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Title:
EQUIPMENT FOR THE SIGNALLING OF VEHICLES USING DISTINCTIVE MARKS AND OF OTHER DANGEROUS VEHICLES OR OBJECTS
Document Type and Number:
WIPO Patent Application WO/2017/194981
Kind Code:
A1
Abstract:
Layout indicating vehicles or objects using distinctive sign or other dangerous vehicles or objects, which on the one hand contains a priority transmitter fixed to the vehicles or objects using distinctive sign or other dangerous vehicles or objects, on the other hand contains more ordinary units fixed to moving or stationary object. The priority device contains a transmitter operating on a specific audio frequency, and a switch. According to another preferred layout, the priority device is connected to the vehicle's distinctive - sound or light signal device. The ordinary devices contain a radio frequency receiver module, which enables priority devices to establish radio frequency connection with ordinary devices. Furthermore, the system has permanent GPS connection, and a graphic display, a control surface and a speaker are also attached to each receiver unit.

Inventors:
HAMZA MIKLÓS (HU)
Application Number:
PCT/HU2017/000024
Publication Date:
November 16, 2017
Filing Date:
March 28, 2017
Export Citation:
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Assignee:
HAMZA MIKLÓS (HU)
International Classes:
G08G1/09
Foreign References:
US20070159354A12007-07-12
EP2940672A12015-11-04
Attorney, Agent or Firm:
BERÉNYI, Krisztina (HU)
Download PDF:
Claims:
CLAIMS

1. Arrangement signalling a vehicle using distinctive mark or any other dangerous vehicle or object, comprising a priority device secured to a vehicle using distinctive mark or any other dangerous vehicle or object, on the one hand, and a common unit secured to several moving or standing objects, on the other hand; this priority device shall comprise an emission unit operation on radiofrequency and a switch, or alternately, the priority device shall be connected to the distinctive acoustic or light signalling unit of the vehicle, the common devices mentioned shall comprise each an RF reception module; priority devices shall be in RF connection with the common devices, having the characteristic that a global location unit, a control and reception module shall be in connection with the priority device, and the common device shall be in connection with a control, a graphical display and a loudspeaker.

2. Arrangement pursuant to Claim 1, with the characteristic that emission units and reception units shall operate in accordance to an encoded RF standard.

3. Arrangement pursuant to Claim 1, with the characteristic that the priority device shall be in connection with common devices through at least a basis station, the reception modules of priority device and common devices shall be in RF connection with the emitter of at least one basis station, as well.

4. Arrangement pursuant to any of Claims 1 to 3 with the characteristic that the common device shall be in connection with the control unit of the given transport junction.

5. Arrangement pursuant to any of Claims 1 to 4 with the characteristic that a global location unit shall be in connection to each of the common devices.

6. Arrangement pursuant to any of Claims 1 to 5 with the characteristic that also a memory unit shall be connected to the controller of priority devices.

Description:
Equipment for the signalling of vehicles using distinctive marks

and of other dangerous vehicles or objects

Object of utilisation is represented by the equipment increasing the security of vehicles using distinctive marks or of other dangerous vehicles and of other traffic participants by sending information on the location of the vehicles and objects forming a danger source, or by using any standard offline communication form.

Application of distinctive marks had been adopted because it is necessary to assure the priority of vehicles with socially important missions. Thus, such vehicles are exempt of any transport regulations restricting their motion or, in other words, they have priority with respect to other vehicles. The communication of their status is extremely important for the other participants in traffic since they can cause accident dangerous situation due to their higher speed. For the communication of their status, the technical level of our age had introduced the application of strong visual and acoustic effects (siren), however, some other ideas and suggestions of development appeared, too. One of the reasons is that the siren is not always conceivable in acoustically well insulated passenger areas. Such a dangerous situation is caused by opening the vehicle windows only on one side, and the arriving acoustic signal is perceived from a totally different direction. In addition, some other accidents are known, as well, where two vehicles using distinctive marks could not avoid collision with each other because they were prepared only to the participants in traffic with usual behaviour and speed. Example for one of the suggestions of development is the following patent. In the patent notice entitled "The arrangement compiled from an emission- reception unit for reducing transport accident dangerous situations, as well as for the promotion of the trouble free traffic of vehicles using distinctive marks" and with number P0800329, which is an emission unit equipped with radio aerial (antenna), on the one hand, and a reception unit having a radio antenna, too. These vehicles are in a radio frequency connection with each other in such a manner that the emission unit is installed on the vehicles using the distinctive mark, and the reception unit in any other vehicle receiving the signals of the vehicle with distinctive mark. The unit of reception may be connected even to the Hi-fi equipment of the vehicle for suppressing it at the reception of any emission signal. The emission unit may be integrated in the safety devices of railways, as well.

