Wrong way indication beacon and related methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9805596-B2
Application number	US-201615223186-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 29, 2016
Priority date	Jul 31, 2015
Publication date	Oct 31, 2017
Grant date	Oct 31, 2017

Abstract

A wrong way vehicle detection system may include a warning station positioned along a roadway including a wrong way indication sign, a flashing beacon(s), a forward facing movement sensor facing away from the direction of oncoming traffic, and a rear facing movement sensor. A communications device and a controller may also be included, and the controller may be configured to operate the forward facing sensor to detect a wrong way vehicle on the roadway, and responsive to the detection activate the at least one flashing beacon and operate the rear facing movement sensor to detect movement of the wrong way vehicle beyond the at least one warning station. The controller may also be configured to, responsive to detection of the movement of the wrong way vehicle beyond the warning station, send a wrong way vehicle detection alert to an operations center via the communications device.

First claim

That which is claimed is:

1. A wrong way vehicle detection system comprising:
a warning station positioned along a roadway and comprising
a wrong way indication sign facing away from a direction of oncoming traffic on the roadway,
at least one flashing beacon adjacent the wrong way indication sign,
a forward facing movement sensor adjacent the wrong way indication sign and facing away from the direction of oncoming traffic on the roadway, and
a rear facing movement sensor adjacent the wrong way indication sign;

a communications device; and
a controller configured to
operate the forward facing movement sensor to detect a wrong way vehicle on the roadway,
responsive to the detection of the wrong way vehicle on the roadway by the forward facing movement sensor, activate the at least one flashing beacon and operate the rear facing movement sensor to detect movement of the wrong way vehicle beyond the at least one warning station, and
responsive to detection of the wrong way vehicle moving beyond the warning station, send a wrong way vehicle detection alert to an operations center via the communications device.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one flashing beacon comprises a pair of flashing beacons.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the at least one pair of flashing beacons comprises an upper pair of flashing beacons above the wrong way indication sign, and a lower pair of flashing beacons positioned below the wrong way indication sign.

4. The system of claim 2 wherein the controller operates the upper and lower pairs of flashing beacons out of phase with respect to one another.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the warning station further comprises a forward facing camera adjacent the wrong way indication sign and coupled to the controller; and wherein the controller further causes the forward facing camera to take a picture responsive to the forward facing movement sensor detecting the wrong way vehicle on the roadway.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the warning station further comprises a rear facing camera adjacent the wrong way indication sign and coupled to the controller; and wherein the controller further causes the rear facing camera to take a picture responsive to the rear facing movement sensor detecting movement of the wrong way vehicle beyond the warning station.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the warning station is positioned along an off ramp of a mainline roadway, and further comprising a camera positioned adjacent the intersection of the mainline roadway and the off ramp and configured to take a picture responsive to detecting movement of the wrong way vehicle beyond the warning station to confirm entry of the wrong way vehicle onto the mainline roadway.

8. The system of claim 1 further comprising an electronic message board positioned along the roadway and configured to display a wrong way driver warning message responsive to the wrong way vehicle detection alert.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein at least one of the forward facing and rear facing movement sensors comprises a radar sensor.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein at least one of the forward facing and rear facing movement sensors comprises a Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) sensor.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein the communications device comprises a cellular communications device.

12. A wrong way vehicle detection method for a warning station positioned along a roadway, the warning station comprising a wrong way indication sign facing away from a direction of oncoming traffic on the roadway, at least one flashing beacon adjacent the wrong way indication sign, a forward facing movement sensor adjacent the wrong way indication sign and facing away from the direction of oncoming traffic on the roadway, and a rear facing movement sensor adjacent the wrong way indication sign, the method comprising:
operating the forward facing movement sensor to detect a wrong way vehicle on the roadway;
responsive to the detection of the wrong way vehicle on the roadway by the forward facing movement sensor, activating the at least one flashing beacon and operating the rear facing movement sensor to detect movement of the wrong way vehicle beyond the at least one warning station using the controller; and
responsive to detection of the wrong way vehicle moving beyond the warning station, sending a wrong way vehicle detection alert to an operations center via a communications device using the controller.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the at least one flashing beacon comprises an upper pair of flashing beacons above the wrong way indication sign, and a lower pair of flashing beacons positioned below the wrong way indication sign.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein the warning station further comprises a forward facing camera adjacent the wrong way indication sign and coupled to the controller; and further comprising causing the forward facing camera to take a picture responsive to the forward facing movement sensor detecting the wrong way vehicle on the roadway using the controller.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein the warning station further comprises a rear facing camera adjacent the wrong way indication sign and coupled to the controller; and further comprising causing the rear facing camera to take a picture responsive to the rear facing movement sensor detecting movement of the wrong way vehicle beyond the warning station using the controller.

16. The method of claim 12 further comprising causing an electronic message board positioned along the roadway to display a wrong way driver warning message responsive to the wrong way vehicle detection alert using the controller.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable medium for use with a computer at a warning station positioned along a roadway, the warning station comprising a wrong way indication sign facing away from a direction of oncoming traffic on the roadway, at least one flashing beacon adjacent the wrong way indication sign, a forward facing movement sensor adjacent the wrong way indication sign and facing away from the direction of oncoming traffic on the roadway, and a rear facing movement sensor adjacent the wrong way indication sign, the non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for causing the computer to perform steps comprising:
operating the forward facing movement sensor to detect a wrong way vehicle on the roadway;
responsive to the detection of the wrong way vehicle on the vehicle on the roadway by the forward facing movement sensor, activating the at least one flashing beacon and operating the rear facing movement sensor to detect movement of the wrong way vehicle beyond the at least one warning station; and
responsive to the detection of the wrong way vehicle moving beyond the warning station, sending a wrong way vehicle detection alert to an operations center via the communications device.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17 wherein the at least one flashing beacon comprises an upper pair of flashing beacons above the wrong way indication sign, and a lower pair of flashing beacons positioned below the wrong way indication sign.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17 wherein the warning station further comprises a forward facing camera adjacent the wrong way indication sign; and further having computer-executable instructions for causing the computer to cause the forward facing camera to take a picture responsive to the forward facing movement sensor detecting the wrong way vehicle on th

Assignees

• Univ Central Florida Res Found Inc
• Central Florida Expressway Authority

Inventors

• Al-Deek Haitham
• Rogers Jr John Hill
• Quinn Corey

Classifications

• G06K9/00785

  Physics · mapped topic

• G08G1/164

  Centralised systems, e.g. external to vehicles · CPC title

• G08G1/056 Primary

  with provision for distinguishing direction of travel · CPC title

• G08G1/04

  using optical or ultrasonic detectors · CPC title

• G08G1/0116

  from roadside infrastructure, e.g. beacons · CPC title