The present invention generally relates to the variable display devices using a B-series codified instruction road sign, in particular of the B14 regulatory speed-limitation road sign type. It hence relates in particular to the traditional B14-codified road sign of the free-standing metallic type and displaying the speed limit in a white-background display area at the centre of a red-colour ring. However, it may be applied to other types of instruction road signs and to other fields than the road traffic and, for example, to the field of rail or fluvial/maritime signs but with codifications or standardizations adapted to the concerned domain.
Variable road speed-limitation luminous display systems are known. They have the same regulatory force as the traditional B14 fixed-display metallic road signs on which the indicated speed is painted, printed, screen printed or added, in particular on an adhesive film. However, used to the traditional B14 fixed-display metallic road signs, the motorists are tempted to consider with less attention the variable luminous road signs. Moreover, along certain traffic lane sections having both luminous road signs and traditional fixed road signs, the presence of a sequence of contradictory speed-limitation information displayed on the luminous road signs and on the fixed road signs may generate lacks of understanding from the drivers and generate dangerous behaviours such as untimely accelerations and decelerations.
It is hence interesting as regards the security and the respect of speed limitations to use conventional road signs. However, these conventional road signs are of the fixed display type, which prevents or limits the use thereof in areas in which the speed limit must be frequently modified due to the fact that it would be necessary to change them.
Variable instruction road signs are known from the documents WO-86/06860A1, US-5.493.292A and JP-H07-3730A. These road signs have a rotatable part that is centred on the circular front plate of the road sign.
Generally, the invention relates to a device for displaying an instruction using an instruction road sign having an aspect according to the B codification or equivalent, the road sign including a flat, circular front plate with a front, display face and a rear face, opposite to the front face, the front face of said road sign displaying substantially at the centre thereof, in an instruction display area, an instruction consisted of several symbols of codified size and typography.
According to the general principle of the invention, the displayed instruction may be modified by changing at least one of the symbols, called modifiable symbol, of the instruction, and the display area includes at said at least one modifiable symbol an opening through the front plate and the road sign further includes, on the side of the rear face of the front plate, at least one mobile flat support on which a set of substitution symbols is represented, said front plate and said at least one mobile flat support being parallel to each other, said at least one mobile flat support having a maximum lateral extent comprised within the size of the front plate, wherein each substitution symbol can be brought, by at least one actuator of said at least one mobile flat support, opposite the opening for making it visible from the front of the road sign, and hence creating an instruction display function of said substitution symbol made visible, the mobile flat support or at least one of the mobile flat supports being a disc rotatable about the centre thereof, the centre of the rotatable disc being laterally offset with respect to the centre of the circular front plate.
In order to allow, in the case of the B14-codified road signs, a variable display of the speed that is more surely respected, it is proposed a road sign with a variable display of the speed limit, which is in a traditional shape and hence according to the B14 codification. Moreover, this road sign requires no direct human intervention for changing the display because it is remote controlled and autonomous.
Hence, in the case of the B14-codified road signs, the present invention relates to a device for displaying a speed limitation using a road sign having an aspect according to the B14 codification or equivalent, the road sign including a flat, circular front plate with a front, display face and a rear face, opposite to the front face, the front face of said road sign displaying substantially at the centre thereof, in a speed display area, a numerical value of speed limit, each character of which is of the Arabic numeral type of codified size and typography.
According to the invention, the displayed numerical value may be modified by changing at least one of the characters, called modifiable character, of the numerical value, and the display area includes, at said at least one modifiable character, an opening through the front plate and the road sign further includes, on the side of the rear face of the front plate, at least one mobile flat support on which a set of substitution digits is represented, said front plate and said at least one mobile flat support being parallel to each other, said at least one mobile flat support having a maximum lateral extent comprised within the size of the front plate, wherein each substitution digit can be brought, by at least one actuator of said at least one mobile flat support, opposite the opening for making it visible from the front of the road sign, and hence creating a numerical value display function of said substitution digit made visible, the mobile flat support or at least one of the mobile flat supports being a disc rotatable about the centre thereof, the centre of the rotatable disc being laterally offset with respect to the centre of the circular front plate.
