Vehicle drive override subsystem

• US 6,721,644 B2
• Filed: 08/02/2001
• Issued: 04/13/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Alfred B. Levine
• Original Assignee: Alfred B. Levine
• Inventors: Levine, Alfred B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MANCHO, RONNIE M
• Application Number:
  US09/919,889
• Publication Number:
  US 20020016653A1
• Time in Patent Office: 985 Days
• Field of Search: 701/1, 701/23, 701/38, 701/37, 701/24, 477/120, 477/118, 477/70, 477/71, 303/127, 303/122.05, 303/139, 303/122.04, 303/188, 340/453, 340/905, 340/506, 340/937, 340/435, 327/102, 327/215, 327/88, 104/119, 123/320, 382/104, 382/291, 180/168, 180/170, 180/171, 377/23, 377/3, 280/5.503, 280/5.514
• US Class Current: 701/70
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 28/16 responsive to, or preventing, skidding of wheels brake control systems for vehicle drive stability B60T8/1755; arrangements responsive to a speed condition for adjusting wheel braking force B60T8/32; control of vehicle driving stability otherwise than by controlling the propulsion unit only B60W30/02; preventing wheel slippage by reducing power in rail vehicles B61C15/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 31/00 Vehicle fittings, acting on a single sub-unit only, for automatically controlling vehicle speed, i.e. preventing speed from exceeding an arbitrarily established velocity or maintaining speed at a particular velocity, as selected by the vehicle operator fittings acting on two or more sub-units B60W30/14; speedometers G01P; systems or devices for controlling speed in general G05D13/00 ; in traffic anti-collision system for road vehicles G08G1/16
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 31/0058 responsive to externally generated signalling
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 7/12 for automatic initiation; for initiation not subject to will of driver or passenger limiting speed of vehicles other than rail vehicles B60K31/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/143 Alarm means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2530/10 Weight
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/30 Driving style
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/35 Road bumpiness, e.g. potholes
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/40 Coefficient of friction
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/00 Input parameters relating to objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/406 Traffic density
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/801 Lateral distance
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2555/20 Ambient conditions, e.g. wind or rain
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2555/60 Traffic rules, e.g. speed limits or right of way
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2720/106 Longitudinal acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: E01F 9/30 Arrangements interacting with transmitters or receivers otherwise than by visible means, e.g. using radar reflectors or radio transmitters E01F11/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/085 using electronic data carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/01 Detecting movement of traffic to be counted or controlled G08G1/07 - G08G1/14 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096725 where the received information generates an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/09675 : where a selection from the received information takes place in the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096783 : where the origin of the information is a roadside individual element
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/22 : Platooning, i.e. convoy of communicating vehicles

Abstract

An electronic subsystem for automotive vehicles for overriding the manual control of the vehicles and substituting limited automatic control in response to onboard sensors detecting external and internal conditions that are in violation of the traffic laws or adverse to the normal manually controlled operation of the vehicle. Traffic laws and regulations are digitally detected from the vehicle by wireless acquisition, and the vehicle is automatically controlled to insure compliance. The system detects adverse environmental conditions, including degraded traction and visibility, proximity of other vehicles and objects, uncontrolled vehicle movements, including skidding and fishtailing, and others, and overrides the manual control of the vehicle to minimize the effects of such conditions. The system also provides for monitoring traffic flow along roadways and wirelessly regulating such flow.

Claims

1. An automatic control system for a manually controlled automotive vehicle for overriding the manual control of the vehicle upon detecting that the vehicle is being driven in a reckless manner,

sensor means onboard the vehicle for detecting changes in acceleration,

timing means operating for a preset time interval,

counting means controlled by said timing means and responsive to said sensor means for counting the number of changes in acceleration occurring within said preset interval,

said counting means generating an output signal upon counting a predetermined number of changes in acceleration occuring within said preset time interval,

and control means coupleable to said vehicle and responsive to said output signal to override manual control of the vehicle and automatically limit subsequent acceleration performance of the vehicle,

said timing means being repetitively operated to enable substantially continuous monitoring of the vehicle.

2. In the system of claim 1,

said control means additionally reducing the speed of the vehicle responsively to said output signal.

3. In the system of claim 1,

additional sensor means for detecting adverse weather conditions affecting the driving of the vehicle, and said additional sensor means energizing said control means to limit the acceleration of the vehicle.