EP2008259A1

EP2008259A1 - Vehicle impact warning device

Info

Publication number: EP2008259A1
Application number: EP07722208A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Hans Edmund Hochrein
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2006-04-20
Filing date: 2007-04-13
Publication date: 2008-12-31
Anticipated expiration: 2027-04-13
Also published as: CN101427287A; DE502007001362D1; DE112007001495A5; DE102006018723A1; US20090189754A1; RU2008141225A; ATE440356T1; EP2008259B1; WO2007121707A1

Abstract

A vehicle impact warning apparatus for installation in a motor vehicle includes a deceleration sensor, for detecting vehicle decelerations in a direction approximately parallel to a carriageway, and a switch that can be activated by the deceleration sensor. The switch, by way of a radio transmitter, is able to initiate an electromagnetic warning signal and a warning signal as a visible warning signal and/or as an acoustic warning signal.

Description

Vehicle impact warning

This invention relates to a vehicle impact warning device for installation in a motor vehicle, comprising a deceleration sensor through which delays directed approximately parallel to the road surface can be detected and to a switch activatable therefrom.

In road traffic, there are numerous accidents only as a result of a recent accident already occurred. The primary cause of the accident is the lack of information of the following road users about the accident that took place in the immediate vicinity in front of them shortly before they had received this information in a timely manner. In the run-up to these so-called "secondary accidents", it is a particularly typical and frequent pattern of behavior that a motorist assumes that the vehicles driving in front of him will move forward as evenly in the near future as they did before. The driver extrapolates the experience of a uniform and continuous traffic flow to the behavior of the road user driving in front of him and is therefore often traveling with too little attention and / or too small a distance and / or too high a speed.

If an accident occurs in this situation that suddenly blocks the roadway, the reaction time is too long for subsequent motorists in many cases and / or the stopping distance still left open until the next road user in the direction of travel is too short and / or the own driving speed is in proportion Too high on these boundary conditions. In such a situation, numerous so-called "rear-end collisions" are the result: These rear-end collisions are not for the vehicles involved and their drivers and passengers just a big damage, but can be life threatening. Another damage which can also be specifically assessed in its impact is the time loss incurred by all road users due to reduced travel speed and / or waiting breaks. Added to this are the emotional burdens that arise as a result of the unscheduled delay and waiting time or the sight of the scene of the accident.

For this reason, larger accidents are, as far as they are aware, by the responsible institutions according to the latest

State of the art recorded by the broadcasters and broadcast at regular intervals as a voice message and sent as a corresponding coded detour recommendation to equipped navigation systems. In addition, warning devices will be set up at a certain distance in front of the scene of the accident and / or police officers will be posted to warn the following passengers.

In addition, the accident information stored in this manner can be called up by suitable radio receivers as a voice signal and / or by navigation devices set up for this purpose as text information on a display.

The serious disadvantage of these information systems, however, is the dramatic time delay that arises between the onset of the accident and the information of the following drivers. In particular, those drivers are strongly disadvantaged who have not followed the accident vehicle in such a short distance that they could follow the course of the accident by their own inspection, but are driven at such a great distance that they by other vehicles and / or Curves of Road and intervening plants, terrain surveys or buildings could no longer directly track the accident, but have driven so close to it, that by the delayed reactions of driving ahead drivers (shock seconds) and too short distances of the vehicles with each other has become sudden braking them In turn, they cause at least severe braking, in many cases requiring emergency braking and, in some cases, fail to give them sufficient room on the road after recognizing the need for a sudden delay.

Another disadvantage of the recent accident information about broadcasting news is that it offers willing drivers and passengers no reason to act shortly after the accident because of the large time delay.

Another serious weakness of current accident information systems is that at least one, purely manually operated, level of information input and information transfer into the information chain is always switched on.

According to known and commonly used prior art only surveillance cameras in large places with a continuous monitoring of the sent from her to a central desk as a method usual to trigger an accident report as soon as possible.

So far not known are accident reports that are triggered directly by the vehicle itself. Against this background, the object of the invention is to provide a device that is installed in the motor vehicle, and detects the occurrence of an impact at the earliest possible time and all in the same direction and with an adjustable, maximum distance behind the accident vehicle driving, other vehicles warns. It is thought of distances of the order of a few kilometers, so that the accident vehicle is located outside the audible or audible range. The warning should also be able to be passed on if a line of sight is restricted or interrupted by darkness, rain, snow, fog or other adverse weather conditions.

