Method and traffic control system for controlling traffic flows including hazardous material or abnormal load transportation units

• US 20090322564A1
• Filed: 09/06/2007
• Published: 12/31/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens AG
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Hagl, Peter, Pohl, Alfred, Moser, Markus, Pelzmann, Martin, Zimmermann, Matthias
• Granted Patent: US 8,188,888 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/928
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/207 with respect to certain areas, e.g. forbidden or allowed areas with possible alerting when inside or outside boundaries

Abstract

Disclosed are a method and a traffic routing system for controlling traffic flows in which hazardous or special material is transported through safety-critical traffic zones such as tunnels, bridges or locks. In the method and traffic routing system, safety-relevant data is read with the help of a signal transmitter disposed on the transported hazardous or special material and is transmitted to a central computer unit when said vehicle passes reading devices located in the safety-critical traffic zone. The central computer unit determines a safety risk in the safety-critical traffic zone on the basis of the safety-relevant data of all transported hazardous or special material located in the safety-critical traffic zone and sets traffic routing signals.

Claims

1-6. -6. (canceled)

7. A method for controlling traffic flows having hazardous material or abnormal load transportation units through safety-critical traffic zones, such as tunnels, bridges or locks for example, comprising:

reading out safety-relevant data by a signal transmitter disposed on the hazardous material or abnormal load transportation units as they pass read devices disposed in the safety-critical traffic zone;

transmitting the safety-relevant data to a central computation unit;

determining a safety risk in the safety-critical traffic zone by the central computation unit, the central computation unit using the safety-relevant data of all the hazardous material or abnormal load transportation units present in the safety-critical traffic zone; and

setting traffic control signals by the central computation unit to avoid an impermissible safety risk, the traffic control signals reducing the accident risk for a hazardous material or abnormal load transportation unit in the safety-critical traffic zone.

8. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the central computation unit sets traffic control signals which prevent an additional hazardous material or abnormal load transportation unit entering the safety-critical traffic zone when there is already a hazardous material or abnormal load transportation unit present in the safety-critical traffic zone.

9. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the traffic control signal is a stop signal for a hazardous material or abnormal load transportation unit in the entry zone of a safety-critical traffic zone.

10. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the traffic control signal is a stop signal for a hazardous material or abnormal load transportation unit in the entry zone of a safety-critical traffic zone.

11. A traffic control system for controlling traffic flows having hazardous material or abnormal load transportation units through safety-critical traffic zones, such as tunnels, bridges or locks for example, comprising:

a signal transmitter for safety-relevant data, the hazardous material or abnormal load transportation units being equipped with the signal transmitter;

read devices for the signal transmitters, the read devices being disposed in the safety-critical traffic zone;

a traffic control facility; and

a central computation unit connected to the read devices for transmitting the safety-relevant data read out as a signal transmitter passes and connected to the traffic control facility, the traffic control facility setting traffic control signals for a safety risk determined using the safety-relevant data of all the hazardous material or abnormal load transportation units present in the safety-critical traffic zone to avoid an impermissible safety risk, the traffic control signals reducing the accident risk for a hazardous material or abnormal load transportation unit in the safety critical traffic zone.

12. The traffic control system as claimed in claim 11, wherein the read devices are disposed in the entry and exit zones of the safety-critical traffic zone.

13. The traffic control system as claimed in claim 11, wherein the traffic control facility comprises a controllable stop signal in the entry and exit zones of the safety-critical traffic zone.

14. The traffic control system as claimed in claim 12, wherein the traffic control facility comprises a controllable stop signal in the entry and exit zones of the safety-critical traffic zone.

15. The traffic control system as claimed in claim 11, wherein the signal transmitter is an RFID transponder.

16. The traffic control system as claimed in claim 12, wherein the signal transmitter is an RFID transponder.

17. The traffic control system as claimed in claim 13, wherein the signal transmitter is an RFID transponder.

18. The traffic control system as claimed in claim 14, wherein the signal transmitter is an RFID transponder.