SIGNALLING SYSTEM FOR VEHICLES WITH BAR CODES PLACED ON THE CARRIAGEWAY

Abstract: The present invention relates to a signalling and information system for vehicles that allows the driver to have information about road and environmental conditions, traffic and everything useful for a safe road travelling, directly on his car. It comprises one or more infrared sensors, or optical readers, placed on the vehicle, linked to a control unit, which read and interpret the code bars fixed on the carriageway, and signal the message picked up by transmitters through a console inside the car.

Description: DESCRIPTION SIGNALLING SYSTEM FOR VEHICLES WITH BAR CODES PLACED ON THE CARRIAGEWAY Technical Field The present invention relates to the technical sector regarding the production of signalling and safety devices to be applied on vehicles so as to provide constant information to drivers about carriageway conditions, traffic and everything concerning traffic. It relates particularly to the electronic and electrotechnical sector and covers an informative system that uses a series of codes, specifically bar codes, in order to transmit the information received by the vehicle. Background art Technicians of this field know some devices that, once being set up on the cars, pick up signals, usually radio signals, from external transmitters and partly facilitate the driving. These systems imply heavy expenditure on the installation of transmitters and above all, even if they can provide information on road conditions, such as the presence of bends, crossings or similar, they cannot signal atmospheric phenomena (fog, blasts of wind, etc.) or the presence of hold-ups, queues, or other. To this further purpose, different types of apparatus have been designed, consisting essentially of a transmitter and a receiver to be placed on each car, so as to receive information from the preceding car and transmit information to the following car. Yet, also these systems have the drawback of working only if they are installed on all cars and lose utility if they are set up ust on a few vehicles. This invention principally aims at eliminating the above- mentioned drawbacks and supplying a system capable of receiving and signalling by itself the presence of dangerous bends, crossings, as well as the presence of fog or crashes, and any other information which assures a safe and comfortable driving to everyone. Disclosure of invention The present invention relates to a system which allows a driver to have information about road and environmental conditions, traffic and everything useful for a safe road travelling, directly on his car, through one or more infrared sensors, or optical readers, linked to a central unit, capable of reading and interpreting especially the code bars, and signalling the message picked up by external transmitters on a console inside the car. The advantages resulting from this invention essentially consist of the fact that it permits receiving and giving any kind of useful information; that it doesn't imply heavy expenditures on the equipment; that it doesn't need all vehicles being equipped with it m order to work perfectly; that it is not polluting at all, since it uses light transmission for its information; that the car can be equipped with more sensors registering external information, for a greater safety; that information can be transmitted both by fixed indicators and movable indicators; that it is not polluting at all, since it uses light as means of data transmission. Reduced to its essential structure and with reference to the figures of the enclosed drawings, a signalling and information system, according to the invention, comprises: means to send to travelling vehicles information concerning road, environmental and traffic conditions or others, with stripes of oar codes composed by numerical, alphanumerical or other symbols, placed on the carriageway or near it on movable signalling panels, or with other active optical transmitters even portable; means to receive the information transmitted, with one or more sensors, or optical readers, placed in one or more parts of the car, capable of reading the information transmitted and passing it to a central unit, especially programmed for interpreting it; means to store the data supplied by the sensors, or optical readers, decode this information and signal the messages to the driver, with a programmed central unit linked to a display placed inside the cockpit of the car to which information coming from sensors, or optical readers, arrives; - means to display the messages decoded by the central unit and alert the driver, with a display unit placed on the front part of the reader itself which emits alphanumeπcal and/or acoustic signals; means to power the circuit, preferably through the battery of the car. The invention offers the advantage that, in order to transmit information to the vehicle, different systems may be used. Particularly, it's possible to provide the application (or the actual drawing as well) on the soil of a series of stripes displaying the bar code or another code conventionally employed (2) so that, when the vehicle travels on the carriageway, the lower sensor, or optical reader (4), reads and registers the information, and passes it to the central unit (5) . This type of indicator is perfectly suitable for sending information concerning carriageway conditions (presence of