In various embodiments of the invention, the following means, which can be used alone or according to any technically possible combination, are used:
the symbols are pictograms,
the pictograms represent elements chosen among, in particular, a bicycle, a moped, a motorcycle, a car, a truck, a bus, a parking prohibition period, a pattern for switching from a parking prohibition to a stopping prohibition, a road sign display part,
the instruction is a spacing distance, the symbols being numeric characters of the Arabic numeral type and the road sign is codified B17,
the instruction is a speed limitation, the road sign being a B14-codified speed-limitation road sign, the instruction being consisted of several symbols forming a numerical value of speed limitation, the symbols being numeric characters, each numeric character being of the Arabic numeral type, the modifiable symbols being modifiable numeric characters, the substitution symbols being substitution digits, the front face of said road signal displaying, substantially at the centre thereof, in a speed display area, the numerical value of speed limitation, and the road sign further includes, on the side of the rear face of the front plate, said at least one mobile flat support on which a set of substitution digits is represented, said front plate and said at least one mobile flat support being parallel to each other, said at least one mobile flat support having a maximum lateral extent comprised within the size of the front plate, wherein each substitution digit can be brought, by said at least one actuator of said at least one mobile flat support, opposite the opening for making it visible from the front of the road sign, and hence creating a numerical value display function of said substitution digit made visible, the mobile flat support or at least one of the mobile flat supports being a disc rotatable about the centre thereof, the centre of the rotatable disc being laterally offset with respect to the centre of the circular front plate.
the numerical value of speed limitation is expressed in tens (of km/h or miles/h),
the numerical value of speed limitation is expressed in hundreds (of km/h or miles/h),
the tens character of the numerical value of speed limitation is substitutable,
the hundreds character of the numerical value of speed limitation is substitutable,
one of the substitution symbols of the set of substitution symbols is an absence of symbol corresponding to a uniform background colour of the display area,
the road sign includes one mobile flat support per substitution symbol,
the road sign includes one mobile flat support for one sub-set of the substitution symbols,
the road sign includes one mobile flat support for all the substitution symbols,
one of the substitution digits of the set of substitution digits, the hundreds' one, is an absence of digit corresponding to a uniform background colour of the speed display area to allow the display of a numerical value of speed limitation in tens or hundreds,
the road sign includes one mobile flat support per substitution digit,
the road sign includes one mobile flat support for one sub-set of substitution digits,
the road sign includes one mobile flat support for all the substitution digits,
the road sign further includes, on the side of the rear face of the front plate, a fixed flat support including a modifiable character and a second mobile flat support with at least one substitution digit for the modifiable character of the fixed flat support, the second mobile flat support being arranged in front of the fixed flat support, the flat supports being parallel to each other and to the front plate,
the front plate is stiff,
the front plate is a non-metallic plate, including in particular a synthetic material,
the front plate is a metallic plate,
the mobile flat support is stiff,
the mobile flat support is a non-metallic plate, including in particular a synthetic material,
the mobile flat support is a metallic plate,
the front faces of the front plate and of the mobile flat support(s) are reflective,
the actuator is electric and the display device is provided with an autonomous power supply with an electric battery recharged by photovoltaic cells of said device, said device being remote controllable and further including a computer control device, at least one mobile flat support position sensor, and a radio transceiver allowing, on the one hand, receiving commands by radio and, on the other hand, transmitting information, the commands received being at least commands for displaying a determined instruction, in particular a determined speed, and the information transmitted being at least information relating to the display state,
the display device is remote controlled via wireless telecommunication,
the display device further includes a local control means, the computer control device including inputs-outputs with a display and a keyboard,
the display device further includes an electric or optical wireline telecommunication means, the computer control device including inputs-outputs with a wireline link,
the circular flat plate of the road sign includes or forms an antenna,
the rear closing back of the road signal includes or forms an antenna,
the actuator is an electric motor,
the electric motor includes a gear motor,
the actuator is an electromagnet,
