Collision avoidance detector

• US 5,684,474 A
• Filed: 03/13/1996
• Issued: 11/04/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Transtech Control Ltd. (Eaton Corporation PLC.)
• Original Assignee: Robert Zelig, Shmuel Gilon
• Inventors: Gilon, Shmuel, Zelig, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Hofsass, Jeffery
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wu, Daniel J.
• Application Number:
  US08/615,619
• Time in Patent Office: 601 Days
• Field of Search: 340/463, 340/464, 340/467, 340/479, 340/435, 340/436, 340/903, 367/909
• US Class Current: 340/903
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/535 to prevent rear-end collisions, e.g. by indicating safety distance at the rear of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9317 Driving backwards
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/932 using own vehicle data, e.g. ground speed, steering wheel direction
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9322 using additional data, e.g. driver condition, road state or weather data
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9325 for inter-vehicle distance regulation, e.g. navigating in platoons
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93272 in the back of the vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/163 involving continuous checking
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 367/909 Collision avoidance

Abstract

A collision avoidance detector including a transceiver installed in a rear portion of a leading vehicle operative to transmit a signal to and receive a reflected signal from a trailing vehicle, a processor operative to process the signals and derive therefrom information concerning a safe distance criterion between the leading and trailing vehicles and an alarm device, wherein the processor actuates the alarm device if the safe distance criterion is not met.

Claims

1. A method of collision avoidance comprising:

transmitting a signal from a rear portion of a leading vehicle to a trailing vehicle;

receiving a reflected signal from said trailing vehicle;

processing said signals and deriving therefrom information concerning a safe distance criterion between said leading and trailing vehicles; and

causing flashing illumination of brake lights of said leading vehicle if a first safe distance criterion is not met, and causing continuous illumination of said brake lights of said leading vehicle if a second safe distance criterion is not met.