Vehicle signalling system

• US 20040178927A1
• Filed: 04/15/2004
• Published: 09/16/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Giovanni Fabris
• Original Assignee: Giovanni Fabris
• Inventors: Fabris, Giovanni
• Application Number:
  US10/467,443
• Publication Number:
  US 20040178927A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/905
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096716 where the received information does not generate an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096741 where the source of the transmitted information selects which information to transmit to each vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096783 where the origin of the information is a roadside individual element

Abstract

Vehicle signalling system (1) comprising a trnsmission unit (5) that can be installed close to a road sign (3) containing a road warning (INF) and having a pre-set relevant road direction (DIR), the transmission unit (5) being designed to transmit a warning signal (Savv) codifying a first piece of information indicating the relevant road direction (DIR) and a second piece of information indicating the road warning (INF) associated with the respective road sign (3); the vehicle signalling system (1) furthermore comprises at least one reception unit(6) that can be installed in a vehicle (2) to identify the direction of movement (SPO) of the vehicle (2).

Claims

1. Vehicle signalling system (1) characterised in that it comprises:

at least one transmission unit (5) that can be installed close to a road sign (3) having a relevant road direction (DIR) and indicating a road warning (INF), said transmission unit (5) being designed to transmit a warning signal (S_AVV) codifying a first piece of information indicating said relevant road direction (DIR) and a second piece of information indicating the road warning (INF) associated with the respective road sign (3);

at least one reception unit (6) that can be installed in a vehicle (2) designed to determine the direction of movement (SPO) of the vehicle (2) and receive and decode said warning signal (S_AVV) to obtain the relevant direction (DIR) and the road warning (INF), the reception unit (6) being designed to communicate to the user of the vehicle (2) the road warning information (INF) when the direction of movement (SPO) of said vehicle (2) satisfies a pre-established relation with said relevant road direction (DIR).

2. System according to claim 1, characterised in that said pre-established relation is satisfied when said direction of movement (SPO) of said vehicle (2) is substantially equal to said relevant road direction (DIR).

3. System according to one of the claims 1 or 2, characterised in that said reception unit (6) comprises position indicator devices (19) designed to provide at the output a position signal (S_SPO) indicating the direction of movement (SPO) of said vehicle (2).

4. System according to any one of the previous claims, characterised in that said transmission unit (5) comprises transmission devices (10) designed to transmit said warning signal (S_AVV).

5. System according to claim 4, characterised in that said reception unit (6) comprises reception devices (17) designed to receive and decode said warning signal (S_AVV) transmitted by said transmission devices (10).

6. System according to any one of the previous claims, characterised in that said transmission unit (6) comprises generator devices (7, 8, 9) designed to generate said warning signal (S_AVV).

7. System according to any one of the claims from 2 to 6, characterised in that said reception unit (6) comprises central control devices (20) designed to obtain from said warning signal (S_AVV) said relevant road direction (DIR) and said direction of movement (SPO) of said vehicle (2), said central control devices (20) being designed to compare said relevant road direction (DIR) with said direction of movement (SPO) of said vehicle (2) in order to provide at the output a signal (S_INF) indicating the road information (INF) contained in said warning signal (S_AVV).

8. System according to claim 7, characterised in that said reception unit (6) comprises signalling devices (21) designed to communicate to the user of said vehicle (2) the road information (INF) contained in said warning signal (S_AVV).

9. System according to any one of the previous claims, characterised in that said transmission unit (5) comprises power devices (14) designed to power the transmission unit (5) and comprising a solar panel (16) and a battery (15).

10. System according to any one of the claims from 3 to 9, characterised in that said position indicator devices (19) comprise an electronic compass.

11. System according to any one of the claims from 3 to 9, characterised in that said position indicator devices (19) comprise a satellite receiver.

12. System according to any one of the claims from 6 to 11, characterised in that said generator devices (7, 8, 9) comprise first signal generator devices (7) designed to provide at the output a direction signal (S_DIR) indicating said relevant direction (DIR), second signal generator devices (8) designed to provide at the output an information signal (S_INF) indicating said road warning (INF), and codification devices (9) designed to codify the direction signal (S_DIR) and the information signal (S_INF) in the warning signal (S_AVV).

13. System according to claim 12, characterised in that said first signal generator devices (7) comprise an electronic compass.