HK1061221B - Automatic emergency signal system for a vehicle and centrol unit thereof - Google Patents

Description

Automatic emergency signal system for vehicle and control unit thereof

Technical Field

The present invention relates to an automatic signaling device for a vehicle having the necessary novelty features and significant advantages associated with such means, which are well known and used for similar purposes in the prior art.

More precisely, the invention has developed a device with which it is possible to achieve a complete signal indication when the driver of the vehicle makes a left turn, indicating to other drivers who are driving on the same road to prevent accidents that cannot be staggered from each other due to short time and unnecessary accidents due to confusion and mistakes. The warning indication is realized by a light element mounted in the vehicle body.

The field of application of the invention generally includes the industrial sector of the specialised manufacture and/or installation of auxiliary elements for the automotive industry, more precisely the field of signalling and safety devices for automobiles.

Background

It is well known that many collisions and events that occur on a daily basis are generally caused by drivers issuing weak signals or by erroneous interpretations, lack of concentration or lack of visibility of other drivers and/or pedestrians.

Specifically, a particularly dangerous maneuver, particularly on interroads and local highways that have only one lane for each direction of travel and a large number of drivers traveling each day, involves making a left turn from the center or middle of this type of road. In this particular case, what the driver does is to indicate with the turn signal that he is going to turn, and he needs to step on the brake pedal to reduce the speed, as a result of which the rear brake light is illuminated.

However, the situation may lead to an ambiguous situation for the driver coming from the front and the driver following it, as explained below:

a driver behind the driver who is going to perform the maneuver may understand that driver is going to pass someone so he does not slow down when looking at the turn signal, which obviously could lead to a collision. Also, the brake lights are stronger than the turn lights, sometimes possibly making the latter invisible, so that the latter driver does not know how to understand the maneuver that the preceding vehicle is about to perform to turn.

On the other hand, the driver from directly in front who receives the turn indication sees only the turn signal, and therefore he may become confused by not knowing whether the maneuver is about to cut into a car or make a turn, which may cause an unforeseen reaction.

One possible solution to signal this type of manoeuvre is to activate the emergency light intermittently, in addition to activating the direction light and stepping on the brake, with the purpose of warning that a sudden stop or pause is to be performed. In this way, the intention of the driver of the vehicle to turn left can be understood both from the driver behind and from the driver directly in front.

However, the solution provided is not completely safe, since the driver must release the steering wheel to manually activate the direction lights and the hazard lights, and even he must divert his line of sight, although in this case, it is not advisable to do so.

As a result of the above description, and in order to prevent as far as possible a large number of traffic accidents due to the above-mentioned reasons, the present invention proposes an automatic signaling device for all types of vehicles on the market, which provides the necessary error-free warning of turning manoeuvres implying a certain risk, without the need to remove the hands from the steering wheel.

Basically, the signaling device automatically activates the hazard lamps simultaneously when a direction lamp and a brake are simultaneously applied.

Disclosure of Invention

To perform this operation, the device according to the invention proposes a control unit, charged by the vehicle battery, having three input devices and a plurality of output devices.

The basic functions include that when the control unit detects two signals, i.e. a continuous and an alternating or pulsed, e.g. rectangular wave signal, simultaneously in its two input devices for a certain period of time, it generates a sequence of signals of the same duration in its output device for another certain period of time, after which it checks whether the input devices are still active, and in the affirmative, repeats the sequence equally.

In this way, it is sufficient to connect, in due time, the signal generated when the driver of the vehicle activates a turn signal and applies the brakes to the corresponding input device in the control unit, and to connect its output device to the means for generating said emergency signal.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a control unit for an automatic emergency signal system of a vehicle, the control unit including: means for receiving a first input signal generated upon occurrence of a braking operation of the vehicle; means for receiving a second input signal generated when a turn signal of the vehicle is activated; an output device for activating an emergency indicator of the vehicle; wherein the control unit is configured to respond to simultaneous receipt of the first and second input signals by: a) waiting for a first predetermined period of time, then b) providing an output sequence to the output means, then c) checking whether the control unit receives the first and second output signals simultaneously, and repeating a) and b) if the first and second input signals are received simultaneously.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an automatic emergency signal system for a vehicle, the automatic emergency signal system including: an emergency indicator, and said control unit.

