SIMONAZZI GIUSEPPE (IT)
| US20030212480A1 | 2003-11-13 | |||
| US20050030224A1 | 2005-02-10 | |||
| EP1494492A1 | 2005-01-05 | |||
| US20030050039A1 | 2003-03-13 | |||
| EP1306269A2 | 2003-05-02 |
CLAIMS
1) Safety apparatus for motor vehicles or the like, comprising at least a support element associable with a motor vehicle or the like and suitable for supporting at least one instant acceleration/deceleration measuring device for said motor vehicle along at least one direction, characterised in that it comprises at least one communication unit, integrally associated with said support element, associated with said acceleration/deceleration measuring device and suitable for sending at least one emergency signal in the event of said vehicle having an accident, detected by said acceleration/deceleration measuring device. 2) Apparatus according to the claim 1, characterised in that said support element comprises at least a container body associable with said motor vehicle and suitable for housing at least said acceleration/deceleration measuring device and said communication unit.
3) Apparatus according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterised in that it comprises at least an electronic siren supported by said support element and suitable for giving off an acoustic alarm signal.
4) Apparatus according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterised in that said support element comprises at least a container body associable with said motor vehicle and suitable for housing at least said acceleration/deceleration measuring device, said communication unit and said electronic siren.
5) Apparatus according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterised in that said support element may be fixed in the engine compartment of said motor vehicle. 6) Apparatus according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterised in that said support element may be fixed at at least one of the wheelhouses of said motor vehicle.
7) Apparatus according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterised in that it comprises at least an electronic control unit associable with at least one between said acceleration/deceleration measuring device, said communication unit and said electronic siren.
8) Apparatus according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterised in that said electronic control unit is associable with at least one unit on said motor vehicle.
9) Apparatus according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterised in that said communication unit comprises at least a transmitter and/or a received working within the range of frequencies with mobile phone protocols.
10) Apparatus according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterised in that said communication unit comprises at least an antenna for the transmission/receiving of at least a signal.
11) Apparatus according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterised in that said mobile phone protocols are selected from the group comprising
GSM, GPRS, UMTS or the like.
12) Apparatus according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterised in that said acceleration/deceleration measuring device is suitable for measuring the instant acceleration/deceleration of said vehicle along three directions substantially at right angles with each other.
13) Apparatus according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterised in that said acceleration/deceleration measuring device comprises at least an accelerometer.
14) Apparatus according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterised in that it is associable with at least a locating device for the position of said motor vehicle.
15) Apparatus according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterised in that it comprises at least a locating device for the position of said motor vehicle. 16) Apparatus according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterised in that said locating device comprises at least a satellite signal receiver.
17) Apparatus according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterised in that said satellite signal receiver is of the type used in satellite navigation systems Global Positioning System (GPS), Galileo Positioning System or the like.
18) Apparatus according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterised in that said electronic control unit is associable with at least one between said unit and said locating device through at least an electrical channel. 19) Apparatus according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterised in that said electrical channel comprises a CAN channel (Controller Area Network) or the like. 20) Apparatus according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterised in that said support element comprises at least a fixing bracket of said container body on said motor vehicle.
21) Apparatus according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterised in that it comprises at least an internal power battery. 22) Apparatus according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterised in that it is associable with the power battery of said motor vehicle. |
SAFETY APPARATUS FOR MOTOR VEHICLES OR THE LIKE
Technical Field
The present invention relates to a safety apparatus for motor vehicles or the like.
Background Art The growing number of road accidents has led to the study and development of an increasing number of instruments for the improvement of motor vehicle safety, many of which have become commonplace or even obligatory.
In particular, the use of mainly electronic control equipment is known, generally integrated into the electronics of the motor vehicle itself and used to notify the driver of potentially hazardous situations and to directly and dynamically intervene on the vehicle (active safety), to intervene in the event of an accident to minimise the negative consequences on passengers (passive safety) or again, to intervene following an accident to speed up the presence of medical or other kinds of assistance on site. The known apparatus involve a control unit, generally installed inside the vehicle compartment and linked to a plurality of sensors installed on the vehicle to detect, e.g., any knocks of the vehicle.
