Safety control system for vehicles

• US 6,731,925 B2
• Filed: 11/04/2002
• Issued: 05/04/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: ACT-IP LLC
• Original Assignee: Mouhamad Ahmad Naboulsi
• Inventors: Naboulsi, Mouhamad Ahmad
• Primary Examiner(s): Vuong, Quochien B.
• Application Number:
  US10/287,299
• Publication Number:
  US 20030096594A1
• Time in Patent Office: 547 Days
• Field of Search: 455/345, 455/411, 455/565, 455/567, 455/569.1, 455/569.2, 455/575.9, 455/556.1, 455/557, 340/525, 340/575, 340/576, 340/901, 340/438, 340/441
• US Class Current: 455/345
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/18 for vehicle drivers or machine operators
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/02 for radio sets, television sets, telephones, or the like; Arrangement of controls thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/0264 for control means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/001 Vehicle control means, e.g. steering-wheel or column
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/143 Alarm means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/10 Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/12 Brake pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/06 indicating a condition of sleep, e.g. anti-dozing alarms
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6041 Portable telephones adapted for handsfree use

Abstract

A safety control system for vehicles including a telephone and sensors for sensing a potentially dangerous condition and for automatically disabling the telephone when sensing such condition. The sensors include two sensors mounted on a steering member to be gripped by the two hands of the driver of the vehicle and effective to disable an operation of the telephone when the two hands of the driver are not sensed as gripping the steering member while the vehicle is in motion. The sensors may also disable the telephone, and/or actuate a signaling device, when sensing other driver conditions or vehicle conditions in which the distraction of the driver by a telephone conversation could increase the risk of accidents.

Claims

1. A safety control system for vehicles including a telematics device and sensor means for sensing a potentially dangerous condition and for automatically disabling use of the telematics device when sensing such condition;

characterized in that said sensor means includes two sensors mounted on a steering member to be gripped by the two hands of the driver of the vehicle and effective to suspend or disable the telematics device when the two hands of the driver are not sensed as gripping said steering member while the vehicle is in motion.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein said telematics device comprises a telephone.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein said steering member is a steering wheel, and said sensor means includes two sensors on opposite sides of said steering wheel located to sense the proper gripping of the steering wheel by the two hands of the driver.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein said two sensors are located approximately on or between the “

two” and

“

ten” and

the “

three and “

nine”

clock positions of the steering wheel.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein said vehicle further comprises a computer or multifunction telematics device allowing access to the Internet for transmitting and/or receiving faxes or e-mail, WAN or browsing websites, and wherein said sensor means disables said access when the two hands of the driver are not sensed as gripping the steering member while the vehicle is in motion and the risky dangerous conditions are taking place.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein said system is monitored by a dynamic modular plug and play learning state machine.

7. The system according to claim 6, wherein said state machine receives data constituting a profile in statistical format or raw format from portable telematics devices or other data mediums including Web sites, FTP, e-mail WAN, coded tones via cellular calls.

8. The system according to claim 6, wherein said state machine updates data in statistical format or raw format to portable telematics devices or other data mediums including Web sites, FTP, e-mail WAN, coded tones via cellular calls.

9. The system according to claim 6, wherein said state machine uploads and stores data in statistical format or raw format to portable telematics devices or other data mediums including Web sites, FTP, e-mail WAN, coded tones via cellular calls.

10. The system according to claim 1, wherein said sensor means further includes a reverse-drive condition sensor for sensing when the vehicle is moving in reverse, and wherein said latter sensor also disables said telematics when sensing said reverse-drive condition of the vehicle.

11. The system according to claim 1, wherein said sensor means further includes a braking sensor.

12. The system according to claim 1, wherein said sensor means also includes a velocity sensor for sensing a high velocity of the vehicle, and wherein said velocity sensor also disables said telephone when sensing the vehicle being driven at an unduly high velocity.

13. The system according to claim 1, wherein said vehicle further includes a signaling device, and wherein said sensor means also actuates said signaling device when risky dangerous conditions are taking place.

14. The system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said sensors sensing a hand when gripping the steering member also senses a physiological condition of the driver and also disables the telephone when a predetermined physiological condition is sensed and/or risky dangerous conditions are taking place.

15. The system according to claim 14, wherein said physiological condition is a predetermined gripping force applied by at least one of the hands of the driver while gripping said steering member.

16. The system according to claim 14, wherein said physiological condition is a predetermined pulse rate, temperature, and/or skin conductivity of the driver as sensed from at least one of the hands of the driver while gripping said steering member.

17. The system according to claim 14, wherein said vehicle includes an alarm, and said sensor means actuates said alarm when sensing a predetermined physiological condition indicating drowsiness in the driver.

18. The system according to claim 14, wherein said sensor means further includes a steering direction sensor, and also actuates said alarm when sensing a failure to change the steering direction within a predetermined time, and distance interval relative to speed indicating a possible drowsiness condition in the driver.

19. The system according to claim 1, wherein said sensor means further includes a monitoring of headlight, fog light and wipers, and wherein said latter sensor also disables said telephone when sensing darkness or rain darkness and or rain are coupled with other conditions that will make driving dangerous or increased risk.

