GB2324211A

GB2324211A - Vehicle deceleration indication

Info

Publication number: GB2324211A
Application number: GB9707033A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Nicholas John Gooch
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1997-04-07
Filing date: 1997-04-07
Publication date: 1998-10-14
Also published as: GB9707033D0

Abstract

A warning signal is activated in response to detected levels of vehicle deceleration. The signal may be activated only when excessive or sudden deceleration or braking or sudden stopping is detected. A detector may be responsive to brake fluid pressure, or may be linked to the brake pedal or to the vehicle's speed recording system, or may use radio signals to measure deceleration. A warning signal may be given by additional lighting, strip or graduated brake lights, extra bright brake lights, flashing of hazard lights, or as a radio transmission to other vehicles. The warning signal may be turned off manually, or automatically after a predetermined period which commences at the start of the warning signal or when excessive deceleration ends. The driver may be given an indication that the warning signal is operating. The driver may also be given a warning indication in response to a device which detects when a vehicle ahead is giving a warning signal to indicate that it is braking or has stopped abruptly.

Description

INDICATION DEVICE This invention relates to an indication device which is particularly suitable for indicating to following traffic when a vehicle is decelerating or braking dramatically.

Currently, if a driver brakes, the driver behind cannot tell how hard the brakes have been applied, that is, lightly, or for example, as an emergency stop manoeuvre. This limits both the rear driver's ability to judge the situation correctly and his reaction time, and so can have significant safety implications. The same principle applies if the vehicle in front has slowed dramatically or stopped due to a collision rather than excessive braking. Accordingly, this invention comprises an arrangement which can detect levels of deceleration and notifies other traffic to warn the other drivers of any potential hazard, such that they may take the necessary avoidance measures.

A specific embodiment of the invention will now be described. Note that "vehicle in question" is the vehicle with the indication device fitted. Note that "(s)" following a singular noun indicates the plural of that noun.

The indication device comprises three main sub-parts as follows a) A device which detects levels of deceleration; for example, a pressure sensor attached to an hydraulic brake system, a mechanical device worked from the brake pedal, an electrical device connected to the vehicle's speed recording system, a device using radio signals to measure deceleration, or any other means.

b) A device which relays to other vehicles (possibly only those behind, as necessary) the level of braking of the vehicle in question; for example, additional lighting on the vehicle, strip or graduated brake lights, extra bright brake lights, a radio signal transmission, or any other means.

c) An interface between the devices at a) and b) above such that the device in b) works in conjunction with the readings or signals from a).

Other aspects which may be incorporated as a variation to the basic configuration above are: d) A restriction to sub-part a) which allows the device to activate only when it detects excessive or sudden deceleration or braking, or sudden stopping. The point at which the device is triggered or at which it registers "excessive deceleration" would be defined by vehicle manufacturers or would be standardised across the industry.

e) An enhancement to sub-part a) which incorporates the specific detection of sudden or excessive deceleration described in d) in addition to the function at a).

f) A device which relays to other vehicles (possibly only those behind, as necessary) that the vehicle in question has decelerated dramatically / excessively; for example, additional lighting on the vehicle, the flashing of hazard lights, extra bright break lights, a radio signal transmission, or any other means. This is referred to from hereon as "the emergency warning".

g) An interface between the devices at d) and f) above or e) and f) above such that the device in f) works in conjunction with the readings or signals from d) or e).

Other sub-parts which may be incorporated as an enhancement to the above configurations are: h) A timer such that the emergency warning to other vehicles is turned off automatically, after a chosen period. This may be either from the point at which the warning was initiated or from when any excessive deceleration ended, as deemed necessary by the vehicle manufacturer.

i) A switch which allows the driver of the vehicle in question to switch the emergency warning signal off manually.

j) An indication to the driver of the vehicle in question that the warning signal at b) or the emergency warning signal at f) above is operating. This would be particularly appropriate if sub-part i) was adopted.

k) A device which recognises or detects when another indication device(s) has been activated if, for example, a vehicle ahead is braking or has stopped abruptly. This would operate within a distance and angular range as deemed necessary by the vehicle industry.

1) An indication to the driver of the vehicle in question that the sub-part k) above has detected the activation of an indication device from another vehicle(s).

Claims

1 An indication device which detects levels of vehicle braking or deceleration and notifies other traffic (particularly following traffic) accordingly.

2 An indication device as claimed in Claim 1 which also detects, specifically, sudden or excessive vehicle braking or deceleration, or sudden stopping; and notifies other traffic (particularly following traffic).

3 An indication device as claimed in Claim 1 wherein the notification to other traffic occurs only on the detection of sudden or excessive braking or deceleration, or sudden stopping. That is, where the detection of levels of deceleration may be (but does not have to be) limited to detecting only that critical level(s) corresponding to sudden or excessive braking or deceleration, or sudden stopping.

4 An indication device as claimed in Claims 1 to 3 wherein the notification to other traffic stops automatically.

5 An indication device as claimed in Claim 2 or Claim 3 wherein the notification to other traffic of sudden or excessive braking or deceleration, or sudden stopping, continues until manually switched off.

6 An indication device as claimed in Claim 4 or Claim 5 wherein the driver is notified of the system's warning of sudden or excessive braking or deceleration, or sudden stopping, by some form of vehicle cockpit indicator.

7 An indication device as claimed in Claims 1 to 6 wherein a warning device recognises (in a specific range of distance / direction) the level of braking of another vehicle or if another vehicle is excessively decelerating, by measurement or by receipt of a warning signal from an indication device fitted to another vehicle, or by any other means.

8 An indication device as claimed in Claim 7 wherein the driver is notified of the other vehicle's level of braking or sudden or excessive deceleration by sorne form of cockpit indicator.

9 An indication device as claimed in Claims 1 to 8 which can be manually fitted to vehicles. That is, an indication device which could commonly be described as requiring Do-It-Yourself fitting or commonly described as portable.

10 An indication device substantially as described herein.