Warning device and street light system

• US 10,467,901 B2
• Filed: 09/25/2017
• Issued: 11/05/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Ikehara, Masaaki, Yamauchi, Kentaro, Hatta, Kazuhiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Lim, Steven
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ma, Kam Wan
• Application Number:
  US15/714,624
• Publication Number:
  US 20180090010A1
• Time in Patent Office: 771 Days
• Field of Search: 340907
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 2/00 Systems of lighting devices, not provided for in main groups F21S4/00 - F21S10/00 or F21S19/00, e.g. of modular construction
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 8/086 with lighting device attached sideways of the standard, e.g. for roads and highways
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2131/103 of streets or roads
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/52 Surveillance or monitoring of activities, e.g. for recognising suspicious objects recognising microscopic objects G06V20/69
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/20 Movements or behaviour, e.g. gesture recognition recognition of facial expressions G06V40/16
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/095 Traffic lights
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/164 Centralised systems, e.g. external to vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes

Abstract

A warning device includes: a sensor which is attachable to a supporting member and measures a distance, the supporting member being fixedly installed; and a notifier which performs notification using predetermined output. The sensor measures at least one of sensor-object distances and a moving object distance, the sensor-object distances being distances between the sensor and each of at least two moving objects which are approaching to each other, the moving object distance being a distance between the at least two moving objects which are approaching to each other, and the notifier performs the notification by varying a manner of the predetermined output according to the at least one of the sensor object distances and the moving object distance which are measured by the sensor.

Claims

1. A warning device, comprising:

a sensor which is attachable to a supporting member and measures a distance, the supporting member being fixedly installed; and

a notifier which performs notification using predetermined output, wherein;

the sensor measures at least one of sensor-object distances and a moving object distance, the sensor-object distances being distances between the sensor and each of at least two moving objects which are approaching to each other, the moving object distance being a distance between the at least two moving objects which are approaching to each other,

the notifier performs the notification by varying a manner of the predetermined output according to the at least one of the sensor-object distances and the moving object distance which are measured by the sensor,

the at least two moving objects include a short-distance object and a long-distance object, the short-distance object being located at a position closer to the sensor than the long-distance object,

the sensor further detects an acceleration of the long-distance object,

the notifier further varies the manner of the predetermined output when the sensor detect an abrupt acceleration of the long-distance object,

the supporting member is fixed in a state in which a portion of the supporting member is embedded in a ground, and

the long-distance object and the short-distance object are moving in a same direction.

2. The warning device according to claim 1,

wherein the notifier performs the notification according to a variation in the at least one of the sensor-object distances and the moving object distance.

3. The warning device according to claim 1,

wherein the notifier varies the manner of the predetermined output according to a variation in the at least one of the sensor-object distances and the moving object distance.

4. The warning device according to claim 1,

the notifier performs the notification when the long-distance object approached to the short-distance object.

5. The warning device according to claim 1,

wherein the notifier and the supporting member are spaced apart from each other, and

the notifier obtains, through radio communications, a signal for performing the notification.

6. The warning device according to claim 1,

wherein information related to the notification performed by the notifier is transmitted to a device other than the warning device.

7. The warning device according to claim 1,

wherein the notifier includes a light source, and

the predetermined output is light of the light source.

8. The warning device according to claim 7,

wherein the predetermined output is optical output, and

the notifier emits light onto a ground surface, as the notification.

9. The warning device according to claim 7,

wherein the notifier performs the notification by varying at least one of a brightness level of the light, a color of the light, blinking or flash of the light and distribution of the light.

10. The warning device according to claim 1,

wherein the notifier and the sensor are integrated.

11. The warning device according to claim 1,

wherein the notifier comprises a plurality of notifiers, and

the predetermined output differs for each of the plurality of notifiers.

12. The warning device according to claim 1,

wherein the warning device is supplied with power via the supporting member.

13. The warning device according to claim 1,

wherein the notifier is fixed to a wire suspended using the supporting member.

14. The warning device according to claim 1,

wherein the supporting member is fixed to a building.

15. The warning device according to claim 1,

wherein the supporting member is a support column which has a pillar shape and is fixed to a street, and

a lighting device for illuminating the street is attached to the supporting member.

16. A notification system, comprising:

the warning device of claim 1; and

a supporting member,

wherein the supporting member is fixed in a state in which a portion of the supporting member is embedded in a ground.

17. A warning device, comprising:

a sensor which is attachable to a supporting member and measures a distance, the supporting member being fixedly installed; and

a notifier which performs notification using predetermined output, wherein;

the sensor measures at least one of sensor-object distances and a moving object distance, the sensor-object distances being distances between the sensor and each of at least two moving objects which are approaching to each other, the moving object distance being a distance between the at least two moving objects which are approaching to each other,

the notifier performs the notification by varying a manner of the predetermined output according to the at least one of the sensor-object distances and the moving object distance which are measured by the sensor, and

the notifier avoids performing of the notification when the at least two moving objects include three or more moving objects.

18. A street light system, comprising:

a plurality of street lights installed along a street; and

a plurality of warning devices attached to the plurality of street lights,

wherein each of the plurality of warning devices includes;

a sensor which measures a distance to an object; and

a notifier which performs notification using predetermined output,

the sensor measures at least one of sensor-object distances and a moving object distance, the sensor-object distances being distances between the sensor and each of at least two moving objects which are approaching to each other, the moving object distance being a distance between the at least two moving objects which are approaching to each other,

the notifier performs the notification by varying a manner of the predetermined output according to the at least one of the sensor-object distances and the moving object distance which are measured by the sensor,

the at least two moving objects include a short-distance object and a long-distance object, the short-distance object being located at a position closer to the sensor than the long-distance object,

the sensor further detects an acceleration of the long-distance object,

the notifier further varies the manner of the predetermined output when the sensor detect an abrupt acceleration of the long-distance object, and

the long-distance object and the short-distance object are moving in a same direction.

19. The street light system according to claim 18, further comprising

a management device which manages the plurality of warning devices,

wherein the management device obtains information related to the notification performed by the notifier of each of the plurality of warning devices.

20. A warning device, comprising:

a sensor which is attachable to a supporting member, the supporting member being fixedly installed; and

a notifier which performs notification using predetermined output, wherein;

the sensor detects a short-distance object and a long-distance object, the short-distance object being located at a position closer to the sensor than the long-distance object,

the sensor detects an acceleration of the long-distance object, and detects moving directions of the short-distance object and the long-distance object, and

when the moving directions are the same and the acceleration exceeds a threshold, the notifier performs the notification by varying a manner of the predetermined output, and

the supporting member is fixed in a state in which a portion of the supporting member is embedded in a ground.