Patent ID: 8717164
Filing Date: 2014-05-06
Classification: G06Q,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A wind-articulated, secure warning system responsive to oblique wind currents acting external to surfaces of its exposed, non-flat-sheet and non-fabric structural elements which does not provide any wind-velocity indications and which provides a functional-airfoil-cross-section surface configured to display and provide emergency critical technical data for specific classes of regular and emergency visitors to the entrance portal of an industrial site where large quantities of dangerous substances, including, radioactive, flammable, explosive, corrosive, oxidizing, asphyxiating, biohazardous, toxic, pathogenic, or allergenic substances are handled and which substances might be released by accident or by terrorist attack and dispersed by winds into the local environment, the system comprising: each visitor to the site provided with predetermined personal handheld devices including a known, portable RFID tag reader and/or a smartphone for graphic web access and for transferring spoken or key-entered passwords, said devices allowing confirmation of a particular level of security clearance and enabling physical access to the site and, if needed, maximum-security-web-access to critical site information prior to entry therein; a rigid support mast which extends vertically about 2-10 m above the ground surface, the mast being placed generally in the center of a cleared and leveled area of ground surface about 10 m in radius, the mast having a width of about 40-70 mm and at least one mast-lateral-display surface visible to entering visitors; a wind-responsive, stiffened, monocoque panel formed of thin sections of lightweight materials into the general shape of a polygon, the panel being a smooth, thin, symmetrical airfoil, said panel defined by opposed first and second panel-lateral-face surfaces and having characteristic span, chord, thickness L said panel being pivotably mounted to the mast by mechanical connection to one or more lightweight monocoque, support beams which have an airfoil shape in plan view, extend perpendicular to said mast axis upstream of the leading edge of said panel, said one or more beams providing beam-lateral-display surfaces and mechanical connection of said panel to the mast and adapting it for full rotation thereabout at wind velocities as low as 0.5 m/sec, whereby the center of lift of said airfoil is offset a distance of at least a distance L each of said one or more beams being provided with low-friction bearings adapted for thrust loads and for rotation under extreme weather conditions; each of said panel-lateral-face surfaces provided with one or more displays of encoded and readable messages; said one or more panel-displays including text, and graphics to provide warning data along with related iconic symbols in grayscale and/or color; said panel lateral-face surfaces being provided with one or more regulatory-compliant, retroreflective exterior signs indicating in text, colors, icons and special QR-type digital graphics, certain information on characteristics of the dangerous substances and the particular site, the QR codes facilitating password-controlled web access by the visitor's personal handheld devices to predetermined additional sensitive data, including layout diagrams; said lateral display surfaces of said mast and said one or more beams being provided with at least one secure, robust RFID-tag device oriented toward the direction from which visitors approach and which can be accessed by means of a visitor-carried, secure reader to obtain updated, critical or sensitive data on particular aspects of the site; and whereby a visitor, having the use of a secure portable tag reader and/or smartphone, is informed prior to admittance or actual entry into the site, of relevant critical intelligence data, safety information about the site and instant risks of exposure to dangerous substances.