RU2598362C1 - System preventing collision of road users - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: data processing.

SUBSTANCE: invention relates to traffic safety systems used for preventing collision of road users, in particular, to devices designed to provide assistance to vehicle drivers, and can be used to ensure safe passage of crossroads. Disclosed is a system for preventing collision of road users containing the following items that are in information-exchange connection to each other: sensors used to detect road users approaching the area of a possible collision, processor unit-concentrator configured to generate alarm information message in case of a accident-hazardous situation on the road, at least one annunciator. Proposed system differs by the fact that each sensor is a radar meter having the possibility of determining the range, azimuth angle, movement speed and motion path of all intersections and a section of driveway, and/or pedestrian crossing zone, wherein every radar meter is installed at the edge of the traffic way, near the zone of an increased risk of collision at a crossroad and/or pedestrian crossing so, that its antenna is directed towards approaching transport or a pedestrian, and the processor unit-concentrator is made with possibility to analyze the movement pattern of all road users in the controlled zone, to calculate the place and time of a possible collision and generate an alarm information message in the form of a code signal transmitted to vehicles by means of one-way communication. Technical result is achieved due to expansion of the controlled zone of the system and increase of information value of data, obtained to generate an alarm signal in order to timely warn drivers about the danger of collision of road users taking into account the dynamics of their movement, about the degree of danger and the degree of urgency of measures required to prevent the collision.

EFFECT: efficient monitoring of traffic conditions at accident-hazardous sections of roads.

5 cl, 4 dwg

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to road safety systems for preventing collisions between road users on an emergency section of the road, in particular, devices for assisting drivers of vehicles, and can be used to ensure safe passage of road intersections (intersections, railway crossings, pedestrian crossings crossings), as well as sections of roads with limited visibility.

According to statistics, the most common types of road traffic accidents (hereinafter - accidents) are pedestrian collisions (the share of such accidents is more than 40%) and vehicle collisions (more than 20%). The number of accidents that occurred at intersections is also quite large and amounts to over 40% of all accidents. In this case, the main reasons, with the exception of the arrogant behavior of drivers of vehicles, are insufficient and / or limited visibility. Unattended intersections, intersections that are not equipped with traffic lights (for example, on country roads) are especially dangerous, as drivers may be distracted or not notice each other. The problem of preventing such accidents is an international one. Particularly relevant is the task of forecasting emergency situations associated with a collision of road users.

State of the art

Many technical solutions for collision avoidance are known. For example, a device is known that measures the speed of a vehicle approaching an intersection (hereinafter referred to as the TS) and controls the length of the interval between switching the yellow traffic signal to the prohibitory red one, proposed by the Belgian company Traficon [1]. If the vehicle driver, moving in the forward direction, could not stop in time and started crossing the intersection, the system will increase the time interval for burning the yellow signal, thereby restraining the cross flow of the vehicle.

The known procedure for calculating the duration of a signal change for drivers who find themselves in a dilemma zone, depending on driving characteristics, vehicle speed, road conditions, weather conditions and other parameters [], developed by specialists from the University of Technology in Virginia. Based on these data, a signal is generated that is individually configured for the driver’s reaction time and informs him about the imminent change of the traffic signal. The signal is displayed on the screen located in the car. Similar systems are used abroad on high-speed highways, where the braking distance is usually long and the traffic light at the intersection is not visible until the last seconds.

These technical solutions reduce the risk of traffic accidents at intersections, but do not allow drivers to be warned of the danger of a collision. In addition, these systems are not functional at unregulated intersections, as well as sections of roads with limited visibility.

 Known optoelectronic collision avoidance device located on the vehicle and informing the driver automatically about a possible collision of the vehicle with an obstacle and analyzing the condition of the driver (sleeps / does not sleep) to prevent falling asleep while driving [3].

This device includes a fairly large number of optoelectronic sensors with the ability to obtain images in front of and behind the vehicle, the operation of which directly depends on the cleanliness of their working surfaces, which is a significant drawback in the operation of the device.

