ITMI20121926A1 - APPARATUS AND METHOD OF CHECKING THE TRANSIT OF PERISOLOSE GOODS IN THE GALLERY - Google Patents

Description

Apparatus and method of control of the transit of goods

The present invention generally relates to the technical field of road transport of dangerous goods. More specifically, the invention relates to an apparatus and a method for monitoring, controlling and managing the tunnel transit of vehicles carrying dangerous goods.

The transport of dangerous goods by road is regulated by the European agreement ADR (Agrà © ment merchandises Dangerouses par Route), by directives of the European Community, such as for example the directives 2008/68 / CE, 2004/112 / CE, 2004 / 111 / EC and 1994/55 / EC, and by national regulations, such as for example Ministerial Decree 02/08/2005, Art.168 of the Highway Code and law no.1839 12/8/1962.

According to the regulations listed above, vehicles carrying dangerous goods must be recognizable by displaying an orange sign on their back, front and / or side comprising an upper section and a lower section. In particular, the upper section shows a number, called NIP or Kemler number, to identify the danger, while the lower section shows a UN number, called NIM, to identify the substance.

In this regulatory framework, we must also add the interest that the road transport sector of dangerous goods arouses for the purposes of road safety and the management of mass emergencies, due to the possible problems that dangerous goods in transit along the roads they can generate in relation to public safety, public order and environmental protection.

With particular reference to tunnels, with Directive 2004/54 / EC of 29 April 2004, the European Community established restrictions on the transit of vehicles carrying dangerous goods in tunnels. In particular, according to this regulation, the competent authority is required to assign a category to each tunnel.

Assuming that tunnels present three main dangers, namely explosions, leaks of toxic gas or volatile toxic liquid and fires, five categories of tunnels have been introduced, with the following meanings:

A No restriction on the transport of dangerous goods B Restriction on the transport of dangerous goods likely to cause a very important explosion

C Restriction on the transport of dangerous goods which could cause a very large explosion, a major explosion or a significant loss of toxic materials D Restriction on the transport of dangerous goods which could cause a very large explosion, an explosion important, a major loss of toxic materials or a major fire

E Restriction on the transport of all dangerous goods except UN numbers 2919, 3291, 3331, 3359 and 3373 Each category therefore determines which dangerous goods are forbidden to transit inside the tunnel.

The competent authority is therefore responsible for ensuring that all safety aspects relating to the transit of vehicles carrying dangerous goods in the tunnel are respected, including prevention and safeguard measures aimed at guaranteeing the safety of users and operating personnel.

To date, the current legislation provides, in order to ensure the transit in a tunnel only of vehicles carrying dangerous goods compatible with the particular category of the tunnel in question, to place, near the tunnel, a vertical sign, in which the category of the tunnel without indicating any alternative routes to transit through the tunnel.

However, these known signaling systems have some drawbacks. In fact, they are signaling systems, so to speak, static and therefore inadequate to manage in real time variations in the transit conditions of vehicles carrying dangerous goods inside the tunnel. In fact, the situation may arise in which, in the same tunnel, the transit of a vehicle carrying the same dangerous goods is allowed in some time slots, for example during the night, and in others not, for example during the hours of greatest transit of vehicles, or that, following structural interventions on the tunnel, the latter is assigned a different category from the one previously assigned. In the presence of the conditions described above by way of example, it is therefore necessary to replace the vertical signs with new updated signs, with consequent disadvantages in terms of installation costs. Furthermore, known signaling systems are not able to detect a violation when the vehicle passes through the tunnel. In other words, these known signaling systems are not able to detect if the driver of the vehicle transits inside the tunnel despite the prohibition. Furthermore, in the event of poor visibility, for example due to adverse weather conditions (fog, snow, thunderstorms), it may happen that the static vertical signs are not identified by the driver of the vehicle carrying dangerous goods, with consequent failure to comply with any transit prohibitions in a gallery.

The main purpose of the present invention is therefore to provide an apparatus and a method for monitoring, controlling and managing the transit of vehicles carrying dangerous goods in the tunnel, which are able to automatically detect vehicles carrying dangerous goods in real time, recognizing them the nature and danger of the goods transported, so as to indicate to the drivers of vehicles that are not allowed to transit through the tunnel mandatory transit routes, alternatives to access in the tunnel.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus and a method for monitoring, controlling and managing the transit in the tunnel of vehicles carrying dangerous goods, which are easy to install and implement and advantageous in terms of cost.

Consequently, the invention relates to an apparatus and a method for controlling the transit in the tunnel of a vehicle carrying dangerous goods according to independent claims 1 and 11. Preferred characteristics are then reported in the dependent claims.