However, the warning should also be given visually and acoustically.

In a further expansion stage, the device should automatically pass on a received warning to other, similar devices.

A simple design with known components is said to mean a low price and a high degree of reliability and thus a very large one

Dissemination.

As a solution, the invention proposes a vehicle collision warning consisting of a deceleration sensor and a switch activatable therefrom, which is characterized in that

Switch via a radio transmitter, a first electromagnetic radio warning signal and a warning signal as a visual warning signal and / or an acoustic warning signal can be triggered.

These functions can be realized on the basis of the components available in the current state of the art by a simple design. tes, electronic device are inexpensive and reliably realized: All currently common deceleration sensors consist of a moving mass that moves in most types in a crash by their inertia relative to the housing of the sensor, which movement counteracts a continuously increasing force, the is usually applied by a mechanical spring.

Variants are also known in which a ball is held in a specific position by a magnetic field and is moved out of the zero point in proportion to the delay by a certain distance.

All types of deceleration sensors typically detect a threshold of the order of 3 to 5 g. The message of exceeding this limit is triggered either by the fact that the mass itself makes contact or that the mass changes an electrical capacitance or inductance, which is evaluated with a suitable electronic circuit.

All crash sensors are designed to activate an electrical contact when reaching the limit value, either directly or via a power semiconductor, with which additional consumers can be switched on. This switch can be designed as an electronic switch, that is, as a second, larger power semiconductor. However, all the usual forms of relays are also possible.

As soon as the acceleration limit specified by the deceleration sensor is exceeded, the switch closes and activates. Fourth thereby both a warning signal and a radio transmitter. Visual warning signals are possible as a warning signal, ie all signals which cause an optical change visible on the vehicle and / or acoustic signals, ie all forms of noise or the change of noises audible by other road users.

In the simplest variant, a vehicle impact warning device according to the invention serves to ensure that a crashed vehicle emits a warning signal that is acoustically or optically noticeable and that it additionally emits a radio signal. The first group of warning signals makes it possible for all persons who are within sight or earshot of the accident vehicle to be able to notice the onset of an accident and, secondly, to immediately locate the accident location and thus recognize it quickly and reliably from a greater distance. which has suffered from several vehicles an accident.

In this case, the vehicle impact warning device is suitable for all types of vehicles, such as e.g. for cars, trucks, buses, motorhomes, tractors, construction vehicles, agricultural vehicles, military vehicles and also for safety-sensitive motorcycles in principle. Since the risk of personal injury in motorcycles is in principle higher than in vehicles with closed bodies, the recovery of assistance by the vehicle impact striker is a particularly important advantage of the invention. Also an application for fast watercraft, e.g. Motor boats on busy waterways makes sense.

In this simplest design, all road users in

Clearly and visibly informed that the relevant de vehicle has collapsed. An advantage is that the information is passed on immediately after the impact. Another advantage is that the accident becomes identifiable even for those who could not see, hear or hear, but could not see, the accident itself.

This function can also be valuable for other drivers who are directly behind the accident vehicle since an impact with the front of a vehicle is possible, which is not easily recognizable and / or noticeable on the rear side.

In addition, the crashed vehicle "signals" itself by activating a radio signal, which in the simplest case is a single electromagnetic wave which is continuously radiated.The transmission component required for this is available at low prices according to the current state of the art and, accordingly, also in one embodiment as a safety device with increased requirements for operating temperature range, corrosion resistance and shock sensitivity available at cost, which are hardly worth mentioning compared to the total price of a motor vehicle.

For the recording of such a simple accident report are always the institutions responsible, which already record the latest state of the art manually transmitted accident reports. In many cases these are the accident control centers of the police, fire brigade and other civil protection organizations of public law.

Also conceivable, however, are private institutions which supply a vehicle crash wagon as equipment for motor vehicles, a stationary infrastructure required to evaluate it

Radio receiver and the means of identification of the accident Offer at least initialization, but in a further stage of development also offer the implementation of assistance and rescue.

One advantage of the vehicle crash warning is its small size. A prototype equipped with a loudspeaker, a volume control, a warning button, a pilot lamp, a key-operated switch and a loudspeaker is housed in a casing of about 115 mm in length, 35 mm in height and 60 mm in width and weighs just 250 grams.

