EP1260954A2

EP1260954A2 - Electronic interactive system to give the alarm for an impeding danger along a path, particularly along a road

Info

Publication number: EP1260954A2
Application number: EP02425325A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Alessandro Rainaldi
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2001-05-23
Filing date: 2002-05-22
Publication date: 2002-11-27
Also published as: EP1260954A3; ITRM20010277A0; ITRM20010277A1

Abstract

The invention concerns to an electronic interactive system to give the alarm for an impeding danger along a path, particularly along a road comprising a transmitting element and a receiver element, provided on the vehicle, a device for activating the system and a warning element, said transmitter element transmitting on an established frequency and with an established code, said receiving element decoding the signal emitted by the transmitter element of another vehicle and activating said warning element.

Description

The present invention concerns an electronic interactive system to give the alarm for an impeding danger along a path, particularly along a road.
More particularly, the invention concerns a system of the above kind, that can be very easily adopted, without requiring a particularly sophisticated technology, and able to provide a visual and immediate help to those having the system on board the vehicle.
As it is well known, numerous are the car accidents occurring along the roads, either highways, "fast running" roads, or simple local roads, due to sudden caused stops of the traffic, with consequent collisions, since the approaching vehicles are often too much fast.
In fact, among the reasons of these accidents, the speed higher than the safety speed (even if respecting the speed limits provided by the rules of the road) along roads where an optimum visibility is not possible, such as close to a cat's back, when entering into a, or along a, tunnel, etc.
Other reasons for this kind of accidents are the scarce visibility due to the fog or other weather phenomenons; the attitude of the driver to get used to the speed, with the relevant "psychological illusion" that does not allow to perceive the stop of the circulation.
Many solutions have been suggested to try to limit this kind of accidents, said solutions all providing the information of the motorists about the accident by radio transmissions, or luminous road signals indicating the occurred accident, or in any case the slowing down or the queue.
However, none of the known solutions allows informing the motorists in a specific and immediate manner. In fact, even if it is true that the radio transmission allows to constantly provide said information, it is also true that they are not given to the approaching motorist in the second or minutes immediately after the "accident", so that the motorists arriving in the same place immediately after the event are exposed to the risk of causing an, or being involved in, an accident.
In view of the above, the Applicant has realised a system allowing an immediate information of the occurred accident, or in any case, of the queue to those approaching to the accident place and is provided with an analogous system.
These and other results are obtained according to the invention, suggesting an electronic interactive system that allows a direct dialog among the motorists having vehicles provided with the inventive system, in such a way that the one arriving first on the place individuates the obstacle and is able to speak with all those approaching in that zone about the occurrence of an anomalous event, and thus to be ready to consequently behave.
It is therefore specific object of the present invention an electronic interactive system to give the alarm for an impeding danger along a path, particularly along a road comprising a transmitting element and a receiver element, provided on the vehicle, a device for activating the system and a warning element, said transmitter element transmitting on an established frequency and with an established code, said receiving element decoding the signal emitted by the transmitter element of another vehicle and activating said warning element.
Preferably, according to the invention, said transmitter and receiver elements can be a single unit, or they can be separated.
Still according to the invention, said receiver element can provide a signal for the activation of the "muting" device of the HI-FI device.
Always according to the invention, said receiver element can be provided with relays, interrupting the connection with the loudspeakers of the HI-FI system.
Further, according to the invention, said transmitter and receiver elements can be provided with devices suitable to avoid superimposition and codes.
Furthermore, according to the invention, said transmitter and receiver elements can be provided with a signal amplifier.
Still according to the invention, the system can be provided with different codes to signal different emergencies.
Particularly, according to the invention, said activation device can be comprised of the parking indicator insertion button.
Furthermore, said warning element can be an acoustic and/or lighting warning.
The system suggested according to the present invention must be provided on vehicles and provides an electronic warning that, by its pulses, can interrupt the operation of the HI-FI system, provided with a "muting" function, provided on the other motor vehicles present within an established zone, e.g. a circle of 400 meters, and that are obviously provided with the system according to the invention.
Furthermore, the electronic warning element of the system according to the invention must activate a suitable acoustic signal of all the above mentioned vehicles, said last vehicles being qualified to transmit it again to the other approaching vehicles.
Obviously, as already said, the system according to the invention can also be provided on vehicles the HI-FI system of which is not provided with the muting function, in this case the system providing a device allowing to temporarily exclude the loudspeakers of the system to receive the signal.
In case of a forced slowing down, vehicle approaching to the accident place, must alert the following vehicles to avoid possible collisions, or other different consequences.
To obtain this result, it is necessary to activate the activation device of the system according to the invention that can be particularly comprised of the "parking indicator".
Said activation automatically switches on the alarm device on the vehicles providing the system according to the invention, and arriving to the accident place. Said alarm device determines the provisional replacement of the output from the Hi-fi system with the danger signal.
As already said, the system according to the invention can provide the receiver and the transmitter elements as a single unit, or they can be separately provided on the vehicle.
The transmitter element emits a signal on a established frequency and a code standardised for all the devices of the system according to the invention. It is further possible to personalise the identification code, in such a way that the receiver device individuates and memorises the transmitter emitting the signal, in this way being it possible to avoid abuses of the use of the system according to the invention.
The receiver can decode the signal and thus activate the device signalling the risk, eventually using the signal for the activation of the muting function that can be provided on the HI-FI system. The signalling device can be a lighting and/or acoustic device.
Furthermore, the receiver of the system according to the invention can be provided with relays interrupting the connection with the loudspeakers, in case it is wished to artificially create the muting if the HI-FI system is not provided with said function, but the vehicle is provided with the inventive system.
The transmitter and receiver elements can be also provided with devices suitable to prevent superimposition of frequencies and codes that could prevent the receiver to recognise the activation of the transmitter in case more than one devices are transmitting.
As already said, the receiver and the transmitter elements can also be provided with a signal amplifier.
Finally, the system according to the invention can also provide other codes to signal other possible emergencies.
The present invention has been described for illustrative but not limitative purposes, according to its preferred embodiments, but it is to be understood that modifications and/or changes can be introduced by those skilled in the art without departing from the relevant scope as defined in the enclosed claims.

