp in the wrong direction of travel—towards oncoming traffic

• US 7,650,236 B2
• Filed: 12/23/2005
• Issued: 01/19/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ron Tolmei
• Original Assignee: Ron Tolmei
• Inventors: Tolmei, Ron
• Primary Examiner(s): Camby; Richard M.
• Application Number:
  US11/318,315
• Publication Number:
  US 20070150183A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,488 Days
• Field of Search: 701707-213, 701/300, 701/301, 701/117, 701/36, 340/989
• US Class Current: 701/209
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3697 Output of additional, non-guidance related information, e.g. low fuel level G01C21/3679 takes precedence

Abstract

A system used to reduce the possibly of a vehicle entering a freeway ramp in the wrong direction of travel, towards oncoming traffic, is disclosed. The preferred system is comprised of equipment used in conjunction with orbiting satellite transceivers with receivers, such as Global Positioning Systems (GPS) or OnStar™ by General Motors, housed in a vehicle and having the ability in real time to compute the receiver'"'"'s, and consequently the vehicle'"'"'s, longitude, latitude, and direction of travel. These devices in collaboration with a controller and freeway mounted mirrors constitute a timely, cost-effective, realizable, and simple means to reduce the possibility of entering a freeway ramp in the wrong direction of travel.

Claims

1. A system to reduce the possibility of a vehicle entering a freeway ramp in the wrong direction of travel, towards oncoming traffic, and comprised of a navigation receiver, computer, electromechanical controls, comprising:

a satellite receiver, with or without bidirectional communications capability, housed in a motor vehicle with global positioning capabilities to compute, display and annunciate, its longitude, latitude and direction of travel in conjunction with a mirror being positioned in proximity to a freeway access ramp so positioned as to reflect an oncoming vehicle, and its headlights, such that the vehicle'"'"'s driver sees his vehicle as an oncoming vehicle, stops, and reverses his direction of travel thereby avoiding collision;

further comprising an electromechanical or solid state controller to nondestructively disable a vehicle ignition system when a satellite receiver computes and detects that the receiver'"'"'s and therefore vehicle'"'"'s, location and direction of travel is such that the vehicle is entering, or about to enter, a freeway ramp in the wrong direction of travel.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein controls of said controller are switches and relay contacts that provide a means to disable the vehicle'"'"'s ignition system, bypass the ignition disabling contacts when the vehicle'"'"'s transmission is in reverse, and the momentary, or timed delayed, switch to enable starting the vehicle when disabled by ignition disabling contacts enabled by the satellite receiver'"'"'s control logic.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said mirror has a wavelength and having an optical, infrared, laser, or ultraviolet reflective characteristics implemented in a flat, spherical, parabolic, ellipsoidal, surface, cylindrical, prism, or beam-splitting manner or diffraction grating and being composed of metal, glass, plastic or coated with a material to reflect, distort or absorb an image.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the satellite receiver comprises or is compatible with global positing systems (GPS) or OnStar™

devices having a graphic display, visual and audible annunciation with or without bidirectional communications capabilities and an external interface.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said mirror, a reflector, or a radiation emitting device is used with a freeway entrance or exit sign indicating “

Wrong Way”

or “

Do Not Enter”

of any wavelength and having any optical, infrared, laser, or ultraviolet reflective characteristics implemented in a flat, spherical, parabolic, ellipsoidal, surface, cylindrical, prism, or beam-splitting manner or diffraction grating and being composed of metal, glass, plastic or coated with a material to reflect, distort or absorb an image at any wavelength.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said satellite receiver is comprised of or is compatible with storage medium using a magnetic, optical, infrared or solid state device such that stored information retained in a medium is used to reconstruct or process information either with or without the use of bidirectional communications capabilities or an external interface.

7. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein said satellite receiver is comprised of or compatible with a video camera or recorder using, magnetic, optical, infrared or solid state medium such that stored information retained in said medium may be used to reconstruct or process information either with or without the use of bidirectional communications capabilities or an external interface.

8. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein said controller or computer is comprised of or compatible with a video camera, recorder or storage device such that stored information retained in a storage medium may be used to reconstruct or process information.

9. A system, comprising:

a global positioning device in a motor vehicle;

said device having the capability to compute its longitude, latitude and direction of travel;

a memory device having;

a previously entered location of a freeway exit only ramp; and

instructions to compare said location of freeway exit only ramp with the vehicle'"'"'s longitude, latitude and direction of travel;

a processor to implement said instructions;

a disabler to disable an ignition system of said vehicle when the processor identifies that a location of a freeway exit only ramp and the vehicle'"'"'s longitude, latitude and direction of travel are sufficiently close as to produce a likelihood of a hazard;

an alerting device that is activated when said hazard is identified.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein controls of said disabler comprise a disabler switch being in either a closed position or in an open position wherein said switch is in said open position to disable said ignition system when said processor determines presence of the hazard.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein said controls further comprises a momentary override switch, wherein said override switch is in a closed position to override the disabler switch and thereby permit said vehicle to be driven.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein said controls further comprises a bypass switch, wherein said bypass switch is in said closed position to bypass the disabler switch when a transmission of said vehicle is in reverse.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein said alerting device is adapted to provide an auditory or visual warning to a driver.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein said memory device comprises a storage medium selected from the group consisting of:

magnetic, optical, infrared and solid state devices.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein said global positioning device comprises a video camera or recorder using a storage medium selected from the group consisting of:

magnetic, optical, infrared and solid state technology, wherein stored information retained in said medium maybe used to reconstruct or process information either with or without the use of bidirectional communications capabilities or an external interface.

16. The system of claim 9, wherein said processor comprises a video camera, recorder or storage device wherein stored information retained in a medium may be used to reconstruct or process information.