Abstract:
A stanchion capable of providing prompted information comprises a post and a prompt device disposed in the post. The prompt device senses the queuing state and outputs the prompted information corresponding to the queuing state. Hence, the stanchion offers information favorable for the queue such as waiting time and other helpful functions available for being applied to prompt people in the queue as well in addition to partitioning the moving line of the queue.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    The application claims priority from Taiwan Utility Model Application No. 104212126 filed on Jul. 28, 2015, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0003]    The present invention is related to a stanchion, and particularly to a stanchion capable of providing prompted information. 
         [0004]    2. Brief Description of the Related Art 
         [0005]    Due to the lifestyle of human tending congregation and people participating activities getting enthusiastic, the stanchion becomes an important apparatus to maintain order in the modern life. The conventional stanchion usually has a post hanged with red velvet strips to partition a moving line of people in an open space so as to restrict so many persons attending an activity as a queue and keep an activity venue in order. 
         [0006]    However, although the conventional stanchion can restrict people attending an activity as a queue and keep an activity venue in order, there is no information related to people in the queue offered or other functions helpful for them. Therefore, to improve the conventional stanchion is a subject worth us to investigate. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a stanchion capable of providing prompted information with which not only moving line of a queue can be partitioned but also information helpful for people in the queue can be prompted. 
         [0008]    Another object of the present invention is to provide a stanchion capable of providing prompted information with which a function of charging external mobile device is provided in addition to the moving line of a queue being partitioned. 
         [0009]    A further object of the present invention is to provide a stanchion capable of providing prompted information with which a function of WiFi wireless repeater is provided in addition to the moving line of a queue being partitioned. 
         [0010]    A further object of the present invention is to provide a stanchion capable of providing prompted information with which a function of moving line guide or emergency illumination light source is provided in addition to the moving line of a queue being partitioned. 
         [0011]    In order to achieve the preceding objects and other objects, a stanchion capable of providing prompted information according to the present invention comprises a post and a prompt device; the prompt device is disposed in the post to sense queuing state and outputs prompted information corresponding to the queuing state. 
         [0012]    In a preferred embodiment, the prompt device of the stanchion according the present invention comprises a sensor, an output unit and a control unit; the sensor senses the queuing state around the post; the control unit is coupled to the sensor and the output unit to receive the queuing state sensed by the sensor and send out the prompted information via the output unit. 
         [0013]    In a preferred embodiment, the sensor of the prompt device of the stanchion according the present invention is an infrared sensor. 
         [0014]    In a preferred embodiment, the prompt device of the stanchion according the present invention further comprises a transceiver unit which is coupled to the control unit to communicate with external servers or other stanchions. 
         [0015]    In a preferred embodiment, the transceiver unit of the prompt device of the stanchion according the present invention is a WiFi wireless transceiver unit to transmit signals to the control unit which amplifies and forwards the signals to provide a function of repeater. 
         [0016]    In a preferred embodiment, the prompt device of the stanchion according the present invention further comprises an illumination unit as a light source for illumination. 
         [0017]    In a preferred embodiment, the prompt device of the stanchion according the present invention further comprises a chargeable battery and a charging-discharging unit coupled to the control unit and the chargeable battery to store electric energy and charge external mobile devices. 
         [0018]    In a preferred embodiment, the prompt device of the stanchion according the present invention further comprises an input unit coupled to the control unit to reset an operation mode of the control unit. 
         [0019]    In a preferred embodiment, the output unit of the prompt device in the stanchion according the present invention has a display panel to display the prompted information. 
         [0020]    In a preferred embodiment, the output unit of the prompt device in the stanchion according the present invention has a voice generator to generate voice message standing for the prompted information. 
         [0021]    In a preferred embodiment, the output unit of the prompt device in the stanchion according the present invention further comprises a flexible barrier belt selected from flexible panel or industrial fabrics. 
         [0022]    In a preferred embodiment, the stanchion according the present invention further comprises a motor driving unit coupled to the control unit, which is disposed in the post and has a rotating shaft, and the flexible barrier belt is attached to the rotating shaft. 
         [0023]    In summary, a stanchion capable of providing prompted information according to the present invention employs a prompt device disposed in a post to sense a queuing state and outputs prompted information corresponding to the queuing state. Therefore, information helpful for people waiting in the queue is offered in addition to partitioning the queue along a moving line. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0024]    The detail structure, the applied principle, the function and the effectiveness of the present invention can be more fully understood with reference to following description and accompanying drawings, in which: 
           [0025]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of a stanchion capable of providing prompted information according to the present invention; 
           [0026]      FIG. 2  is an exploded perspective view of the stanchion capable of providing prompted information shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0027]      FIG. 3  is a block diagram of a prompt device employed in the stanchion capable of providing prompted information according to the present invention shown in  FIG. 1 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0028]    Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , perspective views of a preferred embodiment of a stanchion capable of providing prompted information according to the present invention and  FIG. 3  showing a block diagram of a prompt device in the stanchion are illustrated. A stanchion  10  shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2  comprises a post  11  and a prompt device  12 ; the prompt device  12  is arranged in the post  11  to sense a queuing state of a queue and output prompt messages base on the queuing state. 
