Communications – electrical: acoustic wave systems and devices – Echo systems – Distance or direction finding
Patent
1989-01-10
1990-06-26
Tarcza, Thomas H.
Communications, electrical: acoustic wave systems and devices
Echo systems
Distance or direction finding
367909, G01S 1500
Patent
active
049377965
ABSTRACT:
A method and apparatus is provided for alerting the operator of a vehicle as to the distance from the rear of the vehicle to a structure such as a loading dock to which the vehicle is being backed through the utilization of sonar ranging and means for converting a detected range into an audible call out of the distance from the back of the vehicle to the structure to which the vehicle is being backed. In one embodiment the talking unit is activated upon the placing of the vehicle in reverse gear. When used on trucks, the transducer is removably mountable to the rear of the truck, with a transmission line lead to the cab of the truck. In the preferred embodiment, a 50 kH.sub.2 transducer is utilized to project a fan beam of radiation from the back of the vehicle so that not only is the closest projecting object in the path of the beam detected and the distance thereto annunciated, any pedestrians or persons having a height commensurate with that of the mounted transducer will cause the range to that person to be annunciated, thereby providing an alarm indication to the driver. In a further embodiment, the transducer is protected from the elements and is either open to the elements only during backing, or is cleaned such that road grime and other hydrocarbons do not contaminate the transducer surface except at such limited times as when the vehicle is in reverse. The audiblization of the distance between the back of the truck and the structure to which it is backed may be provided at a predetermined rate, or may be predicated on a predetermined range change or, may be called out only at preset distances.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4333028 (1982-06-01), Panton
patent: 4654834 (1987-05-01), Dorr
patent: 4672590 (1987-06-01), Tendler
patent: 4674073 (1987-06-01), Naruse
patent: 4677595 (1987-06-01), Obayashi et al.
patent: 4737939 (1988-04-01), Ricketts
patent: 4803670 (1989-02-01), Chen
patent: 4811310 (1989-03-01), Wille
Pihulic Daniel T.
Tarcza Thomas H.
LandOfFree
Vehicle backing aid does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Vehicle backing aid, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Vehicle backing aid will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-1130394