The document [4] describes a system that allows the driver of a vehicle to see a 2D map on the monitor screen, which displays the characteristics, location, speed and acceleration of vehicles moving near it.

This technical solution allows avoiding collisions in cases when other vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians get into the so-called dead zone, but when crossing the intersection, its use is difficult, since the driver in this case will have to be distracted each time from driving the vehicle in order to study the information displayed on screen.

V2I vehicle and road infrastructure interaction systems are also known that provide drivers with the information necessary to improve road safety. For example, the DSSS (Driver safety support system), built on the V2I principle, is currently used in Tokyo (Japan) [5,6]. The system is a set of sensors installed near the intersection and at the intersection, providing a fixation of the fact of the presence of the car on the roadway at its entrance to the intersection. The system registers all cars approaching the intersection and informs drivers of the presence of interference on the left or right at the entrance to the intersection.

The disadvantages of the system include the fact that it only fixes the fact that the vehicle is in the transverse direction before the intersection without taking into account the dynamics of its movement. In this case, the speed meter used in the system is aimed at vehicles approaching the intersection. Thus, information about the coordinates and speed of the vehicle at the intersection cannot be obtained. In addition, the system does not allow receiving data on the trajectories of each vehicle in the control zones at the entrance to the intersection and directly at the intersection. The absence of these data does not allow an objective assessment of the degree of danger and timely inform the driver about the necessary actions and the degree of urgency. Also in DSSS, road sensors are installed above the carriageway on the console, which leads to a rise in price and lower reliability of the system, as well as to a reduction in the distance at which the driver can be warned of an emergency situation at the intersection. The small length of the monitoring zones of road sensors, as well as the lack of monitoring of the zone of possible collisions directly at the intersection is the most serious drawback of the DSSS system, since the possibility of predicting a dangerous situation is practically excluded.

The task to which the claimed system is aimed is to increase the effectiveness of monitoring the traffic situation in hazardous sections of the road and identifying situations associated with a collision of road users taking into account the dynamics of their movement, as well as timely warning drivers of vehicles about the possibility of such collisions, the degree of danger and urgency of the measures that the driver must take to prevent a collision.

The technical result is the provision of effective monitoring of the traffic situation in hazardous sections of the road by expanding the control zone of the system and increasing the information content of the data generated to generate an alarm signal in order to timely warn drivers of the danger of collision of road users, taking into account the dynamics of their movement, the degree of their danger and the degree of urgency of the measures necessary to prevent a collision.

Disclosure of invention

To solve this problem, a collision avoidance system for road users on an emergency-hazardous section of the road is proposed, containing information-related:

- sensors for detecting road users approaching a potential collision zone,

- a processor unit hub configured to generate an alarming information message in the event of an emergency situation on the road,

- at least one warning device.

The proposed system is characterized in that each detection sensor is a radar meter, configured to determine the range, azimuth angle, speed and trajectories of all road users, the control zone of which covers the intersection and the access road section, and / or the pedestrian crossing zone, moreover, each radar meter is installed at the edge of the carriageway near the zone of increased risk of collision at the intersection and / or pedestrian crossing It means that its antenna is directed towards an approaching vehicle or pedestrian, and the processor unit concentrator is capable of analyzing the motion paths of all traffic participants in the control zone, calculating the place and time before a possible collision, and generating an alarming information message in the form of a code signal transmitted on vehicles through one-way communication.

In a preferred embodiment, the processor unit concentrator is configured to calculate the time of entry of vehicles into the zone of possible collision and generate various warning signals containing various alarm information for vehicles moving along each of the access roads, and the identifier of this road.

Radar meters of the system can be part of photoradar sensors designed to detect and photo-video recording violations of traffic rules.

In the system, in a preferred embodiment, the processor unit hub can be configured to collect statistical information about the intensity and speed of vehicles in the control zone, as well as the number and nature of potentially dangerous situations.

