BG2546U1 - A system for monitoring defensive road crash cushions - Google Patents

Abstract

The system for monitoring defensive road crash cushions allows for individuals, that do road and highway maintenance, to gather accordingly information for the time and place of deformity of the crash cushion. The system consists of a radio network (B), which includes an n count of modules for registering impact (M1)…. (Mn) and a data processing center (C). Each module for registering impact is placed in a corpus, which is attached directly to the crash cushion, and includes an impact register, a microcontroller, a receiver-transmitter and an energy block. The ending modules for registering impact (M1) and (Mn) are each connected to one GPRS receiver-transmitter module (1), which through a cellular phone network (2) is connected to a server (3) on the center for data processing (C). The server is connected to a control and visualization of information block (4) and each of the GPRS receiver-transmitter modules (1) are connected to a solar photovoltaic station (6) and to the electro-transferring network, via power block (5).

Description

Field of technology

The utility model refers to a system for monitoring the guardrails, which are equipped with highways, dangerous sections of intercity roads and some city boulevards with heavy traffic. It will find application in road construction and will enable the persons supporting the roads and highways to receive timely information about the place and time of deformation of the guardrail.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Safety guardrails are usually located along highways to prevent motor vehicles from going outside. In most cases, serious deformations are often observed when motor vehicles hit the guardrail. It is important for the services that maintain the road infrastructure that the damaged or destroyed part of the guardrail be repaired or repaired as soon as possible in order to minimize the possibility of a second collision at the same place to have more serious consequences for passengers. . Inspection of the integrity and safety of guardrails on roads and highways is carried out by road infrastructure staff, but it is not effective enough because on the one hand it takes a lot of time and financial resources, and on the other - the inspection is done at certain intervals, which increases the risk of unregistered deformations and damage to guardrails.

From the publication of European patent application EP 1 167 629 (A2) is known a system for monitoring road guardrails, which includes a plurality of shock recorders attached to the guardrails and connected by a wire and amplifiers in a common electrical circuit with a transmitter. Impact recorders can be motion sensors, position sensors or inertial sensors (accelerometers). When one of the shock recorders is hit by a motor vehicle, it breaks the chain or vice versa - closes the initially open chain. In this impact, the transmitter generates radio frequency signals and sends them in the form of messages, via a cellular telephone network, to a transceiver unit for servicing the connection. This unit forwards the message through the service provider in an appropriate way, for example by telephone, fax or e-mail to a receiver of the road service that supports the guardrails. The safety guard system also includes a camera connected to the transmitter, which is activated by it in the event of an impact and takes a picture of the impact site. Subsequently, this photograph can be used by the road service to identify the motor vehicle that caused the impact and, accordingly, to issue a ticket for a fine to its driver.

The use of a direct cable connection between the many shock recorders and the transmitter makes the system complex, difficult to install to guardrails and attractive to metal thieves. In addition, the system does not allow continuous monitoring of the guardrails - control and visualization of information about the place and time of deformation of the guardrails in the road service supporting them.

Technical essence of the utility model

The task of the utility model is to provide a system for monitoring the guardrails, which is easy to install to the guardrails and which allows the road maintenance service to receive timely information about the place and time of guardrail deformation.

This task is solved by a system for monitoring the guardrails, which includes a plurality of shock recorders connected to at least one means of transmitting information, which is connected via a cellular telephone network to a receiver of the road service supporting the guardrails.

According to the utility model, each shock recorder is part of a shock recording module and includes, in addition to the shock recorder, a microcontroller, a transceiver and a power unit. The microcontroller is connected via a one-way connection to the shock recorder and via a two-way connection to the transceiver. The shock recording modules are η in number and every two adjacent shock recording modules are

2546 UI connected by two-way radio to each other. There are two means of transmitting information and they are GPRS transceiver modules. They are connected to the final shock recording modules, so that all shock recording modules, together with the two GPRS transceiver modules, form a radio network. The GPRS transceiver modules are connected, via the cellular telephone network, to the receiver of the road service supporting the guardrails. It is a server connected to a control and visualization unit.

According to a variant embodiment of the safety guard system monitoring system, each impact recorder includes a vibration sensor, an inertia sensor and an acoustic sensor.

According to another variant embodiment of the system for monitoring the guardrails, the power unit includes a voltage converter connected to a two-way connection to a battery and to a one-way connection to a photocell.

According to a third variant of the system for monitoring the road guardrails, each of the GPRS transceiver modules is connected to the electricity transmission network through a power supply unit, as well as to a solar photovoltaic station.

The main advantage of the safety guard guard monitoring system, implemented according to the utility model, is that the impact recording modules housed in separate housings are easily attached directly to the guardrails at the predetermined locations. Due to the use of radio communication between them, the use of connecting cables is not necessary.

The use of an individual power unit for each shock detection module provides an autonomous power supply to the sensors, microcontroller and transceiver housed therein.

In addition, the system allows for continuous control and visualization of the places where the deformation of the guardrails has taken place. The marking of these places enables the road service to subsequently effectively organize and plan the timely repair or replacement of guardrails in several nearby affected areas.

