US4937796A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Vehicle backing aid
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1989-01-10
•
Granted: 1990-06-26
•
Expires: 2009-01-10
Abstract
Abstract A method and apparatus is provided for alerting the operator of a vehicle as to the distance from the rear of the vehicle to a structure such as a loading dock to which the vehicle is being backed through the utilization of sonar ranging and means for converting a detected range into an audible call out of the distance from the back of the vehicle to the structure to which the vehicle is being backed. In one embodiment the talking unit is activated upon the placing of the vehicle in reverse gear. When used on trucks, the transducer is removably mountable to the rear of the truck, with a transmission line lead to the cab of the truck. In the preferred embodiment, a 50 kH 2 transducer is utilized to project a fan beam of radiation from the back of the vehicle so that not only is the closest projecting object in the path of the beam detected and the distance thereto annunciated, any pedestrians or persons having a height commensurate with that of the mounted transducer will cause the range to that person to be annunciated, thereby providing an alarm indication to the driver. In a further embodiment, the transducer is protected from the elements and is either open to the elements only during backing, or is cleaned such that road grime and other hydrocarbons do not contaminate the transducer surface except at such limited times as when the vehicle is in reverse. The audiblization of the distance between the back of the truck and the structure to which it is backed may be provided at a predetermined rate, or may be predicated on a predetermined range change or, may be called out only at preset distances.
Inventors
- 👤 Robert K. Tendler
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 22:56
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01S; G01S15/00; G01S15/88; G01S15/93; G01S15/931; G01S7/00; G01S7/52; G01S7/52004; G01S2007/52009; G01S2007/52011; G01S2015/937; G01S7/521; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S367/00; Y10S367/909
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 18
Claim 1
Independent Claim
124 words
A system for effectively assisting in the backing of a vehicle comprising: sonar ranging means having a transducer mounted to the rear of said vehicle, said sonar ranging means including means for generating and projecting a beam of pulsed acoustic energy horizontally through the air behind said vehicle, and for receiving returned pulses and generating therefrom a number corresponding to the distance from said transducer to an object reflecting said beam means for converting said number into an audible human speech equivalent, whereby the operator of said vehicle is assisted in the backing thereof through the range callout; and, means for detecting a rapid change of detected range in terms of ΔR/ΔT for predetermined ΔR/ΔT and means for providing an alarm indication responsive thereto.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
124 words
A system for effectively assisting in the backing of a vehicle comprising: sonar ranging means having a transducer mounted to the rear of said vehicle, said sonar ranging means including means for generating and projecting a beam of pulsed acoustic energy horizontally through the air behind said vehicle, and for receiving returned pulses and generating therefrom a number corresponding to the distance from said transducer to an object reflecting said beam means for converting said number into an audible human speech equivalent, whereby the operator of said vehicle is assisted in the backing thereof through the range callout; and, means for detecting a rapid change of detected range in terms of ΔR/ΔT for predetermined ΔR/ΔT and means for providing an alarm indication responsive thereto.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
14 words
The system of claim 1 wherein said range is called out for predetermined distances.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
19 words
The system of claim 1 wherein said range is called out upon the occurrence of a predetermined range change.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
12 words
The system of claim 1 wherein said range is periodically called out.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
23 words
The system of claim 1 and further including means for ascertaining when said vehicle is backing and for activating said system responsive thereto.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
15 words
The system of claim 1 and further including means for protecting said transducer against contamination.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
39 words
The system of claim 6 wherein said protecting means includes an apertured housing, shuttering means at said aperture, and means for opening said shuttering means responsive to the output of said means for ascertaining when said vehicle is backing.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
18 words
The system of claim 1 and further including means for removing contamination from the face of said transducer.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
32 words
The system of claim 8 and further including means for ascertaining the efficiency of said transducer and for activating said contamination removing means responsive to a drop in efficiency of said transducer.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
22 words
The system of claim 8 wherein said contamination removing means includes means for flushing the face of said transducer with a fluid.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
19 words
The system of claim 8 wherein said contamination removing means includes means for wiping the face of said transducer.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
133 words
A system for effectively assisting in the backing of a vehicle comprising: sonar ranging means having a transducer mounted to the rear of said vehicle, said sonar ranging means including means for generating and projecting a beam of pulsed acoustic energy horizontally through the air behind said vehicle, and for receiving returned pulses and generating therefrom a number corresponding to the distance from said transducer to an object reflecting said beam; means for converting said number into an audible human speech equivalent, whereby the operator of said vehicle is assisted in the backing thereof through the range callout; means for removing contamination from the face of said transducer; and, means for ascertaining the efficiency of said transducer and for activating said contamination removing means responsive to a drop in efficiency of said transducer.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
133 words
A system for effectively assisting in the backing of a vehicle comprising: sonar ranging means having a transducer mounted to the rear of said vehicle, said sonar ranging means including means for generating and projecting a beam of pulsed acoustic energy horizontally through the air behind said vehicle, and for receiving returned pulses and generating therefrom a number corresponding to the distance from said transducer to an object reflecting said beam; means for converting said number into an audible human speech equivalent, whereby the operator of said vehicle is assisted in the backing thereof through the range callout; means for removing contamination from the face of said transducer; and, means for ascertaining the efficiency of said transducer and for activating said contamination removing means responsive to a drop in efficiency of said transducer.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
20 words
The system of claim 1 wherein said alarm indication is a human voice annunciation of a predetermined phrase or utterance.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
46 words
The system of claim 1 and further including means for removably mounting said transducer to the back of said vehicle, whereby said sonar ranging means can be mounted in the cab of a trailer truck, with the transducer being removable from the back of the trailer.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
13 words
The system of claim 14 wherein said removable mounting means includes a magnet.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
13 words
The system of claim 14 wherein said removable mounting means including suction means.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1993-06-25 | 1993-12-25 | 1994-06-26 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1997-06-25 | 1997-12-25 | 1998-06-26 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2001-06-25 | 2001-12-25 | 2002-06-26 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |