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
  • G08G1/0967—Systems involving transmission of highway information, e.g. weather, speed limits
  • G08G1/096708—Systems involving transmission of highway information, e.g. weather, speed limits where the received information might be used to generate an automatic action on the vehicle control
  • G08G1/096716—Systems involving transmission of highway information, e.g. weather, speed limits where the received information might be used to generate an automatic action on the vehicle control where the received information does not generate an automatic action on the vehicle control
• • 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
  • G08G1/0967—Systems involving transmission of highway information, e.g. weather, speed limits
  • G08G1/096708—Systems involving transmission of highway information, e.g. weather, speed limits where the received information might be used to generate an automatic action on the vehicle control
  • G08G1/096725—Systems involving transmission of highway information, e.g. weather, speed limits where the received information might be used to generate an automatic action on the vehicle control where the received information generates an automatic action on the vehicle control
• • 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
  • G08G1/0967—Systems involving transmission of highway information, e.g. weather, speed limits
  • G08G1/096733—Systems involving transmission of highway information, e.g. weather, speed limits where a selection of the information might take place
  • G08G1/096758—Systems involving transmission of highway information, e.g. weather, speed limits where a selection of the information might take place where no selection takes place on the transmitted or the received information
• • 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
  • G08G1/0967—Systems involving transmission of highway information, e.g. weather, speed limits
  • G08G1/096766—Systems involving transmission of highway information, e.g. weather, speed limits where the system is characterised by the origin of the information transmission
  • G08G1/096783—Systems involving transmission of highway information, e.g. weather, speed limits where the system is characterised by the origin of the information transmission where the origin of the information is a roadside individual element
• • 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
  • G08G1/0967—Systems involving transmission of highway information, e.g. weather, speed limits
  • G08G1/096766—Systems involving transmission of highway information, e.g. weather, speed limits where the system is characterised by the origin of the information transmission
  • G08G1/096791—Systems involving transmission of highway information, e.g. weather, speed limits where the system is characterised by the origin of the information transmission where the origin of the information is another vehicle