the actuation by the electromagnet is bistable, the electromagnet control being able to stay in two distinct stable positions without powering of the magnet,
the road sign includes a single mobile flat support that is a disc rotatable about the centre thereof for all the substitution symbols, in particular substitution digits, each substitution symbol, in particular substitution digit, occupying a proper radial/angular sector of said mobile disc,
the substitution digits are represented on the disc in such an orientation that the height of each digit is substantially perpendicular to the bisectrix of the corresponding radial sector,
in the case of a road sign with a single mobile flat support, the mobile disc is arranged parallel to the plan of the front plate and substantially against the rear face of said front plate,
the road signal includes from the front to the rear, the front plate, a second mobile flat support that is circular and the mobile disc, the second circular flat support being rotatable about the centre thereof and including at least one substitution digit and at least one opening through it, the flat supports being parallel to each other and to the front plate,
the road signal includes from the front to the rear, the front plate, a second mobile flat support, a fixed flat support and the mobile disc, the fixed flat support including a symbol that is modifiable, in particular a numeric character that is modifiable, by masking by a substitution symbol, in particular a substitution digit, of the second mobile flat support, the fixed flat support further including an opening through it for displaying at least one of the substitution symbols, in particular substitution digits, of the mobile disc, the flat supports being parallel to each other and to the front plate,
the second mobile flat support has a proper actuator,
the actuator of the second mobile flat support is an electric motor,
the actuator of the second mobile flat support is an electromagnet,
the second mobile flat support is stiff,
the second mobile flat support is a non-metallic plate, including in particular a synthetic material,
the second mobile flat support is a metallic plate,
the fixed flat support is stiff,
the fixed flat support is a non-metallic plate, including in particular a synthetic material,
the fixed flat support is a metallic plate,
the front faces of the second mobile flat support and of the fixed flat support are reflective,
the mobility of the second mobile flat support is controlled by the rotation of the mobile disc,
the second mobile flat support is scissor mobile and the control thereof by the rotation of the mobile disc is cam-based,
the actuator of the mobile disc is a fixed electric motor driving into rotation a toothed wheel meshing with teeth arranged at the periphery of said mobile disc,
the actuator for rotating the mobile disc is bidirectional, the mobile disc being able to turn in one direction or the other,
the actuator for rotating the mobile disc is unidirectional, the mobile disc always turning in the same direction,
the actuator of the mobile disc is a fixed electromagnet, moving through pulses a driving cam coming into driving engagement with one tooth at a time among teeth arranged on the mobile disc, the mobile disc further including a ratchet mechanism making the rotation thereof unidirectional,
the road sign including a single mobile flat support, herein the mobile disc, is intended for displaying numerical values of speed limitation with exclusively two characters or exclusively three characters,
the road sign including a second mobile flat support, a fixed flat support and the mobile disc, is intended for displaying two- or three-character numerical values of speed limitation,
the mobile disc is integral with the remaining of the road sign, while being free in rotation, through an axis passing through the centre of said mobile disc,
the mobile disc is integral with the remaining of the road sign, while being free in rotation, through, on the one hand, the toothed driving wheel driven by the electric motor and meshing with teeth arranged at the periphery of said mobile disc and, on the other hand, at least two idle toothed wheels, meshing which the teeth arranged at the periphery of said mobile disc, the teethed driving wheel and the at least two idle toothed wheels being distributed over the perimeter of said mobile disc, front and/or rear rails, potentially removable, being possibly applied against one/several parts of the front and/or rear face of the mobile disc,
the mobile disc is integral with the remaining of the road sign, while being free in rotation, through, on the one hand, the toothed driving wheel driven by the electric motor and meshing with teeth arranged at the periphery of said mobile disc and, on the other hand, at least two idle toothed wheels, meshing which the teeth arranged at the periphery of said mobile disc, the teethed driving wheel and the at least two idle toothed wheels being distributed over the perimeter of said mobile disc, the mobile disc being moreover applied, forward, against the rear face of the front plate and, rearward, against a front face of a motor support plate arranged on the rear of said mobile disc, said applications being preferably performed through reduced-friction elements,