bends, crossings, bridges, etc.) which are usually permanent. The invention offers the advantage that information can be supplied also through posters (17) or signalling panels placed on one side of the carriageway (16;, where bar codes or other conventional kinds of code, picked up and read by the side sensor (3) of the travelling car, are displayed. The invention offers the advantage that information can be supplied through portable optical transmitters (14) as well. This particular practical system is well suitable for variable information, such as bad weather conditions, queues, crashes, etc., which must be signalled when they occur and then removed when danger is over. Another advantage lies n the fact that, by means of this system, both unchangeable information, like those concerning the road structure, and variable information, like those concerning crashes or environmental conditions, can be provided. In addition, sensors, or optical readers, may be one or more and placed m different parts of the vehicle so that they can pick up and read signals coming from road surface, and/or from side signalling, and/or from upper signalling, as well as from possible portable transmitters. All sensors are linked by special cables to the central unit which receives and interprets information, and then emits outgoing signals. The invention offers the advantage that sensors may reach information from stripes of codes up to 500 m. Another advantage lies in the fact that the central unit is linked to a display (9) which emits alphanumencal signals in order to inform the driver about traffic conditions, and which may be equipped even with a system capable of emitting sounds, so that it can transmit even vocally the messages shown on the display or simple sounds that warn immediately of the danger. The invention offers the advantage that the display unit is placed in an area of the cockpit well visible by the driver, so that he doesn' t take his mind off driving m the attempt of observing the information shown on the display. The invention offers the advantage that the central unit is linked to the 12V battery (10), which represents its power, by a bifilar cable of limited section as the absorption is minimum. The invention offers the advantage that the system is easy to be applied on any car: as a matter of fact, it's sufficient to locate the central unit near the dashboard and fix the sensor (s) in the interested parts of the vehicle. In addition, the system may operate also directly on some parts of the car, like brakes and accelerator; in this case, the central unit is properly programmed to operate on the electronic unit which controls the different parts of the vehicle. In this way, the control unit (5) operates directly on some controls of the car or sends signals to the electronic unit of the car which switches them over in controls for the car itself. Therefore, for example, if the stripe of codes contains the information "dangerous bend", the electronic unit will receive a particular signal from the optical reader and slow down the car oy applying the brake and decelerating. Brief description of drawings The attached drawings are practical examples of the invention, but are not to be considered restrictive. Fig. 1 represents the frontal view of a car equipped with the designed device. As we can see, the car presents on one side, in this case on its right side, an infrared sensor, or optical reader, (3) able to register the information coming from the stripe of codes (1) fixed on one axis of the road. The car presents a second infrared sensor, or optical reader, (4) which is placed on the lower-frontal part of the car and stores the data coming from the stripe of codes (2) fixed at the centre of the carriageway. The two stripes of codes (1) and (2) can contain both unchangeable data, like those concerning a dangerous bend, and variable information, like those concerning crashes or fog. Particularly, information may come from codes drawn on the road surface or on one s de, as well as from portable transmitters or movable posters placed on the side of the carriageway. The two sensors, or optical readers, (3) (4) are linked to a single central unit set up inside the car, to which they give the information they receive. This system may use different types of codes, like the bar code, the numerical or alphanumeπcal code, the dot or symbol code. Furthermore, the stripes of code located on the side or on the centre of the road may be replaced by optical transmitters: in this case, the sensors, or optical readers, fixed in the car must be able to receive and transmit to the central unit tne information coming from the light emitted by optical transmitters . Fig. 2 represents the top view of a car equipped with the devices necessary to use this system. The car presents a central unit (5), set up inside the cockpit and in front of the driver, powered by a 12V battery (10) by means of the cable (8). The battery is linked, by means of the cable (6), to the sensor, or optical reader, (3) placed on one side and, thanks to the cable (7), to the sensor, or optical reader, (4) fixed on the lower part of the car. In this way the central unit can store the data coming from the two sensors, or optical readers, decode the succession of codes and then show the information on a display well visible by the driver. In this figure, the sensor (12), placed on the