Intermittent asynchronous IR beam-break fog detector
First Claim
1. A process for operating a beacon system responsive to at least one of a plurality of predetermined initiating conditions, said beacon system having multiple beacon units, with each unit having at least one lamp, said beacon units being arranged in a sequence along a travel route, each of said beacon units having transmission capability to link to at least one adjacent beacon unit in said sequence, and being responsive to a link signal from a second adjacent beacon unit, said process comprising:
- a) transmitting link signals from said beacon units to trigger at least partial activation of the corresponding one adjacent beacon unit;
b) automatically detecting a received link signal from the corresponding second adjacent unit in said sequence and triggering partial activation of a receiving beacon unit upon detection of said received link signal;
c) in the partially activated beacon unit detecting for a continuing absence of said received link signal, and initiating a predetermined timing cycle responsive to said continuing absence of said link signal;
d) detecting for receipt of a reestablishing link signal in the partially activated beacon unit during said predetermined timing cycle;
e) fully activating said partially activated beacon unit responsive to the absence of the reestablishing link signal for the duration of said predetermined timing cycle;
f) detecting vehicular traffic near said fully activated beacon unit; and
,g) illuminating said at least one lamp associated with said fully activated beacon responsive to detection of vehicular traffic, wherein absence of said reestablished link signal is indicative of said at least one of the plurality of predetermined initiating conditions selected from a group including fog, snow, rain and dust.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An automated roadway marker system that illuminates and provides warning and lane demarcation under poor visibility conditions utilizing IR beam-break transceivers where no deployment considerations need to be made for the first in a sequence, because each marker operationally establishes its linkage condition in an intermittently activated asynchronous pseudo-network. The devices are designed for extremely low power consumption, so that solar energy can be utilized as a power source. The markers can additionally be linked through radio frequency signals, and to provide a warning to mobile and stationary radio frequency receivers. Additionally, the markers can be illuminated via transmissions from mobile and stationary transmitters.
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Citations
16 Claims
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1. A process for operating a beacon system responsive to at least one of a plurality of predetermined initiating conditions, said beacon system having multiple beacon units, with each unit having at least one lamp, said beacon units being arranged in a sequence along a travel route, each of said beacon units having transmission capability to link to at least one adjacent beacon unit in said sequence, and being responsive to a link signal from a second adjacent beacon unit, said process comprising:
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a) transmitting link signals from said beacon units to trigger at least partial activation of the corresponding one adjacent beacon unit; b) automatically detecting a received link signal from the corresponding second adjacent unit in said sequence and triggering partial activation of a receiving beacon unit upon detection of said received link signal; c) in the partially activated beacon unit detecting for a continuing absence of said received link signal, and initiating a predetermined timing cycle responsive to said continuing absence of said link signal; d) detecting for receipt of a reestablishing link signal in the partially activated beacon unit during said predetermined timing cycle; e) fully activating said partially activated beacon unit responsive to the absence of the reestablishing link signal for the duration of said predetermined timing cycle; f) detecting vehicular traffic near said fully activated beacon unit; and
,g) illuminating said at least one lamp associated with said fully activated beacon responsive to detection of vehicular traffic, wherein absence of said reestablished link signal is indicative of said at least one of the plurality of predetermined initiating conditions selected from a group including fog, snow, rain and dust. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A beacon system responsive to at least one of a plurality of predetermined initiating conditions, said beacon system having multiple beacon units arranged in a sequence along a travel route, each unit having a controller with a transmitter to send a link signal to a first adjacent beacon unit and receiver to detect a link signal transmitted from a second adjacent beacon unit in said sequence, said system comprising:
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a) an initiating beacon unit among the multiple beacon units, said initiating beacon unit having a timer for measuring a length of interruption of the link signal from the corresponding second adjacent beacon unit for comparison to a predetermined timing cycle; b) a traffic noise detector in communication with said initiating beacon unit; and
,c) at least one lamp for illumination in communication with said initiating beacon unit responsive to detection of vehicular traffic by the traffic noise detector, wherein continued absence of the link signal from the corresponding second adjacent beacon unit for a time longer than the predetermined timing cycle is indicative of said at least one of the plurality of predetermined initiating conditions selected from a group including fog, snow, rain and dust. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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Specification