one of the substitution digits of the set of substitution digits is an absence of digit corresponding to a uniform background colour of the speed display area,
the mobile flat support position sensor is electro-optic, an electro-optic sensor detecting optically-readable marks on the mobile flat support,
the mobile flat support position sensor is electro-mechanic, a contactor being actuated by at least one indexing finger of the mobile flat support,
the mobile flat support position sensor is electro-mechanic, a flexible-blade contactor being actuated by at least one indexing magnet of the mobile flat support,
the road sign includes a single substitutable character of speed limitation numerical value, said substitutable character being a tens character and the mobile disc including three substitution digits,
the three substitution digits for the tens are a triplet chosen among a combination of three of the following digits: “0” “1” “2” “4” “3” “5” “6” “7” “8” and “9”,
the numerical value of speed limitation that can be displayed is higher than or equal to 100 and the three substitution digits for the tens are a triplet chosen among a combination of three of the following digits: “0” “1” “2” “3”,
the numerical value of speed limitation that can be displayed is higher than or equal to 100 and the three substitution digits for the tens are “0” “1” “3”,
the numerical value of speed limitation that can be displayed is lower than 100 and the three substitution digits for the tens are a triplet chosen among a combination of three of the following digits: “3” “4” “5” “6” “7” “8” and “9”,
the numerical value of speed limitation that can be displayed is lower than 100 and the three substitution digits for the tens are “5” “7” “9”,
the numerical value of speed limitation that can be displayed is lower than 100 and the three substitution digits for the tens are “6” “8” “9”,
the road sign includes two substitutable characters of speed limitation numerical value, said substitutable characters being a hundreds and tens characters and the mobile disc including a set of pairs of substitution digits, each pair including a representation for the tens and a representation for the hundreds,
one of the substitution digits for the hundreds is an absence of character in order to be able to display a numerical value of speed limitation lower than 100,
the mobile disc includes two distinct sets of substitution digits on its two opposite faces and the mobile disc may be mounted in one direction or the other to allow displaying either one of the two sets,
the mobile disc with two distinct sets of substitution digits on its two opposite faces is dismountable et remountable,
in the case of a mobile disc with two distinct sets of substitution digits on its two opposite faces, said at least one mobile flat support position sensor further allows detecting the set intended to be displayed,
the road sign further includes a plate and a rear closing back, the actuator being fixed on the plate and the mobile disc being integral with said plate, while being free in rotation, through an axis passing through the centre of said mobile disc,
on the rear face side of the front plate, the edge of the opening through the front plate includes a strip of flexible material intended to form a gasket between said front plate and the flat support just behind said front plate, in order to reduce the passage of water and/or insects between both,
a flexible scraper is arranged on the rear face side of the front plate to scrape, during the displacements thereof, the surface of the mobile flat support just behind said front plate, in order to eliminate the potential deposits that could have been deposited on said mobile flat support,
the display device further includes at least one monitoring or environment sensor,
the monitoring sensor is chosen among one or several of at least intrusion, impact, inclination, fire detection,
the environment sensor is chosen among one or several of at least temperature, rain, fog, position, illumination, circulation speed (radar), vehicle traffic count detection,
the display device further includes a computer address accessible on a computer network, preferably an INTERNET or INTRANET address on an INTERNET or INTRANET network, and the remote control is made through said computer address on said network,
the wireless remote control for the display device at an INTERNET address implements in particular Wi-Fi® or GSM® or CPRS® or UMTS®, Lora®, Sigfox®, Zigbee®, Bluetooth® remote control,
the remote control implements any suitable protocol as in particular and also TEDI/LCR (“Telecommunications and Information Exchange between Systems/Road Control Language”), Modbus, Diaser, as well any other proprietary or specific protocol,
the display device with wireless remote control further includes a repeater or bridge intended to relay a remote control for another remote display device,
a wireless network is created in a set of display devices connected to each other through their repeaters or bridges,
at least certain of the display devices of the set forming the network are accessible to private users, in particular the maintenance or management personnel circulating on the roads or motorways, who can connect to said network,
at least certain of the display devices of the set forming the network are accessible to the public, in particular the motorists, who can connect to said network.