In particular, the apparatus for controlling the transit in a tunnel of a vehicle carrying dangerous goods moving along a road or motorway section according to the invention is characterized by the fact that it includes:

- at least one remote control unit;

- a monitoring station installed upstream of the last possible access to an alternative mandatory route of the road or motorway section, and configured to acquire information relating to the vehicle carrying dangerous goods and to transmit the acquired information to at least one unit remote control; And

- display means installed upstream of the last possible access to an alternative mandatory route and downstream of the monitoring station and configured to receive from at least one remote control unit information relating to the incompatibility of the dangerous goods transported by the vehicle with a category of the tunnel and to visualize in real time indications relating to access to the mandatory alternative route to transit in the tunnel.

The control apparatus according to the invention therefore allows, for each vehicle in transit, to acquire the data relating to the type of vehicle and the type of dangerous goods transported by the vehicle, to assess the compatibility of the dangerous goods transported with the category of the tunnel and, in the event of incompatibility between the dangerous goods transported and the category of the tunnel, to visualize in real time indications about mandatory routes, alternatives to transit in the tunnel.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the control apparatus comprises an entrance monitoring station installed at the tunnel entrance, configured to acquire information relating to the vehicle carrying dangerous goods and to transmit the acquired information to at least one remote control unit, for the determination of the compatibility or otherwise of the dangerous goods transported by the vehicle with the category of the tunnel. This advantageously allows to detect the transit in the tunnel of vehicles carrying dangerous goods not compatible with the category of the tunnel, in violation of the obligations to travel on suggested alternative routes, and to report this violation to an operator, in order to alert, for example, the police force.

According to yet another preferred embodiment of the invention, the control apparatus also comprises an exit monitoring station installed at the tunnel exit, configured to acquire information relating to the vehicle carrying dangerous goods and to transmit the acquired information to at least one remote control unit. This allows, advantageously, to monitor the residence time of a vehicle carrying dangerous goods inside the tunnel and to report to an operator any alert situations due to the vehicle's stay inside the tunnel beyond the time needed for transit. .

Preferably, the monitoring station installed upstream of the last possible access to an alternative mandatory route (PA) of the road or motorway section, the entrance monitoring station installed at the tunnel entrance and the monitoring station for exit installed at the tunnel exit comprise each means for acquiring information relating to the vehicle carrying dangerous goods and means for processing the acquired information.

Preferably, the means for acquiring information relating to the vehicle carrying dangerous goods comprise at least one recording device, comprising a license plate reading camera configured to acquire the NIP and NIM numbers and the vehicle license plate (V) and at least one lighting element.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, a pickup device is provided for each lane of the road or motorway section.

Preferably, each recording device comprises a context camera configured to record the environmental context of the transit and to allow a lateral view of the vehicle carrying dangerous goods.

Preferably, the at least one lighting element consists of a flash or LED operating in the infrared wavelength band. This allows, advantageously, a good acquisition of information relating to a vehicle in transit even during the night.

Preferably, the display means comprises a variable message panel. This advantageously allows the vehicle driver to correctly interpret the information that appears in real time on the panel, even in the presence of adverse weather conditions.

Preferably, the at least one remote control unit comprises a computer and a database.

In particular, the method of controlling the transit in a tunnel of a vehicle carrying dangerous goods moving along a road or motorway section conducted using the control apparatus referred to above, includes the following phases:

a) acquire, through a monitoring station installed upstream of the last possible access to an alternative mandatory route of the road or motorway section, information relating to the vehicle carrying dangerous goods;

b) process the acquired information through said monitoring station;

c) transmit the processed information to at least one remote control unit through said monitoring station;

d) on the basis of this information acquired and processed, determine through the at least one remote control unit if the goods transported by the vehicle is incompatible with the category of the tunnel; and if so

e) transmit incompatibility information to display means, through at least one remote control unit; And

f) display in real time on the display means indications relating to access to said alternative obligatory path.

In a preferred embodiment, the method comprises, downstream of step f), the further steps of:

g) acquire, through an entrance monitoring station installed at the entrance to the tunnel, information relating to the vehicle carrying dangerous goods;

h) process the acquired information through said entry monitoring station;

i) transmit the processed information to at least one remote control unit via said entrance monitoring station;

j) on the basis of this information acquired and processed, determine through the at least one remote control unit if the goods transported by the vehicle is incompatible with the category of the tunnel; and if so

k) report to an operator the violation of transit in the tunnel.

