Absolute acceleration sensor for use within moving vehicles

Abstract

A communication system for a vehicle comprises a receiver to receive a signal corresponding to a traveling speed of a lead vehicle, a response device that generates an alert to warn of a change in the traveling speed of the lead vehicle, and a control device coupled to the receiver and the response device, wherein the receiver sends a signal to the control device corresponding to the traveling speed of the lead vehicle and the control device operates the response device in a manner dependent on the traveling speed of the lead vehicle. In some embodiments, the signal comprises one or more of infrared, radio frequency, wireless, WiFi, and Bluetooth®. In some embodiments, the communication system further comprises a speed control system coupled to the control device, wherein the control device operates the speed control system in a manner dependent on the traveling speed of the lead vehicle.

1 - 40 . (canceled) 
     
     
         41 . A communication system for a vehicle, comprising:
 a. a rangefinder to calculate a distance between the vehicle and an object;   b. a vehicle speed sensor to sense a speed of the vehicle;   c. a response device that generates an alert; and   d. a control device coupled to the rangefinder, the vehicle speed sensor, and the response device, wherein the control device receives a signal from the rangefinder and the vehicle speed sensor and operates the response device in a manner dependent on the signal received from the range finder and the vehicle speed sensor.   
     
     
         42 . The communication system of  claim 41 , wherein the object is a leading vehicle. 
     
     
         43 . The communication system of  claim 42 , wherein the response device generates an alert to indicate an unsafe following distance between the vehicle and the leading vehicle. 
     
     
         44 . The communication system of  claim 42 , wherein the response device generates an alert to indicate an unsafe closure rate between the vehicle and the leading vehicle. 
     
     
         45 . The communication system of  claim 41 , wherein the range finder uses one or more of infrared, infrared laser, sonar, and radar to calculate the distance between the vehicle and an object. 
     
     
         46 . The communication system of  claim 41 , wherein the range finder uses trigonometry methods and is one or more of a stadiamettric range finder, parallax range finder, and a coincidence range finder. 
     
     
         47 . The communication system of  claim 42 , wherein the range finder is pointable in the same direction of travel as the lead vehicle. 
     
     
         48 . The communication system of  claim 41 , wherein the object is a following vehicle. 
     
     
         49 . The communication system of  claim 48 , wherein the response device generates an alert to indicate an unsafe distance between the vehicle and the following vehicle. 
     
     
         50 . The communication system of  claim 48 , wherein the response device generates an alert to indicate an unsafe closure rate of the following vehicle. 
     
     
         51 . The communication system of  claim 48 , wherein the range finder is pointable in the same direction as the following vehicle as the vehicle is making a turn. 
     
     
         52 . The communication system of  claim 41 , further comprising a speed control system coupled to the control device, wherein the control device operates the speed control system in a manner dependent on the signal received from the range finder and the vehicle speed sensor. 
     
     
         53 - 65 . (canceled) 
     
     
         66 . The communication system of  claim 41 , wherein the rangefinder is actively pointable. 
     
     
         67 . The communication system of  claim 66 , wherein the rangefinder is pointable in the same direction of travel as the lead vehicle as the lead vehicle is making a turn. 
     
     
         68 . The communication system of  claim 66 , wherein the rangefinder is pointable in the same direction of travel as the following vehicle as the following vehicle is making a turn. 
     
     
         69 . The communication system of  claim 66 , wherein the rangefinder comprises an accelerometer to determine direction and degree of turn. 
     
     
         70 . A communication device for a vehicle comprising:
 a. a rangefinder to calculate a distance between the vehicle and an object;   b. a vehicle speed sensor to sense a speed of the vehicle;   c. a response device activation circuit for generating an alert to a driver of the vehicle; and   d. a control device coupled to the rangefinder, the vehicle speed sensor, and the response device activation circuit, wherein the control device receives a signal from the rangefinder and the vehicle speed sensor and operates the response device in a manner dependent on the signal received from the range finder and the vehicle speed sensor.   
     
     
         71 . The communication device of  claim 70 , wherein the object is a leading vehicle. 
     
     
         72 . The communication device of  claim 71 , wherein the response device generates an alert to indicate an unsafe following distance between the vehicle and the leading vehicle. 
     
