Road traffic weather observation system and self-emission road sign system

• US 6,812,855 B1
• Filed: 04/24/2001
• Issued: 11/02/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sekisui Jushi Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Sekisui Jushi Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Hishigaki, Youichirou, Kondou, Shigeki, Yuasa, Masaya, Sudou, Terumasa, Ogata, Motonori, Imazu, Ryuji
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu, Daniel J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Tai T.
• Application Number:
  US09/807,441
• Time in Patent Office: 1,288 Days
• Field of Search: 340/907, 340/905, 340/908, 340/539.1, 340/601, 340/602, 340/815.45, 340/815.41, 362/494, 362/800, 362/545, 362/490, 362/293
• US Class Current: 340/907
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0967 Systems involving transmission of highway information, e.g. weather, speed limits transmission of navigation instructions to the vehicle G08G1/0968
• 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 1/096758 where no selection takes place on the transmitted or the received information
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096775 where the origin of the information is a central station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096783 where the origin of the information is a roadside individual element
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 13/04 Signs, boards or panels, illuminated from behind the insignia
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 362/80 Light emitting diode

Abstract

A self-luminous road sign system comprises a plurality of sensor units 1 . . . 1 each of which is equipped at least with a visibility meter and an illuminance meter, or which may be equipped with an anemovane and a thermometer as well as the visibility meter and the illuminance meter; and an information processing and management department 2 for centralized management of weather information detected by the plural sensor units in order to predict any danger in the road observation area, wherein the output information from the information processing and management department 2 is displayed on road installations 4 . . . 4 connected via a network. Based on the road background brightness obtained by the illuminance meter in the sensor unit, the optimum luminous brightness which provides a predetermined contrast is calculated. Based on this optimum luminous brightness and depending on the visibility information outputted from the visibility meter, the luminous brightness or information display of the sign part is controlled.

Claims

1. A self-luminous road sign system which comprises a sensor unit for detecting weather conditions, a self-luminous road installation which includes a sign part equipped with an illuminant and, a control part which controls luminous brightness or information display of the sign part based on weather information detected by the sensor unit, wherein the sensor unit is equipped with a visibility meter and an illuminance meter, and

the control part calculates an optimum luminous brightness which provides a predetermined contrast in a driving environment, based on a road background brightness that is previously obtained by the illuminance meter, and the control part controls luminous brightness or information display of the sign part, based on the optimum luminous brightness and depending on visibility information that is outputted from the visibility meter.

2. A self-luminous road sign system according to claim 1, wherein the sign part is constituted with a vision guidance sign.

3. A self-luminous road sign system according to claim 2, wherein the sensor unit and the self-luminous road installation are integrated as a road installation unit.

4. A self-luminous road sign system according to claim 3, wherein the road installation unit controls, by wire or radio communications, luminous brightness or information display of the sign parts in the own road installation unit and one or more other road installations.

5. A self-luminous road sign system according to claim 1, wherein the sign part is constituted with a self-luminous information panel.

6. A self-luminous road sign system according to claim 5, wherein the sensor unit and the self-luminous road installation are integrated as a road installation unit.

7. A self-luminous road sign system according to claim 6, wherein the road installation unit controls, by wire or radio communications, luminous brightness or information display of the sign parts in the own road installation unit and one or more other road installations.

8. A self-luminous road sign system according to claim 1, wherein the sensor unit and the self-luminous road installation are integrated as a road installation unit.

9. A self-luminous road sign system according to claim 8, wherein the road installation unit controls, by wire or radio communications, luminous brightness or information display of the sign parts in the own road installation unit and one or more other road installations.

10. A self-luminous road sign system according to claim 1, wherein the control part controls luminous brightness of the sign part in the self-luminous road installation to give a prescribed luminous brightness, by adjusting a pulse duration of a pulse voltage which is applied to the illuminant.

11. A self-luminous road sign system according to claim 1, wherein the sensor unit includes a visibility meter.

12. A self-luminous road sign system according to claim 11, wherein the visibility meter includes at least one of a transmission visibility meter and a reflection visibility meter.

13. A self-luminous road sign system according to claim 11, wherein the sensor unit includes an illuminance meter.

14. A self-luminous road sign system according to claim 12, wherein the sensor unit includes an anemovane.

15. A self-luminous road sign system according to claim 14, wherein the sensor unit includes a thermometer.

16. A self-luminous road sign system which comprises a sensor unit for detecting weather conditions including visibility, a self-luminous road installation which includes a sign part equipped with an illuminant and, a control part which controls luminous brightness of the sign part based on the visibility detected by the sensor unit, wherein the sensor unit senses meteorological optical range and ambient illuminance and the control part automatically controls the self-luminous road installation to provide a suitable contrast to a human'"'"'s eyes depending upon the visibility.