According to another preferred embodiment, the method comprises the further steps of:

l) activate a timer via the at least one remote control unit to count the time necessary for the transit of the vehicle carrying dangerous goods in the tunnel;

m) check whether information relating to the vehicle carrying dangerous goods has been acquired from an exit monitoring station installed at the tunnel exit within a time counted by the timer equal to a predetermined crossing threshold, and if not;

n) send the operator an alarm signal containing information on the vehicle not passed through.

Preferably, the predetermined crossing threshold is chosen on the basis of parameters such as length of the tunnel and expected speed of travel of the vehicle.

Preferably, steps a) and g) comprise acquiring a continuous stream of frames; and phases b) and h) include selecting from the captured frames those containing the NIP and MIN numbers of the dangerous goods transport plate affixed to the vehicle.

Preferably, steps d) and j) comprise:

- determine, on the basis of the NIP and NIM numbers, information relating to the type of dangerous goods transported by the vehicle; And

- compare the type of dangerous goods determined with the category of the tunnel.

Further characteristics and advantages of an apparatus and of a method for controlling the transit in the tunnel of a vehicle carrying dangerous goods according to the invention will become clearer from the following description of their preferred embodiments, made with reference to the attached drawings. In such drawings:

Figure 1 is a schematic view of a tunnel transit control apparatus of a vehicle carrying dangerous goods according to a first preferred embodiment of the present invention;

- Figure 2 is a schematic view of a control apparatus according to a second preferred embodiment of the invention; And

Figure 3 is a schematic view of a control apparatus according to a third preferred embodiment of the invention; And

With reference to Figure 1, it illustrates an apparatus for controlling the transit in the tunnel of a vehicle carrying dangerous goods according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

In particular, the control apparatus, generally indicated with the reference number 100, is configured to control the transit in a tunnel G of a vehicle V carrying dangerous goods moving along a road or motorway section TS.

As previously described, tunnel G is assigned a respective category, namely A, B, C, D, E. In particular, in a category A tunnel the transit of vehicles carrying any type of dangerous goods is allowed; in a category B tunnel the transit of vehicles carrying dangerous goods likely to cause a very important explosion is prohibited; in a category C tunnel, the transit of vehicles likely to cause a very serious explosion, a major explosion or a significant loss of toxic materials is prohibited; in a category D tunnel, the transit of vehicles likely to cause a very serious explosion, a major explosion, a significant loss of toxic materials or a major fire is prohibited; and in a category E tunnel, the transit of vehicles carrying all dangerous goods is prohibited with the exception of UN numbers 2919, 3291, 3331, 3359 and 3373.

The apparatus 100 comprises a remote control unit 110, a monitoring station 120, in communication with the remote control unit 110 via a connection 121, and display means, for example a variable message panel 130, communicating with the remote control unit 110 through a connection 131. The connections 121 and 131 can be of the wired or wireless type.

The remote control unit 110 preferably comprises a computer 112 and a database 114. Of course, although only one remote control unit 110 is shown in Figure 1, the control apparatus 100 can also comprise more than one remote control, according to the needs, suitably put in communication with each other and with the monitoring station 120 and the variable message panel 130.

The monitoring station 120 is installed upstream of the last possible access to a mandatory PA route alternative to transit in tunnel G and includes means 122 for acquiring information relating to vehicle V carrying dangerous goods and means 124 for processing the acquired information and transmission, through connection 121, of the information processed to the remote control unit 110.

The acquisition means 122 of the monitoring station 120 preferably comprise at least one recording device 125, more preferably a recording device 125 arranged in correspondence with each lane of the road or motorway section TS.

In particular, each recording device 125 comprises a license plate reading camera (registration plate and dangerous goods transport plate) of the vehicle V and at least one lighting element.

Specifically, the license plate reading camera of the shooting device 125 is configured to generate clear and detailed images, typically having a resolution of 1280x980 pixels, so as to allow precise acquisition of the NIP and NIM numbers present in the orange license plate displayed by the vehicle V carrying dangerous goods, the alphanumeric characters constituting the plate of the vehicle V and any other details useful for the identification of the vehicle V and the type of dangerous goods transported by it.

Preferably, the at least one lighting element comprises a high-energy flash or LED operating in the infrared wavelength band. Advantageously, the intensity of illumination of the scene is varied according to the environmental conditions by the processing and transmission means 124.