The sensors used may e.g. be composed of one or more accelerometers which detect sharp accelerations and decelerations of the motor vehicle due to the occurrence of an accident.
The known safety apparatus are however susceptible to improvements.
These apparatus, in fact, connect different devices together such as sensors, control units, signalling devices or the like, which are all installed in different positions on the motor vehicle. Consequently, the correct connection between all the devices, and therefore the correct operation of the apparatus itself, is not always ensured, particularly following the occurrence of an accident.
Object of the Invention
The main object of the present invention is to provide a safety apparatus for motor vehicles or the like which is able to reduce the risk of malfunction even after an accident.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a safety apparatus for
motor vehicles or the like which allows to achieve the above mentioned improvements of the background art in the ambit of a simple, rational, easy, effective to use and low cost solution.
The above-described objects are achieved by the present safety apparatus for motor vehicles or the like, comprising at least a support element associable with a motor vehicle or the like and suitable for supporting at least one instant acceleration/deceleration measuring device for said motor vehicle along at least one direction, characterised in that it comprises at least one communication unit, integrally associated with said support element, associated with said acceleration/deceleration measuring device and suitable for sending at least one emergency signal in the event of said vehicle having an accident, detected by said acceleration/deceleration measuring device.
Brief Description of the Drawings
Other characteristics and advantages of the present invention will become more evident from the description of a form of preferred, but not sole, embodiment of a safety apparatus for motor vehicles or the like, illustrated purely as an example but not limited to the annexed drawings in which: figure 1 is a general functional diagram of the apparatus according to the invention. Embodiments of the Invention
With particular reference to such figures, by 1 is globally indicated a safety apparatus, usable in particular in safety systems and in anti-theft/anti-break-in systems which may be fitted on a motor vehicle or the like.
The apparatus 1 comprises a support element, shown in the figure by reference 2, composed of a substantially box-shaped container body which may be fixed to a motor vehicle by means of suitable brackets.
In particular, the container body 2 may be fixed in a substantially protected position of the vehicle, such as e.g. in the engine compartment, in order to make unwanted access and tampering of the apparatus 1 more difficult and to guarantee the protection of the apparatus itself following an accident of the motor vehicle.
Different positions of the container body 2 may, e.g., involve fixing near one of
the wheelhouses of the motor vehicle.
Advantageously, the container body 2 is composed of the casing of an electronic siren 3 suitable for giving off an acoustic alarm signal.
The electronic siren 3, in particular, may be associated with a unit 4 on the motor vehicle, which may be composed of a traditional unit of an anti-theft/anti- break-in system positioned inside the vehicle compartment.
The unit 4 may, e.g., be associated with a plurality of detection sensors 5 installed on board the motor vehicle of the type of ultrasonic sensors or the like suitable for detecting any break-ins inside the vehicle compartment. Inside the container body 2, the apparatus 1 comprises an instant vehicle acceleration/deceleration measuring device, indicated in the figure generically by reference 6.
The acceleration/deceleration measuring device 6 may be used to detect any accidents of the vehicle and at the same time to estimate the dynamics and intensity of the knocks.
Usefully, the acceleration/deceleration measuring device 6 may be used to detect any variations in the angle of the vehicle in the event of an attempted burglary by lifting.
In particular, the acceleration/deceleration measuring device 6 is suitable for measuring the instant vehicle acceleration/deceleration along three directions substantially at right angles with each other and, in particular, may be composed of one or more three-axis accelerometers.
Usefully, the arrangement of the three acceleration/deceleration measurement directions with respect to the vehicle is not important for the purposes of the correct operation of the accelerometer 6.
This ensures great freedom in the positioning of the accelerometer 6, and therefore, of the whole apparatus 1, during installation on the vehicle, guaranteeing at the same time the detection of the variations in angle along any direction in a safe and reliable manner. This therefore makes the positioning of the apparatus 1 free of any mechanical constraints concerning the housing thereof inside the engine compartment of the vehicle it is fitted on, simplifying installation.