In the system, the processor unit concentrator can be structurally and schematically integrated with one of the radar meters.

The technical result is the provision of effective monitoring of the traffic situation in hazardous sections of the road by expanding the control zone of the system and increasing the information content of the data generated to generate an alarm signal in order to timely warn drivers of the danger of collision of road users, taking into account the dynamics of their movement, the degree of their danger and the degree of urgency of the measures necessary to prevent a collision.

Brief Description of the Drawings

The invention is illustrated by drawings.

Figure 1 shows a block diagram of the inventive system located at the intersection.

Figure 2 shows a 2D diagram of the placement of system elements at the intersection (top view).

Figure 3 shows a 2D diagram of the placement of system elements at a pedestrian crossing (shown from above).

Figure 4 shows a 2D diagram of the placement of system elements at a dangerous turn (see top view).

Figure 1-Figure 4 adopted the following notation:

000 intersection

001 driving direction (driveway)

002 driving direction (driveway)

003 driving direction (driveway)

004 driving direction (driveway)

005 direction of movement of pedestrians

010 processor block hub

101 radar meter

201 radar meter

301 radar meter

401 radar meter

102 alert

202 warning device

302 warning tool

402 warning tool

011 warning device aimed at the area

intersection 000

103 vehicles moving in direction 001

203 vehicles moving in direction 002

303 vehicles moving in direction 003

403 vehicles moving in direction 004

104 zone control radar meter 101

204 zone control radar meter 201

304 zone monitoring radar meter 301

404 zone monitoring radar meter 401

The implementation of the invention

A block diagram of the inventive system located at the crossroads is shown in FIG.

In the simplest case, the claimed system consists of a radar meter 101, a processing unit-hub 010 and means 102 alerts.

Radar meter 101 is installed at the edge of the roadway, as shown in FIG. 2, at a height of several meters on a stationary structure (lighting mast, truss support, etc.) so that its control zone 104 includes the intersection area 000 and the section access road (with direction 002), and the antenna of the radar meter 101 is directed towards an approaching transport or pedestrian (for example, towards direction 002). The remaining radar meters are installed in the same way.

Radar meter 101 is a sensor with one emitting and two receiving antennas, equipped with a Doppler speed meter and electronic computing device. The range of the radar meter 101 may be several hundred meters.

The processing unit concentrator 010 is located next to one of the radar meters (101, 201, 301 or 401) and is an electronic computing device associated with all radar meters 101, 201, 301, 401 installed on the road section where it is necessary to monitor movement parameters of traffic participants (vehicles and / or pedestrians) to prevent their collision.

Means 102 alerts is a device for transmitting data from the processing unit of the hub 010 on the vehicle. As such a device, a detector can be used that uses an infrared channel to transmit data and provides information to traffic participants about a possible danger. The detector can be a block of infrared LEDs equipped with lenses for beamforming, and providing the transmission of the necessary information by means of pulse code signals.

It is also possible to use a detector that uses a radio channel for data transmission, and such a radio transmitter can operate in the frequency range (for example, the FM band), which is designed to transmit service information. The principle of operation of the claimed system is described by the example of its use at the unregulated intersection 000 shown in FIG. 2.

ТС 103, 203, 303, 403, each approaching in its direction of movement 001, 002, 003, 004 to the intersection 000, at the access sections fall into the control zone of one of the radar meters 101, 201, 301, 401. Each of the radar meters 101 , 201, 301, 401 determines with a frequency of at least 40 times per second range, azimuth angle, speed of movement of each vehicle 103, 203, 303, 403 in its control zone 104, 204, 304, 404. By means of an electronic computing device included the composition of each of the radar meters 101, 201, 301, 401 determines the path and the movement of road users moving in the control zone of the corresponding radar meter 101, 201, 301, 401. Each of the radar meters 101, 201, 301, 401 transmits data on the speed of movement, coordinates and trajectory of each vehicle moving in the control zone of the corresponding radar meter on the processor unit hub 010.

