Abstract:
A motor vehicle speed monitoring system is disclosed as a device to acquire and record the top speed obtained by a motor vehicle during each operating session. Such monitoring allows for the security that one&#39;s children, employees, valets, mechanics, or others entrusted with the care of a vehicle have not operated it above acceptable speed limits. The system digitally records the top speed of the vehicle every time it is started and keeps a log of the speed and the time and dates at which it occurred. The owner or authorized user may review the internal log by entering a password key into a keypad.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates generally to speed monitoring systems and, more particularly, to a motor vehicle speed monitoring system. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     A search of the prior art did not disclose any patents that read directly on the claims of the instant invention; however, the following references were considered related: 
     
       
         
               
               
               
               
             
           
               
                   
                   
               
               
                   
                 U.S. Pat. No. 
                 Inventor 
                 Issue Date 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
             
               
                   
                 5,639,967 
                 Alexis 
                 Jun. 17, 1997 
               
               
                   
                 5,581,464 
                 Woll, et al. 
                 Dec. 3, 1996 
               
               
                   
                 5,074,144 
                 Krofchalk, et al. 
                 Dec. 24, 1991 
               
               
                   
                 4,945,759 
                 Krofchalk, et al. 
                 Aug. 7, 1990 
               
               
                   
                 4,853,856 
                 Hanway 
                 Aug. 1, 1989 
               
               
                   
                 4,804,937 
                 Barbiaux, et al. 
                 Feb. 14, 1989 
               
               
                   
                 4,093,939 
                 Mitchell 
                 June 6, 1978 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
     While some features disclosed within the related art are incorporated into this invention in combination, other elements are different enough as to make the combination distinguished over these, and other references. Consequently, a need has therefore been felt for an improved mechanism that provides a method and system of recording the ground speed of a motor vehicle for reviewing at a later time to verify operation of said motor vehicle. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved motor vehicle speed monitoring system. 
     It is another object of the present invention to allow owners or caretakers of motor vehicles to review the operating parameters of their motor vehicles when not under their direct observation. 
     It is a feature of the present invention to encourage safe operating practices of others&#39; motor vehicles by knowing that the owner or caretaker will be able to determine the maximum operating speed of the motor vehicle. 
     In accordance with a preferred embodiment, a motor vehicle speed monitoring system is a device that interfaces to a speed detection instrument to allow the recording of a motor vehicle speed in an unattended manner. Such monitoring allows for the security that one&#39;s children, employees, valets, mechanics, or others entrusted with the care of a vehicle have not operated it above acceptable speed limits. The system digitally records the top speed of the vehicle every time it is started and keeps a log of the speed and the time and dates at which it occurred. The owner or authorized user may review the internal log by entering a password key into a keypad. 
     An advantage of the present invention is that it is able to operate independent from the vehicle&#39;s battery. 
     Another advantage is that the electrical components operate the system automatically without the activation or even the knowledge of the driver. 
     
       
         
               
             
               
               
               
               
             
           
               
                   
               
               
                 DESCRIPTIVE KEY 
               
               
                   
               
             
             
               
                   
               
             
          
           
               
                 10 
                 motor vehicle speed 
                 45 
                 input keypad 
               
               
                   
                 monitoring system 
                 50 
                 numeric keys 
               
               
                 15 
                 electronics enclosure 
                 55 
                 clear key 
               
               
                 20 
                 engine compartment 
                 60 
                 enter key 
               
               
                 25 
                 motor vehicle 
                 65 
                 scroll control keys 
               
               
                 30 
                 passenger compartment 
                 70 
                 fuse 
               
               
                 35 
                 operating panel 
                 75 
                 ground connection 
               
               
                 40 
                 output display 
                 80 
                 power connection cable 
               
               
                 85 
                 power supply 
                 140 
                 third functional block 
               
               
                 90 
                 internal backup battery 
                 145 
                 fourth functional block 
               
               
                 95 
                 main processor unit 
                 150 
                 second operation block 
               
               
                 100 
                 display driver 
                 155 
                 fifth functional block 
               
               
                 105 
                 keyboard interface 
                 160 
                 sixth functional block 
               
               
                 110 
                 communication paths 
                 165 
                 third operational block 
               
               
                 115 
                 speed acquisition cable 
                 170 
                 seventh functional block 
               
               
                 120 
                 speed detection device 
                 175 
                 eighth functional block 
               
               
                 125 
                 first functional block 
                 180 
                 fourth operational block 
               
