Monitoring the operation of a vehicle

• US 4,275,378 A
• Filed: 08/17/1978
• Issued: 06/23/1981
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/1978
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Kiloking (Proprietary) Limited
• Original Assignee: Kiloking (Proprietary) Limited
• Inventors: Henderson, Henning M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Caldwell, Sr., John W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Crosland, Donnie L.
• Application Number:
  US05/934,557
• Time in Patent Office: 1,041 Days
• Field of Search: 340/71, 340/52 R, 340/52 F, 340/53, 340/62, 340/66, 340/669, 340/72, 364/566, 364/569, 200/61.45 R, 200/61.52, 180/170, 180/171, 180/172, 346/17, 346/18
• US Class Current: 340/439
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0422 characterised by the type of signal transmission means
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 28/00 Safety devices for propulsion-unit control, specially adapted for, or arranged in, vehicles, e.g. preventing fuel supply or ignition in the event of potentially dangerous conditions for electrically-propelled vehicles B60L3/00; road vehicle drive control systems for purposes not related to the control of a particular sub-unit B60W30/00; drive control systems specially adapted for autonomous road vehicles B60W60/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 31/18 including a device to audibly, visibly, or otherwise signal the existence of unusual or unintended speed to the driver of the vehicle devices primarily intended for indicating speed to other traffic B60Q1/54
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/54 for indicating speed outside of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 17/22 Devices for monitoring or checking brake systems; Signal devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/143 Alarm means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/105 Longitudinal acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 66/00 Arrangements for monitoring working conditions, e.g. wear, temperature
• 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 5/085 using electronic data carriers
• CPC Class Codes: H01C 1/125 of fluid contacts
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 29/22 wherein contact is made and broken between liquid and solid
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/968 using opto-electronic devices

Abstract

A method of and apparatus for monitoring the operation of a motor vehicle subjected to a decelerative force, wherein the vehicle'"'"'s throttle opening is sensed, an indication is given when the throttle opening exceeds a predetermined value, wherein the decelerative force is sensed, and wherein said predetermined value is varied automatically as said decelerative force on the vehicle varies. If the throttle opening continues to exceed said predetermined value, then a recording is made.

Claims

1. A method of monitoring the operation of a motor vehicle, which method comprises the steps of:

sensing the vehicle'"'"'s throttle opening;

sensing a parameter which corresponds to the magnitude of a variable load force acting on the vehicle in a direction opposite the direction of forward travel of the vehicle; and

giving an indication when the throttle opening exceeds a predetermined throttle opening value, the predetermined throttle opening value being a stepwise increasing function of said parameter, said function increasing in two or more steps as said parameter increases.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said parameter is the angle of inclination of the vehicle to the horizontal in the direction of forward travel of the vehicle, said load force being gravitational.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1, said load force being imposed by a load drawn by the vehicle via a draught connection, wherein said parameter is the load in the draught connection.

4. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein giving said indication comprises issuing a warning signal to the driver of the vehicle.

5. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein giving said indication includes making a recording.

6. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein giving said indication comprises issuing a warning signal to the driver and then a predetermined time thereafter, if the throttle opening has not by then been reduced to below said predetermined value, making a recording.

7. A method as claimed in claim 5, wherein making of said recording comprises recording unit counts at spaced intervals of time while the throttle opening exceeds said predetermined value.

8. A method as claimed in claim 1, which further comprises sensing accelerative, decelerative or centrifugal force on the vehicle in a plane parallel to the surface on which the vehicle is supported, and giving an indication when said force exceeds a predetermined value irrespective of the throttle opening.

9. A method as claimed in claim 8, wherein said accelerative, decelerative or centrifugal force is sensed over a predetermined length of time, and which includes making a recording if such accelerative, decelerative or centrifugal force has exceeded the predetermined value for less than the predetermined length of time, whilst inhibiting making of said recording if such force has exceeded the predetermined value for the whole of the predetermined length of time.

