The invention is related to a system of warning driver of a snow truck about potential danger, in accordance with the preamble of patent claim 1, including a system of deploying road sticks for use with such a system to warn a driver, in accordance with the preamble of patent claim 6.

Background

Driver of snow truck meets numerous challenges during clearance of road, which can result in that the snow truck is subjected to accidents or exposed other to damage or disadvantage. For example, the driver may be in a risk of throwing snow onto humans and animals located at a pedestrian subway below the road being cleared or on an unshielded walk and bikeway located adjacent to the road. Snow piles thrown down from a road during snow clearance can itself constitute a risk to cyclists passing on an underlying walk and bikeway.

Other issues that may constitute a risk to snow trucks roadside with ditch, wherein a snow truck moving too close to descend the roadside, is in a risk of descending the road. Another risk is that the snow truck moves too close to road sticks and break them. Missing road sticks increase the risk that a vehicle in general comes too far to the road side and drives into the ditch.

Moreover, installations located close to the road, guide rail and for example rock formations may be in reach of coming into contact with the plough of a snow truck.

Object

It is an object of the invention to provide a system of warning a driver in a snow truck during snow clearing a road, about issues that may constitute a danger to the snow truck, protecting road sticks from being overrun and prevent that the snow truck throws snow onto persons and animals moving adjacent to a walk and bikeway and pedestrian subpassages.

The invention

These objects are achieved by a system of alerting a driver of a snow plough about potential danger, in accordance with the characterizing part of patent claim 1, including a system of deploying road sticks for use with such a system for warning, in accordance with the characterizing part pf patent claim 6. Additional advantageous features appear from the dependent claims 2 to 5. Description

The invention concerns a system of warning a driver of a snow truck about potential danger during driving on, or snow clearing of, a road. The system comprises: a receiver of position signals from a satellite in a satellite navigation system (« Global Navigation Satellite System» -GNSS), such as GPS, located on the snow truck and arranged to receive position signal from satellites, an alert device located in the driver's cab in the snow truck, arranged to generate audio alerts and/or visual alerts to the driver in response of the position of a road stick just before it is passed by the snow truck, an electronic control device located in the snow truck, said control device being in communication with said receiver of position signals in a satellite navigation system, a database in communication with the control device, said database containing a list with position information of individual road sticks placed along the road in question being cleared, and information about potential obstacles that may be impacted by the plough, a computer program executing on the electronic control device, configured to generate an alert to the driver on basis of the position of the snow truck in relation to the position of an individual road stick to be passed by the snow truck if there is a risk of impact between plough and road stick and/or obstacle.

The alert device to inform the driver of the snow truck about a possible approaching happening, such as impact with a road stick, can be provided in several manners. For example, alerts can be communicated in the form of informative speech without other signals. Alternatively, the alert is communicated on a screen, optionally in combination with an audio signal.

The alert device, combined with the electronic control device, is suitably provided with a control panel with which the driver or other can be employed to send input data to the control device.

Construction of the alert device and control panel is not described in further details here, because it is assumed that a person skilled in the art easily would be able to conduct appropriate selections by implementing these components.

The database with location information for individual road sticks can be arranged aboard the snow truck. Alternatively, the database with location information of individual road sticks can be arranged at a remote location outside the snow truck, wherein the control device aboard the snow truck can fetch location information from the database via Internet.

The plough is advantageously provided with a position sensor, e.g. a depth camera, in communication with the control device, arranged to determine position and direction parameters of the plough, particularly distance to objects ahead of the plough, and generate a signal to the driver if there is a risk of impact between plough and object, such as a road stick or other adjacent obstacles.

It should be added that the road stick itself does not need to be provided with electronics or any similar devices. The road stick can be an ordinary road stick. A preferred road stick is described in NO 343809.

Deployment of road sticks

The invention also concerns a system for deployment of road sticks for use with such a system to alert a driver as described above. The system of deployment of road sticks is arranged aboard a vehicle. The system comprises a stock with road sticks to be deployed, and device to fetch individual road sticks from the road stick stock, and keep and deploy them at the roadside. The device of deploying road sticks exhibits a sensor to sense an accurate position of a road stick as soon as it has been deployed into the roadside, in relation to a receiver in a satellite navigation system located at the vehicle, for example at the roof of the driver's cab, in communication with a control device and a database to store exact geographic position of a road stick that has been deployed. If the location of the road stick represents potential obstacles of the snow truck, such as curbs, center strips, rock, pedestrian subway and similar passages for persons which can be subjected to snow gush during snow clearing, information of this type can be registered by the vehicle during deployment of the road stick. Information of this type can also be supplemented by information from external databases accessed via Internet. The position information of the road stick including any information about challenges suspected to require the driver's attention, is stored in a database for use during snow clearing at a later point in time.

An example of a system of deployment of road sticks is described in NO 343809, by the same applicant and inventor as of the present invention. Here, a position sensor of the road stick to be deployed, can be arranged for example at the stick deploying device 400, in communication with a control device, which stores the geographic position of the road stick with respect to the geographic position of the receiver in said satellite navigation system, or sending the position of the same to a remote database. Technical effect

The invention has several advantages. Warning driver about risk of impact with road stick or other installations which are about to be hit, reduce loss of road sticks and prevent impact with center strips, curbs, guide rails or other physical obstacles. Moreover, risk that road sticks are being overrun and hence risk that a wayfaring vehicle ends up outside the road surface. Another advantage is that the driver can be warned that the snow truck is approaching a pedestrian subpassage or adjacent walk and bikeway, so that the driver can reduce the speed or elevate the plough before passing and hence preventing snow from being thrown down to persons or animals, including prevention of collection of snow, ice and slush on walk and bikeway during passage of the same.