Driver alerting device

Abstract

A driver alerting device includes a transceiver adapted for mounting at the rearward end of a vehicle for directing its wave output rearwardly of the vehicle. Return wave signals for many objects within the transceiver range are picked up and supplied to the transceiver by an antenna. Any resultant doppler shift signal is amplified for driving an audio alarm adapted for placement within the passenger compartment of the vehicle. The circuit is adapted for electrical connection to the back-up light circuit of the vehicle for activation only when the vehicle transmission is engaged in reverse gear.

I claim: 
     
       1. A driver alerting device for a vehicle having a back-up light circuit reverse switch, comprising a transceiver comprising a micro-wave radar device using the doppler shift principle to detect the presence of a target within the transceiver range,   means for supporting said transceiver at the rearward end of a vehicle for directing the wave output thereof rearwardly of the vehicle, .Iadd.said transceiver range being limited to a span substantially the width of the vehicle and extending a maximum of approximately 20 feet, .Iaddend.   means for supplying to said transceiver return wave signals from any target within the transceiver range, .[.an intermediate frequency amplifier operatively connected to said transceiver, said amplifier being operative to amplify and shape said return wave signals,.].   a remote indicator adapted for placement within or adjacent the passenger compartment of a vehicle,   .[.means for electrically connecting.]. said remote indicator .Iadd.being coupled .Iaddend.to said transceiver for activation of said indicator in response to detection by said transceiver of return wave signals from any target within the transceiver range, and   means for .[.electrically connecting.]. .Iadd.coupling .Iaddend.said transceiver to the back-up light circuit reverse switch of a vehicle for activation of said transceiver in response to activation of said back-up light circuit reverse switch of a vehicle, said device being substantially unaffected, in operation, by varying weather conditions.   
     
     
       2. The driver alerting device of claim 1 wherein said transceiver includes a wave guide cavity and a gunn diode mounted in said wave guide cavity for transmitting wave output therefrom. 
     
     
       3. The driver alerting device of claim 2 wherein said transceiver further includes a schottky barrier mixer diode which is operative as the receiver thereof. 
     
     
       4. The driver alerting device of claim 1 wherein said means for supplying return wave signals to said transceiver comprises a high gain antenna. 
     
     
       5. The driver alerting device of claim 1 wherein said means for supplying return wave signals to said transceiver comprises a low gain antenna. 
     
     
       6. The driver alerting device of claim 1 wherein said means for supplying return wave signals to said transceiver comprises an antenna mounted directly to the transceiver. 
     
     
       7. The driver alerting device of claim 1 .[.wherein said.]. .Iadd.further comprising an .Iaddend.intermediate frequency amplifier .[.is a solid state multistage operational amplifier.]. .Iadd.operatively connected to said transceiver, said amplifier being operative to amplify and shape said return wave signals.Iaddend.. 
     
     
       8. The driver alerting device of claim 1 wherein said remote indicator comprises a solid state piezoelective alarm. 
     
     
       9. In combination, a vehicle having forward and rearward ends, a passenger compartment, and a back-up light circuit reverse switch, a driver alerting device, comprising a transceiver comprising a micro-wave radar device using the doppler shift principle to detect the presence of a target within the transceiver range.Iadd.,   said transceiver range being limited to a span substantially the width of the vehicle and extending a maximum of approximately 20 feet, .Iaddend.   means for supporting said transceiver on the rearward end of said vehicle for directing the wave output of the transceiver rearwardly of the vehicle,   antenna means for supplying to the transceiver return wave signals from any target within the transceiver range, an indicator,   means for mounting said indicator in the passenger compartment of the vehicle,   means for electrically connecting said indicator to said transceiver for activation of said indicator in response to detection by said transceiver of return wave signals from any target within the transceiver range, said means for electrically connecting said indicator to said transceiver including an intermediate frequency amplifier operative to amplify and shape the output signal of said transceiver, and,   means for electrically connecting said transceiver to the back-up light circuit reverse switch of the vehicle for activation of said transceiver in response to activation of said back-up light circuit reverse switch of the vehicle, said device being substantially unaffected, in operation, by varying weather conditions.   
     
     
       10. A driver alerting device for a vehicle having a transmission with a reverse gear, comprising, a transceiver comprising a micro-wave radar device using the Doppler shift principle to detect the presence of a target within the transceiver range,   means for supporting said transceiver at the rearward end of a vehicle for directing the wave output thereof rearwardly of the vehicle,   means for supplying to said transceiver return wave signals from any target within said transceiver range,   .[.an intermediate frequency amplifier operatively connected to said transceiver, said amplifier being operative to amplify and shape said return wave signals,.].   .Iadd.said transceiver range being limited to a span substantially the width of the vehicle and extending a maximum of approximately 20 feet, .Iaddend.   a remote indicator adapted for placement within or adjacent the passenger compartment of a vehicle,   .[.means for electrically connecting.]. said remote indicator .Iadd.being coupled .Iaddend.to said transceiver for activation of said indicator in response to detection by said transceiver of return wave signals from any target within the transceiver range, and   means for activating said transceiver in response to actuation of said transmission to said reverse gear, said device being substantially unaffected, in operation, by varying weather conditions. .Iadd.   
     
     
       11.  The driver alerting device of claim 7 wherein said intermediate frequency amplifier is a solid state multistage operational amplifier. .Iaddend. .Iadd. 
     
