Vehicle collision avoidance system

• US 5,235,316 A
• Filed: 12/20/1991
• Issued: 08/10/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Qualizza, Gregory K.
• Original Assignee: Qualizza, Gregory K.
• Inventors: Qualizza, Gregory K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Crosland, Donnie L.
• Application Number:
  US07/811,301
• Time in Patent Office: 599 Days
• Field of Search: 340/435-437, 340/903, 367/93, 367/94, 367/909, 367/87, 367/95, 180/167, 180/271
• US Class Current: 340/436
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/58 for providing variable ranges
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 367/909 Collision avoidance

Abstract

The collision avoidance system includes structure mountable at the side mirror position of a vehicle. The system includes a rotatable mirror and an ultrasonic transmitting and receiving unit which is adaptable to scan a predetermined area about the vehicle to detect the presence of an object and to calculate its distance from the vehicle. If the distance and speed are determined to pose a threat, the distance is placed on a display and an alarm is sounded. Two displays are provided, one for the forward end of the vehicle and another for the rear end of the vehicle. The system operates when the vehicle is moving forwardly and rearwardly. Also, when the vehicle is not moving, the presence of a potential intruder is also monitored and the system can actuate an anti-theft alarm of the vehicle. Further, the system can be programmed by a plurality of operators to particular distances, with the system discerning which operator is driving and automatically using that operator'"'"'s input.

Claims

1. A collision avoidance system for a motor vehicle, the system being mounted in place of a side mirror of the vehicle and comprising:

a rotatable mirror;

means functionally engaged to said mirror for rotating the mirror in a predetermined manner between predetermined positions;

a rotatable ultrasonic transmitting and receiving unit;

means for rotating the ultrasonic transmitting and receiving unit in a predetermined manner between predetermined positions functionally engaged to said unit;

means for producing an audible alarm;

two displays, each indicative of a particular area relative to the vehicle and;

a microprocessor functionally engaged to said mirror rotating means, unit rotating means, alarm producing means, and said displays and programmed to accept input from the transmitting and receiving unit, to process same, to cause rotation of the unit and the mirror, to cause output of processed values selectively to the displays and to cause an audible alarm when said processed values are within predefined limits.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said mirror is supported on a rotatable shaft, the shaft having a gear engaged thereto which cooperates with a gear on a motor mounted in said housing.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein said ultrasonic transmitting and receiving unit is supported on a rotatable shaft, the shaft having a gear engaged thereto which cooperates with a gear on a motor mounted in said housing.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein each rotatable shaft has an angle encoding plate mounted thereon, the plate being semicircular and having detects placed at predetermined locations about the arcuate periphery thereof.

5. The system of claim 4 further including a spring biased detent mechanism for the mirror for the transmitting and receiving unit, each of which engages the detents in a systematic manner and includes means for sending signals to said microcomputer relative to the detent position it is engaged to at a certain point in time.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein said motors are stepper motors.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein said stepper motors are operated by said microcomputer in response to processed signals received from said angle encoder plates and said transmitting and receiving unit.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein said transmitting and receiving unit comprises an acoustical transducer and a conical wave guide which transmit an ultrasonic signal and receive a return signal when the transmitter signal is reflected by an object in its path.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein said received signal is processed by said microcomputer and then output to the appropriate display if it is within a preprogrammed range, and if not, the transducer is rotated to a next position.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein said transducer is positionable in any one of 10 predetermined positions providing a scan of an area covering 200 degrees.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein scanning takes place in a back and forth manner.

12. The system of claim 11 including means for allowing operator programming of preferred distances.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein said mirror is rotated by said microcomputer when a reflected signal is received by the transmitting and receiving unit from a blind spot of the vehicle.

14. The system of claim 13 operating under microcomputer control when the vehicle is moving forwardly.

15. The system of claim 14 operating under microcomputer control when the vehicle is moving rearwardly.

16. The system of claim 15 operating, when the vehicle is not moving, in a monitor mode under microcomputer control and being capable of actuating a vehicle anti-theft alarm when the presence of an object is determined for a predetermined period of time within a predetermined distance of the vehicle.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein one vehicle has two collision avoidance systems mounted thereon, one on a driver side of the vehicle and one on a passenger side of the vehicle.

