Vehicle distance, warning, control and documentation device

Abstract

Portable device for automatic detection of distance violations, to be mounted on the inside of the rear window of a vehicle, characterized in that it is equipped with two stereotactically calibrated cameras, a distance measuring sensor, a satellite navigation module, a display unit and a wireless communication unit.

Description

[0001] This invention relates to a vehicle distance control, documentation and warning unit, preferably mounted on the inside of the rear window, which warns a driver who is following too closely that he is not maintaining the legally prescribed safety distance and which automatically documents such an offense if this offense continues.

[0002] Tailgating is becoming an increasingly dangerous hazard, especially in ever-congested traffic. Particularly at higher speeds, avoiding a rear-end collision is nearly impossible, if not impossible. Braking is rarely an option in such a situation, nor is accelerating, especially on roads with speed limits. State of the art

[0003] According to current technology, reversing camera systems, distance sensors, and dashcams are known. However, an integrated system is lacking that simultaneously combines distance measurement, recording, satellite-based data acquisition for location, speed, and time of the incident, visual warning, and data transmission, and is specifically designed for the situation of a rear-end collision.

[0004] This invention is therefore based on the objective of providing a portable, autonomously operating device that measures the distance to a vehicle behind, visually warns the driver of the vehicle approaching from behind, the critical situations are documented (video / image, location, time, speed), and links the relevant data such as location, time, speed with video and image, and stores and wirelessly transmits this data.

[0005] The task is solved by a device with the following features: 1. Compact housing (1) in the format of a smartphone for attachment to the rear window of a vehicle by means of suction cups or similar mechanism. 2. Two stereotactic cameras (2) integrated at a defined lens center distance (e.g. 12.5 cm) with a rearward orientation for capturing the rear traffic area in order to create individual images at a defined time interval (e.g. 1 second) as well as alternating continuous video recordings with the aim of being able to perform a triangulation calculation from the images and the video recordings themselves based on the defined distance between the cameras and the approaching vehicle in order to document the actual distance via the images and videos. 3. A distance measuring system (3) (for example, laser, ultrasound) or LiDAR for continuously determining the distance and speed to the following vehicle with the aim of triggering an optical warning when a preset distance value defined relative to the vehicle's own speed is undershot and then simultaneously or at a time delay taking video and still image recordings. 4. An integrated satellite-based navigation module (5),(GPS, GLONASS, BEIDOU, GALLILEO) for recording geostationary position trajectories, the respective speed and the respective time or the time trajectory of the respective recorded event (timestamp, time period). 5. A warning indicator (7) based on an optical display or an e-paper display, on which a hazard symbol (e.g. warning triangle with a dashed arrow) appears as soon as a preset legally prescribed minimum distance to the reversing vehicle is not maintained or is significantly not maintained, and is associated with following too closely. 6. A storage unit (12), for example an SD card, an SSD storage device or an eMMC storage device, which stores image, video and measurement data. 7. An integrated computing unit (4) that processes the sensor and image data, recognizes the rules for under-distance and triggers corresponding actions such as image capture, warning, acquisition and linking of the associated satellite-based data such as location, speed and time, and storage and transmission of the data. 8. A wireless communication interface (6), preferably Bluetooth / WiFi / GSM, via which the device (1) can be connected to the paired smartphone (8) of an occupant and from there all relevant data for evidence preservation or further processing can be transmitted indirectly to a cloud storage (9) or directly via GSM mobile communication (6) to a cloud storage (9). Advantages of the invention

[0006] The advantages of the invention include improved road safety through active feedback to a following driver who misjudges the distance, giving them the opportunity to increase the following distance without further consequences. If the distance is not increased or if the device detects increasing tailgating behavior, all relevant evidence is documented, particularly in cases of coercion (§ 240 of the German Criminal Code) or even rear-end collisions. The device (1) described herein is portable and easily usable in various vehicles. It combines several known technologies into an integrated system and supports legally compliant evaluation through dual distance measurement.On the one hand, the distance is measured by the distance measuring module, and on the other hand, by the stereotactic evaluation of the videos and images. This involves determining the distances traveled in the images based on the road markings at the measured time intervals. Speed ​​is determined in three ways: firstly, by measurement via the satellite receiver(s); secondly, by the stereotactic evaluation of image pairs simultaneously recorded at intervals of, for example, one second. This allows for the assessment of the distance traveled at the specified interval (e.g., 100 km / h = 28 meters in 1 second); and thirdly, by the LiDAR sensor (3). The recording of corresponding time and location data completes the evidence of a possible traffic violation by clearly identifying the following distance violation based on the respective distance of the vehicle behind in relation to its speed. Technical design

[0007] For example, the device (1) is attached to the inside of the rear window. As soon as the distance sensor (3) in conjunction with the computer unit (4) detects a distance of less than 50 meters (half the speedometer reading in meters is the prescribed minimum distance, § 4, para. 1 StVO, catalog of fines for urban / rural areas) to the vehicle approaching from behind at an example speed of 100 km / h, stereotactic images of individual image pairs are taken simultaneously at intervals of one second.

