Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 8
Claim 1
Independent Claim
149 words
An automotive vehicle speed control system for being carried by a vehicle for automatically controlling the speed of the vehicle in response to external light signals, said system comprising: means for optically detecting a first color signal; means for optically detecting a second color signal; a digital counter; means for resetting the digital counter in response to each optical detection of the first color signal; means for causing the digital counter to count to a number corresponding to the number of optical detections of the second color signal, the count number representing a speed limit for the vehicle; means for converting the count in the counter to an analog reference signal; speed governing means for limiting the speed of the vehicle to a speed limit corresponding to the value of said analog reference signal; whereby the speed governing means limits the speed of the vehicle to said speed limit.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
149 words
An automotive vehicle speed control system for being carried by a vehicle for automatically controlling the speed of the vehicle in response to external light signals, said system comprising: means for optically detecting a first color signal; means for optically detecting a second color signal; a digital counter; means for resetting the digital counter in response to each optical detection of the first color signal; means for causing the digital counter to count to a number corresponding to the number of optical detections of the second color signal, the count number representing a speed limit for the vehicle; means for converting the count in the counter to an analog reference signal; speed governing means for limiting the speed of the vehicle to a speed limit corresponding to the value of said analog reference signal; whereby the speed governing means limits the speed of the vehicle to said speed limit.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
29 words
A vehicle speed control system as set forth in claim 1 wherein the counter when reset has a count corresponding to a highest permissible speed limit for the vehicle.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
58 words
A vehicle speed control system as set forth in claim 2 wherein the count corresponding to a highest permissible speed limit for the vehicle is count of zero and each count increasing from zero corresponds to an increment of speed limit reduction, the count in the counter having an inverse correspondence to the speed limit for the vehicle.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
88 words
A vehicle speed control system as set forth in claim 1 wherein: said means for optically detecting a first color signal comprises first photocell means responsive to passage of the vehicle over a color band of a first color and a pavement constituting a roadway for the vehicle; and said means for optically detecting a second color signal comprises second photocell means responsive to passage of the vehicle over a color band of a second color on said pavement, said second color being different from said first color.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
80 words
A vehicle speed control system as set forth in claim 4 further comprising optical means positioned on the vehicle over said pavement for receiving light transmitted from said color bands on the pavement, said optical means including first light filter means for permitting substantially only light of said first color to be supplied to said first photocell means and second light filter means for permitting substantially only light of said second color to be supplied to said second photocell means.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
46 words
A vehicle speed control system as set forth in claim 5 wherein said optical means is adapted for receiving a beam of light reflected from said color bands on the pavement and includes provision for directing rays of said beam to each of said photocell means.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
85 words
A vehicle speed control system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said speed governing means comprises: means for providing a vehicle speed signal the magnitude of which varies as a function of the speed of the vehicle; signal comparing means for comparing the vehicle speed signal to said analog speed reference signal; and means, responsive to the signal comparing means, for varying the speed of the vehicle in a sense tending to prevent said vehicle speed signal from exceeding said analog speed reference signal.