Preferably, each filming device 125 is installed, in the respective driving lane, at a variable height between 3 and 7 meters. This in order to correctly and legibly reproduce both the alphanumeric characters of the license plate and the NIP and NIM numbers of the vehicle V, as well as the variable message panel 130, thus advantageously limiting the occlusion phenomenon generated by a vehicle that follows and making the control apparatus 100 safe against possible acts of vandalism.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, the at least one recording device 125 also comprises a context camera, configured to record the environmental context of the transit and to allow a lateral view of the vehicle V carrying dangerous goods. This allows, advantageously, to identify the transport of dangerous goods in the case of vehicles with multiple compartments, which typically display an identification plate of the type of dangerous goods on the side of each compartment.

Preferably, the means 124 for processing the acquired information and for transmitting the processed information to the remote control unit 110 via the connection 121 comprise a software module, typically an ANPR (Automatic Number Plate Recognition) module, configured to process in real time the images acquired by at least one recording device, in order to detect the orange sign, obtain the PIN, NIM and / or vehicle registration number and transmit these data to the remote control unit 110, through the connection 121. This software module will advantageously be of the multi-language and multi-format type.

The variable message panel 130 is installed upstream of the last possible access to an alternative route PA to transit through tunnel G and downstream of the monitoring station 120 and is suitable for receiving from the remote control unit 110, through connection 131, information relating to the compatibility or otherwise of the dangerous goods transported by vehicle V with the category of tunnel G and to view, in the event of incompatibility between the type of dangerous goods and the category of the tunnel, indications relating to access to the route PA mandatory alternative to transit in the tunnel G. Variable message panels are known in the art, so they will not be further described in this document.

Thanks to the combination of a monitoring station 120 and display means, for example a variable message panel 130, both in communication with a remote control unit 110, the control apparatus 100 of the invention advantageously allows , for each vehicle in transit, to detect the data relating to the type of dangerous goods transported by the vehicle, assess the compatibility of the dangerous goods transported with the category of the tunnel that the vehicle is about to cross and, in the event of incompatibility, view in real time on the variable message panel 130 indications about mandatory transit routes alternative to access to the tunnel.

Again with reference to Figure 1, the method for controlling the transit of dangerous goods in the tunnel conducted using the control apparatus 100 described above is described.

Assume that a vehicle V carrying dangerous goods, in transit along a TS road or motorway section, is about to arrive near a tunnel G.

Vehicle V passes by the monitoring station 120 installed upstream of the last possible access to an alternative mandatory PA route of the road or motorway section TS. The monitoring station 120, specifically its filming device 125, acquires information relating to the vehicle V in the form of a continuous stream of frames.

In particular, the license plate reading camera of the recording device 125 acquires the alphanumeric characters that make up the rear registration plate of the vehicle V and the NIP and NIM numbers of the dangerous goods transport plate, while the context camera of the recording device 125 acquires an image of the transit scene of vehicle V, thus allowing, advantageously, to enrich the reading of the license plate reading cameras with additional information on the vehicle in transit, such as for example the color of the vehicle, physical characteristics and the like.

The information acquired by the recording devices 125 are then processed by the processing device 124, which selects, from among the received frames, those containing a rear registration plate and / or the NIP and NIM numbers of the dangerous goods transport plate and transmits these frames, together with other images acquired by the context camera, to the remote control unit 110, through connection 121.

Upon receiving the frames from the monitoring station 120, the remote control unit 110 performs the following operations:

- stores the transit of vehicle V;

- identifies, on the basis of the NIP and NIM numbers present in the frames, the type of dangerous goods transported by vehicle V;

- determines whether the type of dangerous goods transported is incompatible with category A-E of tunnel G; and, if so - commands the real-time display on the variable message panel 130 of information relating to access to the mandatory PA route as an alternative to transit in the G.

For the purpose of identifying the type of dangerous goods transported by vehicle V and determining whether or not it is incompatible with category A-E of tunnel G, a table relating to the dangerous goods and a table relating to categories A to E of the tunnels present on the various TS road or motorway sections. In particular, the table relating to dangerous goods contains: UN number, PIN number, class (for example â € œ3 - flammable liquidsâ €) and class code (for example â € œF1 - flammable liquids without subsidiary riskâ €).

It follows that the remote control unit 110 obtains the identification information of the dangerous goods transported by vehicle V by performing a specific query of the database 114 with the NIP and / or the NIM obtained from the monitoring station 120. Consult the table relating to dangerous goods, from a NIM number it is possible to obtain information (material description, class, identification code, NIP number) relating to the dangerous goods. Having obtained this information, information on the categories of tunnels incompatible with the type of dangerous goods transported by vehicle V in transit at the monitoring station 120 can be obtained from the table of tunnel categories.