The device of the invention responds to the needs of traffic control by modifying temporarily the speed limitation. This may be useful for the management of pollution peaks, the adaptation to unfavourable meteorological conditions, in case of punctual events as a sport or cultural event, works, an anticipation of the road network overloads (holidays departures) or any operation of speed control. It ensures a certain credibility and an impact of the limitation messages displayed. The proposed device moreover offers an economic and easy-to-implement solution for speed limitations. In particular, it does not require civil engineering operations for the connection of a power and communication network because it is autonomous and remote controlled. Moreover, it allows an implantation in lieu of traditional police road signs, with a standard mounting on an existing pole without complementary civil engineering to reinforce the existing base block.
The implementation of an offsetting of the axis of rotation of the mobile disc with respect to the general shape of the road sign is particularly well adapted to complex displays of symbols, only a part of which is substitutable, compared with displays of simples figures or with whole display substitutions.
The following description in relation with the appended drawings, given by way of non-limitative examples, will allow a good understanding of what the invention is consisted in and how it may be implemented.
In the appended drawings:
In the following, we will essentially describe in details a device for displaying an instruction, which is a speed limitation, using a B14-codified road sign, the symbols being hence numeric characters in the form of digits.
The road sign of the device of the invention may be made in various ways. Two exemplary embodiments will hence be presented, a first one in which the speed display is two-digit-based and a second one in which the display is two- or three-digit-based.
In its general principle, the road sign device of the invention is based on three main elements: a specific display mechanism, an open and evolving control system and a very reduced power consumption allowing making it fully power autonomous.
Basically, the display system of the road sign is consisted of two main means, possibly repeated: a fixed part and a mobile part, wherein each can be consisted of one or several elements. In the simplest embodiments, the fixed part, called the front plate, is openwork and represents the display area common to all the messages to be displayed. In the case of a police road sign of the B14 type, this part is on the front, essentially flat and circular, and represents the white background, the red ring and the digit “0” for the units. This fixed part is made on the basis of a stiff substrate (sheet) on which a retro-reflective coating is applied. Still in the simplest implementations, the mobile part is a flat mobile disc of circular shape. The latter is made on the basis of a stiff substrate (sheet) on which a retro-reflective coating is applied. In the case of a police road sign of the B14 type, this mobile part represents the different digits of the tens to be displayed in the case of a simple road sign. The mobile part of such a simple road sign is moved by a mechanism that ensures the rotation and the positioning thereof as a function of the digit to be displayed, as well as the holding in position once the desired speed displayed. This mechanism is for example consisted of the following elements:
In the case of a disc constituting the mobile part and on which we find the different substitutable digits to be displayed in the opening of the front plate, the mobile disc is free in rotation about its central axis and its periphery is provided with meshing teeth. The corrugated wheel of the gear motor allows driving the disc into rotation by meshing with the teeth of the disc.
It can be noted that the combination of the motor and the gear-motor device allows consuming electric power only when the mobile disc is moved. The gear-motor device also allows holding the disc in stable position when the motor is no longer powered.
Making more complex display sequences, allowing in particular displaying tens or hundreds, may require completing the above mechanism with a second mobile part and a fixed part, to take into account the different letter sizes according to whether two-digit or three-digit limitations are displayed. The second mobile part allows occulting one of the digits, herein the units, and replacing/substituting it.