In the processor unit-concentrator 010, the data on the trajectories, coordinates and speeds of the vehicles 103, 203, 303, 403, received from all directions 001, 002, 003 and 004, are analyzed, and the coordinates of the place of a possible collision and the time remaining until possible collision.

Also in the control zone 104, 204, 304, 404 of each of the radar meters 101, 201, 301, 401 located at the intersection, pedestrians moving along pedestrian crossings in directions 005 also fall.

In the event of a pre-emergency situation, the processor unit concentrator 010 generates alarming information messages that can be transmitted to the drivers of the TS 103, 203, 303, 403 using the warning means 102, 202, 302, 402. The warning means 102, 202, 302, 402 may have individual coverage area (see Fig. 2). So, the drivers of the TS 103, moving in the direction 001, will receive an alarm message from the warning means 102, and the drivers of the TS 203 will accordingly receive an alarm message from the warning means 202, etc.

When entering the intersection zone in the event of a pre-emergency situation, vehicle drivers receive an alarming information message in the form of a code signal from the notification means 011, which can be either a single device located at the edge of the roadway with a radiation pattern directed inside the intersection, or group of means 011 alerts, each of which can be placed on the corner of the intersection 000 so that the radiation pattern of each of them is also directed inside the intersection 000 (see Figure 2).

Thus, the claimed system can provide the necessary information for those vehicle drivers who, having left in the middle of the intersection (for example, from direction 001), stopped to make a left turn. An important warning in this case is information on vehicle movement parameters approaching from the oncoming direction (003), since it is precisely the driver of the vehicle 103 who is planning the left turn who is waiting for their passage, and the unexpected appearance of these vehicles is often the cause of a collision.

It should also be noted that the claimed system is able to warn of the possibility of an accident in other maneuvers of road users, since the analysis of emergency situations is carried out by continuously processing data on the trajectories and speeds of all road users. The ability to simultaneously track the trajectories of all vehicles located in the control zone of radar meters installed on different sides of the intersection allows, by analyzing the possible development of the situation, to predict in advance the threat of a collision and warn the drivers of the vehicle about it.

Figure 3 shows a 2D diagram of the placement of system elements at a pedestrian crossing.

At a pedestrian crossing, the likelihood of accidents involving pedestrians is much higher for those drivers of vehicles that move in the second and third lanes. The pedestrian that the driver passes in the first lane may not be visible to the driver moving in the second lane. Placing the claimed system at pedestrian crossings can significantly reduce the risk of such accidents.

In this case, the radar meters 101 and 201 are installed on both sides near the pedestrian crossing so that their antennas are directed towards the movement of pedestrians 005, and the radiation patterns of the warning devices 102 and 202 are directed towards the approaching TS 103 and 203, respectively. As in the previous case, the radar meters 101 and 201 measure the coordinates and speed of each pedestrian moving in the control zone of the radar meter, and the processor unit concentrator 010 generates an alarm message based on this data.

Figure 4 shows the application of the claimed system in a sharp turn. As mentioned above, the antennas of the radar meters 101 and 201 are directed towards the approaching transport (in this case, towards the oncoming direction). The radar meters 101, 201, as in the previous versions, measure the range, azimuth angle, speed of each vehicle 103, 203 in its control zone 104, 204. The warning equipment 102 and 202, in the event of an emergency, transmit alarm information messages to the vehicle .

Thus, the technical result is achieved by generating an alarming information message received on the basis of the calculated data on the place of a possible collision and the time remaining before the collision with other participants in the movement, and its transmission to the vehicle. The calculated data is obtained through the joint processing of data from all radar meters located near the zone of increased risk of collisions.

In some cases, the processor unit hub can be configured to calculate the time of entry into the zone of a possible collision and generate various warning signals containing various alarm information for each of the access roads and the identifier of this road.

The processor unit hub can also be configured to collect statistical information about the intensity and speed of vehicles in the control zone, as well as the number and nature of potentially dangerous situations.

In addition, the processor unit concentrator can be structurally and schematically integrated with one of the radar meters.

