초록 ▼

A continuous exterior perimeter monitoring system for collision avoidance by vehicles with exterior objects is provided utilizing microelectronic digital logic circuits and techniques to produce a visual three-digit numerical display, a discrete multi-color display and a multi-level sound warning sy

A continuous exterior perimeter monitoring system for collision avoidance by vehicles with exterior objects is provided utilizing microelectronic digital logic circuits and techniques to produce a visual three-digit numerical display, a discrete multi-color display and a multi-level sound warning system, indicating precise and range of distances of exterior objects from vehicles which could collide therewith within pre-selected distances. The time-to-distance circuits of the system are an integral part of the digital logic circuits that are utilized to ascertain distances and such circuits are in a compact electronic package adapted to and is readily installed and integrated into existing vehicles utilizing the existing wiring electrical power systems primarily as a retro-fitting process for vehicles or as an original installation.

대표청구항 ▼

A microelectronics collision avoidance detection and warning system having a plurality of detection devices remotely disposed about a perimeter of a vehicular arrangement for determining a distance between exterior objects and said vehicular arrangement by installing it as a retro-fit to the vehicul

A microelectronics collision avoidance detection and warning system having a plurality of detection devices remotely disposed about a perimeter of a vehicular arrangement for determining a distance between exterior objects and said vehicular arrangement by installing it as a retro-fit to the vehicular arrangement utilizing existing electrical wiring and power system thereof including its chassis, said installed retro-fit provides warnings to an operator compartment of the vehicular arrangement from said detection devices in the form of visual numerical and multicolor displays, and multiple audio sounds and messages, the combination comprising; a. a digital microprocessor having an oscillator circuit with an input connected to said existing electrical wiring and power system of a vehicle for input of electrical power, and including a plurality of output terminals, said oscillator circuit generating oscillatory frequency output signals for said detection and warning system and electrically grounding through the chassis of said vehicle; b. a distance ranging circuit connected at a first input terminal of an output of said oscillator circuit for receiving an oscillatory frequency signal and generating a low frequency high voltage clock output signal and a plurality of high frequency trigger and timing reference output signals; said distance ranging circuit having a second input terminal for receiving a plurality of analog echo return signals that are converted by said distance ranging circuit into a plurality of digital logic echo output signals; said plurality of high frequency trigger and timing reference output signals and digital logic echo signals being represented as two output signals having a time-to-distance relationship therebetween from which the distances between said vehicle and a plurality of exterior objects can be measured; c. said plurality of detection devices include a dual-function acoustical detection device each operates first as a transmitter and subsequently as a receiver of ultrasonic acoustical sound waves and are disposed at selected perimeter locations of said vehicle; each of said acoustical detection devices has an input terminal connected to said distance ranging circuit for receiving said low frequency high voltage clock and said high frequency trigger and timing reference output signals therefrom to activate said acoustical detection devices as transmitters of a plurality of incident sound waves and subsequently as receivers of a plurality of returned echo sound waves; said plurality of returned echo sound waves being fed from said acoustical detection devices through said input terminal as analog echo return output signals to said second input terminal of said distance ranging circuit; a second terminal of said acoustical detection devices being connected to the vehicle chassis for electrical grounding; d. a digital logical processing circuit having a first input terminal connected to said oscillator circuit for receiving an oscillatory frequency output signal; a second and third input terminal connected to said distance ranging circuit for receiving said two output signals having a time-to-distance relationship therebetween and converting said two output signals into a plurality of voltage biasing signals and binary coded decimal-to-seven segment digital logic signals that are fed to said existing electrical wiring and power system through a series connected diode device; e. a voltage comparator processor circuit having a first input terminal connected to said oscillator circuit for receiving an oscillatory frequency output signal; a second and third input terminal connected to said distance ranging circuit for receiving said two output signals having a time-to-distance relationship therebetween and for converting said two output signals into a plurality of voltage signals that includes three ranges of voltages determined by preset voltage comparator circuits; each of said three ranges of voltages has a plurality voltage response levels which represent a time-to-distance measurement between said vehicle and an exterior object; said three ranges of voltage signals are fed to said existing wiring and power system through a series connected diode device; f. an electronic digital logic signal warning apparatus remotely disposed from said detection devices, including a plurality of audio sound devices in combination having an output terminal and a plurality of input terminals; a first input terminal being connected to said existing electrical wiring and power system through a voltage divider circuit for input power and said output terminal being connected to said chassis for electrical grounding; and said other input terminals being connected to said existing electrical wiring and power system through a series connected interface circuit for receiving digital logic signals and activating said plurality of audio sound devices to generate multiple warning sounds and messages; g. a numerical visual display system including a plurality of light emitting diodes in combination having an output and a plurality of input terminals; a first input terminal being connected to said existing electrical wiring and power system through said voltage divider circuit for electrical power and said output terminal being connected to said chassis for electrical grounding; said other input terminals being connected to said existing electrical wiring and power system through said series connected interface circuit for receiving digital logic signals for activating said plurality of light emitting diodes to produce a display of numerical characters of three digit-seven segment configuration; and h. a multicolor display including an array of light-emitting-diodes in combination having an output and a plurality of input terminals, a first input terminal being connected to said existing electrical wiring and power system through said voltage divider circuit for electrical power and said output terminal being connected to said chassis for electrical grounding; said other input terminals being connected to said existing electrical wiring and power system through said series connected interface circuit for receiving digital logic signals and for activating said array of light-emitting-diodes to produce a display of multiple colored square areas, wherein each said square areas represents a distinct range of distances measured between said vehicle and exterior objects as determined by said three ranges of voltage signals of said voltage comparator processor.