For this functionality, it makes sense to extend the vehicle impact warning in an expansion stage so that it automatically sends its current location to the parent rescue organization. Serve in the current state of the art, the reception and the

Evaluation of the GPS signals (Global Positioning System). Standard low-cost chips receive signals from three geostationary satellites, from which they calculate the coordinates of the position and pass them on to the radio transmitter, which emits them immediately together with the radio alarm signal. This information not only informs the responsible control center that an accident has occurred, but also where it occurred.

This information can be expanded in various stages of development. Relatively easy to obtain are the signals of a so-called seat recognition. It allows conclusions about how many people could be on the seats of the accident vehicle.

If in another variant, the number of occupied seats is recorded before and after the accident, can not after the accident More or apparently additionally occupied seats are concluded that the position of the vehicle occupants has changed as a result of the accident and / or additional objects have fallen onto the seats, which makes a first assessment of the severity of the accident possible.

As further information, the detection of the delay value is conceivable, since proportional to the peak value of the delay, further damage to the vehicle and its occupants are to be lamented.

The next stage of development is the detection of other, in addition still in the vehicle existing crash sensors conceivable. For example, how many and which airbags have been triggered and whether there are sensors on the vehicle that had to suffer higher peak acceleration values than other sensors, that is, signal a particularly badly damaged area of the vehicle, could be transmitted.

Likewise, the evaluation of the sensors of the Electronic Stabilization Program (ESP) of the vehicle is conceivable in order thereby to transmit the position of the vehicle after the accident, that is to report a possible rollover or overturning of the vehicle to the control center.

As an additional feature, it is conceivable that the vehicle impact warning activates a mobile telephone present in the vehicle and dials a number provided for this emergency. As a result, as an alternative to the GPS, it is possible to record the location of the accident vehicle and, if equipped accordingly, also the Establishment of a speech connection between the responsible accident center and the vehicle occupants.

Alternatively, the transmission unit of a mobile telephone can be installed in the vehicle impact warning device. Their function can be limited to the fact that they send in an emergency after dialing a special emergency number only a standardized accident report. This accident report is used to detect the accident and indirectly to determine the accident location by localizing the mobile transmitting unit of at least two receiving stations. This saves the installation of an additional GPS system.

All the above-described functions of the radio transmitter can be differentiated from other signals in radio communication in a particularly safe and trouble-free manner if only a very specific frequency is made available for this purpose. The invention prefers the frequency of 433.92 MHz or 868 MHz.

Even in a simple variant, it makes sense to upgrade the vehicle impact warning by a manually operable button to a mobile emergency call system. It should be avoided by suitable design of the actuator accidental or playful activity by children as possible. It would be conceivable, for example, to enter a specific number of digits or to actuate two devices to be activated at the same time.

An alternative is a security lock with a removable key.

As another essential function, the object of the invention includes the direct warning of other vehicles, in particular especially the hinterherfahrenden. For this purpose, the invention proposes that the vehicle impact warning is extended by a radio receiver, which is provided for receiving a radio warning signal from the radio transmitter of another, accident vehicle. This opens up the possibility that, beyond the limits of visibility and / or audibility, the accident vehicle passes on its message directly to subsequent road users without the detour via and without the time delay through a central accident registration office. Since the criterion of exceeding an acceleration limit value is a clear characteristic for the occurrence of an accident, in contrast to a manual accident report, direct and unfiltered transmission to other road users makes sense and is helpful.

Since the previously issued by a vehicle in an emergency situation to the outside signals are limited to the brake light and the hazard warning lights of most vehicles must be turned on manually, is such an accident signal that is delivered in relation to the process of the accident in real time, for directly following - Incoming road users already in the seconds and fractions of a second after an impact advantage, especially in cases where an already occurred impact to the rear is not directly visible, but only indirectly such. B. is recognizable by falling or flying vehicle parts, by rising smoke or by a skid of the vehicle accident, all of these features are secondary and only come with a time delay. In comparison, the impact message is given by the radio signal so early that under certain circumstances, the subsequent driver is given time to avoid an impact, or at least mitigate an impact can. Since the notification of an accident for vehicles in front is only peripherally of interest, but for directly subsequent but of vital importance, the invention proposes that the signal from the radio transmitter can preferably be emitted only at the rear of the vehicle at a certain angle.