     
         73 . The communication device of  claim 71 , wherein the response device generates an alert to indicate an unsafe closure rate between the vehicle and the leading vehicle. 
     
     
         74 . The communication device of  claim 70 , wherein the range finder uses one or more of infrared, infrared laser, sonar, and radar to calculate the distance between the vehicle and an object. 
     
     
         75 . The communication device of  claim 70 , wherein the range finder uses trigonometry methods and is one or more of a stadiamettric range finder, parallax range finder, and a coincidence range finder. 
     
     
         76 . The communication device of  claim 70 , wherein the range finder is pointable in the same direction of travel as the lead vehicle. 
     
     
         77 . The communication device of  claim 70 , wherein the object is a following vehicle. 
     
     
         78 . The communication device of  claim 77 , wherein the response device generates an alert to indicate an unsafe distance between the vehicle and the following vehicle. 
     
     
         79 . The communication device of  claim 77 , wherein the response device generates an alert to indicate an unsafe closure rate of the following vehicle. 
     
     
         80 . The communication device of  claim 77 , wherein the range finder is pointable in the same direction as the following vehicle as the vehicle is making a turn. 
     
     
         81 . The communication device of  claim 70 , further comprising a speed control system coupled to the control device, wherein the control device operates the speed control system in a manner dependent on the signal received from the range finder and the vehicle speed sensor. 
     
     
         83 . The communication device of  claim 70 , wherein the rangefinder is actively pointable. 
     
     
         84 . The communication device of  claim 83 , wherein the rangefinder is pointable in the same direction of travel as the lead vehicle as the lead vehicle is making a turn. 
     
     
         85 . The communication device of  claim 83 , wherein the rangefinder is pointable in the same direction of travel as the following vehicle as the following vehicle is making a turn. 
     
     
         86 . The communication device of  claim 85 , wherein the rangefinder comprises an accelerometer to determine direction and degree of turn. 
     
     
         87 . A communication method for a vehicle, comprising:
 a. using a rangefinder to calculate a distance between the vehicle and an object;   b. sensing a speed of the vehicle;   c. based on the speed of the vehicle and the distance between the vehicle and the object, operating a response device to generate an alert.   
     
     
         88 . The communication method of  claim 87 , wherein the object is a leading vehicle. 
     
     
         89 . The communication method of  claim 88 , wherein the response device generates an alert to indicate an unsafe following distance between the vehicle and the leading vehicle. 
     
     
         90 . The communication method of  claim 88 , wherein the response device generates an alert to indicate an unsafe closure rate between the vehicle and the leading vehicle. 
     
     
         91 . The communication method of  claim 88 , wherein the range finder uses one or more of infrared, infrared laser, sonar, and radar to calculate the distance between the vehicle and an object. 
     
     
         92 . The communication method of  claim 87 , wherein the range finder uses trigonometry methods and is one or more of a stadiamettric range finder, parallax range finder, and a coincidence range finder. 
     
     
         93 . The communication method of  claim 87 , wherein the range finder is pointable in the same direction of travel as the lead vehicle. 
     
     
         94 . The communication method of  claim 87 , wherein the object is a following vehicle. 
     
     
         95 . The communication method of  claim 94 , wherein the response device generates an alert to indicate an unsafe distance between the vehicle and the following vehicle. 
     
     
         96 . The communication method of  claim 94 , wherein the response device generates an alert to indicate an unsafe closure rate of the following vehicle. 
     
     
         97 . The communication method of  claim 94 , wherein the range finder is pointable in the same direction as the following vehicle as the vehicle is making a turn. 
     
     
         98 . The communication method of  claim 87 , further comprising a speed control system coupled to the control device, wherein the control device operates the speed control system in a manner dependent on the signal received from the range finder and the vehicle speed sensor. 
     
     
         99 . The communication method of  claim 87 , wherein the rangefinder is actively pointable. 
     
     
         100 . The communication method of  claim 99 , wherein the rangefinder is pointable in the same direction of travel as the lead vehicle as the lead vehicle is making a turn. 
     
     
         101 . The communication method of  claim 99 , wherein the rangefinder is pointable in the same direction of travel as the following vehicle as the following vehicle is making a turn. 
     
     
         102 . The communication method of  claim 99 , wherein the rangefinder comprises an accelerometer to determine direction and degree of turn.