Drawings

These and other features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the invention, given by way of example only and not in limitation thereof, and illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

fig. 1 shows a schematic configuration of an automatic signaling device for a vehicle.

Fig. 2 shows a diagram of the time variation of the electrical signals applied to the signaling device in the previous figure.

Detailed Description

To complete the detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the present invention, reference will often be made to the drawings in which the same reference numerals are used to designate the same or similar components. Thus, first of all with reference to fig. 1, the automatic signalling device for a motor vehicle comprises an optimally integrated control unit (1), which control unit (1) is charged from the vehicle's accumulator by means of a protective device (2) of the unit, such as a current limiting resistor or other suitable device providing a suitable operating voltage, said control unit (1) having a plurality of input connections, preferably 3 input devices (3-5), and a plurality of output connections, preferably as many output devices as indicated by reference numerals (6-15).

In said unit, two inputs (3, 4) have been connected to respective means apt to supply to each of the two inputs a continuous signal when the two signals are activated, the voltage of which is preferably between 6 and 24 volts (or any other voltage that can be set in the future), while the third input (5) has been connected to a means such that when the input (5) is active, it supplies a pulsed signal, preferably a square wave, the maximum voltage of which is also between 6 and 24 (or another suitable voltage).

In this way, when the control unit (1) detects that a continuous signal input and the input receiving the square signal are both active simultaneously and for a predetermined time (t1), the control unit (1) generates a series of signals of the same duration (t2) in its outputs (6-15) for another predetermined time (t3), as shown in fig. 2.

Once the time (t3) corresponding to the duration of the output sequence has elapsed, the control unit (1) checks whether the input (3, 5) or (4, 5) is still active and whether the sequence is cyclically repeated, whether the sequence is continuous or square.

All of the times (t1, t2, t3) can be varied, depending on the driver or manufacturer's needs, using potentiometers and other calibration and adjustment devices.

Finally, said outputs (6-15) of the control unit are connected, by means of a direct connection or through other supply means, to the vehicle devices which activate the different hazard lamps.

The present description has been further extended so that those skilled in the art will appreciate the scope and advantages of the present invention, and that it is not necessary to develop or implement the invention in order to practice it.

It will be understood, however, that the present invention has been described in terms of its preferred embodiments and, accordingly, many modifications may be made without materially affecting the function of the invention as described, such modifications may particularly affect the shape, size and/or materials used.

Claims (11)

1. A control unit for an automatic emergency signal system of a vehicle, the control unit comprising:

means for receiving a first input signal generated upon occurrence of a braking operation of the vehicle;

means for receiving a second input signal generated when a turn signal of the vehicle is activated;

an output device for activating an emergency indicator of the vehicle;

wherein the control unit is configured to respond to simultaneous receipt of the first and second input signals by:

a) wait for a first predetermined period of time, and then

b) Providing an output sequence to the output device, and then

c) Checking whether the control unit receives the first and second output signals simultaneously and repeating a) and b) if the first and second input signals are received simultaneously.

2. The control unit of claim 1, wherein the output sequence comprises a plurality of output signals, each output signal being provided to the output device sequentially over a second predetermined time period.

3. A control unit according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the output sequence is provided to the output device for a third predetermined time period.

4. A control unit according to any of claims 1-3, wherein the output sequence comprises two output signals which are alternately supplied to the output means.

5. The control unit of claim 1, wherein the duration of the first predetermined time period can be varied.

6. The control unit of claim 2, wherein the duration of the second predetermined time period can be varied.

7. A control unit according to claim 3, wherein the duration of the third predetermined time period can be varied.

8. A control unit according to any of claims 1-7, wherein the first input signal is in the form of a continuous signal.

9. A control unit according to any of claims 1-8, wherein the first input signal is in the form of a pulsed signal.

10. An automatic emergency signal system for a vehicle, the automatic emergency signal system comprising:

an emergency indicator, and

the control unit of any one of claims 1-9.

11. The automatic emergency signal system of claim 10, wherein the emergency indicator comprises a plurality of emergency lights.