Data processing: vehicles – navigation – and relative location – Vehicle control – guidance – operation – or indication – Construction or agricultural-type vehicle
Reexamination Certificate
1999-09-29
2001-02-27
Zanelli, Michael J. (Department: 3661)
Data processing: vehicles, navigation, and relative location
Vehicle control, guidance, operation, or indication
Construction or agricultural-type vehicle
C701S035000, C340S436000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06195605
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to an impact monitoring device for mounting on a vehicle for monitoring impacts the vehicle incurs.
BACKGROUND
Products are frequently shipped and handled by various types of product handling vehicles including trucks and forklifts. These vehicles are often subject to considerable operator abuse when used in unsupervised areas. The resulting damage from collisions to the vehicles and product being shipped can be costly and time consuming to repair.
One known prior art device includes an accelerometer and a microprocessor arranged to mount on a vehicle used for handling product for producing an audible alarm when the vehicle incurs an impact. The device however is disarmed by a simple key which may be duplicated. The device does not disable the vehicle or deter anyone from disabling the device itself thus making the device an ineffective way of determining who is responsible for an impact which has caused damage to the product being handled. The alarm of the device is dependent upon comparison of the accelerometer output to a single impact threshold value. The device thus cannot record soft impacts of relatively short magnitude and long duration in addition to hard impacts of relatively large magnitude and short duration, both of which can result in significant damage to either the vehicle or the product being shipped.
SUMMARY
According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided an impact monitoring device for mounting on a vehicle for monitoring impacts the vehicle incurs, the device comprising:
an impact sensing element arranged to produce an impact signal in response to an acceleration condition incurred by the vehicle which is outside of a range of acceleration conditions, the impact signal representing the acceleration condition;
a processor connected to the impact sensing element and including;
an alarm activator for activating an alarm state in response to receipt by the processor of an impact signal from the impact sensing element;
an alarm latch for latching the alarm state; and
an alarm release for releasing the alarm in response to receipt by the processor of a disarming signal;
an operator interface mounted on the vehicle, the operator interface being arranged for receiving the disarming signal and transmitting the disarming signal to the alarm release; and
a disabling element for disabling a function of the vehicle during the alarm state.
The acceleration condition may be as simple as the magnitude of an acceleration experienced by the vehicle or it may be more complex including other factors for example the duration of the acceleration or jerk which is the rate of change of acceleration.
The disabling element does not allow the vehicle's operator to continue operating the vehicle until a supervisor provides the disarming signal for releasing the alarm state. This is effective for determining when a collision or impact has occurred and who is responsible for it.
There may be provided a horn relay connected to the processor, the horn relay being activated by the processor during the alarm state for sounding the horn. A relay monitor is preferably connected to the horn relay, the relay monitor being arranged to activate the alarm state if the horn circuit is disconnected.
The vehicle may comprise a lift vehicle wherein the disabling element is connected to a lift solenoid of the lift vehicle such that the lift solenoid is disabled during the alarm state.
A power circuit is preferably arranged to be connected between the processor and a battery of the vehicle for supplying continuous power to the processor. There may be provided a power circuit monitor connected to the processor such that the alarm activator is arranged to activate the alarm state in response to an absence of power if the power circuit is disconnected.
A memory element may be connected to the processor, the memory element being arranged to store impact signals thereon.
There may be provided a vehicle identification element connected to the microprocessor, the vehicle identification element being arranged to store an identification of the vehicle in the memory element with each impact signal.
Preferably there is provided a clock element connected to the memory element, the clock element being arranged to store a time corresponding to each impact signal in the memory element.
An alarm delaying element is preferably provided for delaying activation of the alarm state for a predetermined amount of time following vehicle start up such that the vehicle is momentarily operable upon start up.
A digital storage element is preferably provided, the digital storage element being arranged to contact the operator interface for communicating therewith, the digital storage element having a coded element therein such that the digital storage element cannot be duplicated by unauthorised persons.
According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided an impact monitoring device for mounting on a vehicle for monitoring impacts the vehicle incurs, the device comprising:
an impact sensing element arranged to produce an impact signal in response to an acceleration condition incurred by the vehicle which is outside of a range of acceleration conditions, the impact signal representing the acceleration condition;
a processor connected to the impact sensing element and including;
an alarm activator for activating an alarm state in response to receipt by the processor of an impact signal from the impact sensing element;
an alarm latch for latching the alarm state; and
an alarm release for releasing the alarm state in response to receipt by the processor of a disarming signal;
an operator interface mounted on the vehicle, the operator interface being arranged for receiving the disarming signal and transmitting the disarming signal to the alarm release; and
a digital storage element having the disarming signal stored thereon, the digital storage element being arranged to communicate with the operator interface for transmitting the disarming signal to the operator interface, the digital storage element having a coded element therein such that the digital storage element cannot be duplicated.
The digital storage element is a key which has encoded data recorded thereon. The coded element ensures that the digital storage element cannot be readily duplicated by unauthorised persons. The digital storage element enables authorised persons to record numerous different instructions thereon for programming numerous functions of the impact monitoring device.
The digital storage element preferably has a memory element therein for recording and storing data thereon.
There may also be provided a digital storage element having operator identification data recorded thereon, the digital storage element being arranged to communicate with the operator interface such that the operator identification data is stored with the impact signal when an alarm state is activated.
Additionally there may be provided a digital storage element having the predetermined impact value stored thereon for programming the processor when engaged with the operator interface.
A computer interface may be provided for communicating between the digital storage element and a computer for storing the impact signals recorded on the digital storage element into the computer.
According to a further aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of monitoring impacts incurred by a vehicle, said method comprising;
providing an impact sensing element mounted on the vehicle, the impact sensing element being arranged to produce an impact signal representing a magnitude of acceleration incurred by the vehicle at a given point in time;
providing microprocessor means for processing a plurality of impact signals;
calculating a sample representing an average of a plurality of impact signals;
calculating a hard impact average of at least two consecutive samples;
comparing the hard impact average to a predetermined hard impact value; and
activating an alarm state if the hard impact average exceeds th
Kellam H. Jay
Tabler Lyle
Battison Adrian D.
BMI Technologies Inc.
Gibson Eric M
Zanelli Michael J.
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