Incursion collision avoidance system for vehicle traffic control

• US 20060114124A1
• Filed: 11/17/2004
• Published: 06/01/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: George Vickas
• Original Assignee: George Vickas
• Inventors: Vickas, George
• Granted Patent: US 7,414,545 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/905
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0965 responding to signals from another vehicle, e.g. emergency vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0082 for monitoring traffic from a ground station radar or analogous systems specially adapted for traffic control G01S13/91
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/065 Navigation or guidance aids, e.g. for taxiing or rolling

Abstract

A system to identify junctions of restricted areas to approaching vehicles, including at least one warning signal generator, at least one antenna coupled to the generator transmitting the warning signal into areas traversed by the vehicles approaching the restricted areas, a receiver in each of the vehicles receiving the transmitted warning signals when the vehicle approaches one of the restricted areas, and an alarm responsive to the warning signal, which produces an alarm signal detectable by a vehicle operator.

Claims

1. A system to identify restricted areas to approaching vehicles, comprising

a warning signal generator,

an antenna in communication with said generator to transmit said warning signal into areas traversed by said vehicles approaching said restricted area,

a receiver in each of said vehicles to receive said transmitted warning signals when said vehicle approaches one of said restricted areas, and

an alarm responsive to said warning signal to produce an alarm signal detectable by a vehicle operator.

2. The warning system of claim 1 wherein said warning signal is an RF signal.

3. The warning system of claim 2 wherein said warning signal has a frequency within the range from about 300 MHz to about 333 MHz.

4. The warning system of claim 1 wherein said restricted area includes a junction and said antenna is located adjacent to said junction.

5. The warning system of claim 1 wherein said warning signal generator is battery powered.

6. The warning system of claim 1 wherein said restricted area is part of a construction site, military training area, or airport.

7. The warning system of claim 1 wherein said warning signal receiver is powered by an electrical system of said vehicle.

8. The warning system of claim 7 wherein said warning signal receiver is connected to said electrical system by an electrical lighter socket in the vehicle.

9. The warning system of claim 1 wherein said alarm generates an auditory warning and a visual warning when said warning signal is detected.

10. The warning system of claim 1 wherein said warning signal receiver generates a digitized auditory warning message audible.

11. The warning system of claim 1 wherein said warning signal receiver generates a visual warning of patterned, flashing lights.

12. The warning system of claim 10 wherein said warning signal receiver comprises a mute button adapted to suppress said auditory warning signal for a period of time.

13. The warning system of claim 12 wherein the period of time is predetermined.

14. The warning system of claim 12 wherein the period of time is as long as the warning signal is detected.

15. The system of claim 1 wherein the antenna comprises an inductive cable extending around at least a portion of said restricted area.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein said inductive cable comprises a loop extending around the entire restricted area.

17. The system of claim 15 wherein said inductive cable comprises a loop extending around a junction in said restricted area.

18. The system of claim 17 further comprising a plurality of said inductive cable loops at each corner of said junction.

19. The system of claim 15 wherein the inductive cable is a buried cable.

57. The system of claim 1, wherein the warning signal generator and the antenna are part of a global positioning system.

63. The warning system of claim 1 wherein said alarm generates at least one of an auditory warning and a visual warning when said warning signal is detected.

20. A method of identifying restricted areas to approaching vehicles, comprising

generating a warning signal,

transmitting said warning signal,

receiving said warning signal by said vehicles when said vehicle approaches one of said restricted areas, and

producing an alarm signal in response to said warning signal.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein said warning signal is an RF signal.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein said warning signal has a frequency within the range from about 300 MHz to about 333 MHz.

23. The method of claim 20 including transmitting said warning signal at a junction in said restricted area.

24. The method of claim 20 including powering said warning signal generator by a battery.

25. The method of claim 20 including powering said warning signal receiver by the electrical system of said vehicle.

26. The method of claim 20 including generating an auditory warning and a visual warning when said warning signal is detected.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein said visual warning is presented on a rear-view mirror of the vehicle.

28. The method of claim 20 including burying an inductive cable in communication with said warning signal generator and extending around junction in said restricted area, said inductive cable performing the step of transmitting said warning signal.

29. The method of claim 20 wherein receiving said warning signal includes generating a digitized auditory warning when said warning signal is received.

30. The method of claim 20 including generating a visual warning of patterned, flashing lights when said warning signal is received.

31. The method of claim 20 including providing a mute button adapted to suppress the production of said auditory warning signal when said warning signal is detected.

32. The method of claim 31 wherein an activation of said mute button suppresses the generation of said auditory warning for a predetermined time period.

33. The method of claim 31 wherein an activation of said mute button suppresses the generation of said auditory warning as long as the warning signal is detected.

