DK3128079T3 - Site Information Device - Google Patents

Description

Description [0001] The invention relates to a construction site information device with a stable mounting body, which can be positioned at a road construction site and has a recess for inserting a mounting pole of a signalling, warning or detecting element, wherein the mounting body has a receiving opening that is adjacent to the recess. The device can basically be used within the context of all measures or traffic events affecting the road space and impacting its usability which, for the sake of simplicity, are hereinafter grouped together under the term 'construction site'.

[0002] Such construction site information devices are installed as required at planned construction sites, and signal to road users warnings, information, or restrictions relating to the construction site, such as speed limits, diversions, priority rules, and the like. Accordingly, DE 39 12 204 A1 also shows a battery-operated warning light for mounting inter alia on a warning beacon, in which a mounting body acting as a foot has a compartment in which the battery for the warning light is housed. A disadvantage of this teaching is that a construction site information device which is equipped with this warning light cannot be set, checked or modified without the on-the-spot intervention of individuals visiting the light.

[0003] The invention is based on the object of providing a traffic-directing or traffic-data-collecting station or central station with dependable information about such existing rules or such states as are temporarily available, doing so via a certain number of installed construction site information devices.

[0004] The authority planning and supervising road construction sites requires up-to-date knowledge of all such existing dispositions, in particular in the case of traffic-directing interventions which have recently become necessary in order to keep traffic obstructions within bounds. Construction sites require regulatory approval which is regularly granted subject to a specific time limit. The authority must monitor compliance with this limitation. Here the approved period of time within which the work is to be carried out is necessarily always longer than the time span of the work itself and even longer than the time during which construction site information devices are in place on the road. The necessary monitoring requires the approved situation to be compared with the actual situation, this being determined by the authority on the basis of reports from the construction work contractors and on the basis of its own observations. The data base for this comparison is often flawed or incomplete due to a lack of messages or to inaccurate communication. Communication is time-consuming and error-prone, which can result in erroneous trafficdirecting interventions on the part of the authority. In addition, the information is difficult to process in a digitally automated manner and can therefore only be used conditionally for e-government, traffic situation calculation, routing and navigation based on current data.

[0005] Here the invention aims to provide a remedy in a simple way and, in the case of a conventional construction site information device of the type mentioned at the beginning, consists of the recess having a notification device standing in radio communication with a central station, which notification device can determine the presence or absence of a mounting pole positioned with regard to the traffic or, in the case of a rotary switch, can determine the inactive (the sign, being parallel to the direction of travel, is not visible to drivers) or active (the sign, being transverse to the direction of travel, is visible to drivers) traffic-related positioning of the mounting pole in the recess and can communicate this autonomously to the central station. In this way, only when the construction site information device is set up or taken down by the normal procedure is it ensured without any effort that the authority is automatically informed about the validity of the signalling or warning element attached to the mounting pole. Preferably, the notification device informs the central station not only of the validity or invalidity of the signalling or warning element, but also of the identification number of the device, the specific notification time and the position of the device.

[0006] Further preferred features of the invention can be found in the dependent claims.

[0007] The invention will be explained in more detail with reference to an exemplary embodiment illustrated in the drawings, wherein Fig. 1 shows in schematic form the interaction of the various essential components of the notification device located in the receiving opening of the mounting body, said interaction being along the time line of deployment at the construction site (shown by the vertical axis), while Fig. 2 shows a simplified view of the entire construction site information device together with a notification device arranged in a receiving opening of a mounting body installable at a road construction site.

[0008] The blocks shown at the top in Fig. 1 represent the essential components of the notification device housed in the mounting body, namely in sequence from left to right an ON/OFF switch 10 actuatable by the mounting pole of a signalling or warning element being inserted or removed, a control unit 11, a GPS receiver 12, and a transmitter 13. Insertion of the mounting pole into a vertical recess of the mounting body provided for this purpose closes the switch 10, this being symbolized by the arrow 14. The control unit 11 then sends a command 15 for a position request to the GPS receiver 12. This reports the position back to the control unit 11, the position message being symbolized by the arrow 16. Thereupon, the control unit 11 transmits the following data to the transmitter 13: Identification number of the construction site information device or its mounting body, time, position and switching state ON, this transmission being symbolized by the arrow 17. The transmitter 13 transmits this data to a central station for the planning and monitoring of all construction sites present in a defined area.

[0009] The large block marked 18 in the middle of Fig. 1 symbolizes the duration of the work going on at the construction site. Meanwhile, for monitoring purposes there may be one or more repeated position requests 15', responses 16' to the position requests, and transmissions 17' to the transmitter 13 of the data mentioned under 17, as well as their transmission to the central station.