The driver of the vehicle V in question therefore receives, in real time via the variable message panel 130, precise information on the incompatibility of the dangerous goods that he is transporting with tunnel G and on the mandatory PA route as an alternative to transit in tunnel G.

Figure 2 illustrates an apparatus for controlling the transit of dangerous goods in the tunnel in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention.

The control apparatus, generally indicated with the reference number 200, comprises a remote control unit 210, a monitoring station 220, in communication with the remote control unit 210 via a connection 221, displays, for example a variable message panel 230, in communication with the remote control unit 210 via a connection 231 and a further monitoring station 240 of an entrance to tunnel G, installed at the entrance to tunnel G and in communication with the remote control unit 210 through a connection 241. The connections 221, 231 and 241 can be of the wired or wireless type.

The remote control unit 210 preferably comprises a computer 212 and a database 214. Of course, although only one remote control unit 210 is shown in Figure 2, the control apparatus 200 can also comprise more than one remote control, according to needs, suitably put in communication with each other and with the monitoring station 220 and the variable message panel 230.

The monitoring station 220 is quite similar to the monitoring station 120 of the control apparatus 100 described above with reference to Figure 1 and therefore comprises means 222 for acquiring information relating to the vehicle V carrying dangerous goods and means 224 for processing of the acquired information and transmission, through connection 221, of the processed information to the remote control unit 210.

Similarly to the acquisition means 122, the acquisition means 222 preferably comprise a recording device 225 for each lane of the road or motorway section TS.

Each recording device 225 comprises a high resolution license plate reading camera, at least one lighting element, for example of the flash type or high-energy LED operating in the infrared wavelength band, and preferably a camera context.

Preferably, the means 224 for processing and transmitting the acquired information comprise an ANPR (Automatic Number Plate Recognition) software module.

The monitoring station 240 at the entrance to tunnel G also includes means 242 for acquiring information relating to vehicle V carrying dangerous goods and means 244 for processing the information acquired and for transmitting the processed information to the control unit remote 210, through connection 241, of the cable or wireless type.

The acquisition means 242 preferably comprise a recording device 245 for each lane of the road or motorway section TS.

Each shooting device 245 comprises a high resolution license plate reading camera, at least one lighting element, for example a high-energy LED flash operating in the infrared wavelength band, and preferably a context camera .

Preferably, the means 244 for processing and transmitting the acquired information comprise an ANPR (Automatic Number Plate Recognition) software module.

The presence of an additional monitoring station 240 positioned at the entrance to tunnel G advantageously allows to detect the transit in tunnel G of a vehicle carrying dangerous goods that is not compatible with the category of the tunnel, in violation of the travel obligations of suggested alternative routes, and to report this violation to an operator of the control apparatus 200, in order to alert the competent authorities, for example the police forces.

Again with reference to Figure 2, the method for controlling the transit of dangerous goods in the tunnel conducted using the control apparatus 200 above is described.

Assume that the vehicle V carrying dangerous goods, detected by the monitoring station 220 in the manner described above with reference to the control apparatus 100, arrives at the entrance to the tunnel G. The vehicle V can be a compatible vehicle with the category of tunnel G, i.e. a vehicle authorized to pass through tunnel G, or a vehicle V carrying dangerous goods incompatible with the category of tunnel G, which wants to pass through tunnel G in violation of the obligation to travel the alternative route PA previously displayed on the variable message panel 230.

When the vehicle V carrying dangerous goods passes in correspondence with the monitoring station 240 of the entrance to tunnel G, installed at the entrance to the tunnel G, the monitoring station 240, specifically its shooting device 245, acquires relative information transit of vehicle V in the form of a continuous stream of frames or frames.

Also in this case, the license plate reading camera of the shooting device 245 acquires the alphanumeric characters that make up the rear registration plate and the NIP and NIM numbers of the dangerous goods transport plate, while the context camera of the shooting device 245 acquires an image of the scene of the transit of vehicle V, thus allowing to enrich the reading of the license plate reading cameras with additional information on the vehicle in transit, such as for example the color of the vehicle, physical characteristics and the like.

The acquired information is processed by the processing device 244, which selects, among the received frames, those containing a rear registration plate and / or the NIP and NIM numbers of the dangerous goods transport plate and transmits this information, together with other images. acquired by the context camera, to the remote control unit 210, through connection 241.

