US 4,533,962 AGranted

Vehicle performance detection and recording apparatus

OwnerRonald R. Decker, William T. Shannoninventors

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Abstract

A method and apparatus for sensing and recording diverse operational and performance characteristics of automotive vehicles and the like has a plurality of transducers directly associated with different mechanical functions of the vehicle for sensing their operating characteristics in relation to time as well as generating analog signals representative of certain functions and combining them with digital signals representing other functions. A signal converter encodes signals from the transducers and converts the signals in predetermined order into digital data signals. Each succession of signals generated are temporarily stored. A recorder then records information stored serially and enables ready access to and identification of each event or condition. After recordation of information over a selected time interval, the recording is automatically erased as additional information is transmitted to the recorder to provide a current history over limited time intervals, such as, 30 minutes so as to be especially useful in accident analysis.

Claims15

Dependent claims

In a self-contained vehicle performance recorder system wherein a plurality of transducer means are operative to produce a succession of signals as a function of time representative of vehicle performance parameters including speed, braking rate, steering rate and acceleration of the vehicle under operating conditions, the improvement comprising:

control circuit means including conditioning means for converting said succession of signals into a series of data blocks, each block containing a signal representative of each parameter measured;
programmer means for generating a succession of record numbers and for addressing said control circuit means to order out each said series of data blocks received from said transducer means and correlating said record numbers therewith;
means for temporarily storing each said record number in correlated relation with each said series of data blocks in succession ordered out of said control circuit means;
and
recorder means for writing each said series of data blocks stored onto a record medium over a predetermined time period, said programmer means including means to generate a write command signal to activate said recorder means for writing each said series of data blocks at spaced time intervals within said time period, means to generate a reference timing signal for recording on said recording medium in correlated relation to each said record number and each said series of data blocks recorded, and means for erasing said series of record numbers and corresponding data blocks recorded over said predetermined time period, and said recorder means operative to write each next succession of record numbers and corresponding data blocks received from said transducer means over a next predetermined time period corresponding to said first predetermined time period.

2 more elements

In a self-contained recorder system adapted for installation on a vehicle wherein a plurality of transducer means are operative to produce a succession of analog signals representative of speed, braking rate, steering rate and acceleration, the combination therewith comprising:

control circuit means including analog-to-digital converter means for converting said succession of analog signals into a series of digital data;
programmer means for generating a succession of record numbers and for addressing said converter means to order out each said series of digital data produced by said control circuit means and correlating said record numbers therewith;
means for storing each said record number in correlated relation with each said series of digital data ordered out of said control circuit means by said programmer means as a block of information;
and
recorder means for writing each of said block of information stored over a discrete time interval onto a record medium, said programmer means including means to generate a write command signal to address said storing means for writing each block of information at spaced time intervals greater than the time interval required for said recorder means to write each block of information stored.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.