In the American patent, Reg. No. US 6222461 Bl, entitled "Emergency Warning Systems for Vehicles", a similar system is integrated in locomotives rather than in railway crossings. In the American patent, Reg. No. US 6087961 (A) and entitled "Directional Warning System for Detecting Emergency Vehicles", the unit on the reception side comprises a direction finder aerial, thus, the reception unit can loudly read the relative direction of the vehicle using distinctive mark. Another patent, a German one, Reg. No. DE 102010022165 (Al), entitled "Method for detecting acoustic signal of emergency vehicles for another vehicles for police service, involves classifying detected optical signal, and spending warning signal to driver with detected acoustic and optical signal", there is a reception side microphone and a camera, too. By means of such equipment one can detect the approaching vehicle with distinctive mark, then they inform the driver of the vehicle carrying the reception unit on the direction and speed of the former one. The examples listed above are definitely more efficient than any traditional or human detection form, however, further developments are required. Our purpose is to find and implement such possibilities.

Presentation of the sample of utilisation is assisted by the following figure: Fig. 1 - Block diagram of the system operation

In the manner presented in figure 1 , communication may occur through two different peripheries. The first one, and at the same time simpler structure, in which the vehicle using distinctive mark directly sends data to the board reception unit of the user. The second one is a communication circuit achieved through satellite connection. In this case, a central data base carries out data arrangement and their transmission to relevant suitable sites.

The solution is partly based on the fact that GPS receivers in general usage enable the determination of any vehicle with satisfactory accuracy. In the knowledge of such information, the range of emission of radio frequency waves can be varied and, in addition, any emission unit can be completed with a reception unit, as well, due to which the vehicles using distinctive marks can detect their mutual closeness. There is a possibility to install such reception units in traffic lights, in which case these lights automatically change over to prohibition phase and can accelerate the passing through of protected vehicles. By completing them with a memory, emission units can save the data collected on the road sections performed with distinctive marks, by which one can restrict the frequency of incompetent usage of marks. Provided that it is not confidential, the memory unit can comprise the target and the probable route of the vehicle with distinctive mark, and in addition to actual direction, navigation equipment of other traffic participants can provide a more accurate image on the obstacles expected, and the participants in traffic can better plan their own route. The sample of utilisation represents an arrangement signalling any vehicles using distinctive marks or other dangerous vehicles or objects. On the one hand, it may comprise a priority apparatus allocated to a vehicle using distinctive mark or to other dangerous vehicles or objects, and on the other hand, several common units fastened to movable or standing objects. This priority apparatus either comprises an emission unit operating with radio frequency and a switch, or it is connected to the distinctive acoustic or light signalling unit of the vehicle. Each of the common devices contains a RF reception module. Priority devices communicate with common devices through radiofrequency. Such priority devices are complete with a global location determination unit, a control and a reception module, too. Usual devices are in connection with each other through a control unit, graphical display and loudspeaker.

In an advantageous form of this configuration, emission units and reception units operate according to a radiofrequency standard.

Another advantageous form of the arrangement is that the common device is connected to a control unit of the transport junction.

A further version of the configuration is that the reception unit had been installed in the vehicle as early as in the phase of manufacture, as a sub-unit of the board computer.

But also that version is advantageous where common devices are each in connection with global location units.

We consider as advantageous even the arrangement where the control of priority devices is completed with a memory unit for data registration.

In a new case of the arrangement, the priority device is connected to common devices by the intermediation of a basis station, and reception modules are in radiofrequency connection with at least one emitter of the basis station.

