Method for controlling travel of golf carts and all-terrain vehicles

• US 9,616,747 B1
• Filed: 03/09/2015
• Issued: 04/11/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Intelligent Technologies International, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Intelligent Technologies International, Inc.
• Inventors: Breed, David S
• Primary Examiner(s): Amin, Bhavesh V
• Application Number:
  US14/641,613
• Time in Patent Office: 764 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2031/0091 Speed limiters or speed cutters
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 31/0058 responsive to externally generated signalling
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0048 Head
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/4816 for sensing locking of buckle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/4858 for sensing pressure on seat
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/4883 Interlock systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01546 using belt buckle sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/18 the inflatable member formed as a belt or harness or combined with a belt or harness arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/48 Control systems, alarms, or interlock systems, for the correct application of the belt or harness
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2040/0881 Seat occupation; Driver or passenger presence
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2300/405 Golf carts
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/05 Type of road, e.g. motorways, local streets, paved or unpaved roads
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/146 Speed limiting
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/02 related to ambient conditions

Abstract

Method for regulating travel of a golf cart or all-terrain vehicle includes determining, using an electronic controller on the golf cart or all-terrain vehicle, seatbelt usage for each occupant of the golf cart or all-terrain vehicle, and determining, using the electronic controller, whether the golf cart or all-terrain vehicle is travelling on or about to travel on a road which permits higher speed operation of golf carts and all-terrain vehicles. When it is determined that the golf cart or all-terrain vehicle is travelling on a road which permits higher speed operation of golf carts and all-terrain vehicles, travel of the golf cart or all-terrain vehicle is enabled on the road which permits higher speed operation only when all occupants are determined to be properly wearing seatbelts or the seatbelts are determined to be in buckled and/or spooled-out a set distance or within a distance range.

Claims

1. A method for regulating travel of a golf cart or all-terrain vehicle on both roads which permit only low speed operation up to a limit and roads which permit higher speed operation above the limit, comprising:

determining, using an electronic controller on the golf cart or all-terrain vehicle, seatbelt usage for each occupant of the golf cart or all-terrain vehicle;

determining, using a location determining system at least partly on the golf cart or all-terrain vehicle and coupled to the electronic controller, a current location of the golf cart or all-terrain vehicle;

determining, using the electronic controller coupled to the location determining system and that receives from the location determining system the current location of the vehicle, whether the golf cart or all-terrain vehicle is travelling on or about to travel on one of the roads which permits higher speed operation of golf carts and all-terrain vehicles based on the current location of the vehicle;

when it is determined that the golf cart or all-terrain vehicle is travelling on one of the roads which permits higher speed operation of golf carts and all-terrain vehicles, enabling travel of the golf cart or all-terrain vehicle on the road which permits higher speed operation only when all seatbelts are determined to be in use; and

when it is not determined that the golf cart or all-terrain vehicle is traveling on one of the roads which permits higher speed operation of golf carts and all-terrain vehicles and thus is traveling on one of the roads which permit only low speed operation, enabling travel of the golf cart or all-terrain vehicle on the road which permits only low speed operation even when any of the occupants is determined not to be using a seatbelt.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising enabling airbag deployment when it is determined that the golf cart or all-terrain vehicle is travelling on or about to travel on one of the roads which permits higher speed operation of golf carts and all-terrain vehicles.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining, using the electronic controller, occupancy of all seats in the golf cart or all-terrain vehicle by interrogating switches or sensors associated with the seats whereby each switch or sensor provides a signal indicative of occupancy of one of the seats.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining seatbelt usage comprises interrogating switches associated with the seatbelts whereby each switch provides a signal indicative of buckling of an associated one of the seatbelts.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein

the step of determining the current location of the golf cart or all-terrain vehicle comprises using GPS to obtain the current location of the golf cart or all-terrain vehicle;

and

the step of determining whether the golf cart or all-terrain vehicle is travelling on or about to travel on one of the roads which permits higher speed operation of golf carts and all-terrain vehicles based on the current location of the vehicle comprises

accessing a map database containing location data on roads which permit higher speed operation of golf carts and all-terrain vehicles, and

comparing the current location of the vehicle on one of the roads to location data about the one of the roads in the map database.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining whether the golf cart or all-terrain vehicle is travelling on or about to travel on one of the roads which permits higher speed operation of golf carts and all-terrain vehicles comprises comparing the current location of the golf cart or all-terrain vehicle to information about the road at that location.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining the velocity of the vehicle and wherein the step of determining whether the golf cart or all-terrain vehicle is travelling on or about to travel on one of the roads which permits higher speed operation of golf carts and all-terrain vehicles comprises comparing the current location and velocity of the golf cart or all-terrain vehicle to information about the road ahead of the current location to which the golf cart or all-terrain vehicle is directed based on the current location and velocity.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising, while the golf cart or all-terrain vehicle is travelling on one of the roads which permits higher speed operation of golf carts and all-terrain vehicles:

repeating the step of determining whether the golf cart or all-terrain vehicle is travelling on one of the roads which permits higher speed operation of golf carts and all-terrain vehicles; and

