Patent Application
20130158820
The present invention is generally related to the backing up of motor vehicles, and more particular to a system for providing safety measures when backing up a motor vehicle.
Taiwan Patent No. 1329584 teaches a safety system for a motor vehicle. The safety system contains a camera and a processor. The camera captures images in front of the motor vehicle among which a vehicle base line and two horizontal mark lines running in parallel across the images are determined. The processor calculates a first distance between the vehicle base line and an adjacent horizontal mark line, and a second distance between the two horizontal mark lines. The processor then determines the distance to a vehicle ahead based on the ratio between the first and second distances. The teaching does not require precise leveling, can be easily assembled, and yet achieves superior accuracy.
However, the teaching is for monitoring the front of a motor vehicle. The rear of the motor vehicle is left unprotected, especially when backing up the motor vehicle. When there is some unexpected incident during the backing up, there is no safety means to stop the motor vehicle to prevent collision.
The safety system for backing up a motor vehicle contains a processing device, a switch device, and a brake control device. The processing device is connected with a gear position signal source so as to determine the motor vehicle's gear position, with a distance detection device so as to determine the presence of and distance to an obstacle along the motor vehicle's backing-up path, and with a speed detection device so as to determine the motor vehicle's speed. The processing device combines all the information and sends signals to the brake control device through the switch device to brake the motor vehicle in various manners.
The foregoing objectives and summary provide only a brief introduction to the present invention. To fully appreciate these and other objects of the present invention as well as the invention itself, all of which will become apparent to those skilled in the art, the following detailed description of the invention and the claims should be read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Throughout the specification and drawings identical reference numerals refer to identical or similar parts.
Many other advantages and features of the present invention will become manifest to those versed in the art upon making reference to the detailed description and the accompanying sheets of drawings in which a preferred structural embodiment incorporating the principles of the present invention is shown by way of illustrative example.
The following descriptions are exemplary embodiments only, and are not intended to limit the scope, applicability or configuration of the invention in any way. Rather, the following description provides a convenient illustration for implementing exemplary embodiments of the invention. Various changes to the described embodiments may be made in the function and arrangement of the elements described without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.
As shown in
The processing device 1 is connected to a gear position signal source 11 and thereby is capable of detecting the gear position of the motor vehicle. The processing device 1 is also connected to a distance detection device 12 for measuring the distance between the motor vehicle and an obstacle. Additionally, the processing device 1 is connected to a speed detection device 13 for measuring the speed of the motor vehicle. When the processing device 1 detects that the motor vehicle is in reversed gear, the distance detection device 12 determines whether there is an obstacle in the motor vehicle's path and, when the distance between the obstacle and the motor vehicle is within a specified distance, the processing device 1 would produce a signal. As the distance changes, the processing device 1 would vary the signal correspondingly.
The switch device 2 receives the signal from the processing device 1 and delivers the signal to the brake control device 3. On the other hand, the switch device 2 is connected to a manual switch 21 so that the signal delivery from the switch device 2 to the brake control device 3 can be manually shut down.
The brake control device 3 is connected to the brake system of the motor vehicle. After receiving the signal from the switch device 2, the brake control device 3 can activate the motor vehicle's brake system and force the motor vehicle to brake. Additionally, depending on the received signal, the brake system could be activated to exercise various brake modes.
When the motor vehicle is put into reversed gear, the processing device 1 would detect that from the gear position signal source 11 immediately. The distance detection device 2 is then activated and, once an obstacle in the path of the motor vehicle is detected, relevant information is delivered to the processing device 1 for analysis. The distance detection device 12 could be implemented using one of the following means: CCD (Charge Couple Device) image capture, CMOS (complementary Metal-Oxide Semiconductor) image capture, microwave radar distance measurement, supersonic distance measurement, and optical distance measurement.
Then, when a detected obstacle is within a specified distance, the processing device 1 outputs a signal to the switch device 2, which delivers the signal to the brake control device 3. The brake control device 3 activates the brake system of the motor vehicle to exercise an initial braking mode which brakes the motor vehicle intermittently. As such, the motor vehicle shakes and the driver is alerted about the presence of the obstacle.
As the motor vehicle moves and the distance to the obstacle shortens, the processing device 1 alters the signal correspondingly. As such, a different braking mode is exercised by the brake control system 3 such as continuously braking the motor vehicle to stop. If the distance to the obstacle is already short enough when the motor vehicle is put into reverse, the brake control system 3 could directly brake the motor vehicle to stop so as to maintain the maximum safety.
Furthermore, as the safe braking distance is significantly related to the speed of the motor vehicle, the processing device 1 can detect the speed of backing up the motor vehicle through the speed detection device 13. The processing device 1 then calculates the safe braking distance in accordance with the current speed and outputs a corresponding signal so as to activate the brake control system 3 into an appropriate braking mode.
When the motor vehicle is put into reverse under normal circumstance and an obstacle is detected by the distance detection device 12, a driver is able to set the manual switch 21 so as to shut down the switch device 2 and thereby the brake control device 3. Then, the backing up of the motor vehicle can be continued. On the other hand, after the backing up is completed and the gear is detected to be out of the reverse through the gear position signal source 11, or after the engine stops, the processing device 1 automatically shuts down the switch device 2 and thereby the brake control device 3, so that the motor vehicle can be operated normally. To maintain the safety of backing up motor vehicle, if the backing-up speed has reached a specified threshold and is detected by the speed detection device 13, the processing device 1 can force the switch device 2 to open and force the brake control device 3 to brake the motor vehicle.
The manual switch 21 could be further connected to the brake system of the motor vehicle so that, to operate the manual switch 21, the brake system should already be in operation. In other words, the motor vehicle has to be fully braked and halted before the manual switch 21 can be effectively operated. This can prevent the manual switch 21 from being accidentally engaged.
In an alternative embodiment as shown in
In another alternative embodiment as shown in
In summary, the present invention relies on the connection of the processing device 1 with the gear position signal source 11 so as to determine the motor vehicle's gear position, with the distance detection device 12 so as to determine the presence of and distance to an obstacle along the motor vehicle's backing-up path, and with the speed detection device 13 so as to determine the motor vehicle's speed, the present invention's processing device 1 combines all the information and sends signals to the brake control device 3 through the switch device 2 to brake the motor vehicle in various manners. The driver in the meantime can be alerted about the potential hazard.
While certain novel features of this invention have been shown and described and are pointed out in the annexed claim, it is not intended to be limited to the details above, since it will be understood that various omissions, modifications, substitutions and changes in the forms and details of the device illustrated and in its operation can be made by those skilled in the art without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.