[0010] If the construction site is left and the mounting pole of the signalling or warning element located in the recess of the mounting body is pulled out, the ON/OFF switch 10 automatically goes into the OFF position and reports this to the control unit 11, which OFF message is symbolized by the arrow 14". Thereupon, there follow successively a command 15" of the control unit 11 to the GPS receiver 12 making a position request, from this a message 16" back to the control unit 11 giving the position, as well as the transmission 17" from the control unit 11 to the transmitter 13 giving the identification number of the mounting body, the time, position and switching state OFF. The transmitter 13 then notifies the central station that the construction site has been closed down.

[0011] The construction site information device shown in Fig. 2 has a mounting body 1 for the signalling or warning element 3 attached to a mounting pole 2. The mounting pole 2 is inserted into a recess 4 of the mounting body 1. Closely adjacent to the recess 4 there is a receiving opening 5 which contains a notification device 7 standing in radio communication with a central station 6. The notification device 7 autonomously detects the presence or absence of the mounting pole 2, and autonomously reports this - as well as the identification number of the mounting body 1, the respective time, the position of the mounting body 1, and the switching state ON or OFF - to the central station for the planning and monitoring of all construction sites present in a defined area. For these functions, the notification device 7 contains the aforementioned essential components 10 - 13.

[0012] The receiving opening 5 for the notification device 7 is connected via a channel 8 with the recess 4 for insertion of the mounting pole 2, in which channel 8 the electrical ON/OFF switch 10 to be actuated by the mounting pole 2 is arranged. The receiving opening 5 terminates at the surface of the mounting body 1 and is upwardly open although capable of being closed by a hinged cover 9. This is flush with the surface of the mounting body 1 and is unobtrusive in order to guard against wilful damage or prevent dirt getting into the receiving opening 5.

[0013] Similar to the switch 10, the construction site information device has another ON/OFF switch, albeit one to be manually operated separately which, via the control unit 11 also receiving transmissions from the GPS receiver 12, causes the transmitter 13 to send a message to the central station regarding the work actually done at the construction site.

[0014] The transmitter 13 can be used in addition to pass on to the central station 6 further data which may have been gathered by the notification device 10, for example, regarding traffic frequency and/or dust and air pollution.

[0015] The switch 10 may furthermore be designed such that the mounting pole 2 is provided only at one end with a contact or an element triggering the switch 10, such as a lug, so that the switch 10 is not activated when the warning element 3 is positioned parallel to the direction of travel. Not until the mounting pole has been pulled out and pushed back in a traffic-related position (with the sign transverse to the direction of travel) will the switch 10 be activated.

[0016] Alternatively, the switch 10 which is designed as a plug-in switch can also take the form of a rotary switch. The receptacle for the mounting pole is then rotatably mounted in the base plate so that the mounting pole or the sign affixed to it can be rotated along a vertical axis. In this embodiment the switch 10 is integrated in the mounting and is activated only at a specific position of the mounting pole. In this case, after insertion even the rotation of the mounting pole into the traffic-related position with the sign affixed on the pole positioned transversely to the travel direction is crucial.

Claims (9)

A construction site information device with a stationary holding member (1) which can be mounted in a roadwork location and comprising a recess (4) for inserting a holding rod (2) of a signal or warning element (3), wherein the holding member (1) comprises a recording opening (5) next to the recess (4), characterized in that the recording opening (5) contains a communication device (7) which is in radio communication with a central (6) and which can determine and automatically provide the central (6) Notice of the presence or absence of the holding rod (2) in the recess (4). Construction site information device according to claim 1, characterized in that message apparatus (7) can notify the device identification number, the presence or absence of the holding rod (2), the relevant time of communication and the position of the device to the control panel (6). Construction site information device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the recess (4) for inserting the holding rod (2) of the signal or warning element (3) is connected to the receiving opening (5) containing the message apparatus (7) channel (8) on which an electrical contact (10) is arranged. Construction site information device according to claim 3, characterized in that the switch (10) is an on / off radio switch for activating or deactivating the communication apparatus (7). Construction site information device according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the receiving opening (5) of the communication device (7) is open in an upward and / or downward direction and ends on the surface of the holding body (1). Construction site information device according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the recording opening (5) of the communication device (7) can be closed with a discreet lid (9) which aligns with the surface of the holding body (1). Construction site information device according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the message apparatus (7) comprises a power storage, an ON / OFF switch (10), a control unit (11), a GPS receiver (12) for satellite location signals and a data transmitter (13). Construction site information device according to claim 7, characterized in that a photovoltaic device in the form of a PV film arranged on the surface of the holding body (1) feeds the current storage. Construction site information device according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the message apparatus (7), which is radio-connected to the central (6) and which can determine the presence or absence of the holding rod (2) in the recess (4) can further determine the rotation of the signal or warning element (3) connected to the holding rod (2) across a direction of travel.