hood of the car and linked to the central unit through a caole (15), is also highlighted. Fig. 3 represents the frontal view of the central unit (5) . It presents a display (9) where messages transmitted by sensors, or optical readers, (3) (4) (12), linked to it through cables (6) (7) (15), are shown. In this way, the driver can read the information shown on the display (9) without taking his mind off driving and then act accordingly. As we can see from the drawing, the central unit (5) is powered, by means of the cable (8), by the 12V battery present on each car. This central unit can em t not only alphanumerical signals, but also acoustic signals, so as the driver is immediately alerted. Fig. 4 shows a car where sensors are placed: one (12) on its hood, one (4) on its lower part and one (3) on its side, exactly on the rear-view mirror. Fig. 5 shows a carriageway where a few transmitters of information are depicted, by way of illustration: some of them are passive transmitters, l ke the bar codes placed on the carriageway (2), on the guard-rail (17) or on a poster (16); others are active transmitters, like the optical one (14) . Fig. 6 shows a summary block scheme related to the electric devices set up on the vehicle. It shows a control unit (5) which reads signals coming from sensors, or optical readers, and passes them to the driver by means of an alphanumerical display and possibly an acoustic indicator. This central unit (5) receives signals coming from different sensors, or optical readers, in particular: from the right-side sensor (3), from the central one (4) which reads lower and upper signals, from the left-side sensor (11) which indicates principally the direction, from the one which can be placed at the centre of the car hood (12) in order to receive possible signals from the top. The central unit can be linked also to a speed-control device (13) through a speed sensor. In practice, the details of execution can vary in accordance with the shape, size, position of the elements, type of materials used, without however, straying from the principle of the solution adopted and therefore remaining inside the boundaries of protection granted by this patent.

Claims: CLAIMS 1) Signalling and information system for vehicles characterised by the fact that it comprises: means to send to travelling vehicles information concerning road, environmental and traffic conditions or others, with stripes of bar codes composed by numerical, alphanumerical or other symbols, placed on the carriageway or near it on movable signalling panels, or with other active optical transmitters even portable; - means to receive the information transmitted, with one or more sensors, or optical readers, placed in one or more parts of the car, capable of reading the information transmitted and passing it to a central unit especially programmed for interpreting it; - means to store the data supplied by the sensors, or optical readers, decode this information and signal the messages to the driver, with a programmed central unit linked to a display placed inside the cockpit of the car to which information coming from sensors or optical readers arrives; - means to display the messages decoded by the central unit and alert the driver, with a display unit placed on the front part of the reader itself which emits alphanumerical and/or acoustic signals; means to power the circuit, preferably through the battery of the car; 2) System according to claim 1, characterised by the fact that in order to transmit information to the vehicle it's sufficient to apply or actually draw on the soil a series of stripes displaying the bar code or another code conventionally employed. Otherwise it's possible to provide for signalling panels placed near the carriageway or portable or fixed active optical transmitters; 3) System according to claim 1, characterised by the fact that sensors or optical readers are one or more and placed in different parts of the vehicle so that they can register and read signals coming from road surface, and/or from side signalling, and/or from upper signalling, as well as from possible portable transmitters; 4) System according to claim 1, characterised by the fact that sensors are linked by special cables to a central unit programmed to receive and interpret information, and then emit outgoing alphanumerical and/or acoustic signals; 5) System according to claim 1, characterised by the fact that sensors may receive information from stripes of codes up to 500 m. ; 6) System according to claim 4, characterised by the fact that the central unit is linked to a display placed in an area of the cockpit well visible by the driver, and emits alphanumerical and/or acoustic signals in order to inform the driver about traffic conditions; 7) System according to claim 4, characterised by the fact that the central unit is linked to the 12V battery, which represents its power, by a bifilar cable of limited section as the absorption is minimum; 8) System according to claim 1, characterised by the fact that it operates, directly or not, on some parts of the car, like brakes and accelerator, by working them according to the signals coming from the sensor and to the kind of programming of the central unit.

Inventors: BALDINOTTI GRAZIANO, BALDINOTTI, GRAZIANO
Applicants: BALDINOTTI GRAZIANO, BALDINOTTI, GRAZIANO
Application year: 1999
Main classification: G08G1
IPC codes: G08G1