Vehicular safety distance alarm system

• US 5,627,510 A
• Filed: 09/12/1994
• Issued: 05/06/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Zhiping Yuan
• Original Assignee: Zhiping Yuan
• Inventors: Yuan, Zhiping
• Primary Examiner(s): TONG, NINA C
• Application Number:
  US08/304,250
• Time in Patent Office: 967 Days
• Field of Search: 340/435, 340/436, 340/901, 340/903, 340/904, 340/943, 340/552, 340/561, 340/565, 340/461, 364/460, 364/461, 180/271, 180/275, 342/70, 342/71, 367/96, 367/97, 367/107, 367/112, 367/909, 116/62.4, 116/62.1, 116/62.3, 116/DIG. 36, 116/DIG. 47, 116/290, 116/295, 116/293, 116/300, 116/301, 116/302, 116/284, 116/282
• US Class Current: 340/435
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/008 for anti-collision purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93185 Controlling the brakes
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/932 using own vehicle data, e.g. ground speed, steering wheel direction
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9325 for inter-vehicle distance regulation, e.g. navigating in platoons
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93276 in the windshield area
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/04 Display arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 367/909 Collision avoidance

Abstract

A vehicular safety distance alarm system for monitoring a travelling distance between a source vehicle and a target vehicle and activating an alarm when a predetermined safety distance defined between the two for a given speed is compromised comprising a distance measurement mechanism coupled to a source vehicle for determining and transmitting a distance signal representing a travelling distance between the source vehicle and a remote target vehicle; a selection mechanism coupled to the source vehicle for allowing a driver to select a desired range of safety distances expressed as a function of source vehicle velocity and a set time to reach a target vehicle; an alarm signal generation mechanism coupled to the distance measurement mechanism and selection mechanism for comparing the distance signal to a safety distance at a given source vehicle velocity and transmitting an alarm signal when the safety distance is compromised; and an alarm mechanism coupled to the alarm signal generation mechanism for providing an indication upon receipt of an alarm signal.

Claims

1. A vehicular safety distance alarm system for monitoring a travelling distance between a source vehicle and a remote target vehicle and activating an alarm when a predetermined safety distance defined between said source and target vehicles for a given speed is compromised comprising, in combination:

1) a distance meter further comprising;

a hollow, rigid, and essentially box-shaped container having a pivotable stand coupled thereto and extended downwards therefrom for adhesively coupling with a dashboard of a source vehicle and a bubble-level coupled thereto for ensuring its proper positioning on the stand for use;

a distance measuring circuitry disposed within the container, the distance measuring circuitry having a transmitter for transmitting a plurality of incident pulse signals towards the remote target vehicle, a receiver for receiving reflected incident pulse signals from the target vehicle, a timer coupled to the receiver and the transmitter for determining a time period between a transmitted incident pulse signal, and a signal generator circuitry for transmitting a distance signal representing the travelling distance between the source vehicle and the target vehicle based upon a known velocity of the incident pulse signals and the time period from the timer; and

a selection circuitry disposed within the container and coupled to the distance measuring circuitry for receiving the distance signal therefrom, the selection circuitry having an orientable selector switch extended from the container with the selection circuitry transmitting a first deflection signal when the selector switch is placed in a first mode indicating a two second safety distance between the source vehicle and the target vehicle is desired and the selection circuitry transmitting a second deflection signal when the selector switch is placed in a second mode indicating that a three second safety distance between the source vehicle and the target vehicle is desired;

2) a readout meter further comprising;

a scaling plate adapted to be coupled to the dashboard of the source vehicle, the scaling plate having a first scale disposed thereon indicating the speeds of the source vehicle, a second scale disposed thereon indicating safety distances as measured in a time interval of two seconds with the safety distances on the second scale correlated to the speeds on the first scale, and a third scale disposed thereon indicating safety distances as measured in a time interval of three seconds with the safety distances on the third scale correlated to the speeds on the first scale;

a distance measurement needle having a generally circular plastic plate with an upper surface and a lower surface, a prong peripherally extended from the circular plastic plate defining a measurement point with the prong having a leading edge and a trailing edge, a contact pad formed of an electrically conductive material disposed on the upper surface of the circular plastic plate beginning at a location near the leading edge of the prong and terminated at a clockwise angular distance therefrom, the distance measurement needle couplable with deflection means of the dashboard of the source vehicle for allowing it to be angularly deflected with respect to the second scale upon receipt of the first deflection signal in the first mode and deflected with respect to the third scale upon receipt of the second deflection signal in the second mode;

a speed measurement needle formed of an electrically conductive material disposed over the scaling plate, the speed measurement needle coupleable with the deflection means of the dashboard of the source vehicle for allowing it to be angularly deflected with respect to the first scale upon receipt of an indication of the speed of the source vehicle, with deflection of the speed measurement needle upon the contact pad of the distance measurement needle generating an alarm signal indicating that a safety distance has been compromised;

3) the alarm having a light source and a speaker extended from the container and coupled to the readout meter, the alarm providing a visual and audible indication that a safety distance has been compromised upon receipt of the alarm signal;

4) a power switch extended from the container, the power switch having a terminal with a first port connected to the alarm and connectable to an automatic brake system of the source vehicle and a second port connectable to a power source of the source vehicle, the power switch having one mode for energizing the distance meter, the readout meter, and the alarm and another mode for de-energizing the distance meter, the readout meter, and the alarm; and

5) an auto-brake switch extended from the container, the auto-brake switch having a terminal with a first port connected to the speed measurement and the alarm and a second port connectable to the automatic brake system of the source vehicle, the auto-brake switch having one mode for energizing the automatic brake system of the source vehicle, whereby allowing the automatic brake system to be engaged upon receipt of the alarm signal, and another mode for de-energizing the automatic brake system of the source vehicle.