WIRELESS SIGNAL APPARATUS FOR ASSISTING DRIVERS TO BACK LARGE VEHICLES

• US 20080258932A1
• Filed: 06/23/2008
• Published: 10/23/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Reverse Control, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Reverse Control, Inc.
• Inventors: Oelrich, Curtis John, Oelrich, Christopher Lee
• Granted Patent: US 7,777,617 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/901
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/22 for reverse drive
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/48 for parking purposes
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2900/30 Lamps commanded by wireless transmissions
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/004 using wave sensors radar designed for anti-collision purposes between land vehicles or between land vehicles and fixed obstacles G01S13/931

Abstract

A back-up safety apparatus and method that enables the driver of a large vehicle with inherent rear blind spots to receive signals, to proceed or stop, based on changing safe or unsafe conditions. A spotter who monitors the vehicle'"'"'s progress from a safe and remote vantage point in the rear, uses a hand held wireless transmitter to signal the driver. The transmitter also provides a deadman style safety switch for the benefit of the spotter that will automatically signal the driver to stop if the spotter becomes disabled, falls or drops the transmitter.

Claims

1. A back-up safety apparatus that enables a driver of a vehicle to receive indications from a spotter positioned outside of the vehicle in a position that provides the spotter with a view of one or more blind spots of the driver positioned in a driver seat of the vehicle, the apparatus comprising:

a handheld wireless transmitter configured for control by the spotter, the handheld wireless transmitter comprising a button, wherein the handheld wireless transmitter is configured to transmit a first wireless signal only when the button is depressed by the spotter;

a wireless receiver configured to be positioned on the vehicle that is capable of detecting reception of the first wireless signal that is transmitted from the handheld wireless transmitter; and

a first signal device configured to be positioned on the vehicle such that the driver of the vehicle can see the first signal device when the driver is operating the vehicle, wherein the first signal device is configured to provide a first visual indication indicating that the driver is clear to back-up the vehicle in response to the wireless receiver receiving the first wireless signal, and wherein the first signal device is configured to provide a second visual indication indicating that the driver is not clear to back-up the vehicle in response to the wireless receiver not receiving the first wireless signal.

2. The back-up safety apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first signal device comprises a light source and the first visual indication indicating that the driver is clear to back-up comprises emitting light from the light source, and the second visual indication indicating that the driver is not clear to back-up the vehicle comprises not emitting light from the light source.

3. The back-up safety apparatus of claim 2, wherein the first visual indication indicating that the driver is clear to back-up comprises periodically emitting a predetermined quantity of light pulses from the light source.

4. The back-up safety apparatus of claim 1, further comprising one or more audible or tactile signal devices configured to provide indications to the driver based on whether the first signal is received by the wireless receiver.

5. The back-up safety apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first signal device does not provide the first visual indication unless the vehicle transmission is engaged in reverse.

6. The back-up safety apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a second signal device configured to be positioned on the rear of the vehicle, wherein the second signal device is configured to provide the first and second visual indications concurrently with the first and second visual indications provided by the first signal device.

7. The back-up safety apparatus of claim 1, wherein the vehicle comprises a fire fighting vehicle.

8. A vehicle safety system, comprising:

a wireless receiver in communication with at least one indicator capable of being perceived by a driver of a vehicle; and

a wireless transmitter comprising a first selector that initiates transmission of a signal from the wireless transmitter,

wherein the at least one indicator is configured to indicate whether the vehicle is safe or not safe to move based at least on whether the wireless receiver receives the signal from the wireless transmitter.

9. The safety system of claim 8, wherein in response to engaging the vehicle transmission in reverse, the at least one indicator indicates that the vehicle is not safe to move and when the signal is received by the wireless receiver while the vehicle transmission is engaged in reverse, the at least one indicator indicates that the vehicle is safe to move.

10. The safety system of claim 8, wherein the wireless transmitter further comprises a second selector that, when activated while the first selector is activated, causes the first plurality of indicators to activate.

11. The safety system of claim 8, wherein the first plurality of indicators comprise at least one of an audio indicator and a visual indicator.

12. The safety system of claim 11, wherein at least one of the indicators is configured for placement on the vehicle within the driver'"'"'s field of vision.

13. The safety system of claim 11, wherein at least one of the indicators is configured for placement on the vehicle within the driver'"'"'s range of hearing.

14. The safety system of claim 8, further comprising a second one or more indicators positioned on the rear of the vehicle and configured to activate and deactivate, respectively, substantially concurrently with activation and deactivation of the at least one indicator.

15. The safety system of claim 8, wherein the first and second selectors of the wireless transmitter are activated from a position outside of the vehicle.

16. The safety system of claim 8, wherein the first selector comprises a button of the wireless transmitter.

17. A method of signaling a driver of a vehicle of a spotter'"'"'s indications regarding backing of the vehicle, wherein the driver is positioned to drive the vehicle at least in reverse and the spotter is positioned outside of the vehicle in a position to view at least a portion of an intended backing path to be taken by the vehicle, the method comprising:

emitting a first signal from a non-verbal indicator positioned on the vehicle such that the first signal is perceivable by the driver, the first signal indicating that the driver should not move the vehicle;

in response to receiving a first wireless signal from a handheld transmitter held by the spotter, emitting a second signal from the non-verbal indicator, the second signal indicating that the driver may move the vehicle; and

in response to not receiving the first wireless signal, after having received the first wireless signal, emitting the first signal from the non-verbal indicator indicating that the driver should not move the vehicle.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the non-verbal indicator comprises one or more of a light and a speaker.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the first signal from the non-verbal indicator comprises constant emission of a first frequency audio signal.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the second signal from the non-verbal indicator comprises emission of a predetermined quantity of audio pulses at a second frequency, followed by emission of no audio signal.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein the first signal from the non-verbal indicator is emitted in response to the vehicle initially being shifted into reverse.

22. A vehicle safety kit comprising:

an indicator that is configured for placement so that the indicator is perceivable by a driver of a vehicle;

a wireless receiver configured to communicate with the indicator; and

a wireless transmitter comprising a first selector that initiates transmission of a signal from the wireless transmitter,

wherein the wireless receiver is configured to cause the indicator to indicate whether the vehicle is safe or not safe to move based at least on whether the wireless receiver receives the signal from the wireless transmitter.