GB2438534A

GB2438534A - Vehicle braking system with LED alphanumeric display

Info

Publication number: GB2438534A
Application number: GB0713912A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Timothy Steven Crowe
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2007-07-18
Filing date: 2007-07-18
Publication date: 2007-11-28
Anticipated expiration: 2027-07-18
Also published as: GB2438534C; GB0713912D0; GB2451177A; GB2438534B; GB2438534A9; GB0812961D0

Abstract

A vehicle braking system includes a high intensity, bubble magnified, alphanumeric LED display 7C which displays a series of five singular numbers 1 2 3 4 5 according to the speed, acceleration or deceleration of the vehicle, or the character S when the vehicle is stationary. The speed and acceleration or deceleration of the vehicle may be sensed using magnetic wheel motion sensors, accelerator and brake pedal position sensors and a hand-brake plunger micro-switch.

Description

I

Early Warning Vehicle Braking System

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a Early Warning Vehicle Braking System. Alerting driver's to the degree of braking, accelerating, decelerating and stopping movements applied to the brake/accelerator pedals and hand brake, by the driver. All vehicles suffer from the disadvantage that they do not show the degree of speed/braking that the vehicle is doing or the amount of pressure being applied to the accelerator and brake pedals. To overcome this, the present invention proposes an LED Alphanumeric Display which will display five different numbers on a continuous basis which relate to the degree of force being applied to the brake/accelerator pedals and or the travelling speed/momentum of the vehicle. When the vehicle comes to a halt a flashing S' is displayed.

A High Intensity Alphanumeric LED Display which is mounted on a PCB board. The main components of the working display are: 5 Rows of LED's totalling 7 LED's per row, Microcontroller, Microprocessor, Voltage Regulator, 5 volt operated LED Display, Pulse Controls Processor, on/off data switch, crystal clock, RS232 connector. LED Drive Circuitry. Magnetic Pulse Wheel Speed Motion Sensors.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A driver is following the vehicle in front. He knows approirimately the speed of the vehicle due to the corresponfling number that is transmitted via the rear light braking unit. If the driver depresses the brake pedal, the accelerator pedal is depressed or the car slows down due to it's own momentum or the driver releases pressure on the brake pedal or accelerator pedal a number which is continually displayed through an LED Alphanumeric Display increases or decreases relative to the speed of the vehicle at that moment, alerting the driver that the vehicle in front is braking or slowing down and most importantly the degree/intensity of braking giving him time to take appropriate action. The vehicle continually displays a number, which corresponds to the speed/degree of braking of the vehicle at that moment. If a number 5 is displayed, the driver will be able to tell that the vehide is travelling at a high speed -if the number decreases to a 4 then he knows the driver has applied his brakes or the vehicle is slowing down under its own momentum and he must take the appropriate action. If the number decreases to a 2 then he knows the driver is slowing down dramatically. Only when the vehicle has come to a halt either by the driver using his brake pedal or the hand brake has been applied -a flashing S' comes on.

Even if the driver has removed his foot off the brake pedal and or the vehicle is not moving the flashing S' stays on.

This will hopefully eliminate problems with vehicles approaching at speed -and not releasing the vehicle in front is not moving due to the line of perspectiveness.

This is carried out in six stages It does so, by a series of five singular numbers that come on at various stages relative to the speed of the vehicle at the time. If the driver applies the brakes or uses the accelerator to speed up, or the momentum of the vehicle to slow it down so a different number is displayed. The driver behind can judge immediately the situation giving her/himself the opportunity to respond accordingly. When the vehicle has come to a standstill either by the driver applying the brake pedal or the hand brake has been applied a flashing S' is displayed menning the vehide has stopped. Even if the driver has taken his foot off the brake pedal, and or the hand brake is still on the flashing S' keeps flashing. This will hopefully eliminate problems with a vehicle approaching a line of vehicles at speed -by seeing the flashing S' displayed.

