Vehicular collision avoidance apparatus

• US 5,339,075 A
• Filed: 11/24/1992
• Issued: 08/16/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Terrill Abst
• Original Assignee: Terrill Abst
• Inventors: Abst, Terrill, Keilen, Don H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Peng, John K.
• Assistant Examiner(s): TONG, NINA C
• Application Number:
  US07/982,076
• Time in Patent Office: 630 Days
• Field of Search: 340/903, 340/904, 340/933, 340/942, 340/943, 340/436, 340/554, 340/556, 340/557, 180/169, 367/909, 342/70, 342/129, 342/146
• US Class Current: 340/903
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/008 for anti-collision purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 367/909 Collision avoidance

Abstract

An apparatus for alerting the driver of a vehicle to the presence of another vehicle in an adjacent lane while changing lanes, in which an ultrasonic transmitter emits acoustic energy which, if reflected from an adjacent vehicle within a zone of coverage, is received on an ultrasonic receiver and processed to produce an audible warning to the driver indicative of the relative speed and position of the adjacent vehicle. One of three distinct audible warning tones alerts the driver to an approaching vehicle, a receding vehicle, or a vehicle whose relative speed is the same.

Claims

1. An apparatus for alerting the driver of a vehicle to the presence of an adjacent vehicle while changing lanes, comprising:

(a) transmitting means for transmitting a first signal, said transmitting means operatively responsive to a turn signal activation control in said vehicle;

(b) receiving means for receiving a second signal, said second signal representing a reflection of said first signal;

(c) signal detecting means for detecting presence of said second signal, said signal detecting means coupled to said receiving means;

(d) frequency discriminating means for determining a frequency differential between said second signal and said first signal and producing a doppler sense signal indicative of said frequency differential, said frequency discriminating means coupled to said signal detecting means;

(e) doppler sense means for sensing polarity of said doppler sense signal; and

(f) tone generating means for generating a first audible tone indicative of a positive frequency differential, a second audible tone indicative of a negative frequency differential, and a third audible tone indicative of said first signal and said second signal having a substantially identical frequency, said tone generating means operatively responsive to said doppler sense means.

2. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said transmitting means comprises an ultrasonic transducer having an output frequency of approximately 39.6 kilohertz.

3. An apparatus as recited in claim 2, wherein said receiving means comprises an ultrasonic transducer capable of receiving a signal having a frequency of approximately 39.6 kilohertz.

4. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, further comprising speed sensing means for sensing speed of said vehicle and preventing generation of said first, second and third audible tones when said vehicle is operated below a predetermined speed.

5. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, further comprising override control means for preventing generation of said audible tones when a negative frequency differential between said second signal and said first signal exceeds a predetermined threshold.

6. A vehicular blind spot detection apparatus, comprising:

(a) a transmitter, said transmitter including means for generating a transmitted signal having an ultrasonic output frequency, said transmitter operatively responsive to operation of a turn signal control in a vehicle;

(b) an ultrasonic receiver, said receiver including signal detecting means for locking onto a received signal having a frequency within a specified tolerance of said output frequency of said transmitter and generating a lock signal indicative thereof, said receiver including frequency discriminating means for determining a frequency differential between said received signal and said transmitted signal and producing a doppler sense signal indicative of said frequency differential;

(c) doppler sense means for sensing polarity of said doppler sense signal; and

(d) a tone generator, said tone generator including means for generating a first audible tone indicative of a positive frequency differential, means for generating a second audible tone indicative of a negative frequency differential, and means for generating a third audible tone indicative of said received signal and said transmitted signal having a substantially identical frequency, said tone generator operatively responsive to said doppler sense means.

7. An apparatus as recited in claim 6, wherein said ultrasonic transmitter includes:

(a) an oscillator, said oscillator operating at an output frequency of approximately 5,068 megahertz;

(b) a frequency divider, said frequency divider coupled to said oscillator, said frequency divider having an output frequency of approximately 39.6 kilohertz;

(c) a transducer driver, said transducer driver coupled to said frequency divider; and

(d) a first ultrasonic transducer, said first ultrasonic transducer coupled to said transducer driver.

8. An apparatus as recited in claim 7, wherein said ultrasonic receiver includes a second ultrasonic transducer and an amplifier, said amplifier coupled to said second ultrasonic transducer, and wherein said signal detecting means includes a phase lock loop, said phase lock loop coupled to said amplifier, said phase lock loop operating at a frequency of approximately 39.6 kilohertz.

9. An apparatus as recited in claim 8, further comprising speed sensing means for sensing speed of said vehicle and preventing generation of said first, second and third audible tones when said vehicle is operated below a predetermined speed.

10. An apparatus as recited in claim 9, further comprising override control means for preventing generation of said audible tones when a negative frequency differential between said second signal and said first signal exceeds a predetermined threshold.

11. An apparatus as recited in claim 6, further comprising override control means for preventing generation of said audible tones when said negative frequency differential exceeds a predetermined threshold.

12. A method for detecting an obstacle in the path of a vehicle while changing lanes, comprising the steps of:

(a) transmitting a first signal in response to operation of a turn signal activation control in said vehicle;

(b) receiving a second signal, said second signal comprising a reflection of said first signal from an obstacle;

(c) detecting the presence of said second signal;

(d) determining a frequency differential between said second signal and said first signal;

(e) generating a first audible tone indicative of a positive frequency differential;

(f) generating a second audible tone indicative of a negative frequency differential; and

(g) generating a third audible tone indicative of said first signal and said second signal having a substantially identical frequency.

13. A method as recited in claim 12, further comprising the steps of:

(a) sensing speed of said vehicle; and

(b) preventing generation of said first, second and third audible tones when said vehicle is operated below a predetermined speed.

14. A method as recited in claim 12, further comprising the steps of:

(a) determining the negative frequency differential between said second signal and said first signal; and

(b) preventing generation of said first, second and third audible tones when said negative frequency differential exceeds a predetermined threshold.