Vehicle backing aid

• US 4,937,796 A
• Filed: 01/10/1989
• Issued: 06/26/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 01/10/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Robert K. Tendler
• Original Assignee: Robert K. Tendler
• Inventors: Tendler, Robert K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza, Thomas H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pihulic, Daniel T.
• Application Number:
  US07/295,436
• Time in Patent Office: 532 Days
• Field of Search: 367/909, 367/96, 367/13, 367/116, 340/903, 340/904, 381/51
• US Class Current: 367/116
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2007/52011 including means to prevent or remove the obstruction
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2015/937 sensor installation details constructional features of transducers G01S7/521 and B06B; casing of transducers, e.g. housing, cover or filler details, G10K9/22; mounting of transducers, i.e. fixture, fitting or holder details, G10K11/004
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/52004 Means for monitoring or calibrating short-range imaging G01S7/5205
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/521 Constructional features
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 367/909 Collision avoidance

Abstract

A method and apparatus is provided for alerting the operator of a vehicle as to the distance from the rear of the vehicle to a structure such as a loading dock to which the vehicle is being backed through the utilization of sonar ranging and means for converting a detected range into an audible call out of the distance from the back of the vehicle to the structure to which the vehicle is being backed. In one embodiment the talking unit is activated upon the placing of the vehicle in reverse gear. When used on trucks, the transducer is removably mountable to the rear of the truck, with a transmission line lead to the cab of the truck. In the preferred embodiment, a 50 kH₂ transducer is utilized to project a fan beam of radiation from the back of the vehicle so that not only is the closest projecting object in the path of the beam detected and the distance thereto annunciated, any pedestrians or persons having a height commensurate with that of the mounted transducer will cause the range to that person to be annunciated, thereby providing an alarm indication to the driver. In a further embodiment, the transducer is protected from the elements and is either open to the elements only during backing, or is cleaned such that road grime and other hydrocarbons do not contaminate the transducer surface except at such limited times as when the vehicle is in reverse. The audiblization of the distance between the back of the truck and the structure to which it is backed may be provided at a predetermined rate, or may be predicated on a predetermined range change or, may be called out only at preset distances.

Claims

1. A system for effectively assisting in the backing of a vehicle comprising:

sonar ranging means having a transducer mounted to the rear of said vehicle, said sonar ranging means including means for generating and projecting a beam of pulsed acoustic energy horizontally through the air behind said vehicle, and for receiving returned pulses and generating therefrom a number corresponding to the distance from said transducer to an object reflecting said beam

means for converting said number into an audible human speech equivalent, whereby the operator of said vehicle is assisted in the backing thereof through the range callout; and

,

means for detecting a rapid change of detected range in terms of Δ

R/Δ

T for predetermined Δ

R/Δ

T and means for providing an alarm indication responsive thereto.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said range is called out for predetermined distances.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein said range is called out upon the occurrence of a predetermined range change.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein said range is periodically called out.

5. The system of claim 1 and further including means for ascertaining when said vehicle is backing and for activating said system responsive thereto.

6. The system of claim 1 and further including means for protecting said transducer against contamination.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein said protecting means includes an apertured housing, shuttering means at said aperture, and means for opening said shuttering means responsive to the output of said means for ascertaining when said vehicle is backing.

8. The system of claim 1 and further including means for removing contamination from the face of said transducer.

9. The system of claim 8 and further including means for ascertaining the efficiency of said transducer and for activating said contamination removing means responsive to a drop in efficiency of said transducer.

10. The system of claim 8 wherein said contamination removing means includes means for flushing the face of said transducer with a fluid.

11. The system of claim 8 wherein said contamination removing means includes means for wiping the face of said transducer.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein said alarm indication is a human voice annunciation of a predetermined phrase or utterance.

14. The system of claim 1 and further including means for removably mounting said transducer to the back of said vehicle, whereby said sonar ranging means can be mounted in the cab of a trailer truck, with the transducer being removable from the back of the trailer.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein said removable mounting means includes a magnet.

16. The system of claim 14 wherein said removable mounting means including suction means.

12. A system for effectively assisting in the backing of a vehicle comprising:

sonar ranging means having a transducer mounted to the rear of said vehicle, said sonar ranging means including means for generating and projecting a beam of pulsed acoustic energy horizontally through the air behind said vehicle, and for receiving returned pulses and generating therefrom a number corresponding to the distance from said transducer to an object reflecting said beam;

means for converting said number into an audible human speech equivalent, whereby the operator of said vehicle is assisted in the backing thereof through the range callout;

means for removing contamination from the face of said transducer; and

,

means for ascertaining the efficiency of said transducer and for activating said contamination removing means responsive to a drop in efficiency of said transducer.