     
       12.  A rear collision avoidance system operatively connected to a rear portion of a motor vehicle to detect the presence of objects behind said motor vehicle in response to relative motion between said motor vehicle and said objects, said rear collision avoidance system including, micro-wave antenna means disposable at said vehicle rear portion for radiating micro-wave signals rearwardly of said vehicle in a wave pattern that spans substantially a rear width of said motor vehicle so as to have a lateral dimension substantially coextensive with said rear portion width of said motor vehicle, and for receiving micro-wave signals reflected from objects which are disposed behind said vehicle within said micro-wave pattern, said micro-wave antenna radiating micro-wave signals rearwardly of said vehicle a maximum of approximately 20 feet; micro-wave transceiver circuitry coupled to said antenna, said micro-wave transceiver circuitry having a range, said micro-wave transceiver circuitry including a source of micro-wave signals having a predetermined frequency, said micro-wave transceiver circuitry producing a doppler shift signal whenever an object moving relative to said vehicle and disposed within said wave pattern and within said range reflects a micro-wave signals toward said antenna with a frequency different from said predetermined frequency,   said micro-wave transceiver including an amplifier to amplify and shape said doppler shift signal to produce an alert signal; and   an indicator operatively connected to said micro-wave transceiver circuitry, for alerting an operator of said vehicle to the presence of said object in response to receipt of said alert signal. .Iaddend. .Iadd.   
     
     
       13.  The system of claim 12 wherein said transceiver range extends rearwardly of said vehicle rear portion approximately 6 to 12 feet. .Iaddend. .Iadd.14. The system of claim 12 wherein said transceiver range extends rearwardly of said vehicle rear portion up to a maximum of approximately 20 feet. .Iaddend. .Iadd.15. The system of claim 12 wherein said amplifier includes an adjustment which adjusts said transceiver range. .Iaddend. .Iadd.16. The system of claim 15 wherein said source of micro-wave signals has a power output of about 5 milliwatts. .Iaddend. .Iadd.17. The system of claim 12 wherein said micro-wave transceiver circuitry ceases to produce said doppler shift signal whenever relative movement between said object within said wave pattern and within said range and said vehicle ceases. .Iaddend. .Iadd.18. The system of claim 12 wherein said source of micro-wave signals comprises a gunn diode and said micro-wave transceiver circuitry includes a mixer element different from said gunn diode which produces said doppler shift signal. .Iaddend. 
     
     
        .Iadd. 9.  In a motor vehicle having a rear portion and capable of moving over a road surface in a rearward direction, said rear portion having a lateral extent that establishes a rear width of said motor vehicle, the improvement comprising a collision avoidance system operatively associated with said rear portion of said motor vehicle to detect the presence of an obstacle behind said motor vehicle in response to relative motion between said motor vehicle and said obstacle, and to alert the driver of the presence of said obstacle, said collision avoidance system including:   transceiver means positioned at said rear portion of said motor vehicle within said rear width thereof for (i) radiating micro-wave energy of a predetermined frequency rearwardly of said motor vehicle, said produced micro-wave energy conforming to a wave pattern that spans substantially said rear width of said motor vehicle so as to have a lateral dimension substantially coextensive with said rear width of said motor vehicle, and extending a maximum of approximately 20 feet, (ii) receiving micro-wave energy reflected by said obstacle, and (iii) in response to receiving said reflected micro-wave energy, generating an alarm signal, indicative of the presence of said obstacle, when said reflected micro-wave energy is of a frequency different from said predetermined frequency and said obstacle is within about 20 feet of said transceiver means; and   alarm means for alerting the motor vehicle operator to the presence of said obstacle in response to receipt of said generated alarm signal. .Iaddend.   
     
     
        .Iadd.20.  The motor vehicle of claim 19 wherein said transceiver means generates said alarm signal when said obstacle is within about 6 to 12 feet of said transceiver means. .Iaddend. .Iadd.21. The motor vehicle of claim 19 wherein said transceiver means has a micro-wave power output of about 5 milliwatts. .Iaddend. .Iadd.22. A process for alerting the drive of a vehicle, having a passenger compartment, an ignition and a transmission having a reverse gear, to the presence of any object in close range behind the vehicle, comprising: providing a transceiver comprising a micro-wave radar device using the doppler shift principle at the rear end of said vehicle;   activating said transceiver to transmit micro-wave electromagnetic radiation in a wave pattern limited to a span the width of the vehicle and extending rearwardly a maximum of approximately 20 feet whenever the vehicle ignition is on and the transmission is engaged in reverse gear;   supplying reflected micro-wave electromagnetic signals, from any object within said wave pattern and within said transceiver range, to said transceiver; and   activating an alarm, located in said passenger compartment, when a doppler   
     
     
        shift is detected by said transceiver. .Iaddend. .Iadd.23.  A driver alerting device for a vehicle having a back-up light circuit reverse switch, comprising a transceiver comprising a micro-wave radar device using the Doppler shift principle to detect the presence of a target within the transceiver range,   means for supporting said transceiver at the rearward end of a vehicle for directing the wave output thereof rearwardly of the vehicle, said transceiver range extends rearwardly approximately 6 to 12 feet,   means for supplying to said transceiver return wave signals from any target within the transceiver range, an intermediate frequency amplifier operatively connected to said transceiver, said amplifier being operative to amplify and shape said return wave signals,   a remote indicator adapted for placement within or adjacent the passenger compartment of a vehicle,   said remote indicator being coupled to said transceiver for activation of said indicator in response to detection by said transceiver of return wave signals from any target within the transceiver range, and   means for coupling said transceiver to the back-up light circuit reverse switch of a vehicle for activation of said transceiver in response to activation of said back-up light circuit reverse switch of a vehicle, said device being substantially unaffected, in operation, by varying weather   
     
     
        conditions. .Iaddend. .Iadd.24.  The driver alerting device of claim 23 wherein the transceiver range is about 20 feet. .Iaddend.