[0008] The calibrated time interval between these image pairs allows, according to the invention, the measurement of the distances recorded in these image series. For example, according to the Guidelines for Road Marking (RMS), the line lengths are 3 meters and the intervals 9 meters in urban areas, while outside urban areas and on highways, the line lengths are 6 meters and the intervals 12 meters. Thus, if, for instance, a distance of 28 meters is measured within one second in a sequence of two images taken consecutively within this one-second interval, using the aforementioned markings, the calculated speed is 100.8 km / h.

[0009] If the distance of the rear-ending vehicle is less than 25 meters at an exemplary speed of 100 km / h, according to the invention, an optical warning is issued by the illumination of the optical warning sign (7), and video recordings as well as alternating single-image pair recordings at intervals of, for example, 1 second are simultaneously made by both cameras. In addition, the location and speed data from the satellite receiver (5) are simultaneously assigned to the recordings, and all this data is stored in the memory (12) of the device and optionally transmitted to a smartphone (8) paired with this device and optionally from there to a trusted cloud storage (9) in compliance with all data protection regulations, so that in the event of an accident and the possible destruction of the device, this data can be used for evidence preservation and reconstruction of the rear-end collision.

[0010] According to the invention, the device (1) is in a power-saving standby state and only switches on all relevant functions when the motion sensor (11) has detected the movement of the vehicle; according to the invention, it also switches back to the standby state if the vehicle in which it is installed has not moved for a preset time.

[0011] According to the invention, the device (1) reports the charge status of the power source (10) to the paired smartphone (8) via optical display or radio connection (6) and indicates that it needs to be recharged via the inductive charging device attached there or via USB connection.

[0012] There are therefore numerous possibilities for elaborating and further developing the invention. Reference may be made to the claims subordinate to claim 1 for this purpose. A preferred embodiment will now be explained in more detail by way of example with reference to the drawing and the accompanying description. In the drawing ( Fig. 1) shows: Reference symbol list: 1 device 2 camera pairs 3 distance meters 4 computer units 5 satellite receivers (GPS,BEIDOU,GLONASS,GALILEO) 6 Radio module (WLAN / Bluetooth) 7. Visual warning sign 8 Smartphone 9 trusted cloud databases 10 Power source / USB / inductive charging 11 Motion sensor 12 memory modules Definition of terms: eMMC embedded Multi Media Card SD card secure digital memory card SSD solid-state drive Bluetooth device wireless standard WiFi wireless fidelity radio standard GSM global system for mobile communication LiDAR radio detection and ranging RMS guideline for road marking Definitions: LED Light Emitting Diode IR Infrared GPS Global Positioning System (American) Bluetooth Standardized Short-Range Radio Module GSM mobile network WLAN Wireless Local Area Network App Application / Software Program Grid network grid CCD charge-coupled component

Claims

Portable device for automatic detection of distance violations, to be mounted on the inside of the rear window of a vehicle, characterized in that it is equipped with two stereotactically calibrated cameras, a distance measurement sensor, a satellite navigation module, a display unit and a wireless communication unit. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that it contains a warning signal for vehicles following too closely. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that it contains a low-power gyroscope or other motion sensor in conjunction with a low-power controller that automatically switches this device on at the beginning of a journey and automatically switches it off again in standby mode. Device according to claims 1 to 3, characterized in that it contains a wireless communication module for Bluetooth, WLAN and mobile communications. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, upon detecting that a legally prescribed minimum distance to a rear vehicle has been undercut, it automatically issues a warning and a preset sequence of images at calibrated time intervals and also alternately starts, stores and transmits video recording. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it links the data of the satellite receiver relating to the traffic violation, namely speed, location and time, with the photo and video recordings of the unlawful act. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it transmits all the data belonging to the process directly to an external data storage device via an integrated mobile communication module or transmits this data via an integrated radio unit that is paired to a nearby smartphone so that the latter can perform the transmission to an external data storage device.

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