Patent ID: 6683533
Filing Date: 2004-01-27
Classification: B60G,B60W,G01S

Abstract:
A method of measuring a distance between a leading vehicle and a trailing vehicle, comprising the steps of:a) generating a first time-referenced data set, corresponding to a road surface, in a lead vehicle system associated with a lead vehicle which is traveling on said road surface; b) transmitting said first data set from said lead vehicle to a trailing vehicle following behind said lead vehicle, and receiving said first data set in a receiver in said trailing vehicle; c) generating a second time-referenced data set, corresponding to said road surface, in a trailing vehicle system associated with said trailing vehicle; d) comparing said first and second data sets; e) calculating a time difference between said leading and trailing vehicles using the results of said data set comparison; and f) computing an inter-vehicle distance between said leading and trailing vehicles based on the results from said time difference calculating step.