Safety system for all-terrain vehicles

• US 8,378,803 B1
• Filed: 11/25/2009
• Issued: 02/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Craig A. Keiser
• Original Assignee: Craig A. Keiser
• Inventors: Keiser, Craig A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mehmood, Jennifer
• Assistant Examiner(s): BEE, ANDREW W.
• Application Number:
  US12/626,469
• Time in Patent Office: 1,182 Days
• Field of Search: 340/425.2, 340/438, 340/440, 340/459, 340/425.5, 701/36, 701/38
• US Class Current: 340/440
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/00 Arrangement or adaptation of signal devices not provided for in one of main groups B60Q1/00 - B60Q7/00 , e.g. haptic signalling
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2210/16 Off-road driving conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2230/03 Overturn, rollover
• 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: B60T 8/1706 for single-track vehicles, e.g. motorcycles
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/1755 Brake regulation specially adapted to control the stability of the vehicle, e.g. taking into account yaw rate or transverse acceleration in a curve road vehicle drive control systems for control of driving stability otherwise than by controlling a particular sub-unit B60W30/02
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2030/041 about the pitch axis
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2030/043 about the roll axis
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/146 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2300/362 Buggies; Quads
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/14 Yaw
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/16 Pitch
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/18 Roll
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/04 related to roll-over prevention
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• CPC Class Codes: B62J 27/00 Safety equipment

Abstract

A vehicle safety system comprising a microprocessor; a first sensor operatively connected to the microprocessor, the first sensor functions to detect a degree of deviation of yaw or pitch or roll of the vehicle relative to a control value of 0; wherein the microprocessor is configured to receive a first signal from the first sensor, the first signal being the degree of deviation; wherein when the first signal is between 31 and 45 degrees the microprocessor is configured to generate a first output command to a speaker to play a first alarm sound; wherein when the first signal is 46 degrees or more the microprocessor is configured to generate a second output command to the speaker to play a second alarm sound.

Claims

1. A vehicle safety system disposed on an all terrain vehicle (ATV), the system comprising:

(a) a microprocessor;

(b) a first sensor operatively connected to the microprocessor, the first sensor functions to detect a degree of deviation of yaw or pitch or roll of the vehicle relative to a control value of 0 degrees, the control value of 0 degrees is a standard Tait-Bryan angle;

wherein the microprocessor is configured to receive a first signal from the first sensor, the first signal being the degree of deviation;

wherein when the first signal is between 31 and 45 degrees the microprocessor is configured to generate a first output command to a speaker to play a first alarm sound;

wherein when the first signal is 46 degrees or more the microprocessor is configured to generate a second output command to the speaker to play a second alarm sound;

(c) a metal detector operatively connected to the microprocessor, wherein the metal detector detects the presence of metal underneath the vehicle;

(d) a housing mountable on the vehicle, the housing can house at least the microprocessor and the speaker, the housing further comprising a compass, a pitch/yaw display, a metal detector display and a display for displaying the degree of deviation the first sensor detects; and

wherein the housing is attached on the vehicle via a mounting component; and

(e) a brake operatively coupled to the microprocessor, wherein the microprocessor detects a predetermined yaw and/or pitch, at which point the microprocessor causes the brake to be applied to slow down the ATV.

2. The vehicle safety system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle is an all-terrain vehicle or a golf cart.

3. The vehicle safety system of claim 1, wherein the first sensor is a vibrating structure gyroscope.

4. The vehicle safety system of claim 3, wherein the first sensor is a micro-electro-mechanical system gyroscope.

5. The vehicle safety system of claim 3, wherein the first sensor comprises an accelerometer.

6. The vehicle safety system of claim 1, wherein the first alarm sound is a periodic tone.

7. The vehicle safety system of claim 1, wherein the second alarm sound is a continuous tone.

8. The vehicle safety system of claim 1 further comprising a first light, a second light, a third light, and a fourth light, each light being operatively connected to the microprocessor.

9. The vehicle safety system of claim 8, wherein when the first sensor detects a deviation of between 0 and 20 degrees, the microprocessor is configured to generate a first light output signal to the first light so as to illuminate the first light, wherein when the first sensor detects a deviation of between 21 and 30 degrees, the microprocessor is configured to generate a second light output command to the second light so as to illuminate the second light, wherein when the first sensor detects a deviation of between 31 and 45 degrees, the microprocessor is configured to generate a third light output command to the third light so as to illuminate the third light, wherein when the first sensor detects a deviation of 46 degrees or more, the microprocessor is configured to generate a fourth light output command to the fourth light so as to illuminate the fourth light.

