Absolute acceleration sensor for use within moving vehicles
View Patent ↗A method of and system for detecting absolute acceleration along various axes relative to a desired movement vector while moving relative to a gravity source includes steps of determining a vertical acceleration, perpendicular to the desired movement vector and substantially anti-parallel to a gravitational acceleration due to the gravity source; determining a longitudinal acceleration, parallel to the desired movement vector and to output at vertical acceleration signal and a longitudinal acceleration signal; determining an inclination of the desired movement vector relative to the gravitational acceleration; and processing the vertical acceleration signal, the longitudinal acceleration signal, and the inclination signal to produce an absolute vertical acceleration signal and an absolute longitudinal acceleration signal.
1. A communication system for a vehicle, comprising:
a. an absolute deceleration detector including an accelerometer, a gyroscope configured to sense an inclination of a movement vector relative to the gravitational acceleration, and a control logic and configured to determine an absolute deceleration status of the vehicle;
b. a braking system engagement detector to detect a braking status of the vehicle;
c. an alerting device capable of signaling other drivers of a deceleration condition of the vehicle; and
d. a control device coupled to the absolute deceleration detector, the braking system engagement detector, and the alerting device, wherein the deceleration detector sends signals to the control device and the control device operates the alerting device in a manner dependent on the absolute deceleration status of the vehicle.
2. The communication system of claim 1 , wherein the alerting device comprises lamps on the vehicle that are capable of flashing.
3. The communication system of claim 2 , wherein the lamps are capable of flashing only at a constant rate.
4. The communication system of claim 2 , wherein the lamps are capable of flashing at a variable rate, and further wherein the control device is configured to flash the lamps at a rate correlated to a rate of deceleration.
5. The communication system of claim 2 , wherein the lamps are one of the following: conventional signaling lamps and conventional brake lamps.
6. The communication system of claim 5 , wherein the control device further comprises a control system for the conventional brake lamp system, whereby the communication system is an integrated control and circuitry system for all brake lamps.
7. The communication system of claim 5 , wherein the existing control system for the conventional brake lamp system is substantially unmodified, and wherein the control device communicates with the conventional brake lamp system in a substantially separate manner.
8. The communication system of claim 5 , wherein the control device is an addition to a control system for the conventional brake lamp system.
9. The communication system of claim 2 , wherein the lamps are in addition to conventional brake lamps and conventional signaling lamps.
10. The communication system of claim 1 , wherein the control device receives signals from the deceleration detector, a throttle engagement detector, and the braking system engagement detector in cycles.
11. The communication system of claim 1 , further comprising an input device coupled to the control device.
12. The communication system of claim 11 , wherein the input device comprises a throttle engagement detector configured to relay a throttle status to the control device.
13. The communication system of claim 11 , wherein the input device comprises a clutch engagement detector configured to relay a clutch status to the control device.
14. The communication system of claim 1 , wherein once the braking system is engaged, a conventional brake lamp system is activated and the communication system is de-activated.
15. The communication system of claim 14 , wherein once the braking system is disengaged, the communication system is re-activated.
16. A communication system for a vehicle, comprising:
a. an absolute deceleration detector including an accelerometer, a gyroscope configured to sense an inclination of a movement vector relative to the gravitational acceleration, and a control logic and configured to determine an absolute deceleration status of the vehicle;
b. an alerting device capable of signaling other drivers of a deceleration condition of the vehicle; and
c. a control device coupled to the absolute deceleration detector and the alerting device, wherein the deceleration detector sends signals to the control device and the control device operates the alerting device in a manner dependent on the absolute deceleration status of the vehicle.
17. The communication system of claim 16 , wherein the alerting device comprises lamps on the vehicle that are capable of flashing.
18. The communication system of claim 17 , wherein the lamps are capable of flashing only at a constant rate.
19. The communication system of claim 17 , wherein the lamps are capable of flashing at a variable rate, and further wherein the control device is configured to flash the lamps at a rate correlated to a rate of deceleration.
20. The communication system of claim 16 , further comprising an input device coupled to the control device.
21. The communication system of claim 20 , wherein the input device comprises a throttle engagement detector configured to relay a throttle status to the control device.
22. The communication system of claim 20 , wherein the input device comprises a clutch engagement detector configured to relay a clutch status to the control device.
23. A communication system for a vehicle, comprising:
a. an absolute deceleration detector including an accelerometer, a gyroscope configured to sense an inclination of a movement vector relative to the gravitational acceleration, and a control logic and configured to determine an absolute deceleration status of the vehicle;
b. an alerting device capable of signaling other drivers of a deceleration condition of the vehicle, wherein the alerting device comprises lamps on the vehicle that are capable of flashing;
c. a control device coupled to the absolute deceleration detector and the alerting device, wherein the deceleration detector sends signals to the control device and the control device operates the alerting device in a manner dependent on the absolute deceleration status of the vehicle; and
d. an input device coupled to the control device.
24. The communication system of claim 23 , wherein the lamps are capable of flashing only at a constant rate.
25. The communication system of claim 23 , wherein the lamps are capable of flashing at a variable rate, and further wherein the control device is configured to flash the lamps at a rate correlated to a rate of deceleration.
26. The communication system of claim 23 , wherein the input device comprises a throttle engagement detector configured to relay a throttle status to the control device.
27. The communication system of claim 23 , wherein the input device comprises a clutch engagement detector configured to relay a clutch status to the control device.
28. A communication system for a vehicle, comprising:
a. an absolute deceleration detector including an accelerometer, a gyroscope configured to sense an inclination of a movement vector relative to the gravitational acceleration, and a control logic and configured to determine an absolute deceleration status of the vehicle;
b. a braking system engagement detector to detect a braking status of the vehicle;
c. an alerting device capable of signaling other drivers of a deceleration condition of the vehicle; and
d. a control device coupled to the absolute deceleration detector, the braking system engagement detector, and the alerting device, wherein the deceleration detector sends signals to the control device and the control device operates the alerting device in a manner dependent on the absolute deceleration status of the vehicle
wherein the control logic uses the inclination of movement vector to determine the absolute deceleration status.
29. A communication system for a vehicle, comprising:
a. an absolute deceleration detector including:
i. an accelerometer for determining an acceleration of the vehicle;
ii. a gyroscope for determining a deviation from a plane perpendicular to earth's gravity,
wherein an absolute deceleration of the vehicle is determined based on a signal from the accelerometer and a signal from the gyroscope;
b. a braking system engagement detector to detect a braking status of the vehicle;
c. an alerting device capable of signaling other drivers of a deceleration condition of the vehicle; and
d. a control device coupled to the absolute deceleration detector, the braking system engagement detector, and the alerting device, wherein the deceleration detector sends signals to the control device and the control device operates the alerting device in a manner dependent on the absolute deceleration status of the vehicle.