To activate this limitation, an additional switch can be provided on the device. Alternatively, a speed-dependent activation is conceivable.

In the same sense, the additional radio receiver should receive priority from the front seen in the direction of travel of the vehicle incoming signals. As a result, the spread of accident reports to vehicle impact warning devices that are not actually affected is advantageously severely restricted.

In order to make noticeable to the driver of the radio alarm received by a radio receiver, also a warning signal as a visual warning signal and / or acoustic warning signal must be triggered. For this purpose, it is conceivable that for the information of the driver in the interior of a lamp on the vehicle impact Wamer itself, a warning light on the dashboard and / or a display in the field of vision of the driver is lit. In addition, it makes sense to activate the hazard warning lights of the vehicle and its brake lights in this case as well, to warn other road users whose vehicle does not have a suitable radio receiver.

By activating the Wamblink system, the control lamp provided for this purpose is also activated in the driver's field of vision, as a result of which the visual warning signal in the device of the vehicle impact warning device can be omitted. As an alternative or in addition to the visual warning signal, the vehicle impact warning device according to the invention can also trigger acoustic warning signals. This includes the vehicle horn and / or the muting of all audio system loudspeakers in the vehicle.

As another alternative, these speakers may be used to output a sound signal, unless the vehicle crash warning device has its own loudspeaker and / or its own other sound generating device.

As a sound signal tones are conceivable that sound either evenly or in the volume changeable or variable in pitch. In the simplest variant, a single tone is enough. Also conceivable are multi-tone signals. A possible alternative is, for example, the reproduction of the reserved for emergency sounds of sirens' horns, so the regular change of two tones whose frequency is at a distance of a fourth to each other as defined in DIN 14610, or the sound of a siren. In addition, a blue light may flash in the driver's field of vision.

Since the accident report for the directly following vehicles is of particularly high importance, but decreases with decreasing distance from the vehicle accident in its importance, it makes sense to limit the range of the radio signal. The most proven and simplest means of limiting the range is a limitation of the transmission power. Although, with the same performance, depending on the reflections in the environment and depending on the media to be penetrated by the radio signals, the range varies, but the

Effort for a power limitation is comparatively low and above all helps to reduce costs by choosing the smallest possible components.

In order to be able to warn vehicles at low power but also at a greater distance to the accident vehicle, as is useful, especially on motorways and highways, the invention proposes that when receiving a first radio warning signal by a vehicle crash warning in a second reaction stage, a second radio alert emit is.

In this case, the invention recommends that the second radio warning signal can be recognized by additional information for all radio receivers as a second signal. Since in practice the signals are primarily radiated backwards and preferably picked up from the front side, the information is passed on by the identification as a second signal that the accident was indeed close to the receiver, but that in the cases in which the first radio signal has not been received, but only a second, the distance to the accident must be at least as large as the average range of the transmitter, but not greater than twice the range of the radio transmitter.

In a continuation of this idea, when receiving a second radio warning signal, the radio transmitter can emit a third warning signal, so that the information chain is extended counter to the direction of travel to vehicles approaching the scene of the accident. In this case, however, the length of this chain should be limited to a meaningful measure, ie no further accident signal should be passed on after receiving a certain number of cascading accident reports to subsequent vehicles. It is conceivable that an estimated value for the distance to the accident site is calculated from the number of cascaded radio alarm signals and the medium range and displayed to the driver.

In a further advantageous embodiment, the radio receiver may additionally receive radio information signals which should be used above all for information which is relevant for the road users located behind an injured motor vehicle. Examples are instructions like "Making Alley! "or" Drive to the right edge! " or "accident ahead." It is also conceivable to pass on search queries such as "doctor wanted" or "volunteer wanted".

To install a Fahrzeugaufprallwamers invention, the invention proposes mounting on the rear parcel shelf below the rear window or on the dashboard. Advantages of these positions are that radio signals can be transmitted and received unhindered through the glass panes of the vehicle.

Another advantage is that, according to experience, this area of motor vehicles is damaged last, so that the vehicle impact warning is still undamaged even after serious accidents. Alternatively, the device could also be mounted on the boot lid or on the vehicle roof.

