Apparatus for performing a method of operating a warning signal indicative or reasonably indicative of a vehicle about to be braked or severely decelerated, said method comprising:
- (I) generating an electrical signal indicative of a rate of change in the pressure or force (hereafter "foot pressure signal") being applied to the accelerator of the vehicle;
- (II) generating an electrical signal indicative of the speed of the vehicle (hereafter "speed signal");
- (III) comparing, in a monitoring circuit receiving said foot pressure signal, negative values (ie. those of a rate of decrease of pressure) of said foot pressure signal against a threshold level to provide a determination of whether or not there is likely to be a panic stop or not;
- (IV) if the comparison of step (III) provides no determination of there being a likely panic stop, in a circuit receiving said foot pressure signal and said speed signal,
- (a) comparing negative values of foot pressure signal against an alternative threshold level to provide a determination of whether severe braking is likely to occur (but less severe as to be indicative of a panic stop)
- and
- (b) optionally, determining the vehicle is travelling in excess of a speed threshold
- and
- (c) optionally, determining immediately preceding values of acceleration of the vehicle (determined over a preceding period) are below a threshold for such values as would indicate that negative foot pressure signals are likely the result of foot movements associated with a gear change
- and
- (d) optionally, determining immediately preceding values of positive foot pressure signals (determined over a preceding period) are below a threshold for such signals as would indicate that negative foot pressure signals are likely bounce-induced as the result of such immediately preceding positive foot pressure signals, and
- (V) providing at least for a brief period of time an electrical current actuation of said warning signal whenever there is either:
- (a) determination by step (III) of there likely being a panic stop or
- (b) there is a determination by step (IV) by satisfying condition (a) and any one or more of optional conditions (b), (c) and (d) of there likely being severe braking (but less severe as to be indicative of a panic stop), said apparatus comprising:
- (i) means to generate an electrical signal indicative of the rate of change in the pressure or force (hereafter "foot pressure signal") being applied to the accelerator of the vehicle;
- (ii) means to provide an electrical signal indicative of the speed of the vehicle (hereafter "speed signal");
- (iii) means to provide a monitoring circuit to receive said foot pressure signal and to compare negative values (ie. those of a rate of decrease of pressure) of said foot pressure signal against a threshold level to provide a determination of whether or not there is likely to be a panic stop or not;
- (iv) means to receive said foot pressure signals and said speed signals at least if the comparison of step (III) of the method provides no determination of there being a likely panic stop;
- and
- (a) to compare negative values of foot pressure signal against an alternative threshold level to provide a determination of whether severe braking is likely to occur (but less severe as to be indicative of a panic stop);
- and
- (b) optionally to determine the vehicle as travelling in excess of a speed threshold:
- and
- (c) optionally to determine immediately preceding values of acceleration of the vehicle (determined over a period) are below a threshold for such values as would indicate that negative foot pressure signals are likely the result of foot movements associated with a gear change;
- and
- (d) optionally to determine immediately preceding values of positive foot pressure signals (determined over a preceding period--whether the same or different to that of (IV)(c)) are below a threshold for such signals as would indicate that negative foot pressure signals are likely bounce-induced as a result of such immediately preceding positive foot pressure signals;
- and
- (v) means providing at least for a brief period of time an electrical current actuation of a warning signal whenever there is either (a) determination by step (III) of the method that there is likely being a panic stop or (b) there is a determination by step (IV) of the method by satisfying condition (a) and at least one or more of the optional conditions (b), (c) and (d) of the method of there likely being severe braking (but less severe as to be indicative of a brake panic stop).