Upon receipt of the information acquired and processed by the monitoring station 240, the remote control unit 210 performs the following operations:

- stores the transit of vehicle V;

- identifies, on the basis of the NIP and NIM numbers received, the type of dangerous goods transported by vehicle V;

- determines whether the type of dangerous goods transported is incompatible with category A-E of tunnel G; and, if so - it signals to the operator the violation of transit in tunnel G. Also in this case for the identification of the type of dangerous goods and for the determination of the incompatibility of the dangerous goods with the category of tunnel G the tables stored in the database 214 of the remote control unit 210 are used.

Figure 3 illustrates an apparatus for controlling the transit of dangerous goods in the tunnel according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

The control apparatus, generally indicated with the reference number 300, comprises a remote control unit 310, a monitoring station 320 in communication with the remote control unit 310 via a connection 321, display means , for example a variable message panel 330, in communication with the remote control unit 310 via a connection 331, a monitoring station 340 for an entrance to tunnel G, installed at the entrance to tunnel G and in communication with the remote control unit 310 via a connection 341, and a station 350 for monitoring an exit from tunnel G, installed at the exit from tunnel G and in communication with the control unit remote via a 351 link. Connections 321, 331, 341, and 351 can be either wired or wireless.

The remote control unit 310 preferably comprises a computer 312 and a database 314, while the monitoring station 320 comprises means 322 for acquiring information relating to the vehicle V carrying dangerous goods and means 324 for processing the acquired information and for transmitting of the information processed at the remote control unit 310, through connection 321.

As for the previous embodiments, the acquisition means 322 preferably comprise a recording device 325 for each lane of the road or motorway section TS, comprising a high resolution license plate reading camera, at least one lighting element, for example a high-energy LED flash operating in the infrared wavelength band, and preferably a context camera.

Preferably, the means 324 for processing the acquired information and transmitting the processed information to the remote control unit 310 via connection 321 comprise an ANPR (Automatic Number Plate Recognition) software module.

The station 340 for monitoring the entrance to tunnel G includes means 342 for acquiring information relating to the transit of vehicle V carrying dangerous goods and means 344 for processing the acquired information and for transmitting the processed information to the remote control unit 310 , through connection 341.

The acquisition means 342 preferably comprise a recording device 345 for each lane of the road or motorway section TS, comprising a high-resolution license plate reading camera, at least one lighting element, for example a high-resolution LED flash. energy operating in the infrared wavelength band, and preferably a context camera.

Preferably, the means 344 for processing the acquired information and for transmitting the processed information to the remote control unit 210 via the connection 221 comprise an ANPR (Automatic Number Plate Recognition) software module.

The exit monitoring station 350 from tunnel G installed at the exit from tunnel G and in communication with the remote control unit 310 via a connection 351, of the cable or wireless type.

In particular, the station 350 for monitoring the exit of tunnel G includes means 352 for acquiring information relating to the transit of vehicle V carrying dangerous goods and means 354 for processing the information acquired and for transmitting the information processed to the remote control 310, through connection 351.

The acquisition means 352 preferably comprise a recording device 355 for each lane of the road or motorway section TS, comprising a high-resolution license plate reading camera, at least one lighting element, for example a high-resolution LED flash energy operating in the infrared wavelength band, and preferably a context camera.

Preferably, the means 354 for processing the acquired information and for transmitting the processed information to the remote control unit 310 via the connection 351 comprise an ANPR (Automatic Number Plate Recognition) software module.

The presence of monitoring stations 340 and 350 positioned respectively at the entrance and exit of tunnel G allows, advantageously, to monitor the residence time of a vehicle V carrying dangerous goods inside tunnel G and to signal to an operator of the control system 300 any alert situations due to the vehicle staying inside the tunnel beyond the time needed for transit.

Again with reference to Figure 3, the method for controlling the transit of dangerous goods in the tunnel conducted using the control apparatus 300 described above is described.

Assume that the vehicle V carrying dangerous goods, detected by the monitoring station 320 as previously described with reference to the control apparatus 100, arrives at the entrance to the tunnel G. The vehicle V may be a vehicle compatible with the category of the tunnel, i.e. a vehicle authorized to pass through tunnel G, or a vehicle V carrying dangerous goods incompatible with the category of tunnel G, which wants to pass through tunnel G in violation of the obligation to travel the alternative route PA displayed previously on the variable message display 330.

When the vehicle V carrying dangerous goods passes in correspondence with the monitoring station 340 of the entrance to tunnel G, installed at the entrance to the tunnel G, the monitoring station 340, specifically its shooting device 345, acquires relative information the transit of vehicle V in the form of a continuous stream of frames, as described above with reference to the monitoring station 240 of the control apparatus 200.

The acquired information is processed by the processing device 344, which selects, among the received frames, those containing a rear registration plate and / or the NIP and NIM numbers of the dangerous goods transport plate and transmits this information, together with other images. acquired by the context camera, to the remote control unit 310, through connection 341.