Also conceivable are all other locations in the vehicle, which are suitable for installation of electronic components, provided that an unhindered transmitting and receiving antenna is provided. Of course, it is conceivable to evaluate the already existing in numerous vehicles crash sensors on the existing electrical network of the vehicle so that they trigger the visual warning signals according to the invention and Akustikwam- signals on the vehicle in a crash. In this configuration, then only an additional transmitting and receiving unit would be added. Although there are state-of-the-art, z. B. for mobile telephoning, radio transmitters and receivers aboard numerous vehicles, but with the disadvantage of only limited availability, which is why it is to be classified as the special merit of the invention, in the interest of complete reli- ability as possible for its own frequency and to request your own device.

The formation of a vehicle impact warning device according to the invention as a separate unit results in a higher redundancy of the vehicle warning system and thus also an increased probability of the availability of a warning in the event of severe and extremely serious accidents.

The standalone configuration, used as a standardized part by different vehicles from different manufacturers, offers the opportunity for very large volume production with increased insensitivity to extreme operating temperatures down to - 20 ° and up to + 70 °, against extreme delays above the threshold of 3 - 5 g out as well as against environmental influences, in particular humidity up to constant condensation and the immersion in water in an accident.

In an advantageous configuration, an inventive should

Vehicle crash woofer equipped with a small accumulator be regularly recharged from the electrical system during normal operation of the vehicle and in an emergency in a failure of the on-board voltage network still guaranteed minimum functionalities of the vehicle impact warning. These include - in this priority - sending a radio warning signal, closing a relay or other normally open contact and outputting a warning signal. With the relay such warning devices are activated after the accident, which still have access to a ready power supply.

In the event that the electrical system of the vehicle fails completely in the accident, the invention proposes that the device itself has acoustic warning device, such as a speaker and / or in particular elements with a very good efficiency such. As a piezoelectric transducer and / or highly efficient

Lighting elements such. B. LED ^'s (light emitting diodes).

For the practical realization of a vehicle impact warning device according to the invention, the invention prefers the construction of a device which is as autonomous as possible in the sense of maximum availability.

However, it is also conceivable integration into other, often present in motor vehicles electronic assemblies such as players for sound carriers. Or in radio receivers, television receivers or navigation devices. In these cases it would be an economic advantage to use their radio receivers.

Equally conceivable and economically advantageous would be the integration with electronic assemblies that also need to send, such. As street use Kotrollgeräte, radio telephones or navigation devices, which constantly rely on external data sources. It is also possible and useful to install a vehicle crash warning device according to the invention in a stationary emergency call column. Activation of the emergency call station not only sends a warning message to nearby vehicles, but also issues an accident warning to the road maintenance or other institution that receives the emergency call.

As a further advantageous embodiment, a vehicle impact warning device can be expanded by the function of an accident data memory. Particularly interesting is the storage of kinematic and acoustic data of the accident vehicle from the triggering of the deceleration sensor and in a further stage even from a certain period of time directly before the accident event. This combination is ideal because the vehicle impact detector is particularly robust and robust

Assembly is that is preferably grown in a relatively safe installation location.

The invention proposes that the radio warning signals, the visual warning signals and the acoustic warning signals are emitted only for a limited, adjustable time, for example 5 to 10 minutes. The advantage of this limitation is that the frequency range reserved for emergencies is charged as little as possible and that the disturbance of other, uninvolved road users and residents, in particular by the acoustic warning signal to the necessary minimum is limited.

As a further advantageous embodiment, the invention proposes that the vehicle impact warning device can emit at least three different acoustic warning signals. It makes sense that the

Acoustic warning signal with the highest volume directly and free from noise nuellen interruption possibilities of the deceleration sensor can be triggered. This greatly reduces the possibility of tampering with the warning device and increases operational safety by involving as few parts as possible.

A further advantageous equipment variant is that the warning signal also includes a voice signal. This opens up numerous possibilities for more differentiated information about the reported event. Since modern vehicles are already equipped with warning tones very numerous, is a linguistic message, eg. B. by the word attention a meaningful distinction. Such a short language reserve can be transferred with little effort into the English word attention the French word attention or the Italian word attentione.

Another device that greatly enhances the practical use value are warning buttons, by the actuation of which an additional voice signal is ever emitted for "obstacle on the road" and / or "broken-down vehicle" and / or "animals on the road" and / or "wrong-way driver" and / or another specific hazard situation.

