Data processing: vehicles – navigation – and relative location – Vehicle control – guidance – operation – or indication – Vehicle diagnosis or maintenance indication
Reexamination Certificate
1999-09-22
2001-05-29
Cuchlinski, Jr., William A. (Department: 3661)
Data processing: vehicles, navigation, and relative location
Vehicle control, guidance, operation, or indication
Vehicle diagnosis or maintenance indication
C701S301000, C701S001000, C701S096000, C340S901000, C340S463000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06240346
ABSTRACT:
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
N/A
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention is directed to a system for monitoring a vehicle in relation to an adjacent vehicle i.e. a leading or trailing vehicle and more particularly to such a system that provides a warning of unsafe driving behavior and/or a record of the vehicle's operation in relation to a leading and/or trailing vehicle.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Flight data recorders for use in aircraft are known for recording various operating parameters of the aircraft over time so as to provide a historical flight profile record. An analysis of the flight profile record can uncover deviations from normal flight profiles and have been extremely useful in analyzing the causes of numerous aircraft accidents.
These flight data recorders have not been used in ground vehicles for similar purposes because the operating parameters of one ground vehicle are in general, alone, not indicative of the cause of an accident between two vehicles.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the present invention, the disadvantages of prior data recorders have been overcome to provide a monitoring and data recording system suitable for use in a ground vehicle. The system of the present invention monitors the vehicle in which the system is installed, referred to as the resident vehicle, in relation to an adjacent vehicle that is leading or trailing the resident vehicle to provide a warning of unsafe driving behavior and/or to provide a record of the circumstances in which the resident vehicle has been operated.
More particularly, the system, in one embodiment, includes a range finder mounted on the resident vehicle to determine a distance from an adjacent vehicle that is trailing or leading the resident vehicle. A controller is responsive to the speed of the resident vehicle to determine a safe following distance wherein the controller compares the adjacent vehicle distance to the safe following distance to determine whether the adjacent vehicle distance is less than the determined safe following distance. An indicator is mounted on the resident vehicle and is preferably viewable by a trailing vehicle so as to provide a warning that either the trailing vehicle is following the resident vehicle too closely or that the resident vehicle is following the leading vehicle too closely. In addition thereto, or alternatively, an indicator may be positioned so as to be viewable by the driver of the resident vehicle.
In accordance with another feature of the present invention, the controller samples the adjacent vehicle distance over time so as to determine how fast one vehicle is approaching the adjacent vehicle. If one vehicle is approaching an adjacent vehicle too fast, the controller controls the indicator to provide a warning indication thereof. In a preferred embodiment, the indicator includes a number of lights that are controlled to provide a number of different light patterns each of which represents a different warning or message.
Further, the system of the present invention includes a memory for storing data. The controller stores in the memory data representing a number of operating parameters of the resident vehicle sampled over a period of time and data representing the distance of an adjacent vehicle in association with data representing the time of occurrence of the stored data so as to provide a record thereof.
In accordance with another feature of the present invention, the system includes at least one camera mounted on the resident vehicle in a position to pick up an image of a trailing or leading vehicle. The controller stores in the memory a series of images picked up by the camera over a period of time and in association with data representing the time of occurrence of the respective images so as to provide a record thereof.
The historical record provided by the stored images and vehicle operation parameter data enables the circumstances surrounding an accident to be analyzed so the cause of the accident can be ascertained. The historical record also provides a substantial deterrent to tail-gating, lane weaving, speeding, etc. so as to promote a safer ground transportation environment.
These and other advantages and novel features of the present invention, as well as details of an illustrated embodiment thereof, will be more fully understood from the following description and drawings.
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Cuchlinski Jr. William A.
Hernandez Olga
McAndrews Held & Malloy Ltd.
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