10. A method as claimed in claim 9, wherein said predetermined length of time is between about 2 and 15 seconds.

11. Apparatus for monitoring the operation of a motor vehicle subjected to a load force acting on the vehicle in a direction opposite the direction of forward travel of the vehicle, which apparatus comprises:

first sensing means for sensing the vehicle'"'"'s throttle opening, said first sensing means including first throttle sensitive means for sensing whether the throttle opening is above or below a first predetermined degree, and second throttle sensitive means for sensing whether the throttle opening is above or below a second, greater predetermined degree;

second sensing means for sensing a parameter which corresponds to the magnitude of said load force, said second sensing means including first parameter sensitive means for sensing whether said parameter is above or below a first predetermined value and second parameter sensitive means for sensing whether said parameter is above or below a second higher predetermined value; and

indicating means operative in response to said first sensing means and said second sensing means to give an indication either when the parameter is above said first predetermined value and the throttle opening is above said first predetermined degree, or when the parameter is above said second predetermined value and the throttle opening is above said second predetermined degree.

12. Apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein the second sensing means is angle sensitive means adapted to sense the angle of inclination of the vehicle to the horizontal in the direction of travel of the vehicle, said load force being gravitational.

14. Apparatus as claimed in claim 11, which further comprises an inertial device for sensing accelerative, decelerative, or centrifugal force on the vehicle in a plane parallel to the surface on which the vehicle is supported, and indicating means operable in response to the inertial device to give an indication when such force exceeds a predetermined value irrespective of throttle opening.

15. Apparatus as claimed in claim 14 which further comprises comparator means operative in response to the inertial device to determine whether said accelerative, decelerative or centrifugal force has exceeded the predetermined value for less than or for the whole of a predetermined length of time, the indicating means being operable in response to the comparator means to provide a recording when said force has exceeded the predetermined value for less than the predetermined length of time, whilst inhibiting recording when said force has exceeded said predetermined value for the whole of the predetermined length of time.

17. Apparatus as claimed in claim 15, wherein said inertial device comprises a container;

a body of liquid contained in the container;

a radiation emitter; and

a radiation receptor for receiving radiation from the emitter;

the body of liquid being displaceable in the container under inertial force and the emitter and receptor being arranged to detect the position of the body of liquid in the container thereby giving an indication of the existence of said accelerative, decelerative or centrifugal force.

18. Apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein the first sensing means comprises a container;

a body of liquid contained in the container;

a radiation emitter; and

a radiation receptor for receiving radiation from the emitter;

the body of liquid being displaceable in the container upon inclination of the container, and the emitter and the receptor being arranged to detect the position of the body of liquid in the container thereby giving an indication of the angle of inclination of the container.

19. Apparatus as claimed in claim 18, wherein the emitter is a light emitter and the receptor a light detector, the emitter and detector being arranged on opposite sides of the container, the container permitting passage therethrough of light from the emitter to the detector, and the liquid being opaque to light.

13. Apparatus for monitoring the operation of a motor vehicle subjected to a load force acting on the vehicle in a direction opposite the direction of forward travel of the vehicle, which apparatus comprises:

first sensing means for sensing the vehicle'"'"'s throttle opening;

second sensing means for sensing a parameter which corresponds to the magnitude of said load force; and

indicating means operative in response to the first sensing means and the second sensing means to give an indication when the throttle opening exceeds a predetermined throttle opening value, which predetermined throttle opening value is, over at least part of the range of said parameter, a continuously increasing function of said parameter.

16. Apparatus as claimed in clim 14, wherein said inertial device comprises a container;

a body of liquid contained in the container;

a radiation emitter; and

a radiation receptor for receiving radiation from the emitter;

the body of liquid being displaceable in the container under inertial force and the emitter and receptor being arranged to detect the position of the body of liquid in the container thereby giving an indication of the existence of said accelerative, decelerative or centrifugal force.

20. A method of monitoring the operation of a motor vehicle, which method comprises the steps of:

sensing the vehicle'"'"'s throttle opening;

sensing a parameter which corresponds to the magnitude of a variable load force acting on the vehicle in a direction opposite the direction of forward travel of the vehicle; and

giving an indication when the throttle opening exceeds a predetermined throttle opening value, the predetermined throttle opening value being, over at least part of the range of said parameter, a continuously increasing function of said parameter.