Such a priority device may be installed mainly on any motor vehicle operated for public purposes, such as ambulance, fire fighters, police cars and so on, but it can be applied for the marking of accident sites, in water or air transport, e.g. marking obstacles, banks and rocks, landmarks hardly to be perceived. In the railway transport they are excellent by connecting the priority installations to the safety devices of railway crossings, as warnings to closed barriers and prohibiting signs, but they can very well signal any motions on the same track and possible dangerous situations. According to their sense, common devices are to be installed on those vehicles or moving objects (promoting their general usage by compulsory legal background) which are subject to those entitled to use any distinctive marks. It is recommended to connect emission units of the priority devices directly to a radiofrequency system with standard encoding, as well as to the reception modules of common devices and other priority devices. In such situations, it is reasonable to emit the ID, actual coordinate and speed of the protected vehicle in proportion to its speed, but in special situations even its destination, thus, the modules of any other common or priority devices located inside the range of operation can display the data received both in visual and acoustic form. According to a secondary arrangement, emission units of priority devices are in RF connection with the reception modules of common devices and other priority devices through basis stations (belonging to cellular network) rather than in direct connection. The emission of signals can be achieved even through digital systems based on mobile Internet PTT ("Push to Talk"). At regular intervals, reception units of priority devices will transmit the coordinates received from their global location unit (GPS, Glonass etc.) towards the basis station in their range of action (including speed and destination coordinates). In this case, a central unit is to decide in which cells the given signal is to be transmitted, in order to enable any common or priority devices in that region to transmit warning acoustic signals through their connected loudspeakers, on the one hand, and to present the location, route and speed of any close active priority devices on a graphical display (which will preferably show a blind map, as well). By means of the network of basis stations mentioned, a sufficient number of small power emission units can be used. For the protection from each other of those using distinctive marks it is important to apply a reception module in priority devices. Both priority and common devices may be I-phones equipped with global location units, since they are suitable for a RF connection with basis stations and, in addition, they are in possession of an emitter, receiver, control and graphic display and loudspeaker. In this case, a program of operation can be downloaded and installed as application, thus, the legitimacy of the I-phone is different from the devices operating as common ones. It reasonable to connect the priority devices in online or offline mode with the device emitting a distinctive acoustic signal, and the RF differentiation is strictly related to siren sound, but in case of any other danger sources it is reasonable to use a connecting switch (even on the touch screen), or to connect the control system to a light signal installation. Common devices may be operated even without any active location function, and they have just an integrated passive map identifying the location and other necessary data of the priority devices, but not the actual site of the relevant common device. This arrangement needs a higher attention from the user, since it is him who should calculate on the basis of map and his own place knowledge, what his position with respect to the vehicle using distinctive mark is. As far such common devices are in possession of a global localisation unit, the operation is similar, but knowing his own position the map can be more informative, the direction and distance of the vehicle using distinctive mark can be displayed. Common devices may be peripheries of full automatic operation for the controller of each individual transport junction, giving a red sign on each route at the arrival of a protected vehicle touching the same junction, thus, accelerating its passage and preventing accident dangerous situations. In a similar manner, a priority device may be installed on any accident site or other danger sources, e.g. railway crossing. Depending upon the actual situation, this signal may be continuous (accident site, bank) but also transitional in function of an external status (e.g. barrier, closed position of light barrier). In an ideal situation, the memory of the priority device will delimit the periods performed by distinctive mark and the route of reason. In case of railway trains, it is reasonable to adopt blind maps to railway network, and besides transmitted coordinates to specify in the emission, on which track a given train actually runs, since there are parallel tracks, as well. System security is largely influenced by the protection level of the signals transmitted during communication. For an expert familiar with the domain, various technologies are available for making the RF transmission safe. In addition, it is worth preparing a program structure assuring a trouble free and correct operation of the data transmission.

Especially in case of an implementation combined with I-phone, the arrangement suggested requires just a minimum of technical investment, and is able to emit complementary warning of proper quality satisfying the requirements of our days from a vehicle using distinctive mark and approaching to us, or from any other standing or transitional danger source.