EP0441613B1 - Nebelwarnvorrichtung - Google Patents

Nebelwarnvorrichtung Download PDF

Info

Publication number
EP0441613B1
EP0441613B1 EP19910300972 EP91300972A EP0441613B1 EP 0441613 B1 EP0441613 B1 EP 0441613B1 EP 19910300972 EP19910300972 EP 19910300972 EP 91300972 A EP91300972 A EP 91300972A EP 0441613 B1 EP0441613 B1 EP 0441613B1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
relative humidity
display
indicators
series
indicator
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
EP19910300972
Other languages
English (en)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP0441613A2 (de
EP0441613A3 (en
Inventor
Fali Minocher Dadachanji
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
GE Protimeter Ltd
Original Assignee
Protimeter PLC
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Protimeter PLC filed Critical Protimeter PLC
Publication of EP0441613A2 publication Critical patent/EP0441613A2/de
Publication of EP0441613A3 publication Critical patent/EP0441613A3/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP0441613B1 publication Critical patent/EP0441613B1/de
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

Links

Images

Classifications

    • G—PHYSICS
    • G08—SIGNALLING
    • G08G—TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEMS
    • G08G1/00—Traffic control systems for road vehicles
    • G08G1/09—Arrangements for giving variable traffic instructions
    • G08G1/0962—Arrangements for giving variable traffic instructions having an indicator mounted inside the vehicle, e.g. giving voice messages

Definitions

  • THIS INVENTION relates to a device for giving, for example to motorists, a visual and/or audible warning of the likelihood of fog or mist.
  • Fog or mist occurs when air is fully saturated with water vapour. Any cooling of air saturated with water vapour will result in an excess of water in the air, with the possibility of the excess water being released as dew or mist or fog. In humidity terms this would be at 100% r.h., or dewpoint or saturation point.
  • GB2190203 discloses an electronic device for sensing relative humidity of the atmosphere; for sensing ambient temperature; for calculating the respective dewpoint and for displaying the calculated dewpoint by illuminating a selected light-emitting diode in a row of such light-emitting diodes forming a display of the instrument.
  • the instrument has a respective LED in said display for every C° above or below the dewpoint temperature within a range of such temperatures.
  • the instrument may be used for determining the possibility of the occurrence of fog or mist.
  • a device embodying the invention will primarily be of utility in road transport, for example in cars and lorries, such a device may also be useful in rail travel or in sea and air travel, where monitoring of weather conditions is generally conducted more carefully and with greater sophistication than in road transport.
  • Devices embodying the invention comprise a humidity sensor of some sort and an indicator device arranged to provide an indication when the relative humidity of the atmosphere, as sensed by the sensor, is within a given range of saturation.
  • the measurement of relative humidity can be made in a number of ways. Thus, any of a number of known types of humidity sensor facility can, in accordance with the invention, be used. It will be understood that the probability of the relative humidity reading 100% within a short time is much higher if the actual relative humidity is over 90%, than if the actual relative humidity is, for example 50%.
  • the device may, of course, sense some other quantity directly related to relative humidity, such as the dewpoint.
  • the dewpoint which is the temperature at which the atmosphere in the vicinity of that surface will be fully saturated with water vapour, i.e. will be at 100% r.h.
  • the difference between the ambient temperature and the dewpoint is, of course, smaller the higher the r.h. of the atmosphere so that this difference is also an indicator of how close conditions are to the occurrence of fog or mist. For example, if the dewpoint is only 1°C lower than the ambient temperature, the likelihood of the air cooling further by 1°C causing fog is great and, indeed, much greater than if the dewpoint temperature was 10°C below the ambient temperature.
  • Figures 1 a and 1 b illustrate under different conditions a display of a device embodying the invention and which is arranged to provide a visual indication of the variation in relative humidity, over an extended period, whereby the user of the device can ascertain, at a glance, not only the current relative humidity but also the relative humidity at each of a number of preceding intervals. Accordingly, the user is able to gauge with reasonable accuracy the likelihood that fog will occur within a given time.
  • the display may taken the form of a series of vertically oriented bar displays, e.g. LED bar displays, arranged side by side as illustrated so as to define a graph in which relative humidity is plotted on the Y-axis and time on the X-axis so that the greater the illuminated height of any bar on the chart, the greater the r.h. represented thereby, and so that for example, the bar furthest to the right represents the currently sensed relative humidity, the next bar to the left represents the relative humidity sensed ten minutes ago, the next bar to the left represents the relative humidity sensed twenty minutes ago, and so on.
  • the bar furthest to the right represents the currently sensed relative humidity
  • the next bar to the left represents the relative humidity sensed ten minutes ago
  • the next bar to the left represents the relative humidity sensed twenty minutes ago, and so on.
  • the apparatus is arranged to update the display continually, so that, for example, at the end of each ten minute interval, the previous indication of each bar is transferred to the bar immediately on the left, whilst a freshly sampled r.h. is indicated by the bar on the extreme right.
  • the device is, of course, provided with appropriate electronic processing and memory circuitry to enable it to function in the manner indicated and to store the values of r.h. previously sampled.
  • the time interval between samples may be selected in accordance with the particular application of the device, so that the time period represented by the whole chart may be, for example, from one to five hours.
  • the time interval between successive samples of the r.h. may, of course, be substantially less than the time interval represented between adjacent bars of the display, with a consequentially increased memory requirement for the device, so that, for example, whilst each bar is updated once per minute it may take ten successive update cycles for an r.h. value represented in one bar to be represented in the bar immediately it its left.
  • Figure 1 a illustrates a situation in which r.h. has been increasing over a period and in which the occurrence of fog is imminent
  • Figure 1 b illustrates a situation in which r.h. has been decreasing over a period and in which the likelihood of fog occurring is decreasing.
  • the device of Figures 1 a and 1 b may have some additional visual or audible alarm facility, but need not have such additional alarm facility.
  • the device may also be arranged, additionally, to measure temperature directly and to apply a "correction factor" to the display, or to the underlying computational process according to the rate of change of temperature.
  • a rapidly falling temperature implies an increased likelihood of fog occurring, and since it is technically easier to track accurately rapidly changing temperature than rapidly changing relative humidity per se , monitoring rate of temperature change may afford an earlier warning of the risk of fog.