The first exemplary embodiment in which the speed limitation display is two-digit based will now be described more precisely.
In
The rear closing lid 13 includes openings 14 closed by access doors/flaps 15 and allowing acceding to inner components of the road sign. These inner components are in particular the gear-motor electric actuator 11 and position sensors 12 for the mobile disc 9. The plate 10 that is fixed to the closing back 13 allows fixing the electric actuator 11 and the position sensors 12 as well as, possibly, other devices (not shown) as, in particular, a computer control device, a radio transceiver and an electric battery that is recharged by the photovoltaic panel 4. Fixation and clamping collars 17 installed on the rear face of the back 13 allow the fixation to the pole 3.
As visible in
Still in
A second exemplary embodiment allowing displaying the speed limitation in tens or in hundreds will now be presented. Three display possibilities are shown on the road sign of
As can be seen in
Other types of mobilities of this second mobile flat support may however be implemented, for example, a single or double vertical slider mobility or a more complex translation of the iris diaphragm type. In any case, the circular mobile flat support 21 and the second mobile flat support 22 (in this example, scissor-mobile) are mobile in plans that are parallel to each other and to the front face of the road sign and to the fixed flat support 23. Windows/openings, 8, 25 and 24, respectively, are made through the front plate 2, the second mobile flat support 22 and the fixed flat support 23 so as to allow the correct display according to the various possible substitutions.
In the road sign device of the invention, the mechanism allowing the moving of the mobile flat support(s) is piloted by a computer control device made in the form of an electronic card that ensures all the control and command functions. Moreover, the device is power autonomous and includes a power-storage battery that is recharged by an electric generator consisted of photovoltaic cells. Optionally, a wind turbine may complete the recharging means.
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Indeed, the whole display device of the invention is designed to reduce maximally the power consumption: no power consumption by the positioning mechanism when the latter is in rest, an optimized, low-consumption, computer control device, communication system and active sensors supplied according to the needs, passive sensors, etc. . . . . The electric power is stored in a rechargeable battery that ensures the operation of the road sign in the absence of solar radiation and allows peaks of consumption.
An example of basic operation of the display road sign device with a remote control, in particular of the radio type, will now be described. However, it is possible to control locally/directly the road sign from the computer control device thereof that includes a local input/output interface including in particular simplified display and keyboard. The display device, thanks to its computer control device, has a unique, proper identifier (reference number or computer address or WEB address), that serves, during the radio exchanges or other, to command and control specifically each road sign. The computer control device that is connected to a radio transceiver and to sensors, is configured to receive instructions by radio, in particular instructions for displaying a determined speed. The computer control device is provided with a specific software that allows managing the movements as a function of the instructions received. The states of the positions sensors of the mobile flat supports inform the computer control device about the current display and whether the flat support(s) are in a correct/reached display position or not. As a function of the display instruction received and of the current display, the computer control device will control the electric actuator to obtain the required display. Once this required display obtained, the road sign will confirm by a radio transmission the good implementation of the instruction. Preferably, the computer control device determines the direction of rotation to be applied to the circular mobile flat support to pass the most rapidly/economically possible from the initial display to the new display, then to control the motor consequently. Preferably, the position sensors are activated when the mobile flat support has reached the desired position. The states of these sensors are forwarded to the computer control device that then stops the power supply of the motor, due to the fact that the desired position for the required display has been reached.