BRIEF DESCRiPTION OF THE DRAWiNGS

An example of the invention will now be described by referring to the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 shows the min components of the LED Alphanumeric Display; and Figure 2 shows a general flow diagram of the pulses generated by the magnetic wheel speed motion sensors and pedal position motion sensors and the various processes involved before they arrive at the LED Alphanumeric Display. The working model measures 4 inches in length by 2.5 inches in depth. The size of the display measures 2 inches in depth by 1.5 inches in width. The LED Alphanumeric Display has a voltage regulator that regulates the 12 volts to a working level of 5 volts which is built into the circuitry in order to allow the LET) Display to work at a safe limit. The main components of the LED Alphanumeric Display. Five Rows of TED's 1A totalling 7 LET)'s per row, Microcontroller 2A Voltage Regulator 3A Crystal Clock 4A RS232 connector 5A. When the vehicle is started up, the ECU 1A carriers out a self.

diagnostic check. The ECU lÀ contains the microprocessor it's purpose is to evaluate the sensor signals received from the Magnetic Pulse Wheel Speed Motion Sensors 1E which measure the number of output pulse signals given off by the rotation of the wheels and Pedal Position Motion Sensors for carrying out the logic comparisons of vehicle momentum/pedal pressure.

The pedal position motion sensor Hall IC converts the changes that occur in the magnetic flux into electrical signals, and outputs them in the form of pedal position signals to the ECU 1A. The solenoids are controlled by the ECU 1A which itself receives signals from the two Magnetic Pulse Wheel Speed Motion Sensors. (one fitted on each hub) which monitor the speed of the rotation of the wheels, by the number of output pulse signals given ofl judges the current vehicle speed and determines the current output as well as calculating the proportion of applied or released pressure to the Brake Pedal BP1 and Accelerator Pedal APi. By comparing these signals, the ECU can determine the speed at which the vehicle is travelling. The anllogue signals are changed into digital pulses by an analogue-to-digital (A-D Convertor) 1C. This is a digital measure of the analogue quantity. Output pulse frequency is proportional to the vehicle speed. Once the signLk have been converted they are then sent to a Pulse Shaper 2C which shapes the the signals into sharp clean pulse waveforms, the now square topped pulses pass to a Multiplexer 3C which is effectively a sequential switch which allocates time for the digital pulses to be connected through to the microprocessor the Multiplexer then sends the pulse train to a Sampling Gate 4C which accepts the pulses for a set period, the ON and OFF points being operated by the microprocessor. The microprocessor being the arithmetic operator within the ECU JA calculates the output pre-set values from the incoming digital signals. To allow for continuous varying pressures on the brake pedal and speed fluctuations, the pulses are held within a RAM Chip (operating data memory chip) within the ECU 1.4 over a fixed period of milliseconds). After each count the counter returns to zero ready to receive the next batch of pulses through the gate. Data in binary form digital form (ie a series of on/off pulses) is sent to the microprocessor. EEREAD -this allows the microprocessor to read the contents of the ROM Chip 6C. During the sampling time, the number of received pulses measured by the Digital Counter 5C is proportional to the degree of applied or released pressure to the brake/accelerator pedals and the vehicle speed. A square wave pulse generator (the clock) within the ECU 1.4 operates and the number of pulses is counted (ie a series of on/off pulses). Once the pulses have been repeatedly counted, the ECU 1A calculates and looks up a table of pre-set values: 5 4 3 2 1 S contained within the ROM Chip 6C. The pulses then travel through to the microcontroller within the LED Alphanumeric Display which contain a table of the same values as the ROM Chip. The metered pulses are evaluated via a pulse controls processor which also regulates the pulses being fed to the microcontroller and a corresponding number or S' is then displayed on the LED Alphanumeric Display IC.

When the vehicle has come to a standstill, because the two magnetic pulse wheel speed motion sensors 1E are not generating or sending pulse signals, the vehicle's hand brake is applied or released or the brake pedal motion sensor has been exerted to it's mimum limit then the ECU lÀ issues a direct command to the microcontroller (within the T.RTh Display) to output a stop light illumination request signal to the stop light control relay and display the flashing S'. The S' flashes on a 2 second burst cycle. Even if the vehicle's ignition is switched off or the vehicle's battery has been disconnected the pre-programmed data is still retained within the ROM Chip 6C. The LED Alphanumeric Display IC is positioned within the vehicle's rear light braking unit and connected to the electrical control relay circuit via a data connector plug.

