US 9,381,445 B2 · Distance detector

Abstract

A distance detecting device is mounted on a user's vehicle to detect a distance between the user's vehicle and a leading vehicle moving in front of the user's vehicle. The distance detecting device communicates with a processing device, which applies race based distance rules to determine whether the user's vehicle is close to or incurring a penalty based at least on the distance between the user's vehicle and the leading vehicle. An indication can be given to the user regarding an impending penalty and/or when a penalty is incurred. Similarly, the device can be read to apply a penalty. Various modifications can be made to allow for recording, display, and transmission of racing and penalty statistics, enabling and disabling recordation of penalty occurrences, tailoring the penalty determinations to a given race, and mounting the distance detecting device to a vehicle.

Claims28

Dependent claims

An apparatus for monitoring distance behind a moving vehicle, the apparatus comprising:

a housing configured to mount to a user's vehicle, the housing containing at least:
a self-contained distance sensing device configured to sense a distance between the distance sensing device as mounted on a user's vehicle and a leading vehicle and to output a signal proportional to the distance,
a processing device in communication with the distance sensing device to receive the signal;
an indicator operatively connected to receive signals from the processing device to control provision of an indication to the user regarding application of distance based rules to the user's vehicle.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Distance detector

Life of this patent

Distance detector

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims28