Traffic alert warning system and method for alerting vehicle operators of road conditions

• US 5,815,802 A
• Filed: 07/16/1996
• Issued: 09/29/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Highway Technologies Incorporated (HTS Acquisition Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Highway Technologies Incorporated (HTS Acquisition Incorporated)
• Inventors: Loechner, Henry A. II
• Primary Examiner(s): Crosland, Donnie L.
• Application Number:
  US08/680,633
• Time in Patent Office: 805 Days
• Field of Search: 455/67.1, 455/404, 455/450, 455/464, 455/509, 455/521, 455/515, 340/902, 340/904, 340/905, 340/539, 364/436-438
• US Class Current: 455/414.1
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096716 where the received information does not generate an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096758 where no selection takes place on the transmitted or the received information
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096783 where the origin of the information is a roadside individual element
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/18 Monitoring during normal operation

Abstract

A traffic alert warning system and method is provided for transmitting a road condition message to operators of vehicles when the system determines that a frequency channel to be used in broadcasting the message is not being used. The traffic alert warning system includes an activity level monitoring circuit for measuring the communication activity of the frequency channel, a channel availability logic circuit for determining if the frequency channel is available for transmission, a storage unit for storing a road condition message, and a transmitter assembly for transmitting the road condition message.

Claims

1. A traffic alert warning system operable in communication channels operating at different frequencies, comprising:

a storage unit for storing a road condition message;

means for monitoring a first of the communication channels and producing first channel signals indicative thereof;

means responsive to the first channel signals for generating an activity level signal representative of the communication activity of the first communication channel;

means for generating a first reference activity signal indicative of the activity level of the first channel over a predetermined time period;

means for deriving an availability signal indicative of the availability of the first communication channel for transmitting the road condition message; and

means responsive to the availability signal for enabling transmission of the road condition message in the storage unit.

2. The traffic alert warning system of claim 1, further comprising means for allowing a user of the system to select the time interval between successive transmissions of the road condition message.

3. The traffic alert warning system of claim 1, further comprising means for selecting the first communication channel.

4. The traffic alert warning system of claim 1, further comprising a message recording assembly connected to the storage unit, said message recording assembly comprising means for recording a road condition message.

5. The traffic alert warning system of claim 1, further comprising a speaker assembly connected to the message recording assembly to enable audio transmission of the stored road condition message.

6. The traffic alert warning system of claim 1, and further including an array of traffic alert warning systems spaced from each other and located within their respective operating ranges from each other so that a road condition message can be along an extended road length.

7. A traffic alert warning system operable in communication channels operating at different frequencies, comprising:

means producing a road condition message;

means for monitoring a first of the communication channels and generating channel signals indicative thereof;

means responsive to the channel signals for generating an activity level signal representative of the communication activity of the first communication channel over a predetermined time period;

means comparing the activity level signal with a channel signal and for producing an availability signal indicative of the availability of the first communication channel for transmitting the road condition message; and

means responsive to the availability signal for transmitting said road condition message over said selected channel.

8. The traffic alert warning system of claim 7 and further comprising:

means for enabling transmission of the road condition message over a second communication channel.

9. The traffic alert warning system of claim 7 and further comprising:

means for generating a second availability signal representative of the availability of a second communication channel for transmission of a road condition message, and means responsive to the first availability signal for causing transmission of the road condition message over said second communication channel.

10. The traffic alert warning system of claim 9 and further comprising, means for enabling a user to select the second communication channel.

11. The traffic alert warning system of claim 7 and further comprising, means for selecting the time interval between successive transmissions of the road condition message.

12. The traffic alert warning system of claim 7 and further comprising:

means for recording a road condition message.

13. The traffic alert warning system of claim 7 and further comprising:

a display and means for causing a display of a channel designation associated with a selected communication channel.

14. A method of alerting vehicle operators of road conditions, comprising the steps of:

(l) providing a predetermined number of communication channels where each communication channel corresponds to a distinct predetermined frequency;

(ii) storing a road condition message in a storage unit;

(iii) monitoring a first of the communication channels by receiving channel signals indicative thereof;

(iv) generating an activity level signal from the channel signals, the activity level signal representative of the communication activity of the first communication channel over a predetermined time period;

(v) deriving an availability signal by comparing the activity level signal with a sample channel signal indicative of the first communication channel at a preselected time, the availability signal indicative of the availability of the first communication channel for transmitting the road condition message; and

(vi) enabling transmission of the road condition message if the availability signal indicates the availability of the first communication channel for transmission.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising the step of providing a new sample channel signal indicative of the first communication channel at a preselected time interval and repeating steps (v) and (vi) with the new sample channel signal if the availability signal indicates the unavailability of the first communication channel for transmission.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising the step of determining the occurrence of the availability signal indicating the unavailability of the first communication channel for transmission and causing a second of the communication channels to be selected for steps (iii)-(vi) if the occurrence exceeds a preselected number.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising the step of enabling transmission of the road condition message at a second communication channel if the road condition message is transmitted via the first communication channel.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising the step of providing an actuator for selecting the first communication channel.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising the step of providing a recording assembly for recording the road condition message.