Method of controlling motion of mobile warning triangle and mobile warning triangle applicant in the method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11760260-B2
Application number	US-202117329896-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 25, 2021
Priority date	Aug 21, 2020
Publication date	Sep 19, 2023
Grant date	Sep 19, 2023

Abstract

A method for controlling the motion of a mobile warning triangle for suitable placement on a roadway acquires information as to color of the lane markings detected by a sensor. When the mobile warning triangle is first placed on the roadway, the sensor is preset in position to detect the lane marking. White or yellow color information of the lane marking or of the black-colored roadway are detected or are not detected by the sensor, and deviations from a required path are recognized when different colors are received in certain combinations by the sensor. If no deviation is recognized in the colors, the mobile warning triangle continues moving forward. If a deviation in colors is recognized, the mobile warning triangle is controlled to hunt to the left and right through one or more predetermined angles to try to detect or redetect the lane marking.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of controlling a mobile warning triangle, the mobile warning triangle comprising a sensor, the method comprising:
controlling the mobile warning triangle to move forward along a lane marking of a road and acquiring color information detected by the sensor, wherein the mobile warning triangle is placed on the road and the sensor is aimed at the lane marking of the road;
determining whether the lane marking of the road is detected by the sensor according to the color information detected by the sensor during the mobile warning triangle moving forward;
controlling the mobile warning triangle to continue moving forward if the color information detected by the sensor corresponds to the lane marking of the road;
obtaining first deviation information of a central axis of the mobile warning triangle with respect to the lane marking of the road and rotating the central axis of the mobile warning triangle to a first direction by a first predetermined angle if the color information detected by the sensor does not correspond to the lane marking of the road;
rotating again the central axis of the mobile warning triangle to a second direction by a second predetermined angle if the color information detected by the sensor still does not correspond to the lane marking of the road during the rotating of the mobile warning triangle to the first direction by the first predetermined angle, wherein the first direction is an opposite direction from the second direction;
controlling the mobile warning triangle to suspend rotating the central axis and obtaining second deviation information of the central axis of the mobile warning triangle with respect to the lane marking of the road once the color information detected by the sensor corresponds to the lane marking of the road during the rotating of the mobile warning triangle to the second direction by the second predetermined angle;
calculating a first deflection angle based on the first deviation information and the second deviation information of the central axis of the mobile warning triangle; and
rotating again the central axis of the mobile warning triangle to the first direction by twice the first deflection angle and controlling the mobile warning triangle to continue moving forward until the lane marking of the road is detected by the sensor.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
controlling the mobile warning triangle to suspend rotating the central axis and obtaining third deviation information of the central axis of the mobile warning triangle with respect to the lane marking of the road once the color information detected by the sensor corresponds to the lane marking of the road during the rotating of the mobile warning triangle to the first direction by the first predetermined angle;
calculating a second deflection angle based on the first deviation information and the third deviation information of the central axis of the mobile warning triangle; and
rotating again the central axis of the mobile warning triangle to the second direction by twice the second deflection angle and controlling the mobile warning triangle to continue moving forward until the lane marking of the road is detected by the sensor.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
determining that the mobile warning triangle is deviated to the lane marking of the road and tilted toward the first direction when the color information detected by the sensor corresponds to the lane marking of the road during the rotating of the mobile warning triangle to the first direction by the first predetermined angle.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining that the mobile warning triangle is deviated to the lane marking of the road and tilted toward the second direction when the color information detected by the sensor corresponds to the lane marking of the road during the rotating of the mobile warning triangle to the second direction by the second predetermined angle.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the mobile warning triangle further comprises a coercion mode, the method further comprises:
controlling the mobile warning triangle to enter the coercion mode and redetermining whether the lane marking of the road is detected by the sensor in the coercion mode if the color information detected by the sensor does not correspond to the lane marking of the road during the rotating of the mobile warning triangle to the second direction by the second predetermined angle;
wherein in the coercion mode, the mobile warning triangle is rotated to an angle opposite to a last rotating angle, and moves forward for a first predetermined distance.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:
controlling the mobile warning triangle to stop moving after the lane marking of the road is still not detected by the sensor in the coercion mode.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the mobile warning triangle further comprises a coercion mode, the method of obtaining the first deviation information of the central axis of the mobile warning triangle with respect to the lane marking of the road and rotating the central axis of the mobile warning triangle to the first direction by the first predetermined angle comprises:
determining whether the mobile warning triangle is in the coercion mode if the color information detected by the sensor does not correspond to is the lane marking of the road;
obtaining the first deviation information of the central axis of the mobile warning triangle with respect to the lane marking of the road and rotating the central axis of the mobile warning triangle to the first direction by the first predetermined angle if the mobile warning triangle is not in the coercion mode; and
determining whether the lane marking of the road is detected by the sensor if the mobile warning triangle is in the coercion mode;
wherein in the coercion mode, the mobile warning triangle is rotated to an angle opposite to a last rotating angle, and moves forward for a first predetermined distance.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first direction is the right of the central axis of the mobile warning triangle, and the second direction is the left of the central axis of the mobile warning triangle.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first direction is the left of the central axis of the mobile warning triangle, and the second direction is the right of the central axis of the mobile warning triangle.

10. A mobile warning triangle comprising:
a warning triangle;
at least two wheels;
a sensor;
at least one processor; and
a storage device storing one or more programs which when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to:
control the mobile warning triangle to move forward along a lane marking of a road and acquire color information detected by the sensor, wherein the mobile warning triangle is placed on the road and the sensor is aimed at the lane marking of the road;

determine whether the lane marking of the road is detected by the sensor according to the color information detected by the sensor during the mobile warning triangle moving forward;
control the mobile warning triangle to continue moving forward if the color information detected by the sensor corresponds to the lane marking of the road;
obtain first deviation information of a central axis of the mobile warning triangle with respect to the lane marking of the road and rotate the central axis of the mobile warning triangle to a first direction by a first predetermined angle if the color information detected by the sensor does not correspond to the lane marking of the road;
rotate again the central axis of the mobile warning triangle to a second direction

Assignees

• Fulian Prec Electronics Tianjin Co Ltd

Inventors

• Chien Yu-Ching
• Tseng Chuang-Wei

Classifications

• B60Q7/00 Primary

  Arrangement or adaptation of portable emergency signal devices on vehicles · CPC title

• G09F7/00

  Signs, name or number plates, letters, numerals, or symbols (vehicle registration number plates B60R13/10); Panels or boards (show-cards G09F1/00; indicating arrangements for variable information G09F9/00, G09F11/00; illuminated signs G09F13/00; boards for notices or posters G09F15/00) · CPC title

• G09F2007/005

  Signs associated with a sensor · CPC title

• E01F9/629

  Traffic guidance, warning or control posts, bollards, pillars or like upstanding bodies or structures · CPC title

• G06V10/56

  relating to colour · CPC title