On the vehicle can be placed a receiving device that receives signals from a warning device. The receiving device can be placed inside the vehicle or in any other way and can be made in the form of an electronic unit that can receive an alarm signal through an optical, infrared, radio wave or other channel, and include an optical, sound, vibration or other detector for warning the driver about an emergency situation. The receiving device can be, for example, a radio with a service channel, a tablet computer with a special application installed, or it can be a separate specialized device.

The declared warning system can also be equipped with radar sensors installed on linear sections of roads and designed to control the speed limit and collect statistical traffic information. It is known that these devices, in addition to controlling the speed mode and traffic intensity, are able to detect vehicles moving in the oncoming lane. The warning device installed on such a radar sensor and directed in the direction opposite to the direction of the radiating antenna of the radar sensor will be able to warn the driver about the presence of an intruder moving in the oncoming lane, which is especially appropriate near dangerous turns of roads and on sections of roads with limited visibility.

In addition, the system, which has a complete set of information about all approaching and passing intersections of the vehicle, is capable of not only predicting the occurrence of possible collisions of road users, but also instantly detecting collisions that have already occurred, and therefore, providing instant notification of the corresponding road services via digital communication channels.

A system containing a radar meter, a video camera and a system for recognizing state registration marks is a complete design of a photoradar sensor, which is currently used to detect traffic violations [7]. Thus, a minor modernization makes it possible to use equipment designed to identify and prosecute violators, as well as to prevent collisions and reduce the accident rate.

As a result, the shortcomings of the DSSS system selected as a prototype are eliminated by the inventive system in which the detection of a hazard, the determination of the degree of danger, the location of the source of danger, the time before a possible collision and the degree of urgency of the measures that the driver must take to prevent a collision are made using data on the current speed, range and azimuth angle of the position of road users received from radar meters, set located near the zone of increased risk of collision and having an extended control zone, which makes it possible to predict its trajectory in the zone of increased risk of collision with high reliability and, therefore, to generate a warning signal more reliably.

Literature

1.http: //www.jcnews.ru/news/proezd_perekrestka_na_jeltyiy_svet_obeschayut_sdelat_bolee_bezopasnyim/17377.

2.http: //www.innovanews.ru/info/news/transport/9774/ .

3. Patent RU 2441283, publ. 01/27/2011.

4. Patent US 5907293 A, publ. 05/25/1999.

5.http: //www.utms.or.jp/english/system/dsss.html

6. Patent EP 2256711 A1, publ. 12/01/2010.

7. Patent No. 2539676, publ. 01/20/2015.

Claims (5)

1. A system for preventing collisions of road users, comprising information-related: sensors for detecting road users approaching a potential collision zone, a processor unit hub configured to generate an alarm message when an emergency situation occurs on the road, and at least one warning device,
characterized in that each detection sensor is a radar meter, configured to determine the range, azimuth angle, speed and trajectories of all road users, the control zone of which covers the intersection and section of the access road, and / or pedestrian crossing zone, each a radar meter is installed at the edge of the carriageway near the zone of increased risk of collision at the intersection and / or pedestrian crossing in such a way that the antenna is directed towards an approaching vehicle or pedestrian, and the processor unit concentrator is capable of analyzing the motion paths of all traffic participants in the control zone, calculating the place and time before a possible collision, and generating an alarming information message in the form of a code signal transmitted to vehicles using a one-way communication. 2. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that the processor unit concentrator is configured to calculate the time of entry of vehicles into the zone of a possible collision and generate various warning signals containing various alarm information for vehicles moving along each of the access roads, and identifier of this road. 3. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that the radar meters are part of the photoradar sensors designed to detect and photo-video recording violations of traffic rules. 4. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that the processor unit hub is configured to collect statistical information about the intensity and speed of vehicles in the control zone, as well as the number and nature of potentially dangerous situations. 5. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that the processor unit concentrator is structurally and schematically integrated with one of the radar meters.

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