Definitions

• the present invention relates to the technical sector regarding the production of signalling and safety devices to be applied on vehicles so as to provide constant information to drivers about carriageway conditions, traffic and everything concerning traffic.
• the present invention relates to a system which allows a driver to have information about road and environmental conditions, traffic and everything useful for a safe road travelling, directly on his car, through one or more infrared sensors, or optical readers, linked to a central unit, capable of reading and interpreting especially the code bars, and signalling the message picked up by external transmitters on a console inside the car.
• the advantages resulting from this invention essentially consist of the fact that it permits receiving and giving any kind of useful information; that it doesn't imply heavy expenditures on the equipment; that it doesn't need all vehicles being equipped with it m order to work perfectly; that it is not polluting at all, since it uses light transmission for its information; that the car can be equipped with more sensors registering external information, for a greater safety; that information can be transmitted both by fixed indicators and movable indicators; that it is not polluting at all, since it uses light as means of data transmission.
• a signalling and information system comprises: means to send to travelling vehicles information concerning road, environmental and traffic conditions or others, with stripes of oar codes composed by numerical, alphanumerical or other symbols, placed on the carriageway or near it on movable signalling panels, or with other active optical transmitters even portable; means to receive the information transmitted, with one or more sensors, or optical readers, placed in one or more parts of the car, capable of reading the information transmitted and passing it to a central unit, especially programmed for interpreting it; means to store the data supplied by the sensors, or optical readers, decode this information and signal the messages to the driver, with a programmed central unit linked to a display placed inside the cockpit of the car to which information coming from sensors, or optical readers, arrives; - means to display the messages decoded by the central unit and alert the driver, with a display unit placed on the front part of the reader itself which emits alphanume ⁇ cal and/or acoustic signals;
• the invention offers the advantage that, in order to transmit information to the vehicle, different systems may be used. Particularly, it's possible to provide the application (or the actual drawing as well) on the soil of a series of stripes displaying the bar code or another code conventionally employed (2) so that, when the vehicle travels on the carriageway, the lower sensor, or optical reader (4), reads and registers the information, and passes it to the central unit (5) .
• This type of indicator is perfectly suitable for sending information concerning carriageway conditions (presence of bends, crossings, bridges, etc.) which are usually permanent.
• the invention offers the advantage that information can be supplied also through posters (17) or signalling panels placed on one side of the carriageway (16;, where bar codes or other conventional kinds of code, picked up and read by the side sensor (3) of the travelling car, are displayed.
• the invention offers the advantage that information can be supplied through portable optical transmitters (14) as well.
• This particular practical system is well suitable for variable information, such as bad weather conditions, queues, crashes, etc., which must be signalled when they occur and then removed when danger is over.
• Another advantage lies n the fact that, by means of this system, both unchangeable information, like those concerning the road structure, and variable information, like those concerning crashes or environmental conditions, can be provided.
• sensors may be one or more and placed m different parts of the vehicle so that they can pick up and read signals coming from road surface, and/or from side signalling, and/or from upper signalling, as well as from possible portable transmitters. All sensors are linked by special cables to the central unit which receives and interprets information, and then emits outgoing signals.
• the invention offers the advantage that sensors may reach information from stripes of codes up to 500 m.
• Another advantage lies in the fact that the central unit is linked to a display (9) which emits alphanumencal signals in order to inform the driver about traffic conditions, and which may be equipped even with a system capable of emitting sounds, so that it can transmit even vocally the messages shown on the display or simple sounds that warn immediately of the danger.
• the invention offers the advantage that the display unit is placed in an area of the cockpit well visible by the driver, so that he doesn' t take his mind off driving m the attempt of observing the information shown on the display.
• the invention offers the advantage that the central unit is linked to the 12V battery (10), which represents its power, by a bifilar cable of limited section as the absorption is minimum.
• the invention offers the advantage that the system is easy to be applied on any car: as a matter of fact, it's sufficient to locate the central unit near the dashboard and fix the sensor (s) in the interested parts of the vehicle.
• the system may operate also directly on some parts of the car, like brakes and accelerator; in this case, the central unit is properly programmed to operate on the electronic unit which controls the different parts of the vehicle.
• the control unit (5) operates directly on some controls of the car or sends signals to the electronic unit of the car which switches them over in controls for the car itself. Therefore, for example, if the stripe of codes contains the information "dangerous bend", the electronic unit will receive a particular signal from the optical reader and slow down the car oy applying the brake and decelerating.
• Fig. 1 represents the frontal view of a car equipped with the designed device.
• the car presents on one side, in this case on its right side, an infrared sensor, or optical reader, (3) able to register the information coming from the stripe of codes (1) fixed on one axis of the road.
• the car presents a second infrared sensor, or optical reader, (4) which is placed on the lower-frontal part of the car and stores the data coming from the stripe of codes (2) fixed at the centre of the carriageway.
• the two stripes of codes (1) and (2) can contain both unchangeable data, like those concerning a dangerous bend, and variable information, like those concerning crashes or fog.
• information may come from codes drawn on the road surface or on one s de, as well as from portable transmitters or movable posters placed on the side of the carriageway.
• the two sensors, or optical readers, (3) (4) are linked to a single central unit set up inside the car, to which they give the information they receive.
• This system may use different types of codes, like the bar code, the numerical or alphanume ⁇ cal code, the dot or symbol code.
• the stripes of code located on the side or on the centre of the road may be replaced by optical transmitters: in this case, the sensors, or optical readers, fixed in the car must be able to receive and transmit to the central unit tne information coming from the light emitted by optical transmitters .
• FIG. 2 represents the top view of a car equipped with the devices necessary to use this system.
• the car presents a central unit (5), set up inside the cockpit and in front of the driver, powered by a 12V battery (10) by means of the cable (8).
• the battery is linked, by means of the cable (6), to the sensor, or optical reader, (3) placed on one side and, thanks to the cable (7), to the sensor, or optical reader, (4) fixed on the lower part of the car.
• the central unit can store the data coming from the two sensors, or optical readers, decode the succession of codes and then show the information on a display well visible by the driver.
• the sensor (12) placed on the hood of the car and linked to the central unit through a caole (15), is also highlighted.
• Fig. 3 represents the frontal view of the central unit (5) . It presents a display (9) where messages transmitted by sensors, or optical readers, (3) (4) (12), linked to it through cables (6) (7) (15), are shown. In this way, the driver can read the information shown on the display (9) without taking his mind off driving and then act accordingly.
• the central unit (5) is powered, by means of the cable (8), by the 12V battery present on each car. This central unit can em t not only alphanumerical signals, but also acoustic signals, so as the driver is immediately alerted.
• Fig. 4 shows a car where sensors are placed: one (12) on its hood, one (4) on its lower part and one (3) on its side, exactly on the rear-view mirror.
• Fig. 5 shows a carriageway where a few transmitters of information are depicted, by way of illustration: some of them are passive transmitters, l ke the bar codes placed on the carriageway (2), on the guard-rail (17) or on a poster (16); others are active transmitters, like the optical one (14) .
• Fig. 6 shows a summary block scheme related to the electric devices set up on the vehicle. It shows a control unit (5) which reads signals coming from sensors, or optical readers, and passes them to the driver by means of an alphanumerical display and possibly an acoustic indicator. This central unit (5) receives signals coming from different sensors, or optical readers, in particular: from the right-side sensor

Landscapes

• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Atmospheric Sciences (AREA)
• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Traffic Control Systems (AREA)
• Devices For Checking Fares Or Tickets At Control Points (AREA)
• Optical Communication System (AREA)

Priority Applications (2)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=11394271

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (4)

Cited By (7)

Citations (3)

• 1998
  • 1998-05-19 IT IT000039 patent/IT1306602B1/it active
• 1999
  • 1999-04-29 EP EP99917066A patent/EP1078345A1/en not_active Withdrawn
  • 1999-04-29 AU AU35337/99A patent/AU3533799A/en not_active Abandoned
  • 1999-04-29 WO PCT/IT1999/000110 patent/WO1999060544A1/en not_active Application Discontinuation

Patent Citations (3)

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