This makes it possible, unfortunately, to pass on frequently occurring dangerous situations in good time to affected motorists in the immediate vicinity. An alternative for communicating this information in the receiving vehicle is, in addition to the voice message, the lighting of a text or a pictogram, which is also known as

Operation switch can be designed for the own transmission of this information.

If the vehicle impact detector is equipped to transmit and / or receive radio frequencies which are intended for use by regionally-competent or even exclusively reserved, the additional use as a receiver for information and / or instructions of these institutions offers itself. It is conceivable that z. B. the Fahrzeugaufprallwar- ner of authorized transmitters and Authorized Insitutions receives control commands, which are then displayed as a pictogram and / or in a display and / or can be emitted as a voice signal. Examples are: "Make a lane!" And / or "Drive to the right!" and / or "Stop!" and / or "Turn!" and / or "ambulance" and / or "police" and / or "customs" and / or "fire department" and / or "emergency vehicle".

As already mentioned, the control signal for activating a warning sound in the interior of the vehicle can be sent over such a frequency that resembles the sound of the Martinhorn, so a Tonfolgeanlage as z. B. is described in DIN 14610. In addition to this acoustic signal, a blue light on the dashboard or in the field of vision of the driver can flash, which not only increases the attention value, but also the legal requirement z. B. for Germany is satisfied that the emergency vehicle only enjoys unlimited right of way, when the blue flashing light and siren are activated simultaneously.

A particularly valuable additional equipment is a vehicle impact warning device according to the invention in the same form also for motorcycles. Since many motorcyclists succumbed to their injuries after an accident only because they were so far removed from the road by the accident that their vehicle was no longer visible from the road so that they could not be granted much needed help in time , an inventive vehicle crash warning device for a motorcycle is not only a meaningful full information for following road users, but also a very valuable help message with the urgent request for immediate help.

So that a vehicle collision can be safely attached to a motorbike, the invention proposes, as a variant, that the vehicle crash woofer be installed in a housing which has two mutually parallel elongate webs on one outer side and at least one metal clasp over these webs a rail is tensionable, the (the) across the

Webs is aligned. With the two parallel webs, the housing can be mounted on a tube of the frame of the motorcycle and clamped on the other side with the metal closure on the frame tube. This makes retrofitting possible with the mechanical strength offered for the impact sensor.

For an all-time availability of this housing should be splash and splash proof.

Alternatively, the metal closure can be designed as a quick-release closure, so that the use of a vehicle impact warning system is possible alternately in several vehicles. Thus, e.g. The motorcyclist also uses his vehicle crash woke in his car.

To avoid false reports due to parking bumps and gusts of wind, it makes sense that the message of the crash sensor is detected only from a minimum speed. The invention proposes as reasonable value for a minimum speed a range of about 55 km / h before.

In the following, further details and features of the invention will düng be explained in more detail by way of examples. These should be the

However, do not limit the invention, but only explain. 1 shows a schematic representation of the schematic diagram of a rear-end collision and the transmission of warning signals.

In Figure 1, a total of three motor vehicles 1 are shown in the side view as a vehicle outline. Of these three motor vehicles 1, a second motor vehicle 2 is driven onto the first motor vehicle 1, recognizable by the deformations in the rear of the first motor vehicle and the folds in the front part of the second motor vehicle 1.

In the second and in the third motor vehicle 1, a vehicle impact warning is shown schematically in each case in the area of the parcel shelf. It consists in the lower part of the switch 3 with the triggering deceleration sensor 2. Also in the assembly of the vehicle impact warning the radio transmitter 4 is integrated, which emits a first radio warning signal 41, especially in the rear opposite to the direction of travel of the vehicles on impact. As a result, it encounters the following motor vehicle 1 and reaches the radio receiver 6, which activates the switch 3 and thus then triggers a second radio warning signal 42, which is received by other vehicles in the vicinity.

Because in the crashed, middle motor vehicle 1 as well as in the following, third motor vehicle 1 each of the switch 3 is active, in each case a visual warning signal 51 is triggered, in the example shown the hazard warning lights of the vehicle. It is also conceivable activation of the brake lights, tail lights, driving lights or side lighting.

In addition, each activated an acoustic warning signal 52, the z. B. is broadcast by the horn.