         [0029]    The post  11  comprises a base  111 , a lower post part  112 , a left upper post cover half  113 , a right upper post cover half  114 , and a top upper post cover part  115 . The prompt device  12  shown in  FIG. 3  comprises a control unit  121  which is couple to a sensor  122  such as infrared sensor or photography device, an output unit  123 , an input unit  124 , a transceiver unit  125 , an illumination unit  126 , and a charging-discharging unit  127 , respectively, and a chargeable battery  128  which is coupled to the charging-discharging unit  127 . 
         [0030]    Wherein, the output unit  123  shown in  FIG. 2  is a display panel  1231  and/or a flexible barrier belt  1232 ; the display panel  1231  is capable of displaying the prompted information or other information such as advertisements, guides and notices; the flexible barrier belt  1232  is selected from flexible panels or industrial fabrics; alternatively, the output unit  123  shown in  FIG. 2  can be a voice generator  1233  which generates voice messages standing for the prompted information. Besides, in order to be capable of retracting the flexible barrier belt  1232  automatically, the stanchion  10  further comprises a motor driving unit  13  coupled to the control unit  121 . Of course, for the skill in the art, it is known that a mechanical device with a spiral spring can be employed to retract the flexible panel  1232  instead of the motor driving unit  13 . 
         [0031]    Referring to  FIG. 2  again, the base  111  contains the voice generator  1233  and a printed circuit board  21  which is integrated with the control unit  121 , the input unit  124 , the transceiver unit  125 , and the charging-discharging unit  127 ; the base  111  has an indentation for being overlapped and stored easily. The chargeable battery  128  is received in the lower post part  112  before the lower post part  112  is engaged to the base  111  with screws  22 . The illumination unit  126  such as light emitting diode is disposed at the lower post part  112  to guide people moving in the queue or as an emergency light source when necessary. 
         [0032]    The motor driving unit  13  is fastened to bottoms of the left upper post cover half  113  and the right upper post cover half  114  with screws  23  after the left and right upper cover halves  113 ,  114  being engaged with each other; the flexible barrier belt  1232  nonrotatably fits with a rotating shaft  131  of the motor driving unit  13 , and a retaining sleeve  132  is turned and fixed to the distal end of the rotating shaft  131  with an end of the flexible barrier belt  1232  fixedly pressing against a flange  133  on the rotating shaft  131  to prevent the flexible barrier belt  1232  from moving toward the distal end of the rotating shaft  131  and becoming loosening apart. 
         [0033]    Afterwards, the motor driving unit  13  is disposed at the upper hollow end of the lower post part  112  with the engaged left and right upper post cover halves  113 , 114  being steadily retained above the lower post part  112 ; further, the top upper post cover part  115  is joined to the engaged left and right upper post cover halves  113 ,  114  and the display panel  1231  is joined to the top upper post cover part  115  to compete the assembly. 
         [0034]    It can be seen in  FIG. 2  that there are four openings  25  disposed at the circumferential side of the engaged left and right upper post cover halves  113 ,  114  equidistantly. One of the openings  25  is capable of being passed through by the flexible barrier belt  1232 , and the other three openings  25  are available for being inserted with distal ends of other flexible barrier belts  1232  so as to be connected to other stanchions  10  selectively while a moving line layout being arranged. Thus, various moving line plans can be done conveniently. 
         [0035]    When in use, the sensor  122  is capable of detecting the queuing state around the post  11  and sends detected result to the control unit  121  such that the prompt message such as waiting time with the current queue length can be output via the display panel  1231 , flexible barrier belt  1232  and/or voice generator  1233  to allow people in the queue to predict how long they have to wait. Alternatively, the detected queuing state or the prompt message is transmitted to external server or other stanchions via the transceiver unit  125  such as WiFi wireless transceiver unit; further, when the control unit  121  amplifies and forwards signals received from the WiFi wireless transceiver unit  125  selectively, the stanchion  10  can provide a function of repeater as well. 
         [0036]    Besides, the chargeable battery  128  disposed in the lower post part  112  performs power charging and energy storing with the charging-discharging unit  127  disposed in the base  111  except supplying the power required by the stanchion  10 . The operation mode of the control unit  121  in the stanchion  10  can be reset via the input unit  124 . 
         [0037]    While the invention has been described with referencing to the preferred embodiment thereof, it is to be understood that modifications or variations may be easily made without departing from the spirit of this invention defined by the appended claims.