Communications: electrical – Condition responsive indicating system – Specific condition
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-17
2001-12-04
Hofsass, Jeffery (Department: 2632)
Communications: electrical
Condition responsive indicating system
Specific condition
C340S602000, C340S905000, C702S003000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06326893
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a process for producing an early warning signal of slick conditions in a system for easy warning of slick road conditions as well as a process for the provision of at least one virtual measuring station in a system for early warning of slick road conditions. The invention further relates to a warning device for slick road conditions having at least one, automatic measuring station and at least one evaluating device as well as a process and a warning device for slick road conditions.
2. Discussion of the Background Information
Early warning of slick conditions is understood to mean the short-term forecast of icing on roads and bridges. The purpose of this early warning is the specific preventive use of the “scattering” service or automatic melting agent spray apparatus for avoiding hazardous road conditions.
Currently, the early warning of slick conditions is carried out for predetermined points in the road system at which measuring stations with active or passive probes are provided, which stations detect the initial formation of slick conditions. Thus, probes are provided in particular for the air temperature, the ground temperature, the moisture on the roadway, and the precipitation, as well as probes for the freezing temperature of the liquid present on the roadway. The readings of the probes are transmitted to an evaluating device that derives an alarm announcement from the measured values. The early warnings of slick conditions are thus limited to short selected sections of the road on which the measuring stations are arranged. An extension of the early warning of slick conditions to more sections of the road requires the installation of more measuring stations, such that reasons of cost hinder the per se desirable extensive coverage of the road system with measuring stations. It has therefore been proposed to achieve a broad-coverage early warning of slick conditions by recording information on the entire road system by thermography and to derive an early warning of slick conditions therefrom. In order to achieve broad-coverage early warning of slick conditions, the surface temperature of the road surface is thermographed in the entire road system on three different nights with different weather conditions. This yields three characteristic temperature profiles that show “cold” or “warn” sections of the road. These profiles are invoked for spatial interpolation of the present state of the roads outside the measuring station. This method has disadvantages. First, the number of temperature profiles is not nearly sufficient to cover all weather situations and times of day, which is tantamount to a coarse simplification of the interpolation, which can lead to loss of information throughout. Secondly, the dynamics of heat and moisture exchange are not taken into consideration, since each thermal cartogram is necessarily a snapshot of the road conditions. The danger of slick conditions on a road section, however, depends on the previous weather conditions.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a process by which an extensive recording of information on the road system and an accurate early warning of slick conditions is possible at low cost.
According to the present invention, at least one virtual measuring station is operated for which an early signal of slick conditions can be produced.
By creating simulated or “virtual” measuring stations at any desired predetermined points in the road system, the coverage of the road system can be increased so appreciably that virtually complete recording is possible without great expenditure on apparatus. The virtual measuring stations are provided thereby with measurement data from real measuring stations (which does not, however, exclude the possibility of also equipping such a simulated measuring station with a probe actually present at the predetermined point) and have a site-specific set of parameters. The simulated measuring station can be formed thereby in the evaluating device or in a separate circuit.
The present invention furthermore provides create a process for providing such virtual measuring stations. In this regard, the site of the virtual measuring station in the road system is stipulated, and a determination is made about which meteorological data from which meteorological measuring stations are assigned to the virtual measuring station. Further, specific parameters are assigned to the virtual measuring station features of claim
10
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The present invention furthermore provides create a device for early warning of slick road conditions in which the broadest possible coverage of the road system is possible with a low expenditure on equipment.
A device for early warning of slick road conditions includes at least one virtual measuring station which is provided for producing an early warning signal of slick conditions.
A process and a device for early warning of slick road conditions are furthermore provided which that allow the degree of cloud cover to be determined in as low-maintenance and cost-effective a manner as possible.
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Nefzger et al., “Einfluss von Strahlung und Mikroklima auf Strassenwetterprognosen”, Bunderesministerium für wirtschalftliche Strassenforschung, No. 446, Part 3 (Energiebilanzmodell zur Prognose der Fahrbahnoberflächentemperatur) (1997).
Funcken et al., “Thermographie Routiere Nocturne de la Region Wallonne: Methodologie et Presentation des Resultats, interet de L'Approche Topoclimatologique”, Laboratoire de Climatologie at de Topoclimataologie (1998).
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Shao et al., “An Automated Nowcasting Model for Road Surface Temperature and State for Winter Road Maintenance,”Journal of Applied Meteorology, vol. 35, No. 8, XP-000884600, ISSN: 0894-8763, pp. 1352-1361 (Aug. 1996).
Boschung, Jr. Marcel
Heierlj Joachim
Boschung Mecatronic AG
Greenblum & Bernstein P.L.C.
Hofsass Jeffery
La Anh
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