FIG. 1 shows how the crashed vehicle emits a first radio warning signal 41, which is received in the following motor vehicle 1 and triggers a second radio warning signal 41 there, which in turn is emitted to the rear. This makes it possible to link several vehicles in a cascaded alert chain, which despite a limited range of the radio transmitter 4 still allows the early warning of a large number of subsequent road users over a distance that is many times longer than the range of a single drive - Vehicle impact warning is.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1 motor vehicle

2 deceleration sensor, installed in a car 1

3 switches, can be triggered by the deceleration sensor 1 4 Radio transmitter can be triggered by switch 3

41 first radio alarm signal sent from radio transmitter 4 in the crash of the first car

42 second radio warning signal sent by the second radio transmitter 4 in a second vehicle after receiving the first radio warning signal 41

5 warning signal, either as a visual warning signal 51 and / or as an acoustic warning signal 52

51 Visual warning signal triggered by the deceleration sensor 2 via

Switch 3 52 Acoustic warning signal triggered by deceleration sensor 2 via switch 3

6 radio receiver for receiving the radio warning signals 41 and / or 42

Claims

claims

1. Fahrzeugaufprallwarnerzum for installation in a motor vehicle 1, consisting of a deceleration sensor 2, through which approximately parallel to the roadway delays are detectable and a switchable thereto 3, characterized in that the switch. 3

- Via a radio transmitter 4, a first electromagnetic radio warning signal 41 and - a warning signal 5 as a Sichtwamsignal 51 and / or an acoustic warning signal 52 can be triggered.

2. vehicle impact warning according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the warning signal 5 can be switched on by a radio receiver 6, which can be activated by a similar radio warning signal 41 of a radio transmitter 4 from another, impacting motor vehicle 1

3. Vehicle impact warning device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the radio transmitter 4 radiates radio warning signals only at a limited angle on the viewed in the direction of travel rearward side of the impacting motor vehicle 1.

4. Vehicle impact warning according to one of the preceding Ansprechächen characterized in that as a visual warning signal 51

- A lamp on the vehicle impact warning itself and / or - the brake lights and / or

- the hazard warning lights and / or

- at least one blue flashing light and / or

- A flashing light and / or - A luminous area and / or

- another warning light and / or

- A display in the field of view of the driver can be used.

5. vehicle impact warning device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that as the acoustic warning signal 52nd

- The vehicle horn and / or - a mute of speakers in the interior and / or

- A sound and or a voice signal from existing speakers in the interior can be used.

6. Vehicle impact warning device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it has at least one own loudspeaker and / or its own other sound generation device.

7. vehicle impact warning device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that as the acoustic warning signal 52 at least one

- uniform sound and / or - Volume changeable sound and / or

- Can be used in pitch variable sound.

8. Fahrzeugaufprallwamer according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least three different acoustic warning signals 52 can be activated.

9. Fahrzeugaufprallwamer according to the preceding claim 8, characterized in that the acoustic warning signal 52 with the highest volume directly and free of manual interruption options by the deceleration sensor 52 can be triggered.

10. A vehicle crash warning device according to the preceding claim 8, characterized in that one of three acoustic warning signals 52 is reserved for the police or another institution preferred on the road.

11. Fahrzeugaufprallwamer according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises a Notwarnknopf with which a warning signal 5 can be triggered.

12. Fahrzeugaufprallwamer according to the preceding claim

11, characterized in that the warning signal 5 also includes a voice signal.

13. vehicle impact warning according to the preceding claim 11, characterized in that the speech signal from the

- the German word Achtung and / or

- the English word Attention and or

- the French word Attention and / or

- consists of the Italian word Atencione.

14. Vehicle crash warning device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it has a respective warning button, by the operation of each an additional voice signal can be emitted for

- obstacle to the carriageway and / or - broken down vehicle and / or

- animals on the road and / or

- Wrong driver and / or another specified hazard situation.

15. Vehicle crash warning device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it also transmits to radio frequencies and / or receives, which are reserved for regionally competent institutions for use in the motor vehicle accident assistance.

16. vehicle impact warning according to the preceding claim 15, characterized in that information and / or instructions can be received and converted into optical and / or acoustic signals.

17. vehicle impact warning according to the preceding claim 16, characterized in that control commands can be received, a pictogram and / or a text displayable in a display and / or can be emitted as a speech signal: - Make lane! and or

- drive to the far right! and or

- Stop! and or

- Turn! and or

- ambulance and / or - police and / or

- Customs and / or

- Fire department and / or

- emergency vehicle.

