Total alert driver safety system

• US 5,515,026 A
• Filed: 01/28/1994
• Issued: 05/07/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Roger D. Ewert
• Original Assignee: Boston Footwear Group, Inc.
• Inventors: Ewert, Roger D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Peng, John K.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lefkowitz, Edward
• Application Number:
  US08/189,074
• Time in Patent Office: 830 Days
• Field of Search: 340/435, 340/436, 340/425.5, 340/384.1, 340/384.2, 340/384.3, 116/22 A, 367/139
• US Class Current: 340/436
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/525 automatically indicating risk of collision between vehicles in traffic or with pedestrians, e.g. after risk assessment using the vehicle sensor data
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 5/006 indicating risk of collision between vehicles or with pedestrians
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/008 for anti-collision purposes

Abstract

A complete vehicle accident prevention system utilizing electromagnetic transmissions for the purpose of: 1) alerting drivers to the presence of certain unanticipated accident threats such as pedestrians, bicyclists, joggers, emergency vehicles, disabled vehicles, etc.; 2) alerting people using the roadway that a vehicle is approaching thereby inducing them to move to the side of the road. The system also utilizes a speaker assembly mounted on the vehicle to forwardly transmit a pre-programmed array of natural sounds having a frequency audible to the typical human ear for the purpose of inducing animals and people to vacate the path of the approaching vehicle. The controller may receive data from a radio direction finder to cause the display to indicate to the driver of the vehicle the relative position of a potential road hazard.

Claims

1. An animal collision avoidance system for a vehicle which travels at a velocity, the system comprising:

a) a speaker mounted to the vehicle to project sound frontwardly of the vehicle;

b) a means for inducing instinctive avoidance reaction in an animal, the means including a controller connected to the speaker to cause the speaker to selectably emit a programmed array of non-panic inducing sound waves, wherein a substantial portion of the sound waves are in an audible range consisting of frequencies less than 20,000 Hz, and wherein said sound waves are detectable by animals ahead of the vehicle to induce instinctive avoidance activities in said animals to alert them to the approach of said vehicle; and

c) means for activating the controller to cause the speaker to emit said sound waves, whereby said audible sound emissions are selectably halted, wherein the means for activating comprises a transducer mounted within the vehicle which determines the velocity of the vehicle, and wherein detected velocities of a preselected level bring about emission of sound waves.

2. An animal collision avoidance system for a vehicle comprising:

a) a speaker mounted to the vehicle to project sound frontwardly of the vehicle;

b) a controller connected to the speaker to cause the speaker to selectably emit a pre-programmed array of sound waves, wherein a substantial portion of the sound waves are in an audible range consisting of frequencies less than 20,000 Hz, and wherein said sound waves are detectable by animals ahead of the vehicle to induce instinctive avoidance activities in said animals to alert them to the approach of said vehicle;

c) means for activating the controller to cause the speaker to emit said sound waves; and

d) a headlight mounted to the vehicle to direct light frontwardly of the vehicle, wherein the headlight is electrically connected to the controller to flicker at the same time as sound waves are emitted from the speaker.

3. An animal collision avoidance system for a vehicle comprising:

a) a speaker mounted to the vehicle to project sound frontwardly of the vehicle;

b) a controller connected to the speaker to cause the speaker to selectably emit a pre-programmed array of sound waves, wherein a substantial portion of the sound waves are in an audible range consisting of frequencies less than 20,000 Hz, and wherein said sound waves are detectable by animals ahead of the vehicle to induce instinctive avoidance activities in said animals to alert them to the approach of said vehicle;

c) means for achieving the controller to cause the speaker to emit said sound waves; and

d) a strobe light mounted to the vehicle, wherein the strobe light is activated by the controller to flicker in synchronization with the pre-programmed array of sound waves.

4. An animal collision avoidance system for a vehicle comprising:

a speaker mounted to the vehicle to project sound frontwardly of the vehicle;

b) a controller connected to the speaker to cause the speaker to selectably emit a pre-programmed array of sound waves, wherein a substantial portion of the sound waves are in an audible range consisting of frequencies less than 20,000 Hz, and wherein said sound waves are detectable by animals ahead of the vehicle to induce instinctive avoidance activities in said animals to alert them to the approach of said vehicle; and

c) means for activating the controller to cause the speaker to emit said sound waves; and

d) a strobe light mounted to the vehicle, wherein the strobe light is activated at the onset of a sound wave emitted by the speaker.

5. An animal collision avoidance apparatus for mounting on a vehicle, the apparatus comprising:

a) a speaker mounted to project sounds frontwardly of the vehicle, wherein the sounds emitted are at frequencies less that 20,000 Hz, said sounds being thus audible to a human ear;

b) an electronic controller, which controls the speaker such that the said sounds emitted are naturalistic sounds, said emitted naturalistic sounds being selected to induce instinctive avoidance reactions in animals; and

c) wherein the vehicle includes at least one headlight, and wherein the controller is electronically connected to the headlight, and wherein the controller operates to activate said headlight to flicker in unison with the audible emissions of the speaker.

6. An animal collision avoidance apparatus for mounting on a vehicle which travels at a velocity, the apparatus comprising:

a) a speaker mounted to project sounds frontwardly of the vehicle, wherein the sounds emitted are at frequencies less than 20,000 Hz, said sounds being thus audible to a human ear;

b) a means for inducing instinctive avoidance reactions in animals which includes an electronic controller, which controls the speaker such that the said sounds emitted are naturalistic sounds, said emitted naturalistic sounds being selected to avoid inducing panic in animals and pedestrians; and

c) a speed transducer mounted to the vehicle which detects the velocity of the vehicle, wherein the speed transducer transmits data regarding vehicle velocity to the controller, and wherein the controller automatically activates the speaker when the vehicle velocity exceeds a predetermined level.

7. An animal collision avoidance apparatus for mounting on a vehicle which travels at a velocity, the apparatus comprising:

a) a speaker mounted to project sounds frontwardly of the vehicle, wherein the sounds emitted are at frequencies less that 20,000 Hz, said sounds being thus audible to a human ear;

b) an electronic controller, which controls the speaker such that the said sounds emitted are naturalistic sounds, said emitted naturalistic sounds being selected to induce instinctive avoidance reactions in animals; and

c) a speed transducer mounted to the vehicle which detects the velocity of the vehicle, wherein the speed transducer transmits data regarding vehicle velocity to the controller, and wherein the controller automatically activates the speaker when the vehicle velocity exceeds a predetermined level, wherein the sounds are emitted at a volume, and wherein the controller increases the volume of the sound emitted from the speaker as the vehicle velocity detected by the transducer increases.