34. A method of identifying restricted areas to an approaching vehicle, comprising

generating a warning signal,

transmitting said warning signal through a buried inductive cable extending around at least a portion of said restricted area, to said vehicle,

wherein said vehicle receives said warning signal transmission when approaching one of said restricted areas, producing an output signal when a warning signal is received, and

producing an alarm signal by a vehicle operator in response to said output signal.

35. The method of claim 34 wherein the restricted area comprises an airport runway or taxiway, a construction site, or a military training area.

36. The method of claim 34 wherein the buried inductive cable is a loop that extends around the entire restricted area.

37. The method of claim 34 wherein the buried inductive cable is a loop that extends around an entire junction in said restricted area.

38. The method of claim 34 wherein the buried inductive cable comprises a plurality of buried inductive cable loops around each side of a junction in said restricted area.

39. A system to identify restricted areas to approaching vehicles, comprising

a warning signal generator,

an inductive cable in communication with said generator to transmit said warning signal into said restricted area, said inductive cable extending around at least a portion of said restricted area,

a receiver on each of said vehicles to receive said transmitted warning signals when said vehicle approaches said restricted area, and

an alarm responsive to said warning signal to produce an alarm signal.

40. The system of claim 39 wherein said inductive cable is a permanent buried inductive cable.

41. The system of claim 39 wherein said inductive cable and said warning signal generator are portable.

42. The system of claim 39 wherein said inductive cable is a cable loop surrounding an entirety of said restricted area.

43. The system of claim 39 wherein said inductive cable is a cable loop extending around a portion of said restricted area.

44. The system of claim 39 wherein said restricted area includes a junction and said inductive cable is a cable loop extending around an entirety of said junction.

45. The system of claim 39 wherein said restricted area includes a junction and said system includes a plurality of inductive cables and warning signal generators.

46. The system of claim 39 wherein said receiver comprises a receiver sensor and an alarm module.

47. The system of claim 46 wherein said receiver sensor is located on an outside of said vehicle and said alarm module is located inside the vehicle.

48. The system of claim 46 wherein said alarm module is coupled to an electrical socket inside the vehicle.

49. The system of claim 39 wherein said receiver comprises an alarm module on a rear-view mirror of said vehicle.

50. The system of claim 49 wherein said alarm module includes flashing lights.

51. The system of claim 49 wherein said alarm module includes an LED in said rear-view mirror.

52. A system for warning a first vehicle at an intersection comprising:

a warning signal generator in an emergency vehicle,

an antenna in communication with said warning signal generator to transmit said warning signal into said intersection,

a receiver located at said intersection and to receive said transmitted warning signals when said emergency vehicle approaches said intersection, and

an alarm responsive to said warning signal to produce an alarm signal detectable by said first vehicle at said intersection.

53. The system of claim 52 wherein said antenna comprises an inductive cable loop located around at least a portion of said intersection.

54. The system of claim 52 wherein said receiver includes a receiving sensor and an alarm module.

55. The system of claim 54 wherein said receiving sensor is located on a post of a stop light at said intersection and said alarm module is located near a stop light.

56. The system of claim 52 wherein said antenna comprises a plurality of inductive cable loops located around each corner of said intersection.

58. A system to identify restricted areas to approaching vehicles, comprising

a global positioning system for transmitting a warning signal into areas traversed by said vehicles approaching said restricted area,

a receiver in each of said vehicles to receive said transmitted warning signals when said vehicle approaches one of said restricted areas, and

an alarm responsive to said warning signal to produce an alarm signal detectable by a vehicle operator.

59. The warning system of claim 58 wherein said restricted area includes a junction and said antenna is located adjacent to said junction.

60. The warning system of claim 58 wherein said restricted area is part of a construction site, military training area, or airport.

61. The warning system of claim 58 wherein said receiver is powered by an electrical system of said vehicle.

62. The warning system of claim 61 wherein said receiver is connected to said electrical system by an electrical lighter socket in the vehicle.

64. The system of claim 58 wherein said receiver comprises an alarm module on a rear-view mirror of said vehicle.

65. The system of claim 64 wherein said alarm module includes flashing lights.

66. The system of claim 64 wherein said alarm module includes an LED in said rear-view mirror.

67. A method of identifying restricted areas to approaching vehicles, comprising

providing a global positioning system,

transmitting a warning signal via said global positioning system,

receiving said warning signal by said vehicles when said vehicle approaches one of said restricted areas, and

producing an alarm signal in response to said warning signal.

68. The method of claim 67 including transmitting said warning signal at a junction in said restricted area.

69. The method of claim 67 including generating at least one of an auditory warning and a visual warning when said warning signal is detected.

70. The method of claim 69 wherein said visual warning is presented on a rear-view mirror of the vehicle.