Registration arrangement for motor vehicles with a measured value presentation suitable for evaluating accidents

• US 5,477,141 A
• Filed: 06/01/1993
• Issued: 12/19/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Mannesmann Kienzle GmbH
• Original Assignee: VDO Kienzle GmbH (Continental AG)
• Inventors: Nather, Horst, Lais, Norbert
• Primary Examiner(s): Snow, Walter E.
• Application Number:
  US08/069,461
• Time in Patent Office: 931 Days
• Field of Search: 324/160, 324/166, 324/168, 364/424.03, 364/424.04
• US Class Current: 324/160
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 1/122 Speed recorders
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/085 using electronic data carriers

Abstract

A device for short-distance recording for motor vehicles is disclosed for the evaluation of an accident or near-accident driving situation. A storage arrangement is provided in which speed measurements are simultaneously written into at least two parallel storage branches. A plurality of time-limited storage areas are defined in each storage branch. Each storage area has a storage portion which can be operated as a ring storage and a storage portion arranged subsequent to the latter which can be operated as a linear storage. The speed values, which are written into the ring storage in a continuous manner during the course of normal driving, are permanently stored in one storage branch when the criterion v equal to 0 km/hr occurs, and in the other storage branch when the criterion a greater than a deceleration threshold value occurs. Subsequent speed values are written into the linear storage of the respective storage area until the set time limit, after which a free storage area of the respective storage branch is switched to.

Claims

1. A device for short-distance recording in a motor vehicle, which comprises:

a processing means, wherein said processing means controls the operation of said device;

a means for measuring speed; and

a storage arrangement for electronically storing the measured speed values in such a way that they enable an immediate evaluation of one of an accident and a near-accident driving situation by one of displaying and printing,

wherein said storage arrangement is provided with at least two independent storage branches, wherein each of said storage branches has a plurality of storage areas, and

wherein each of said storage areas has a first storage portion which can be is operated as a ring storage and a second storage portion which is operated as a linear storage, and further wherein at least one of the measured speed values is written into said storage branches simultaneously in a cycle required for a desired resolution, and further wherein a ring storage is exited and a further storage is effected in the subsequently arranged linear storage in a first of said two storage branches when said vehicle is stopped and in a second of said two storage branches when fixed deceleration values, which are caused by one of braking and impact, are exceeded.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein said processing means controls storage, and further wherein said processing mean writes in at least one relative value for the date and the current clock time in the presence of one of a permanent storage criteria v equal to 0 and a greater than a deceleration threshold value.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein said storage arrangement, together with said processing means, a timer, and a suitable interface circuit, are constructed as a constructional unit, wherein said constructional unit is installed in a vehicle device which processes distance-dependent pulses and in which measures are introduced for interrogating a short-distance recording device.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein said constructional unit is integrated in a line connection between said device which processes distance-dependent pulses and a distance pulse transmitter which is associated therewith.

5. The device of claim 3, wherein said constructional unit is constructed as a module with an integrated circuit.

6. The device of claim 1, which further comprises:

a printing device for visualizing stored speed values, wherein a print medium, which is in a sheet form and which is fed in and removed through a slot in said printing device, is used as a recording medium.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein contents of said two storage branches are printed out parallel to one another as a speed chart, and further wherein at least the date and the clock time are printed when at least one of a permanent storage criteria v equal to 0 and a greater than a deceleration threshold value are present in said chart.

8. The device of claim 6, wherein contents of said two storage branches are printed out parallel to one another as a speed chart, and further wherein at least the date and the clock time are printed when at least one of a permanent storage criteria v equal to 0 and a greater than a deceleration threshold value are present in said chart.

9. The device of claim 1, which further comprises:

a control device, which is usable in any vehicle and which further comprises at least one of a printing device and a display, a time/date calculator, and a means for adaptation of distance in relation to a specific vehicle.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein said storage arrangement is a tachograph device storage arrangement.

11. The device of claim 4, wherein said storage arrangement is a tachograph device storage arrangement.

12. The device of claim 6, wherein said printing device is a tachograph printing device.