Apparatus for tracking and recording vital signs and task-related information of a vehicle to identify operating patterns

• US 9,177,426 B2
• Filed: 12/19/2014
• Issued: 11/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: LeRoy G Hagenbuch
• Original Assignee: LeRoy G Hagenbuch
• Inventors: Hagenbuch, LeRoy G.
• Primary Examiner(s): CAMBY, RICHARD M
• Application Number:
  US14/577,302
• Publication Number:
  US 20150154815A1
• Time in Patent Office: 319 Days
• Field of Search: 701/29.1, 701/30.5, 701/31.8, 701/33.4, 701/34.2
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 17/00 Digital computing or data processing equipment or methods, specially adapted for specific functions information retrieval, database structures or file system structures therefor G06F16/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/00 Registering or indicating the working of vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/08 Registering or indicating performance data other than driving, working, idle, or waiting time, with or without registering driving, working, idle or waiting time
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0816 Indicating performance data, e.g. occurrence of a malfunction
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0841 Registering performance data recording measured values G01D; information storage G11B
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/085 using electronic data carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 5/02 Recording, reproducing, or erasing methods; Read, write or erase circuits therefor

Abstract

An apparatus is provided for diagnosing the state of health of a vehicle and for providing the operator of the vehicle with a substantially real-time indication of the efficiency of the vehicle in performing an assigned task with respect to a predetermined goal. A processor on-board the vehicle monitors sensors that provide information regarding the state of health of the vehicle and the amount of work the vehicle has done. In response to anomalies in the data from the sensors, the processor records information that describes events leading up to the occurrence of the anomaly for later analysis that can be used to diagnose the cause of the anomaly. The sensors are also used to prompt the operator of the vehicle to operate the vehicle at optimum efficiency.

Claims

1. An apparatus for monitoring and storing vehicle parameters in the event of an accident of a passenger vehicle, and automatically transmitting a distress signal in response to detecting the accident, comprising:

an accident-detecting sensor for providing information indicating a sudden change in a velocity of the vehicle;

accident-related sensors for providing information indicating values of operational parameters of the vehicle, including (i) a ground speed of the vehicle, (ii) brake pedal actuation and (iii) a seat belt status, wherein the accident-related sensors are a subset of all sensors equipped onboard the passenger vehicle and one of the accident-related sensors is a brake system on/off switch;

a processor in communication with the accident-detecting and accident-related sensors and a chronology memory and a diagnostic memory, where the processor is adapted to detect an accident of the vehicle in response to the information received from the accident-detecting sensor, and where the processor further detects the accident in response to all sudden changes in the velocity of the vehicle and regardless of whether the vehicle promptly comes to a rest;

the chronology memory configured such that newer information from the accident-related sensors overwrites older information in the chronology memory, the information written into the chronology memory including (i) the ground speed of the vehicle, (ii) the brake on/off status and (iii) the seat belt status;

the diagnostic memory configured such that older information from the accident-detecting sensor or accident-related sensors is not overwritten by newer information;

the processor further adapted to respond to each detection of an accident by causing information written to the diagnostic memory to be (i) information stored in the chronology memory over a period of time preceding the accident detection but no more than about two minutes prior to the accident detection and (ii) information based on data from the accident-detecting sensor provided over a period of time during and immediately following the accident detection but no later than such time as when the vehicle has come to a rest or the vehicle'"'"'s ground speed is otherwise substantially constant; and

a transmitter responsive to the processor detecting the accident to cause transmission of a wireless signal indicating that the vehicle has been involved in an accident.