Upon receipt of the information acquired and processed by

following operations:

- stores the transit of vehicle V;

- identifies, on the basis of the NIP and NIM numbers received, the type of dangerous goods transported by vehicle V;

- activates a timer to count the time necessary for vehicle V to transit through tunnel G;

- determines whether the type of dangerous goods transported is incompatible with the category of tunnel G and, if so, reports to the operator the transit violation in tunnel G; And

- compares the time counted by the timer with a predetermined crossing threshold according to appropriate parameters chosen between tunnel length and expected travel speed of the vehicle V and in the event that the time counted by the timer exceeds the expected crossing threshold without the monitoring station 350 of the tunnel exit G has acquired information relating to vehicle V;

- sends an alarm signal to the operator containing information on the vehicle V that has not passed through and possibly on all the other vehicles carrying dangerous goods inside the tunnel.

Also in this case, for the identification of the type of dangerous goods and for the determination of the incompatibility of the dangerous goods with the category of tunnel G, the tables stored in the database 314 of the remote control unit 310 are used.

The alarm signal sent to the operator is strengthened in the event that, at the same time as the expected crossing threshold is exceeded, the monitoring station 350 stops acquiring transit information from vehicles exiting tunnel G, a symptom of a possible accident inside the G.

In all the embodiments of the apparatus and of the monitoring method described above, the remote control unit 110, 210, 310 provides a cartographic interface in which the tunnels G and the vehicles V carrying dangerous goods are represented with adequate graphic symbols, according to an immediate and effective visual mode. In particular, when, following the transit of a vehicle V carrying dangerous goods inside an incompatible tunnel, or in the event of a delay in the exit of a vehicle V from tunnel G, the tunnel and the vehicle in question are highlighted on the cartographic interface by modifying the graphic attributes of the corresponding graphic symbols.

From what has been described above it can be understood how the apparatus and the method of control of the invention advantageously allow to determine the compatibility or otherwise of the dangerous goods transported by a vehicle with the category of tunnels present on a road section and / or motorway that the vehicle carrying dangerous goods is traveling and, in the event of incompatibility, to indicate in real time to the driver of the vehicle access to an alternative obligatory route to transit through the tunnel.

Furthermore, the apparatus and the control method of the invention allow to identify any anomalous situations, for example the transit in a tunnel of a vehicle carrying dangerous goods not compatible with the category of the tunnel and / or a prolonged stay in the tunnel. of a vehicle carrying dangerous goods, and to notify operators of the remote control unit or units of situations of real risk and / or emergency. In the event of potential risk situations, an operator can carry out the first checks or delegate them to third parties (for example, forms of police), while in the event of an emergency the operator will be able to support the interventions of the bodies in charge (for example police, fire, etc.), providing useful information to manage specific emergency situations.

It is evident that modifications, variants, replacements and additions may be made to the previously described embodiments, without however departing from the scope of protection of the invention as defined by the following claims. For example, in all the embodiments of the control method of the invention described above it is possible to perform one or more filtering operations in order to identify a specific dangerous good, setting one or more filters on fields such as: UN number, PIN number and name of the substance.

Claims (15)