when it is determined that the golf cart or all-terrain vehicle is travelling on one of the roads which does not permit higher speed operation of golf carts and all-terrain vehicles, causing the golf cart or all-terrain vehicle to reduce its speed.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising, while the golf cart or all-terrain vehicle is travelling on one of the roads which permits higher speed operation of golf carts and all-terrain vehicles:

repeating the seatbelt usage determining step; and

when it is determined that a seatbelt for an occupant is no longer buckled, causing the golf cart or all-terrain vehicle to reduce its speed.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising enabling deployment of a face protection airbag contained within a lap belt that is adapted to extend across a lap of the occupant when present in one of the seats, the face protection airbag being deployable outward from the lap belt and upward to attain a position alongside the head of the occupant when present in the seat and thereby provide a cushion for the head of the occupant when present in the seat.

11. The method of claim 1. further comprising enabling deployment of a face protection airbag contained within a shoulder belt that is adapted to extend diagonally across a torso of the occupant when present in one of the seats. the face protection airbag being deployable outward from the shoulder belt and upward to attain a position alongside the head of the occupant when present in the seat and thereby provide a cushion for the head of the occupant when present in the seat.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining seatbelt usage comprises considering data from a respective spool-out sensor coupled to each seatbelt and that provides an indication of spool out of the seatbelt to thereby enable an indication to be provided of seatbelt usage.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining, using the electronic controller, occupancy of all seats in the golf cart or all-terrain vehicle by considering data from a respective weight sensing switch arranged in each seat and that providing an indication of weight applied to the seat.

14. A method for regulating travel of a golf cart or all-terrain vehicle on both roads which permit only low speed operation up to a limit and roads which permit higher speed operation above the limit, comprising:

determining, using an electronic controller on the golf cart or all-terrain vehicle, usage of seatbelts for each occupant of the golf cart or all-terrain vehicle;

determining, using a location determining system at least partly on the golf cart or all-terrain vehicle and coupled to the electronic controller, a current location of the golf cart or all-terrain vehicle;

determining, using the electronic controller coupled to the location determining system and that receives from the location determining system the current location of the vehicle, whether the golf cart or all-terrain vehicle is travelling on or about to travel on one of the roads which permits higher speed operation of golf carts and all-terrain vehicles based on the current location of the vehicle; and

when it is determined that the golf cart or all-terrain vehicle is traveling on one of the roads which permits higher speed operation of golf carts and all-terrain vehicles, limiting a speed of the golf cart or all-terrain vehicle, using a speed limiting apparatus, on the road on which the golf cart or all-terrain vehicle is travelling on or about to travel on which permits higher speed operation of golf carts and all-terrain vehicles only when at least one seatbelt associated with an occupant of the golf cart or all-terrain vehicle is determined not to be in use;

whereby when it is not determined that the golf cart or all-terrain vehicle is traveling on one of the roads which permits higher speed operation of golf carts and all-terrain vehicles and thus is traveling on one of the roads which permit only low speed operation, the speed limiting apparatus does not limit the speed of the golf cart or all-terrain vehicle on the road which permits only low speed operation even when at least one seatbelt associated with an occupant of the golf cart or all-terrain vehicle is determined not to be in use.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein each of the seatbelts has at least one associated airbag, further comprising enabling airbag deployment when it is determined that the golf can or all-terrain vehicle is travelling on or about to travel on one of the roads which permits higher speed operation of golf carts and all-terrain vehicles.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the step of determining seatbelt usage comprises interrogating switches associated with seatbelts whereby each switch provides a signal indicative of buckling of the associated seatbelt.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the step of determining seatbelt usage comprises considering data from a respective spool-out sensor coupled to each seatbelt and that provides an indication of spool out of the seatbelt to thereby enable an indication to be provided of seatbelt usage.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein

the step of determining the current location of the golf cart or all-terrain vehicle comprises using GPS to obtain the current location of the golf cart or all -terrain vehicle;

and

the step of determining whether the golf cart or all-terrain vehicle is travelling on or about to travel on one of the roads which permits higher speed operation of golf carts and all-terrain vehicles based on the current location of the vehicle comprises

accessing a map database containing location data on roads which permit higher speed operation of golf carts and all-terrain vehicles, and

comparing the current location of the vehicle on one of the roads to location data about the one of the roads in the map database.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the step of determining whether the golf cart or all-terrain vehicle is travelling on or about to travel on one of the roads which permits higher speed operation of golf carts and all-terrain vehicles comprises comparing the current location of the golf cart or all-terrain vehicle to information about the road at that location.

20. The method of claim 14, further comprising determining the velocity of the vehicle and wherein the step of determining whether the golf cart or all-terrain vehicle is travelling on or about to travel on one of the roads which permits higher speed operation of golf carts and all-terrain vehicles comprises comparing the current location and velocity of the golf cart or all-terrain vehicle to information about the road ahead of the current location to which the golf cart or all-terrain vehicle is directed based on the current location and velocity.