PRESET VALUES STORED WiTHIN ROM CHIP & MICROCONTROLLER 1st STAGE 5-Ultra Light Braking/Accelerator Pedal 70-100 mph PLUS 2nd STAGE 4-Very Light Braking/Accelerator Pedal 55-70 mph 3rd STAGE 3-Medium Braking/Accelerator Pedal 35-55 mph 4th STAGE 2-Med/Heavy Braking/Accelerator Pedal 10-35 mph 5th STAGE 1-Heavy Braking/Accelerator Pedal 1-10 mph 6th STAGE S -flashes on a 2 second burst when the car is stationery 0 mph

Claims

Claims' 1. An Early Warning Vehide Braking System comprising of; a High

Intensity Bubble Magnified Alphanumeric LED Display, Numbers, character S', Convex Lens, Magnetic Wheel Speed Motion Sensors, ROM Chip, Microprocessor, Digital Counter, Square Wave Pulse Generator, Pulse Controls Processor, High Level Brake Light, Accelerator and Brake Pedal Position Motion Sensors, Hand Brake Plunger Micro Switch.

2. A high intensity bubble magnified alphanumeric TED display as claimed in claim 1 which displays numbers and a character S' through the vehicle's rear light braking unit.

3. A high intensity bubble magnified alphanumeric LED display as claimed in claims 1 and 2 which displays the following numbers 1 2 3 4 5 4.Thenumbersl 2 3 4 5asdaimedincbimsl,2and3displayoneata time on a continuous basis.

5.Thenumbersl 2 3 4 5 asclziimedinclaunsl,2,3a.nd 4increaseas vehicle acceleration occurs or decrease as deceleration takes place in slow or rapid succession as a result of the brake or accelerator pedal being applied or released or if the vehicle is slowing down under it's own momentum.

6. A high intensity bubble magnified alphanumeric LED display which displays the character S' as dimed in claims 1 and 2 which flashes on and off on a 2 second burst cycle when the vehicle has come to a standstill.

7. A high intensity bubble magnified alphanumeric LED display which incorporates a convex lens as claimed in claim 1 and has a positive focal length acting as a magnifying lens to increase the size of the numbers and the character S' being displayed.

8. Magnetic pulse wheel speed motion sensors as daimed in claim 1 which measure the number of output pulse signals given off by the rotation of the wheels as a way of measuring and detecting the vehicle speed.

9. A microprocessor as claimed in claim 1 which calculates the output pre-set values from the incoming digital signals being relayed by the magnetic wheel speed sensors and pedal position motion sensors.

10. A Digital Counter as claimed in claim 1 which samples the number of received pulses being proportional to the degree of applied or released pressure to the brake/accelerator pedals and the vehicle speed.

11. A square wave pulse generator as claimed in claim 1 within the ECU which measures the number of pulses generated as a series of on/off pulses.

12. A pulse controls processor as claimed in claim 1 which regulates the pulses being fed to the microcontroller within the LED Alphanumeric Display.

13. A ROM read only memory chip, as cla'med in claim 1 which has stored within it a table of pre-set values/numbers each number in the series corresponding to the vehicle's predetermrned speed.

14. Pedal position motion sensors as claimed in claim 1 which measure the amount of applied or released pressure to the accelerator and brake pedals.

15. A hand brake plunger micro switch as claimed in claim 1 which when activated sends a stop light illumination request signal to the ECU to display the character S'.

16. A high level brake light as claimed in claim 1 which displays the numbers 1 2 3 4 5 and flahing character S' as the vehide's rear light brldng unit.

17. An Early Warning Vehicle Braking System as claimed in dsiims 1-16 which through applied force register the degree of braking, accelerating, decelerating changes and stopping movements applied against a reference value and means for displaying these variations for reference value purposes bywayo1fivesingularnumbers 1 2 3 4 5 andthe character'S' through the vehicle's rear light braking unit.

An Early Warning Vehide Braking System substantially as described herein with reference to Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings.