WARNING APPLICATION SYSTEMS FOR VEHICLE MOVEMENT ACTIVATED ELECTRICAL POWER GENERATOR, AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING ELECTRICAL POWER

• US 20150123817A1
• Filed: 11/06/2013
• Published: 05/07/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bader A. Almalki
• Original Assignee: Bader A. Almalki
• Inventors: ALMALKI, Bader A.
• Granted Patent: US 9,183,747 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/907
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 13/20 Arrangements for mounting or supporting wind motors; Masts or towers for wind motors
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 9/00 Adaptations of wind motors for special use; Combinations of wind motors with apparatus driven thereby; Wind motors specially adapted for installation in particular locations hybrid wind-photovoltaic energy systems for the generation of electric power H02S10/12
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 9/11 storing electrical energy
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 9/25 the apparatus being an electrical generator F03D9/22 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 9/46 Tunnels or streets
• CPC Class Codes: F03G 7/08 recovering energy derived from swinging, rolling, pitching or like movements, e.g. from the vibrations of a machine
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2240/9113 which is a roadway, rail track, or the like for recovering energy from moving vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G05F 1/66 Regulating electric power
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096783 where the origin of the information is a roadside individual element
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/32 for charging batteries from a charging set comprising a non-electric prime mover rotating at constant speed
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 9/04 Control effected upon non-electric prime mover and dependent upon electric output value of the generator
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/10 Controlling the intensity of the light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/14 using electrical feedback from LEDs or from LED modules
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 10/30 Wind power
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/72 in street lighting
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/72 Wind turbines with rotation axis in wind direction
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/728 Onshore wind turbines
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 70/30 Systems combining energy storage with energy generation of non-fossil origin

Abstract

Pedestrian and motorist warning system that is powered from vehicle generated movement where there is little or no access to a power grid. Pedals maybe disposed on the road such that when a vehicle passes over it, it informs a controller system to activate a warning board or light to notify people of the oncoming vehicle, the signs or lights maybe placed besides a pedestrian crossing to alert pedestrians of the risk of an oncoming vehicle. Illuminating road corner LEDs, roadside lights and road arrows disposed in various sections of the road are also powered from vehicle generated movement operate on a set of programmed criteria'"'"'s. Variables such as time of day, the speed of the vehicle, the weather, the temperature or fog all determine the way all the connected devices operate. Warning signals with built-in messaging systems can be disposed in strategic locations for motorists to see, the signals are self-powered and have the ability to store messages either by directly recording them onto the warning signal or by transferring a recorded message through a wired or wireless network.

Claims

1. A vehicle movement activated electrical power system comprising:

a turbine that harnesses wind currents generated by a movement of a vehicle on a road, said movement of said vehicle causing said turbine to rotate;

a generator coupled to the turbine, said generator configured to generate electricity from a rotation of the turbine;

a local electrical power network driven by the generator and extending along the road ahead of the turbine and the vehicle;

a series of electricity driven lights disposed on a corners of the road and on an intersecting road to highlight an entrance to the intersecting road;

a plurality of electrical devices connected to the local electrical power network that are activated by warning signals triggered by vehicle motion;

a warning sign that is illuminated from power from the local electrical power network and is disposed within sight of the road corner;

a battery connected to the turbine and to the local electrical power network, said battery configured to be charged by the turbine and to provide primary or supplementary power for the local electrical power network; and

a controller connected to the local electrical power network and battery, wherein the battery, provides power to the warning sign to warn vehicles approaching the intersection that another vehicle is present, the controller includes a static data storage device and configured to control an activation state of at least one electrical device from among the plurality of electrical devices according to a look up table stored on the static data storage device of the controller, the look up table including activation information for the at least one electrical device from among the plurality of electrical devices, the activation information including at least one of a time of the day and a remaining charge level of the battery.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein

the series of electricity driven lights include LEDs installed at one or more edges of the road corner.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a sensor that detects hazardous weather conditions and provides sensor inputs to the controller, the controller configured to switch illumination criteria based on the sensor input.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein

a pedal switch disposed in the road that activates a pedestrian signal to warn a pedestrian against crossing the road due to the presence of an approaching vehicle.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein

the LEDs include road corner LEDs that are disposed at the road corner, roadside LEDs that are disposed on a side of the road, and road arrow LEDs that are disposed in a traffic lane of the road,

when the time of the day is day time and a remaining charge level of the battery is more than a first threshold, the controller sets the road corner LEDs and the roadside LEDs to OFF and the road arrows to ON,

when the time of the day is night time and the remaining charge level of said battery is more than the first threshold, the controller sets the road corner LEDs, the roadside LEDs, and the road arrows to ON,

when the time of the day is day time and the remaining charge level of said battery is more than a second threshold and less than the first threshold, the controller sets the road corner LEDs and the roadside LEDs to OFF and the road arrows to ON,

when the time of the day is night time and the remaining charge level of said battery is more than the second threshold and less than the first threshold, the controller sets the road corner LEDs to OFF, and the roadside LEDs and the road arrows to ON,

when the time of the day is day time and the remaining charge level of said battery is more than a third threshold and less than the second threshold, the controller sets the road corner LEDs and the roadside LEDs to OFF and the road arrows to ON,

when the time of the day is night time and the remaining charge level of said battery is more than the third threshold and less than the second threshold, the controller sets the road corner LEDs and the road arrows to OFF, and the roadside LEDs to ON, and

when the remaining charge level of said battery is less than the third threshold, the controller sets the road corner LEDs, the roadside LEDs, and the road arrows to OFF.

6. A vehicle movement activated electrical power and triggering system comprising:

a pedal disposed on a road, said pedal configured to move vertically when a vehicle passes over the pedal;

a motion conversion mechanism connected to the pedal to translate a vertical motion of the pedal into a rotational motion;

a generator coupled with the rotational motion of the motion conversion mechanism, said generator configured to generate electricity from said rotational motion;

a switch connector attached to the pedal to provide an electrical current pathway to a controller to indicate a presence of a vehicle;

a local electrical power network driven by the generator and extending along the road ahead of the pedal and the vehicle;

a plurality of electrical devices connected to the local electrical power network and disposed along or adjacent to the road to provide a warning of oncoming traffic;

a plurality of electrical devices connected to the local electrical power network and disposed along or adjacent to the road to warn pedestrians of oncoming traffic;

a battery connected to the turbine and to the local electrical power network, said battery configured to be charged by the turbine and to provide primary or supplementary power for the local electrical power network; and

a controller connected to said local electrical power network, said battery, and at least one electrical device from among the plurality of electrical devices, said controller including a static data storage device and configured to control an activation state of at least one electrical device from among the plurality of electrical devices according to a look up table stored on said static data storage device of said controller, said look up table including activation information for at least one electrical device from among the plurality of electrical devices, said activation information including at least one of a time of the day and a remaining charge level of said battery.

7. The system of claim 6, further comprising

a crossroad signal light imbedded in the road that provides at least one of a visual warning and a wireless warning signal if another vehicle is detected as approaching an intersection of the road and an intersecting road.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein

the plurality of electrical devices includes at least one road corner LED disposed on, in or next to a road corner, at least one roadside light disposed on, in or next to the road and an illuminating road arrow disposed in or on the road.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein

during a predetermined hazardous weather condition, when the time of the day is day time and the remaining charge level of said battery is more than a first threshold, the controller sets at least one road corner LED, the illuminating road arrow and at least one roadside LED to ON;

when the time of the day is night time and the remaining charge level of said battery is more than the first threshold, the controller sets the road corner LEDs, the illuminating road arrows, and the Roadside LEDs to ON;

when the time of the day is day time and the remaining charge level of said battery is more than a second threshold and less than the first threshold, the controller sets the road corner LEDs to OFF and the roadside LEDs and the illuminating road arrows to ON;

when the time of the day is night time and the remaining charge level of said battery is more than the second threshold and less than the first threshold, the controller sets the road corner LEDs, the roadside LEDs and the illuminating road arrows to ON;

when the time of the day is day time and the remaining charge level of said battery is more than a third threshold and less than the second threshold, the controller sets the road corner LEDs and the roadside LEDs to OFF and the illuminating road arrows to ON;

when the time of the day is night time and the remaining charge level of said battery is more than the third threshold and less than the second threshold, the controller sets the road corner LEDs to OFF and the roadside LEDs and the illuminating road arrows to ON; and

when the time of the day is day time and the remaining charge level of said battery is less than the third threshold, the controller sets the road corner LEDs, the roadside LEDs, and the illuminating road arrows to OFF; and

when the time of the day is night time and the remaining charge level of said battery is less than the third threshold, the controller sets the road corner LEDs to OFF and the roadside LEDs and the illuminating road arrows to ON.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein

when the time of the day is day time and the remaining charge level of said battery is more than a first threshold, the controller sets the road corner LEDs, the illuminating road arrows and the Roadside LEDs to ON;

when the time of the day is night time and the remaining charge level of said battery is more than the first threshold, the controller sets the road corner LEDs, the illuminating road arrows, and the Roadside LEDs to ON;

when the time of the day is day time and the remaining charge level of said battery is more than a second threshold and less than the first threshold, the controller sets the road corner LEDs to OFF and the roadside LEDs and the illuminating road arrows to ON;

when the time of the day is night time and the remaining charge level of said battery is more than the second threshold and less than the first threshold, the controller sets the road corner LEDs, the roadside LEDs and the illuminating road arrows to ON;

when the time of the day is day time and the remaining charge level of said battery is more than a third threshold and less than the second threshold, the controller sets the road corner LEDs and the roadside LEDs to OFF and the illuminating road arrows to ON;

when the time of the day is night time and the remaining charge level of said battery is more than the third threshold and less than the second threshold, the controller sets the road corner LEDs to OFF and the roadside LEDs and the illuminating road arrows to ON; and

when the time of the day is day time and the remaining charge level of said battery is less than the third threshold, the controller sets the road corner LEDs, the roadside LEDs, and the illuminating road arrows to OFF; and

when the time of the day is night time and the remaining charge level of said battery is less than the third threshold, the controller sets the road corner LEDs to OFF and the roadside LEDs and the illuminating road arrows to ON.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein

when a speed of an oncoming vehicle is between 0 and 40 miles per hour and a weather temperature is between 50 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit and a fog level is below 30%, the controller causes the sign to illuminate and display the speed of the oncoming vehicle in a yellow color at a fixed brightness.

when either the speed of the oncoming vehicle is between 40 and 50 miles per hour or the temperature is either between 30 and 50 or 90 and 100 degrees Fahrenheit or the fog level is between 30% and 50%, then the sign will illuminate and display the speed of the oncoming vehicle in a yellow color and will flash on and off,

when either the speed of the oncoming vehicle is between 50 and 60 miles per hour or the temperature is either between 10 and 30 or 100 and 110 degrees Fahrenheit or the fog level is between 50% and 70%, then the sign will illuminate and display the speed of the oncoming vehicle in a orange color and will flash on and off, and

when either the speed of the oncoming vehicle is above 60 miles per hour or the temperature is either above 110 or below 10 degrees Fahrenheit or the fog level is above 70%, then the sign will illuminate and display the speed of the oncoming vehicle in a red color and will flash on and off.

12. A warning signal apparatus comprising:

a turbine disposed along a road and configured to generate electrical power by harnessing wind currents generated by a movement of a vehicle that drives a rotation of the turbine exposed to the wind currents, the turbine being coupled to a generator, the generator configured to generate the electrical power from the rotation of the turbine;

circuitry configured to output a warning signal in response to receiving a voice input,

a voice recorder that records and stores the voice input onto a data memory device,

a controller configured to control functions of the warning signal,

a messaging network that configured to record messages sent to or received from the warning signal, wherein a voice message left by the first driver recording a road condition is provided via the warning digital apparatus a playback device of a second driver who approaches the warning signal apparatus after the first driver.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising

a signal light that illuminates when a message is available on the warning apparatus.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising

the circuitry includes a communication device that communicates through a wireless or wired network.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising

the playback service includes a smartphone.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising

the playback service includes a vehicle navigation system.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising

an information center that records messages and stores them remotely via a wireless or wired network.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein

the information center retrieves messages stored on the warning signal apparatus and transfers the messages to other warning signal apparatuses via the wired or wireless network.