Claims

Electronic interactive system to give the alarm for an impeding danger along a path, particularly along a road, characterised in that it comprises a transmitting element and a receiver element, provided on the vehicle, a device for activating the system and a warning element, said transmitter element transmitting on an established frequency and with an established code, said receiving element decoding the signal emitted by the transmitter element of another vehicle and activating said warning element.
Electronic interactive system to give the alarm for an impeding danger along a path according to claim 1, characterised in that said transmitter and receiver elements are a single unit.
Electronic interactive system to give the alarm for an impeding danger along a path according to claim 1, characterised in that said transmitter and receiver elements are separated.
Electronic interactive system to give the alarm for an impeding danger along a path according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that said receiver element provides a signal for the activation of the "muting" device of the HI-FI device.
Electronic interactive system to give the alarm for an impeding danger along a path according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that said receiver element is provided with relays, interrupting the connection with the loudspeakers of the HI-FI system.
Electronic interactive system to give the alarm for an impeding danger along a path according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that said transmitter and receiver elements are provided with devices suitable to avoid superimposition and codes.
Electronic interactive system to give the alarm for an impeding danger along a path according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that said transmitter and receiver elements are provided with a signal amplifier.
Electronic interactive system to give the alarm for an impeding danger along a path according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the system is provided with different codes to signal different emergencies.
Electronic interactive system to give the alarm for an impeding danger along a path according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that said activation device is comprised of the parking indicator insertion button.
Electronic interactive system to give the alarm for an impeding danger along a path according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that said warning element is an acoustic and/or lighting warning.