CLAIMS 1. Apparatus (100; 200; 300) for controlling the transit in a tunnel (G) of a vehicle (V) carrying dangerous goods moving along a road or motorway section (TS), the apparatus (100; 200; 300) being characterized by the fact that it includes: - at least one remote control unit (110; 210; 310); - a monitoring station (120; 220; 320) installed upstream of the last possible access to an alternative mandatory route (PA) of the road or motorway section (TS) and configured to acquire information relating to the vehicle (V) carrying goods dangerous and to transmit the acquired information to said at least one remote control unit (110; 210; 310); And - display means (130; 230; 330) installed upstream of the last possible access to an alternative mandatory route (PA) and downstream of the monitoring station (120; 220; 320) and configured to receive at least one Remote control unit (110; 210; 310) information relating to the incompatibility of the dangerous goods transported by the vehicle (V) with a category (A-E) of the tunnel (G) and to view in real time information relating to access to said alternative compulsory path (PA). 2. Apparatus (200; 300) according to claim 1, characterized in that it also comprises an entrance monitoring station (240; 340) installed at the tunnel entrance (G), configured to acquire information relating to the vehicle carrying dangerous goods and transmit the acquired information to said at least one remote control unit (210; 310). 3. Apparatus (300) according to claim 2, characterized in that it also comprises an exit monitoring station (350) installed at the tunnel exit (G), configured to acquire information relating to the transporting vehicle (V) dangerous goods and transmit the acquired information to said at least one remote control unit (310). 4. Apparatus (100; 200; 300) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that said monitoring station (120; 220; 320) installed upstream of the last possible access to an alternative mandatory route ( PA) of the road or motorway section, said entry monitoring station (240; 340) installed at the tunnel entrance (G) and said exit monitoring station (350) installed at the tunnel exit (G) each include means (122; 222, 242; 322, 342, 352) for acquiring information relating to the vehicle (V) carrying dangerous goods and means (124; 224, 244; 324, 344, 354) for processing the acquired information. 5. Apparatus (100; 200; 300) according to claim 4, characterized in that said means (122; 222, 242; 322, 342, 352) for acquiring information relating to the vehicle (V) carrying dangerous goods comprise at least one recording device (125; 225, 245; 325, 345, 355) comprising a license plate reading camera, configured to acquire the NIP and NIM numbers and the vehicle license plate (V), and at least one lighting element. 6. Apparatus (100; 200; 300) according to claim 5, characterized in that said at least one recording device (125; 225, 245; 325, 345, 355) further comprises a context camera, configured to record the context transit environment. 7. Apparatus (100; 200; 300) according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that said at least one camera device (125; 225, 245; 325, 345, 355) comprises a camera device (125; 225, 245; 325, 345, 355) for each lane of the road or motorway section (TS). 8. Apparatus (100; 200; 300) according to claims 5 to 7, characterized in that said at least one lighting element consists of a flash or LED operating in the infrared wavelength band. 9. Apparatus (100; 200; 300) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that said display means (130; 230; 330) comprise a variable message panel (130; 230; 330). 10. Apparatus (100; 200; 300) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said at least one remote control unit (110; 210; 310) comprises a computer (112; 212; 312) and a bank data (114; 214; 314). 11. Method of controlling the transit in a tunnel (G) of a vehicle (V) carrying dangerous goods moving along a road or motorway section (TS) conducted using the control apparatus (100; 200; 300) according to a any of claims 1 to 10, the method being characterized in that it comprises the following steps: a) acquire, through a monitoring station (120; 220; 320) installed upstream of the last possible access to an alternative mandatory route (PA) of the road or motorway section (TS), information relating to the vehicle (V) carrying dangerous goods ; b) process the acquired information through said monitoring station (120; 220; 320); c) transmitting through said monitoring station (120; 220; 320) the processed information to at least one remote control unit (110); d) on the basis of this information acquired and processed, determine through the at least one remote control unit (110; 210; 310) if the goods transported by the vehicle (V) is incompatible with a category (A-E) of the tunnel ( G); and if so e) transmitting incompatibility information to display means (130; 230; 330), through at least one remote control unit (110; 210; 310); And f) display in real time on the display means (130; 230; 330) indications relating to access to said alternative mandatory path (PA). Method according to claim 11, comprising, downstream of step f), the further steps of: g) acquire, through an entrance monitoring station (240; 340) installed at the entrance to the tunnel (G), information relating to the vehicle (V) carrying dangerous goods; h) processing the acquired information through said entry monitoring station (240; 340); i) transmitting the processed information to at least one remote control unit (210; 310) via said entrance monitoring station (240; 340); j) on the basis of this information acquired and processed, determine through the at least one remote control unit (210; 310) if the goods transported by the vehicle (V) is incompatible with the category (A-E) of the tunnel ( G); and if so k) report to an operator the violation of transit in the tunnel (G). 13. Method according to claim 12, characterized in that it comprises the further steps of: l) activate, through at least one remote control unit (310), a timer to count the time necessary for the transit of the vehicle (V) carrying dangerous goods in the tunnel (G); m) check whether information relating to the vehicle (V) carrying dangerous goods has been acquired from an exit monitoring station (350) installed at the tunnel exit (G) within a time counted by the timer equal to a threshold of pre-established crossing, and in the negative case; n) send the operator an alarm signal containing information on the vehicle (V) that has not passed through. Method according to one of claims 11 to 13, characterized in that said steps a) and g) comprise acquiring a continuous stream of frames; And said phases b) and h) include selecting from the captured frames those containing the NIP and MIN numbers of the dangerous goods transport plate affixed to the vehicle (V). 15. Method according to claim 14, characterized in that said steps d) and j) comprise: - determine, on the basis of the NIP and NIM numbers, information relating to the type of dangerous goods transported by the vehicle; And - compare the type of dangerous goods determined with the category (A-E) of the tunnel (G).