Inside the container body 2 a communication unit is also housed, indicated in the figure generally by reference 7, associated with the accelerometer 6 and suitable for sending an emergency signal to a remote control unit in the event of an accident. The use of the communication unit 7 is not however excluded for sending different types of signals, such as alarm signals in the event of vehicle theft. In particular, the communication unit 7 comprises a transmitter, and possibly a receiver working within the range of frequencies with mobile phone protocols of the GSM, GPRS, UMTS type or the like. In the event of an accident detected by the accelerometer 6, the communication unit 7 is able to send an emergency signal and activate a call to one or more preset phone numbers, such as, e.g., private numbers or emergency services to call for medical assistance or the intervention of the police or the like. The presence of an internal antenna associated with the communication unit 7 makes the apparatus 1 substantially autonomous in the management of communications.
Usefully, the apparatus 1 may have at least a storage unit 8 suitable for storing the management software of the apparatus and other data such as, e.g., the preset phone numbers to be called in the event of an emergency. The apparatus 1 comprises an electronic control unit 9, of the microprocessor type or the like, connected to the accelerometer 6, the communication unit 7, the electronic siren 3 and the storage unit 8. The electronic control unit 9 may be made, e.g., on a printed circuit arranged and fixed inside the container body 2. The electronic control unit 9 is associated with the unit 4 on the vehicle and is able to coordinate the operations of the accelerometer 6 with those of the communication unit 7, as well as to activate the electronic siren 3 upon command of the unit 4 of the vehicle.
Advantageously, the apparatus 1, in particular the electronic control unit 9, may be connected to a locating device 10 which tracks the position of the vehicle. In particular, the locating device 10 may be composed of a satellite signal receiver and a satellite navigation system Global Positioning System (GPS), Galileo Positioning System or the like, installed on board the vehicle.
The position of the vehicle detected by the locating device 10 may be sent by the communication unit 7 in the event of an accident. Usefully, such detected position may be stored periodically on the storage unit 8, thus allowing to send a recently detected position also in the event that, due to an accident, an interruption is caused in the connection between the locating device 10 and the apparatus 1.
Alternatively, the apparatus 1 may envisage inside the container body 2 a locating device of the vehicle position which is operatively connected to the electronic control unit 9. Usefully, the apparatus I 5 in particular the electronic control unit 9, is connected to the unit 4, the locating device 10 and other devices which may be present on the vehicle through an electrical channel 11.
Usefully, the electrical channel 11 is composed of or in any case is connected to the traditional CAN (Controller Area Network) channel which is already fitted on the vehicle. This avoids the need for installation of other conductor cables and simplifies the installation operations for the apparatus 1.
However, the connection of the apparatus 1 using a different type of channel 11 is not excluded.
The apparatus 1 also has a connection port for the connection to the electrical channel 11 and therefore to the unit 9.
Usefully, this connection port is composed of a traditional connector, of the type usually present on known electrical sirens and used in anti-theft or anti-break-in systems for motor vehicles.
In the event of an anti-theft or anti-break-in system already being installed on the vehicle, this allows the installation of the apparatus 1 simply by replacing the traditional electrical siren already installed.
Advantageously, the apparatus 1 may be powered directly from the vehicle battery, or alternatively, may have an internal battery which guarantees correct operation even in the event of an accident. It has in practice been shown how the described invention achieves the intended objects, and in particular the fact is underlined that the positioning of the communication unit and the accelerometer inside a single container body
housing the siren, inside the engine compartment of the vehicle or in any case in a place which is difficult to reach, reduces the risk of tampering or of malfunctioning due to the occurrence of an accident.
The invention thus conceived is susceptible to numerous modifications and variations, all of which falling within the scope of the inventive concept.
Furthermore all the details may be replaced with others that are technically equivalent.
In practice, the materials used, as well as the contingent shapes and dimensions, may be any according to requirements without because of this moving outside the protection scope of the following claims.