18. vehicle impact warning according to the preceding claim 17, characterized in that on receipt of one of these control commands, all other messages can be suppressed.

19. A vehicle crash warning device according to the preceding claim 16, characterized in that radio signals are receivable, which activate a certain sequence of tones, such. according to DIN 14610, colloquially referred to as siren horn

20. vehicle impact warning according to the preceding claim 19, characterized in that in addition to receive a radio signal to activate a particular tone sequence, a blue flashing light is switched on.

21.Vehzeugaufprallwarner according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the transmission power of the radio transmitter 4 is limited to a certain limit.

22.Vehzeugaufprallwarner according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that on receipt of a first radio warning signal 41 by a radio receiver 6 in a second reaction stage, a second radio warning signal 42 is ausend- bar.

23. A vehicle crash warning device according to claim 22, characterized in that the second radio warning signal 42 is identifiable by an additional Liehe information for all radio receiver 6 as the second.

24. A vehicle crash warning device according to claims 22 and 23, characterized in that upon receipt of a second

Radio alert signal 42 by a radio receiver 6, a third radio alert signal 42 can be emitted.

25. A vehicle crash warning device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that each radio warning signal 42 can be emitted as a further radio warning signal when received by a radio receiver 6, which propagates cascaded over several vehicle impact warning time to a certain number of reaction stages.

26. Vehicle crash warning device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the radio receiver 6 can receive additional radio information signals.

27. A vehicle crash warning device according to claim 26, characterized in that information can be transmitted by means of the radio information signals that are relevant for the road user who is behind an injured motor vehicle 1.

28. Vehicle impact warning device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it is mounted on the dashboard or on the hatrack or on the boot lid or on the vehicle roof.

29. A vehicle impact warning device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it is installed in a housing having on an outer side 2 mutually parallel, elongated webs, and over the webs at least one metal closure or a rail is tensioned, which (r) is aligned transversely to the webs.

30. vehicle impact warning according to the preceding claim 29, characterized in that the metal closure is designed as a quick release.

31. Fahrzeugaufprallwamer according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the housing is splash-proof and splash-proof.

32. Fahrzeugaufprallwamer according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it is additionally equipped to receive public radio and / or public television

33. Fahrzeugaufprallwamer according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it is installed in a stationary emergency call.

34. Fahrzeugaufprallwamer according to the preceding claim 33, characterized in that is activated when triggering an emergency call on the emergency call the Fahrzeugaufprallwamer and at the same time the Straßenmeisterei or another, competent institution.

35. Fahrzeugaufprallwamer according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it is additionally usable as road-use control devices and / or radio telephone and / or navigation device.

36. Vehicle impact warning device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that via the radio transmitter 4 in addition, the current geographical position of the motor vehicle 1 can be shipped.

37. Vehicle impact warning device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that via the radio transmitter 4 in addition information about the occupied before and after the accident seats of the motor vehicle 1 can be shipped.

38. Vehicle impact warning device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that kinematic and / or acoustic data of the accident motor vehicle from the release of the deceleration sensor and / or from a certain period before it can be stored and retrieved after the accident again.

39. Vehicle impact warning device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the current speed of the vehicle can be detected by it and a warning signal can be issued only above a minimum value.

40. Vehicle crash warning device according to the preceding claim 34, characterized in that the minimum speed value is 45 km / h to 50 km / h.

41. Vehicle crash warning device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that in addition the transmitting unit of a mobile telephone is installed, through which an emergency number can be dialed in an emergency.

42. Vehicle impact warning according to the preceding claim 36, characterized in that a standardized accident report can be sent by the transmitting unit.

43. Vehicle crash warning device according to the preceding claims 36 and / or 37, characterized in that further data from other sensors of the motor vehicle 1 can be sent by the transmitting unit.

44. Vehicle impact warning device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it is designed as a separate assembly.

45. Vehicle crash warning device according to the preceding claim 44, characterized in that the module is connected via a flexible cable with a standardized plug, such. a plug for

Cigarette lighter, is equipped.

46. Vehicle impact warning according to the preceding claims 44 or 45, characterized in that it is equipped with its own battery for power supply.

47. Vehicle crash warning device according to one of the preceding claims 22 - 24, characterized in that the number of cascaded radio signals for a currently received radio signal can be displayed.