               
                 130 
                 first operation block 
               
               
                 135 
                 second functional block 
               
               
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The advantages and features of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following more detailed description and claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like elements are identified with like symbols, and in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a motor vehicle speed monitoring system  10  shown in a utilized state on a motor vehicle according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a front view of the operating panel as used with the motor vehicle speed monitoring system  10 ; 
     FIG. 3 is an electrical block schematic diagram of the  10 ; 
     FIG. 4 is a flow chart depicting the operating logic behind the speed acquisition process as associated with the motor vehicle speed monitoring system  10 . 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring now to FIG. 1, a motor vehicle speed monitoring system  10  is disclosed, according to the present invention. An electronics enclosure  15  is located within an engine compartment  20  of a motor vehicle  25 . The hood of the motor vehicle  25 , usually covering the engine compartment  20  has been omitted from this FIG. for purposes of clarity. The actual control components and the input/output interfaces associated with the electronics enclosure  15  will be described in greater detail herein below. The components utilized in the electronics enclosure  15  are suitable for the environment found inside an engine compartment  20 , namely water resistant, heat resistant, cold resistant, and oil resistant. The electronics enclosure  15  may also be mounted in a passenger compartment  30  of the motor vehicle  25 , in those instances where the functions of the motor vehicle speed monitoring system  10  would need to be accessed frequently and the knowledge of the motor vehicle speed monitoring system  10  by the driver of a motor vehicle  25  is not important. The only interconnecting components between the electronics enclosure  15  and the motor vehicle  25  is electrical wiring. Electrical wiring does not present limiting factors when used within the confines of a motor vehicle  25 . It can also be seen by those familiar in the art, that the physical mounting location of the electronics enclosure  15  anywhere within the confines of the motor vehicle  25  is possible, and should not be considered a limiting factor of the present invention. The location of the electronics enclosure  15  within the engine compartment  20  of the motor vehicle  25 , in addition to providing stealth properties, also aids in installation of the electronics enclosure  15  due to the ease of wiring connections within the engine compartment  20 . 
     Referring next to FIG. 2, a front view of an operating panel  35  as seen on the face of the electronics enclosure  15  is disclosed. The operating panel  35  comprises two major components, an output display  40  and an input keypad  45 . The output display  40  is a conventional alphanumeric display which is used to provide output feedback to the user. Parameters such as date, time and speed are the primary output functions, but other functions such as date setting, time setting, password interlocking, saving or erasing of data entries, resetting of the motor vehicle speed monitoring system  10  and the like are also accomplished through the output display  40 . The output display  40  is protected from the aforementioned elements by a protective covering such as see-through glass or plastic. Located immediately below the output display  40  is an input keypad  45 . The input keypad  45  is a conventional four by four-matrix keypad which is used to provide input by the user into the motor vehicle speed monitoring system  10 . A set of numeric keys  50  is used to input numerical values such as date, time, password and the like. A clear key  55  is used to clear invalid or incorrect entries made by the numeric keys  50  in a conventional manner. An enter key  60  is then used to input the values displayed by the output display  40  into the controlling circuitry of the motor vehicle speed monitoring system  10  in a conventional manner. Finally, a set of scroll control keys  65  is used to advance or reverse the user through the various control functions of the electronics enclosure  15 . Such control functions are envisioned to be, but are not limited to the following: setting of date, setting of time, enabling or disabling data acquisition, changing passwords, reviewing stored data, clearing specific data entries, setting English or metric units (miles per hour, versus kilometers per hour) and the like. Such functions are envisioned to be accessed through a fixed menu system similar in nature to that found during the setting of a digital clock or watch or that found during the setting of a conventional video cassette recorder. 
     Referring now to FIG. 3, an electrical block schematic diagram of the motor vehicle speed monitoring system  10  is disclosed. Electrical power for the motor vehicle speed monitoring system  10  is provided through a fuse  70 , which provides and protects the positive direct current connection, and a ground connection  75  which provides the negative connection. A power connection cable  80  then carries this electrical power into the electronics enclosure  15  where it terminates at a power supply  85 . The power supply  85  converts the 12 volts normally present in a motor vehicle electrical system into the lower levels required by solid state electrical circuits. The power supply  85  is provided with an internal backup battery  90  to allow for the retention of settings such as date, time and password, as well as acquired data such as speed in those instance where the power normally provided by the fuse  70  and the ground connection  75  is interrupted. This avoidance of interruption is important in those instances where such interruptions are accidental, such as a dead battery or those instances where it is intentional by the disconnection of the battery by users attempting to clear the motor vehicle speed monitoring system  10  of incriminating data. Power from the power supply  85  is then routed to a main processor unit  95  and then onto a display driver  100  and a keyboard interface  105 . The main processor unit  95  process the internal logic that will be described in greater detail herein below and accepts input instructions from the input keypad  45  through the keyboard interface  105  and provides output instructions through the display driver  100  to the output display  40 . It is envisioned that the main processor unit  95  is of the conventional type commonly available capable of being programmed in common computer language such as BASIC. Data transfer between the output display  40 , the display driver  100 , the main processor unit  95 , the input keypad  45 , and the keyboard interface  105  occur over a series of communication paths  110  and is envisioned to be on the board level and/or a combination of board level or ribbon cable connections in the case of discrete and separate components. The actual determination of speed is made through a connection of a speed acquisition cable  115  to the main processor unit  95  from a speed detection device  120 . It is envisioned that the speed detection device  120  would be of the type that makes a mechanical connection to the existing motor vehicle speedometer for the determination of speed, although it can easily be seen by those familiar in the art that other methods such as hall effect technology on the drive shaft, optical detection, radar detection and other such methods could equally be used and as such should not be a limiting factor of the present invention. This FIG. clearly shows that only two external connections are required to the electronics enclosure  15 , namely the power connection cable  80  and the speed acquisition cable  115  and as such allows for the ease of installation by either an automobile manufacturer on an original equipment basis or by a motor vehicle owner on an aftermarket basis. 