45. The system according to claim 1 wherein the steering wheel has spokes and at least one of said sensors is mounted on the spokes.

20. A safety system for vehicles having a telephone, a drive including an engine or electric motor and a transmission/or other torque conversion device for driving the vehicle, a steering mechanism including a steering member for steering the vehicle, a plurality of signaling devices for signaling the driver as to various conditions of the vehicle, and a control system including sensor means for sensing potentially dangerous conditions and for controlling the vehicle and said plurality of signaling devices;

characterized in that said sensor means includes first and second sensors mounted on said steering member to be gripped by the two hands of the driver of the vehicle and effective to disable an operation of said telephone when the two hands of the driver are not sensed as gripping said steering member while the vehicle is in motion and the risky dangerous conditions are taking place.

21. The system according to claim 20, wherein said steering member is a steering wheel and said first and second sensors are located approximately on or between the “

two” and

“

ten” and

the “

three” and

“

nine”

clock positions of the steering wheel or other steering components.

22. The system according to claim 20, wherein said first and second sensors also actuate at least one of said signaling devices when the two hands of the driver are not sensed as gripping the steering member.

23. The system according to claim 20, wherein at least one of said first and second sensors also senses a physiological condition of the driver and also disables said telephone when a predetermined physiological condition is sensed.

24. The system according to claim 23, wherein said physiological condition sensed by at least one of said first and second sensors is a predetermined gripping force applied by the respective hand of the driver while gripping said steering member.

25. The system according to claim 23, wherein said physiological condition sensed by at least one of the first and second sensors is a predetermined pulse rate, temperature, and/or skin conductivity of the respective hand of the driver.

26. The system according to claim 23, wherein said first and second sensors actuate at least one of said sensing devices when sensing a predetermined physiological characteristic indicating drowsiness or stress in the driver.

27. The system according to claim 23, wherein at least one of said signaling devices is an audio alarm;

and wherein said first and second sensors actuate said audio alarm when a drowsiness condition is sensed.

28. The system according to claim 20, wherein said sensor means further includes a steering direction sensor, and also actuates said alarm when sensing a failure to change the steering direction within a predetermined time interval indicating a possible drowsiness condition in the driver.

29. The system according to claim 20, wherein said vehicle also includes a computer allowing access to the Internet for transmitting and/or receiving faxes or e-mail;

and wherein said first and second sensors disable said access when the two hands of the driver are not sensed as gripping said steering member while the vehicle is in motion.

30. The system according to claim 20, wherein said sensor means includes a drive sensor for sensing the reverse-drive condition of the vehicle;

and wherein said drive sensor also disables said telephone when sensing the reverse-drive condition of the vehicle.

31. The system according to claim 20, wherein said sensor means includes a braking sensor for sensing the braking condition of the vehicle;

and wherein said system disables said telephone when sensing the vehicle being braked.

32. The system according to claim 20, wherein said sensor means includes a vehicle-proximity sensor for sensing proximity to other vehicles;

and wherein said vehicle-proximity sensor also disables said telephone when sensing another vehicle within a predetermined proximity.

33. The system according to claim 20, wherein said sensor means includes a velocity sensor for sensing a high velocity of the vehicle;

and wherein said velocity sensor also disables said telephone when sensing the vehicle traveling at a high velocity.

34. A method of avoiding potentially dangerous conditions while operating a vehicle having a telephone and a steering mechanism including a steering member to be manipulated by the driver, comprising:

providing the steering member with two sensors for sensing the gripping of the steering member by the two hands of the driver;

and disabling an operation of said telephone when the two sensors fail to sense the gripping of the steering member by both hands of the driver while the vehicle is in motion.

35. The method according to claim 34, wherein said telephone is also disabled when the vehicle is traveling in the reverse direction.

36. The method according to claim 34, wherein said telephone is also disabled when the vehicle is in motion and is sensed by a proximity sensor to be within a predetermined distance from another vehicle.

37. The method according to claim 34, wherein said telephone is also disabled when the vehicle is traveling at a velocity above a predetermined value.

38. The method according to claim 34, wherein a signaling device in the vehicle is also actuated when the gripping of the steering member by both hands of the driver is not sensed.

39. The method according to claim 34, wherein at least one of said sensors also senses a physiological condition of the driver and disables said telephone when a predetermined physiological condition is sensed.

40. The method according to claim 39, wherein said predetermined physiological condition is a predetermined gripping force applied by the respective hand of a driver indicating a stress condition in the driver while gripping said steering member.

41. The method according to claim 39, wherein said predetermined physiological condition is a predetermined pulse rate, temperature, or skin conductivity of the respective hand of the driver indicating a stress condition in the driver while gripping said steering member.

42. The method according to claim 39, wherein said sensors actuate an audible alarm when the sensed physiological condition is such as to indicate a possible drowsiness condition in the driver.

43. The method according to claim 39, wherein said sensors actuate a visual indicator when the sensed physiological condition is such as to indicate a possible stressed condition in the driver.

44. The method according to claim 34, wherein the steering direction of the vehicle is also sensed, and an audible alarm is actuated when the steering direction has not been changed within a predetermined time interval such as to indicate a possible drowsiness condition in the driver.