Landscapes

  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Investigating Or Analyzing Materials Using Thermal Means (AREA)
  • Investigating Or Analyzing Materials By The Use Of Electric Means (AREA)

Claims (3)

  1. Warnvorrichtung zum Liefern einer Warnung, wenn sich die relative Feuchtigkeit der Umgebungsluft einem Niveau nähert, bei welchem Nebel auftreten kann, wobei die Vorrichtung ein Instrument, das zum Messen der relativen Feuchtigkeit oder einer damit verbundenen Größe fähig ist, und einen Indikator umfaßt, der angeordnet ist, um eine Angabe zu liefern, wenn die relative Feuchtigkeit innerhalb eines vorherbestimmten Bereichs von 100% liegt, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß die Vorrichtung eine elektronische Anzeige mit einer Vielzahl von Indikatoren für entsprechende relative Feuchtigkeitswerte, die von der Vorrichtung in Perioden verschiedener Längen von der gegenwärtigen Zeit an erfaßt werden, und Speichermittel zum Speichern der relativen Feuchtigkeitswerte umfaßt, um dieselben durch besagte Indikatoren anzuzeigen, wobei besagte Indikatoren physisch in einer Reihenfolge oder Reihe angeordnet sind, einer besagter Indikatoren an dem Ende besagter Reihenfolge oder Reihe dem Anzeigen der am kürzesten zurückliegensten relativen Feuchtigkeit dient und jeder der folgenden Indikatoren in besagter Reihenfolge oder Reihe dem Anzeigen der relativen Feuchtigkeit dient, die zu einer vorherbestimmten Zeit vor der Zeit gemessen ist, an welcher die relative Feuchtigkeit, die von dem direkt vorangegangenen Indikator in besagter Reihe oder Reihenfolge angezeigt wird, gemessen wurde, wobei die Vorrichtung Mittel zum Aktualisieren besagter Anzeige in vorherbestimmten Intervallen enthält und in jedem besagter Intervalle der relative Feuchtigkeitswert, der von jedem Indikator angezeigt wird, zu dem vorangegangenen Indikator übermittel wird, wenn vorhanden, um dadurch angezeigt zu werden, und daß besagtes Speichermittel einen aktualisierten, am kürzesten zurückliegenden relativen Feuchtigkeitswert zum Anzeigen durch besagten einen Indikator an besagtem einen Ende besagter Reihenfolge empfängt.
  2. Vorrichtung nach Anspruch 1, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß besagte Indikatoren die Form von Stabanzeigen haben, wobei jeder einen Stab einer Länge anzeigen kann, gemessen von einer Grundposition des Stabs an, die dem relativen Feuchtigkeitswert entspricht, der von dem entsprechenden Indikator angezeigt wird, die Stabanzeigen in besagter Reihe oder Reihenfolge angeordnet sind, die sich in eine erste Richtung ausbreitet, wobei sich besagte Grundpositionen in einer Reihe in besagte erste Richtung erstrecken und sich die individuellen Stäbe in einer zweiten senkrechten Richtung von besagten Grundpositionen weg erstrecken, wodurch die Anzeige die Form eines Graphens der relativen Feuchtigkeit gegen die Zeit einnimmt.
  3. Vorrichtung nach Anspruch 2, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß besagte Stabanzeigen LED-Stabanzeigen sind.
EP19910300972 1990-02-07 1991-02-06 Nebelwarnvorrichtung Expired - Lifetime EP0441613B1 (de)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB9002685 1990-02-07
GB909002685A GB9002685D0 (en) 1990-02-07 1990-02-07 Fog warning device