     Referring now to FIG. 4, a flow chart depicting the operating logic behind the speed acquisition process as used with the motor vehicle speed monitoring system  10  is disclosed. The flow sequence begins at a first functional block  125 . The process then continues on through a first operation block  130  whereupon a negative response generates a loop configuration within the first operation block  130 . A positive response directs the recording of the measured speed via a second functional block  135 . The acquisition process commences pauses for one second as defined by a third functional block  140 . The acquisition process then continues at a fourth functional block  145  whereupon a second speed measurement is obtained. The speed as obtained in the second functional block  135  and the speed as obtained in the fourth functional block  145  are compared in a second operation block  150 . A negative response directs the process back to third functional block  140  as indicated. A positive response directs the storing of the data acquired in the second operation block  150  as well as the time and date said speed was acquired in a fifth functional block  155 , and then directs the process back to the third functional block  140  in a manner similar to that mentioned with a negative response. Such a pattern continues until the motor vehicle  25  (as seen in FIG. 1) is turned off. At that point the final highest speed value as determined by the second operation block  150  is the stored value as viewed later by the authorized individual. This pattern is then continued the next time the motor vehicle  25  is operated, whereupon the process is started anew and a new highest speed value is obtained and stored. It can thus be seen that this process results in the highest speed obtained by the motor vehicle being recorded each time it is operated. 
     Referring finally now again to FIG. 4, a secondary flow process begins also at the second functional block  135 . A sixth functional block  160  accesses the speed measurement as obtained in the second functional block  135  and stores it in a maximum speed memory stack along with a date and time stamp. The output of sixth functional block  160  then goes onto a third operational block  165  where it is determined if the speed stored in the sixth functional block  160  is above a preset default value. It is envisioned that the preset default value would be set at a factory setting of 55 miles per hour, but the final user would be capable of resetting the default value by way of the input keypad  45  (as shown in (FIG.  2 ). A negative response to the third operational block  165  dictates the obtaining of another speed measurement by a seventh functional block  170  and the corresponding return of logic control to the third operational block  165 . A positive response to the third operational block  165  dictates the storing of the speed along with a date and time stamp in the maximum speed memory stack by an eighth functional block  175 . Logic control then proceeds to a fourth operational block  180  where it is determined if the speed has dropped below the preset default value as explained in the third operational block  165 . A negative response provides for the continuation of the loop until speed has dropped below the preset default value. A positive response dictates that the logic control returns to the third operational block  165 . The entire process between the sixth functional block  160  and the fourth operational block  180  provides for the recording of each speed incident that exceeds the preset default value. When the speed drops below this point, the system resets and the next above speed incident is awaited. Each time the vehicle exceeds the preset default value the maximum speed is recorded. This will provide for the recording of a pattern of speeding tendencies of a driver, by the monitoring of how often and by how much a vehicle speeds. 
     Operation of the Preferred Embodiment 
     The present invention is designed with ease of operation features in mind that allow it to be used by the common user with little or no training in a transparent manner with respect to operation of a conventional motor vehicle. 
     To use the present invention, the user would first install the motor vehicle speed monitoring system  10  in general accordance with the schematic diagram in FIG.  3 . It is envisioned that the motor vehicle speed monitoring system  10  would be available as standard equipment on new motor vehicles, thus being installed as a factory option, or be available as a retrofit aftermarket package for use on existing motor vehicles. After installation, parameters such as date, time and a password are entered into the electronics enclosure  15 . Once installed and configured, the motor vehicle speed monitoring system  10  is ready for constant, automatic, uninterrupted operation. 
     During the operation of the motor vehicle  25  the highest speed obtained by the vehicle, each time it is turned on and moved, is recorded in general accordance with FIG.  4 . This acquisition is recorded with or without the knowledge of the operator. This allows authorized individuals, such as parents, vehicle rental operators, business owners, and the like to maintain knowledge of the top speed the vehicle was operated at, in the same manner in which the knowledge of the distance the vehicle was operated is obtained via the odometer. 
     To gain access to the stored data within the electronics enclosure  15  of the motor vehicle speed monitoring system  10 , the authorized individual access the electronics enclosure  15  at the location in which it is installed. Such locations could be the engine compartment  20 , the passenger compartment  30 , or other location on the motor vehicle  25 . The individual would then enter the password into the numeric keys  50  of the input keypad  45  on the electronics enclosure  15  and access the functions of the motor vehicle speed monitoring system  10  as aforementioned described, through the scroll control keys  65 . At this point the data is visually obtained and noted via the output display  40  and the electronics enclosure  15  is returned to the acquisition mode to repeat the above-mentioned cycle. 
     The foregoing description is included to illustrate the operation of the preferred embodiment and is not meant to limit the scope of the invention. The scope of the invention is to be limited only by the following claims.