Means arrangement capable of selecting and signal a public transportation means to stop at its stopping place, and to detect said stopping place of said transportation means, particularly apt to be used by handicapped people, more particularly still, by people with visual incapacities

• US 20040066315A1
• Filed: 04/01/2003
• Published: 04/08/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sergio Oscar Szulanski
• Original Assignee: Sergio Oscar Szulanski
• Inventors: Szulanski, Sergio Oscar
• Granted Patent: US 7,102,506 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/994
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/005 including pedestrian guidance indicator
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/123 indicating the position of vehicles, e.g. scheduled vehicles; Managing passenger vehicles circulating according to a fixed timetable, e.g. buses, trains, tramstransmission of navigation instructions to vehicles G08G1/0968

Abstract

In a city wherein the public transportation network is served by several different transportation lines, the visually handicapped persons wishing to accede to a transportation means belonging to a determined transportation line encounters difficulties in locating and arriving to said bus stop, to determine when the required vehicle is approaching and how to signal the driver to let him know in anticipation that the person who is about to embark is suffering from a disability, in order to allow said driver to consider taking the necessary care and precautions. The system uses a device held by each user who needs it, by a device in each bus stop and a device in each vehicle, it is possible to solve the above said problem, exchanging between said three devices five linking signals, of a limited reach. The frequency and other attributes of each one of said signals are one and only one for each transportation line, and as well as for the circulation direction, for each line.

Claims

1. MEANS ARRANGEMENT CAPABLE OF SELECTING AND SIGNAL A PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION MEANS TO STOP, AND TO DETECT THE STOPPING PLACE OF SAID TRANSPORTATION MEANS, PARTICULARLY APT TO BE USED BY HANDICAPPED PEOPLE, MORE PARTICULARLY STILL, BY PEOPLE WITH VISUAL INCAPACITIES, characterized by being constituted by a first plurality of user'"'"'s portable means, having each one of the users independently one of said portable devices;

a second plurality of bus stop means, each one of them installed at a different bus stop serving the public transportation network in a given city; and

a third plurality of bus means, having one of them installed on each one of said public transportation vehicles, being each one of said user'"'"'s portable means provided with at least a sending means capable of emitting a first link signal indicative that an undetermined user seeks to contact a determined transportation line or service;

selection means of the attributes of said first link signal indicative of said particular transportation means line, capable to initiate the emission of first link signal;

a first receiver means for a second link signal emitted by a device belonging to said bus stop means, indicative of the reception of the first link signal by the nearest bus stop means of said particular transportation means line;

a second receiver means for a third link signal, having a much shorter range compared with the first and second link signals, issued by this same bus stop means and capable of indicating to the user the proximity of said bus stop;

a third receiver means for a fourth link signal issued by the device installed on said public transportation means, capable to indicate to the user that said second link signal has been received by the bus and that said bus is nearing said bus stop;

means capable to generate corresponding sensorial signals for the user when said second, third and fourth link signals are received by the user'"'"'s portable means;

means to maintain the emission of said first link signal until said fourth link signal has been received by the user'"'"'s portable means; and

an energy accumulator such a dry cell or battery capable to feeding power to said emitting mean, said receiving means and said means belonging to the user'"'"'s portable means;

each one of said bus stop means has at least, a first emission means capable to send said second link signal;

a second emitting means capable to send said third link signal;

a first receiver means for said first link signal capable to only validate signals with the determined attributes indicative of the particular bus line and to initiate the issue of said second and third link signals;

a second receiver means for a fifth link signal issued by the bus means indicative that the passenger has boarded the vehicle and means capable to maintain the emission of said second and third link signals, and a power source capable to provide power to said emission and receiver means;

having each one of said bus means at least corresponding emission means for said fourth and fifth link signals, a receptor for said second link signal capable of recognizing the attributes indicative of the particular bus line to which said bus belongs;

means capable of generating at least an audible signal for the bus driver and the order to emit the fourth link signal when said receiving means receives and validates said second link signal; and

means capable of sending said fifth link signal; and

electric leads to be connected to the bus accumulator for the power supply to said bus means.

2. MEANS ARRANGEMENT CAPABLE OF SELECTING AND SIGNAL A PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION MEANS TO STOP, AND TO DETECT THE STOPPING PLACE OF SAID TRANSPORTATION MEANS, PARTICULARLY APT TO BE USED BY HANDICAPPED PEOPLE, MORE PARTICULARLY STILL, BY PEOPLE WITH VISUAL INCAPACITIES, according to claim 1, characterized by being the range of the emitter of said first link signal of about 50 meters.

3. MEANS ARRANGEMENT CAPABLE OF SELECTING AND SIGNAL A PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION MEANS TO STOP, AND TO DETECT THE STOPPING PLACE OF SAID TRANSPORTATION MEANS, PARTICULARLY APT TO BE USED BY HANDICAPPED PEOPLE, MORE PARTICULARLY STILL, BY PEOPLE WITH VISUAL INCAPACITIES, according to claim 1, characterized by being the range of the emitter of said second link signal of about 70 meters.

4. MEANS ARRANGEMENT CAPABLE OF SELECTING AND SIGNAL A PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION MEANS TO STOP, AND TO DETECT THE STOPPING PLACE OF SAID TRANSPORTATION MEANS, PARTICULARLY APT TO BE USED BY HANDICAPPED PEOPLE, MORE PARTICULARLY STILL, BY PEOPLE WITH VISUAL INCAPACITIES, according to claim 1, characterized by being the range of the emitter of said third link signal of about 5 meters.

