Approach warning system and method for detecting the approach of moving objects

• US 9,035,759 B2
• Filed: 05/30/2011
• Issued: 05/19/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Comnovo GmbH
• Original Assignee: Technische Universitaet Dortmund
• Inventors: Wietfeld, Christian, Lewandowski, Andreas, Koester, Volker
• Primary Examiner(s): MULLEN, THOMAS J
• Application Number:
  US13/701,021
• Publication Number:
  US 20130176144A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,450 Days
• Field of Search: 340/435, 340/903, 340/944, 340/539.13, 340/573.4, 701/400, 701/408, 701/468, 701/538
• US Class Current: 340/435
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/161 Decentralised systems, e.g. inter-vehicle communication
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes

Abstract

An approach warning system includes at least one marking module and a warning module. The at least one marking module comprises a marking module transmission unit configured to emit electromagnetic signals, and a motion detector configured to detect a motion. The at least one marking module is configured to emit presence signals as the electromagnetic signals when a motion is detected. The warning module comprises a reception unit configured to receive the electromagnetic signals emitted by the at least one marking module, and an output device configured to emit an approach warning. The warning module is configured to emit the approach warning via the output device dependent on a reception of the presence signals emitted by the at least one marking module.

Claims

1. An approach warning system comprising:

at least one marking module comprising;

a marking module transmission unit configured to emit electromagnetic signals, and

a motion detector configured to detect a motion,

wherein the at least one marking module is configured to emit presence signals as the electromagnetic signals when a motion is detected; and

a warning module comprising;

a reception unit configured to receive the electromagnetic signals emitted by the at least one marking module, and

an output device configured to emit an approach warning,

wherein the warning module is configured emit the approach warning via the output device dependent on a reception of the presence signals emitted by the at least one marking module.

2. The approach warning system as recited in claim 1, wherein the motion detector comprises an acceleration sensor.

3. The approach warning system as recited in claim 1, wherein the motion the motion detector is configured to detect is at least one of a motion type, a motion speed, a motion direction and a motion alteration.

4. The approach warning system as recited in claim 1, wherein,

the warning module further comprises a warning module transmission unit configured to emit the electromagnetic signals, the warning module being further configured to emit trigger signals as the electromagnetic signals, and

the at least one marking module further comprises a reception unit for the electromagnetic signals emitted by the warning module, the at least one marking module being further configured to emit the presence signals dependent on a reception of the trigger signals.

5. The approach warning system as recited in claim 1, wherein at least one of the warning module and the at least one marking module further comprise(s) a power generation unit configured to convert kinetic energy into electrical power.

6. The approach warning system as recited in claim 1, wherein the at least one marking module is further configured to transmit information with the presence signals relating to the motion detected by the motion detector.

7. The approach warning system as recited in claim 1, wherein the warning module further comprises a processing unit configured to process the presence signals received so as to determine at least one of a motion parameter and a position parameter of the at least one marking module, and to emit the approach warning in response to the at least one of a motion parameter and a position parameter.

8. The approach warning system as recited in claim 7, wherein the processing unit is further configured to process a radio parameter of the presence signals received so as to determine the at least one motion parameter and position parameter.

9. The approach warning system as recited in claim 7, wherein the warning module further comprises an advance calculation unit configured to perform an advance calculation for an approach of the at least one marking module to the warning module from the at least one motion parameter and position parameter, and to emit the approach warning in response to the advance calculation.

10. The approach warning system as recited in claim 1 wherein,

the warning module further comprises a warning module identification device and the at least one marking module further comprises a marking module identification device, the warning module identification device and the marking module identification device each being configured to produce identification information,

the at least one marking module is further configured to transmit the identification information from the marking module identification device with the presence signals, and

the warning module is further configured to perform a comparison of the identification information transmitted with the presence signals and the identification information from the warning module identification device and to emit the approach warning in response to the comparison.

11. The approach warning system as recited in claim 1, wherein,

the at least one marking module is associated with a specific class from a plurality of classes, and the at least one marking module is further configured to emit the presence signal with information on the specific class, and

the warning module is further configured to emit the approach warning in response to the specific class.

12. The approach warning system as recited in claim 1, wherein the marking module transmission unit is configured to emit the electromagnetic signals in a free frequency band and the reception unit is configured to receive the electromagnetic signals based in the free frequency band.

13. The approach warning system as recited in claim 1, wherein the warning module further comprises a sensing device configured to sense at least one of a motion and a position of the warning module, the warning module being further configured to emit the approach warning in response to the at least one of the motion and the position.

14. The approach warning system as recited in claim 1, wherein,

a plurality of marking modules are provided, and

the warning module is configured to emit the approach warning for each of the plurality of marking modules individually via the output device.

15. A method for recognizing an approach of a moving object to a vehicle using an approach warning system, the method comprising:

1) providing an approach warning system comprising;

at least one marking module comprising;

a marking module transmission unit configured to emit electromagnetic signals, and

a motion detector configured to detect a motion,

wherein the at least one marking module is configured to emit presence signals as the electromagnetic signals when a motion is detected, and

a warning module comprising;

a reception unit configured to receive the electromagnetic signals emitted by the at least one marking module, and

an output device configured to emit an approach warning,

wherein the warning module is configured emit the approach warning via the output device dependent on a reception of the presence signals emitted by the at least one marking module,

2) providing the moving object comprising the at least one marking module;

3) providing the vehicle comprising the warning module; and

4) using the approach warning system to recognize the approach of the moving object to the vehicle.

16. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein the moving object is a person.