Explanation of the attached figures

Figure 1 is a general block diagram of the safety guard system monitoring system implemented according to the utility model.

Figure 2 is a block diagram of the main element of the system - the shock detection module.

Example of implementation of the utility model

The monitoring system for the guardrails, according to an exemplary embodiment of the utility model shown in FIG. 1, includes two main parts B - radio network and C - data processing center.

The radio network B includes η number of modules for shock detection М _р М ₂ ..... Μ _Ν with a small range of action, which register and transmit information on a two-way radio line to each other. The final shock recording modules Mj and M _N are connected to one GPRS transceiver module 1. The shock recording modules M _p M ₂ ..... M _N are usually located at a distance of 50 m from each other. 200 t.

The GPRS transceiver modules 1 are connected to the data processing center C via a cellular telephone network 2 (mobile operator). The GPRS transceiver modules 1 are connected to the electricity transmission network via a power supply unit 5. An additional connection to a solar cell is also provided. photovoltaic station 6.

The data processing center C of the road service supporting the guardrails includes a server 3 connected to a control and visualization unit 4.

In FIG. 2 shows a block diagram of an exemplary embodiment of the impact recording module M, which is the main element of the system for monitoring the road guardrails. The shock recording module M includes an impact recorder P, a microcontroller 7, a transceiver 8 and an energy unit E. The microcontroller 8 is connected, via a one-way connection, to the shock recorder P and via a two-way connection to the transceiver 8. The module for shock recording M is housed in a housing that attaches directly to the guardrail.

According to the exemplary embodiment shown,

2546 UI The shock recorder P includes a vibration sensor 9, an inertia sensor 10 and an acoustic sensor 11. It is possible that the shock recorder P includes only one or two of these three sensors.

The provided, autonomous for each shock detection module P, power unit E supplies electricity to the microcontroller 7, the transceiver 8 and the sensors 9, 10 and 11. It includes a voltage converter 14 connected to a two-way connection to a battery 12 and a one-way connection with photocell 13.

Action of the utility model

The monitoring system for the guardrails works as follows.

In case of an event - deformation of the guardrail, most often caused by a collision of a motor vehicle in it, one or more of the sensors of the shock recorder P _p are activated on the nearest to the place of impact module for registration of impact M _p . The signals from the outputs of the vibration sensor 9, the inertia sensor 10 and the acoustic sensor 11 are fed to the inputs of the analog-to-digital converter of the microcontroller 7. These signals are processed and if they meet the preset shock criteria, the microcontroller 7 generates a signal the transmitter 8, which in turn transmits a radio signal on the air, containing the necessary information about the location of the event, as well as the parameters of the event. The parameters of the event depend on the strength of the impact (weak, strong, crash).

For a certain period of time, the shock recording module M _p transmits a data packet to the nearest (adjacent) modules M and M _{p + 1} located on both sides. In turn, the modules M and M _{p + 1} transmit the information to the most - the adjacent modules, respectively M and M _{p + 2} . The process continues until the data packet is received by the first or last module in the system or M _n . GPRS transceiver modules 1 are mounted to these end modules for shock detection M ₁ and M _n , which forward the data via the cellular telephone network 2 (mobile operator) and to the data processing center C, respectively.

In the data processing center C, located in the road service supporting the guardrails, the data packet is received by the server 3. There the data is processed and by means of a control and visualization unit 4, on an interactive map of the guardrails, is presented the exact place of the event, i.e. of the impact of the motor vehicle in the guardrail, while at the same time the force of the impact becomes relatively clear.

The timely registration and identification of the impact site, as well as its force, enable the road service to ensure the timely repair or replacement of the guardrail in the affected area and to ensure road safety.

Claims (4)

A system for monitoring guardrails, comprising a plurality of impact recorders connected to at least one means of transmitting information which, via a cellular telephone network, is connected to a guardrail receiving device of the road service, characterized in that that each shock recorder (P) is part of a shock recording module (M) and includes, in addition to the shock recorder (P), a microcontroller (7), a transceiver (8) and a power unit (E), as in the microcontroller (7) is connected by a one-way connection to the shock recorder (P) and by a two-way connection to the transceiver (8), and the shock recording modules (M) are η in number and each two adjacent shock recording modules Impact (M _p ) and (M _{p + i} ) are connected by two-way radio communication, and the means of transmitting information are two and represent GPRS transceiver modules (1), which are connected to the final modules for shock detection ( M, and M _N ), all of which and shock detection modules (M ,, M ₂ ... M _N ), together with the two GPRS transceiver modules (1), form a radio network (B), and the GPRS transceiver modules (1) are connected by means of the cellular telephone network (2), with the receiver of the road service supporting the guardrails, which is a server (3) connected to a control and visualization unit of information (4). System according to claim 1, characterized in that each recorder The 2546 shock UI (P) includes a vibration sensor (9), an inertia sensor (10), and an acoustic sensor (11). System according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the power unit (E) comprises a voltage converter (14) connected to a two-way connection to a battery (12) and to a one-way connection to a photocell (13). System according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that each of the GPRS transceiver modules (1) is connected to the electricity transmission network by means of a power supply unit (5) as well as to a solar photovoltaic station ( 6).