5. MEANS ARRANGEMENT CAPABLE OF SELECTING AND SIGNAL A PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION MEANS TO STOP, AND TO DETECT THE STOPPING PLACE OF SAID TRANSPORTATION MEANS, PARTICULARLY APT TO BE USED BY HANDICAPPED PEOPLE, MORE PARTICULARLY STILL, BY PEOPLE WITH VISUAL INCAPACITIES, according to claim 1, characterized by being the range of the emitter of said fourth link signal of about 50 meters.

6. MEANS ARRANGEMENT CAPABLE OF SELECTING AND SIGNAL A PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION MEANS TO STOP, AND TO DETECT THE STOPPING PLACE OF SAID TRANSPORTATION MEANS, PARTICULARLY APT TO BE USED BY HANDICAPPED PEOPLE, MORE PARTICULARLY STILL, BY PEOPLE WITH VISUAL INCAPACITIES, according to claim 1, characterized by being the range of the emitter of said fifth link signal of about 50 meters.

7. MEANS ARRANGEMENT CAPABLE OF SELECTING AND SIGNAL A PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION MEANS TO STOP, AND TO DETECT THE STOPPING PLACE OF SAID TRANSPORTATION MEANS, PARTICULARLY APT TO BE USED BY HANDICAPPED PEOPLE, MORE PARTICULARLY STILL, BY PEOPLE WITH VISUAL INCAPACITIES, according to claim 1, characterized by being provided each user'"'"'s portable means with timers capable of limiting the time of emission of said audible and vibratory signals.

8. MEANS ARRANGEMENT CAPABLE OF SELECTING AND SIGNAL A PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION MEANS TO STOP, AND TO DETECT THE STOPPING PLACE OF SAID TRANSPORTATION MEANS, PARTICULARLY APT TO BE USED BY HANDICAPPED PEOPLE, MORE PARTICULARLY STILL, BY PEOPLE WITH VISUAL INCAPACITIES, according to claim 1, characterized by being provided each public transportation means with a timer capable of limiting the emission time for said driver'"'"'s at least audible signal.

9. MEANS ARRANGEMENT CAPABLE OF SELECTING AND SIGNAL A PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION MEANS TO STOP, AND TO DETECT THE STOPPING PLACE OF SAID TRANSPORTATION MEANS, PARTICULARLY APT TO BE USED BY HANDICAPPED PEOPLE, MORE PARTICULARLY STILL, BY PEOPLE WITH VISUAL INCAPACITIES, according to claim 1, characterized by being said attribute selection means of the first link signal a keyboard or a keypad connected to an encoding/decoder whose outlet is connected to the frequency selection leads of said emitting means and to the tuning leads of said first, second and third receivers;

being constituted said means capable of maintaining the emission of said first link signal until said fourth link signal has been received in the corresponding user'"'"'s portable means, by a flip-flop SR which entrance S is connected to the outlet of said encoding/decoding means, and which entrance R is connected to the outlet of a timer, also connected to the entry port of the generating means of a sensorial signal upon receipt of said fourth link signal;

being its outlet connected to the entry port of validation for the emitting means of said first link signal.

10. MEANS ARRANGEMENT CAPABLE OF SELECTING AND SIGNAL A PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION MEANS TO STOP, AND TO DETECT THE STOPPING PLACE OF SAID TRANSPORTATION MEANS, PARTICULARLY APT TO BE USED BY HANDICAPPED PEOPLE, MORE PARTICULARLY STILL, BY PEOPLE WITH VISUAL INCAPACITIES, according to claim 1 and 9, characterized by being said encoding/decoder means;

said means capable of maintaining the emission of said first link signal until said fourth link signal has been received in the corresponding user'"'"'s portable means;

said timer and said generating means of a sensorial signal upon receipt of said fourth link signal from the corresponding user'"'"'s portable means, is constituted by a microprocessor with its associated peripheries, connecting said microprocessor through its entry and outlet gates, the leads of the keyboard or keypad for the frequency selection and validation of the emitting means, of the tuning and outlet of first, second and third receiving means, and the transducers of said means to generate said sensorial signals.

11. MEANS ARRANGEMENT CAPABLE OF SELECTING AND SIGNAL A PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION MEANS TO STOP, AND TO DETECT THE STOPPING PLACE OF SAID TRANSPORTATION MEANS, PARTICULARLY APT TO BE USED BY HANDICAPPED PEOPLE, MORE PARTICULARLY STILL, BY PEOPLE WITH VISUAL INCAPACITIES, according to claim 1, characterized by being said one emission means of each user'"'"'s portable means, said first and second emitting means of each bus stop means, and said first and second emitting means of each bus means capable of sending link signals of different frequencies, and different frequencies for each one of the service transportation lines circulating through the transportation network of a same city, being each receiver tuned in accordance to the frequency of the link signal intended to be received.

12. MEANS ARRANGEMENT CAPABLE OF SELECTING AND SIGNAL A PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION MEANS TO STOP, AND TO DETECT THE STOPPING PLACE OF SAID TRANSPORTATION MEANS, PARTICULARLY APT TO BE USED BY HANDICAPPED PEOPLE, MORE PARTICULARLY STILL, BY PEOPLE WITH VISUAL INCAPACITIES, according to claim 1, characterized by being said one emission means of each user'"'"'s portable means, said first and second emitting means of each bus stop means, and said first and second emitting means of each bus means capable of sending link signals modulated at different frequencies but being said frequencies the same for each individual bus service line, being each receiver tuned in accordance to the frequency of the link signal intended to be received, and being capable said receiver means to demodulate the received signals;

being the attributes indicative of each determined bus line service placed in the modulating and demodulated signals.