10. The vehicle safety system of claim 8, wherein when the first sensor detects a deviation of between 0 and 10 degrees, the microprocessor is configured to generate a first light output signal to the first light so as to illuminate the first light, wherein when the first sensor detects a deviation of between 11 and 20 degrees, the microprocessor is configured to generate a second light output command to the second light so as to illuminate the second light, wherein when the first sensor detects a deviation of between 21 and 35 degrees, the microprocessor is configured to generate a third light output command to the third light so as to illuminate the third light, wherein when the first sensor detects a deviation of 36 degrees or more, the microprocessor is configured to generate a fourth light output command to the fourth light so as to illuminate the fourth light.

11. The system of claim 1 further comprising a global positioning system (GPS).

12. A vehicle safety system disposed on an all terrain vehicle (ATV), the system comprising:

(a) a microprocessor;

(b) a first sensor operatively connected to the microprocessor, the first sensor functions to detect a degree of deviation of yaw or pitch or roll of the vehicle relative to a control value of 0;

wherein the microprocessor is configured to receive a first signal from the first sensor, the first signal being the degree of deviation;

wherein when the first signal is between 26 and 35 degrees the microprocessor is configured to generate a first output command to a speaker to play a first alarm sound;

wherein when the first signal is 36 degrees or more the microprocessor is configured to generate a second output command to the speaker to play a second alarm sound;

(c) a metal detector operatively connected to the microprocessor, wherein the metal detector detects presence of metal underneath the vehicle;

(d) a housing mountable on the vehicle, the housing can house at least the microprocessor and the speaker, the housing further comprising a compass, a pitch/yaw display, a metal detector display and a display for displaying the degree of deviation the first sensor detects; and

(e) a brake operatively coupled to the microprocessor, wherein the microprocessor detects a predetermined yaw and/or pitch, at which point the microprocessor causes the brake to be applied to slow down the ATV.

13. The vehicle safety system of claim 12 further comprising a first light, a second light, a third light, and a fourth light, each light being operatively connected to the microprocessor.

14. The vehicle safety system of claim 13, wherein when the first sensor detects a deviation of between 0 and 20 degrees, the microprocessor is configured to generate a first light output signal to the first light so as to illuminate the first light, wherein when the first sensor detects a deviation of between 21 and 30 degrees, the microprocessor is configured to generate a second light output command to the second light so as to illuminate the second light, wherein when the first sensor detects a deviation of between 31 and 45 degrees, the microprocessor is configured to generate a third light output command to the third light so as to illuminate the third light, wherein when the first sensor detects a deviation of 46 degrees or more, the microprocessor is configured to generate a fourth light output command to the fourth light so as to illuminate the fourth light.

15. The vehicle safety system of claim 13, wherein when the first sensor detects a deviation of between 0 and 10 degrees, the microprocessor is configured to generate a first light output signal to the first light so as to illuminate the first light, wherein when the first sensor detects a deviation of between 11 and 20 degrees, the microprocessor is configured to generate a second light output command to the second light so as to illuminate the second light, wherein when the first sensor detects a deviation of between 21 and 35 degrees, the microprocessor is configured to generate a third light output command to the third light so as to illuminate the third light, wherein when the first sensor detects a deviation of 36 degrees or more, the microprocessor is configured to generate a fourth light output command to the fourth light so as to illuminate the fourth light.

16. A vehicle safety system disposed on an all terrain vehicle (ATV), the system comprising:

(a) a microprocessor;

(b) a first sensor operatively connected to the microprocessor, the first sensor functions to detect a degree of deviation of yaw or pitch or roll of the vehicle relative to a control value of 0;

wherein the microprocessor is configured to receive a first signal from the first sensor, the first signal being the degree of deviation;

wherein when the first signal is between 21 and 30 degrees the microprocessor is configured to generate a first output command to a speaker to play a first alarm sound;

wherein when the first signal is between 31 and 40 the microprocessor is configured to generate a second output command to the speaker to play a second alarm sound, wherein when the first signal is 41 degrees or more the microprocessor is configured to generate a third output command to the speaker to playa third alarm sound;

(c) a metal detector operatively connected to the microprocessor, wherein the metal detector detects the presence of metal underneath the vehicle;

(d) a housing mountable on the vehicle, the housing can house at least the microprocessor and the speaker, the housing further comprising a compass, a pitch/yaw display, a metal detector display and a display for displaying the degree of deviation the first sensor detects; and

(e) a brake operatively coupled to the microprocessor, wherein the microprocessor detects a predetermined yaw and/or pitch, at which point the microprocessor causes the brake to be applied to slow down the ATV.