18. The system of claim 17 scanning 360 degrees about the vehicle under microcomputer control.

19. A collision avoidance system for use on a vehicle comprising:

a housing which is mounted in a vehicle side view mirror position;

a mirror mounted on a rotatable shaft in said housing;

an acoustical ranging unit mounted on a rotatable shaft in said housing and including an acoustical transducer and a conical wave guide;

a stepper motor suitably engaged to the rotatable shaft of said acoustical ranging unit;

an angle encoder comprising a plate of semicircular configuration having detents about an arcuate periphery thereof mounted to each rotatable shaft;

a detect mechanism which rides along the periphery of each angle encoder plate and produces electrical signals relating to an exact location about the semicircle;

an alarm and at least two displays, one corresponding to a front end of the vehicle and another corresponding to the rear of the vehicle; and

a microcomputer which receives signals from the transducer, indicating an object in a signal path, calculates the distance to the object, calculates the speed of the object relative to the speed of the vehicle and, if the distance is less than an operator programmed distance within the microcomputer, causes visualization of the speed on an appropriate display as well as causing an audible alarm to sound.

20. A system for avoiding a vehicular collision by detecting an object in proximity to a vehicle at any angle relative thereto including:

rotatable means for creating an ultrasonic signal and receiving an echo thereof;

means for calculating the time between creation and receiving of said signal;

means for determining from which rotational position said echo is received;

means for modifying said time calculation relative to speed of a vehicle to which the system is engaged;

means for generating a warning signal if said modified time calculation generates a value within predefined limits; and

means for resetting said system to cause said signal creating means to generate and receive an echo of another ultrasonic signal at an adjacent rotational position to which said signal creating means are rotated.

21. The system of claim 20 wherein said system further includes means for converting a signal to a binary coded decimal and outputting same to a comparator for a comparison.

22. The system of claim 21 wherein said system further includes means for determining the speed of the vehicle to which the system is engaged.

23. The system of claim 22 wherein said rotatable means comprise a rotational base having detents thereon which, when singularly engaged to a conductive receiving element, create a signal indicative of said detent.

24. The system of claim 23 wherein said system is further engaged to a seat adjusting lever in a manner to sense seat adjustment for adjusting said system resetting means.

25. The system of claim 24 wherein said system is engaged to a mirror in a manner to adjust same to a position determined by analyzing the echo of said signal generating means.

26. The system of claim 25 including means engaged to a drive train of said vehicle to determine if the vehicle is operating in a forward or reverse mode.

27. The system of claim 26 including means for determining if the vehicle is standing still.

28. The system of claim 27 further including means for storing an operator selected set of operating parameters.

29. The system of claim 28 wherein said storing means are engaged to processing means which access the stored parameters for comparisons of said stored parameters to calculated parameters.

30. The system of claim 29 wherein said stored parameters include:

operator identification;

vehicle speed; and

vehicle motion.

31. The system of claim 30 wherein said mirror is initialized to operator chosen position.

32. The system of claim 31 wherein said mirror is rotated to a calculated position up receiving a signal echo from a position which is not accommodated by the initialized position for viewing by the operator.

33. The system of claim 32 including means for taking a first and a second echo signal, said signals both coming from the same position, and calculating the time difference between them to calculate a change in relative velocity between the echo producing object and the vehicle to which the system is mounted.

34. The system of claim 33 wherein said means for calculating comprise a microprocessor.

35. The system of claim 34 wherein said means for storing comprise a random access memory.

36. A system for avoiding a vehicular collision by detecting an object in proximity to a vehicle at any angle relative thereto including:

rotatable means for creating an ultrasonic signal and receiving an echo thereof;

means for calculating the time between creation and receiving of said signal;

means for converting the calculated time to a distance equivalent;

means for determining from which rotational position said echo is received;

means for modifying said distance equivalent relative to speed of a vehicle to which the system is engaged;

means for generating a warning signal if said modified distance equivalent generates a value within predefined limits; and

means for resetting said system to cause said signal creating means to generate and receive an echo of another ultrasonic signal at an adjacent rotational position to which said signal creating means are rotated.

37. The system of claim 36 wherein said means for converting time to distance apply:

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38. The system of claim 37 wherein said means for modifying said distance equivalent apply:

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39. The system of claim 38 wherein said means for modifying said distance equivalent further apply:

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40. The system of claim 39 wherein said means for generating a warning signal apply:

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41. The system of claim 40 wherein said means for modifying said distance equivalent relative to vehicle speed apply:

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42. The system of claim 41 wherein said means for modifying said distance equivalent further apply:

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