Publications (3)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0441613A2 EP0441613A2 (de) 1991-08-14
EP0441613A3 EP0441613A3 (en) 1992-06-03
EP0441613B1 true EP0441613B1 (de) 1995-04-26

Family

ID=10670538

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP19910300972 Expired - Lifetime EP0441613B1 (de) 1990-02-07 1991-02-06 Nebelwarnvorrichtung

Country Status (3)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0441613B1 (de)
DE (1) DE69109144D1 (de)
GB (1) GB9002685D0 (de)

Families Citing this family (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FI116098B (fi) 2003-04-17 2005-09-15 Polar Electro Oy Kannettava henkilökohtainen tietojenkäsittelylaite

Family Cites Families (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2190203A (en) * 1986-05-08 1987-11-11 Protimeter Plc Apparatus for use in diagnosing condensation or the likelihood thereof
DE3711780A1 (de) * 1987-04-08 1988-11-10 Dieter Zeilinger Verfahren zur geschwindigkeitsanpassung fuer kraftfahrzeuge bei nebel

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
EP0441613A2 (de) 1991-08-14
DE69109144D1 (de) 1995-06-01
EP0441613A3 (en) 1992-06-03
GB9002685D0 (en) 1990-04-04

Similar Documents

Publication Publication Date Title
US6012002A (en) Vehicle travel meter
US6185489B1 (en) Vehicle overturn monitor
US6972668B2 (en) Tamper-evident use-indicating odometer and engine-timer
US4862395A (en) Data display instrument for a bicycle
US20020036567A1 (en) Method and apparatus for wheel condition and load position sensing
JP3789625B2 (ja) 電子レベル用標尺及び電子レベル
KR950001440A (ko) 센서를 구비한 전자기기
KR920702886A (ko) 이동하고 있는 길다란 물건의 길이를 측정하는 장치 및 그 방법
JPH01500144A (ja) テープ式測長器
US4674327A (en) Grade and cross fall reference device for highway survey vehicles
EP0441613B1 (de) Nebelwarnvorrichtung
US8171788B2 (en) Barometric portable electronic device
US4031510A (en) Speed detection system for automobiles and other motor-driven objects
KR20010023415A (ko) 속도 및 거리 측정 장치 보정 방법
EP0077085A2 (de) Lagerungssystem für Magazine
JPH06255326A (ja) タイヤ内圧表示警報装置
JPS6488110A (en) Storaing method for traveling track data in on-vehicle navigation device
US4853675A (en) Apparatus for determining impact force upon a vehicle in traveling a curve
US6573829B2 (en) Oil proper amount informing apparatus for engine
KR960000393Y1 (ko) 자동차의 연비 표시장치
CN110654184B (zh) 一种传感器快速定位方法
KR20040008961A (ko) 아바타를 이용한 차량상태 표시장치
SU1009289A3 (ru) Индикаторный прибор
SE9103182D0 (sv) Anordning vid fordon foer exakt hastighets och avstaandmaetare samt ett orienteringssystem foer fordon
JPS5876766A (ja) 自動車の速度表示装置

Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
PUAI Public reference made under article 153(3) epc to a published international application that has entered the european phase

Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: 0009012

AK Designated contracting states

Kind code of ref document: A2

Designated state(s): DE FR GB

PUAL Search report despatched

Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: 0009013

AK Designated contracting states

Kind code of ref document: A3

Designated state(s): DE FR GB

17P Request for examination filed

Effective date: 19921111

17Q First examination report despatched

Effective date: 19931214

GRAA (expected) grant

Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: 0009210

AK Designated contracting states

Kind code of ref document: B1

Designated state(s): DE FR GB

PG25 Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: FR

Effective date: 19950426

REF Corresponds to:

Ref document number: 69109144

Country of ref document: DE

Date of ref document: 19950601

PG25 Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: DE

Effective date: 19950727

EN Fr: translation not filed
PLBE No opposition filed within time limit

Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: 0009261

STAA Information on the status of an ep patent application or granted ep patent

Free format text: STATUS: NO OPPOSITION FILED WITHIN TIME LIMIT

26N No opposition filed
REG Reference to a national code

Ref country code: GB

Ref legal event code: IF02

PGFP Annual fee paid to national office [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: GB

Payment date: 20030205

Year of fee payment: 13

PG25 Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: GB

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF NON-PAYMENT OF DUE FEES

Effective date: 20040206

GBPC Gb: european patent ceased through non-payment of renewal fee

Effective date: 20040206