By way of safety, a timer may be started when the display instruction is received and, if the required display cannot be obtained at the end of the timer delay, the motor supply may be stopped and a radio transmission is emitted to inform about an error. Hence, the sensors, in association with the specific software of the computer control device, allow determining at any time the position of the mobile flat support or of the mobile flat supports. In the example of
Preferably, an instruction for requesting the road sign state is sent before the display instruction and this state request instruction causes the transmission, by the road sign, of information relating to the operational state of the road sign, for example: road sign operational or not, charge level of the battery, current display, presence of an anomaly, type of anomaly . . . in order to avoid the sending of a display instruction if the road cannot execute it. It is understood that if no answer to this state request instruction is obtained from the road sign, it corresponds to a major breakdown, for example an absence of electric power supply. Preventive maintenance may also be implemented, the road sign transmitting an alert if it detects an anomaly or a beginning of anomaly, for example a battery charge holding decreasing despite a sufficient sunlight, an unfavourable development of operation parameters, an excessive consumption by the electric actuator.
The road sign may hence be connected by radio to a communication device that hence allow a remote piloting. The road sign is pilotable via all the existing or future communication systems (GPS, GPRS, UMTS, Wifi, Bluetooth, Lora, SigFox, Zigbee . . . ). It may however be provided among the inputs/outputs of the computer control device, one or several electric or optical wire links allowing a remote piloting, or even a local piloting by a portable terminal brought by an operator, through wire or fibre-optic links: RS232, RS485, Modem, Ethernet.
Preferably, the remote piloting is performed according to two operation principles, which may be used independently or simultaneously:
It is to be noted that if, preferably, the radio exchanges with several road signs are performed in star configuration, i.e. between a single central control node and directly towards each road sign forming a terminal point, it is also possible to implement network exchanges, each road sign forming a relay point from the network towards another relay or terminal road sign and, in return, from the terminal point road sign towards another relay road sign or the central control node.
Typically, the computer control device is configured to communicate according to a protocol of the “INTERNET” type on the “WEB” or any other suitable protocol as TEDI/LCR (“Telecommunications and Information Exchange between Systems/Road Control Language”), UMTS, NTC/IP, Modbus, Diaser, as well as any other proprietary protocol, specific to supervision device providers. Safety solutions using passwords and encryption of the data transmitted are implemented for the communications. The transmission/reception operations are performed through a proprietary or generic modem, as for the transmission and reception means.
A vandalism, theft and/or impact detector may also be implemented in the road sign or, more generally, in the display device, a detection causing the emission of an alert. Hence, the display device may be provided with monitoring sensors (called that way to be differentiated from the position sensor(s) for the mobile flat support(s)), detecting for example the loss of verticality and allowing the emission of an alert in the case where the road sign would have undergone an impact causing a displacement from its support. Other types of detection are possible. The emission of this alert allows the operator to organize at best and within the shortest delay the maintenance operations required to repairing the road sign.
Similarly, the road sign may be provided with other types of sensors, called environment sensors to be differentiated from the position sensor(s) for the mobile flat support(s), for example a rain, temperature, pollution, light (the photovoltaic cells being however able to play this role) sensor, etc. . . . . A specific software of the computer control device analyses in continuous the state of these sensors and, as a function of the information collected, including these states, and of predefined piloting strategies, the software generates automatically and hence locally different commands for positioning/display of the speed limitations.
The different possibilities of implementation described above may be declined according to various non-limitative variants:
The display device of the invention may be positioned fixedly and permanently on the road network or in a mobile and temporary manner in the case of temporary situations: works, sport or cultural events. The display device may also be provided with a GPS component that allows knowing accurately the position thereof on the road network. The transmission of this position information to a remote supervision component allows obtaining the following benefits in case of fixed and mobile installations: ensuring an autonomous wealth management, organizing efficiently the potential maintenance operations by localizing accurately the device and integrating easily the equipment in a supervision synoptic.
The present invention may be applied to other types of road signs than B14 and, for example, to a B17 instruction road sign for a spacing distance between vehicles, the symbols remaining numeric characters of the Arabic numeral type. It may be applied to B6a2 and B6a3 road signs with digits corresponding to periods/dates that can tilt/pass to either side (top right to bottom left) of the road sign or, for a same side of the road sign, to periods/dates that can change. In this latter example, one of the substitutable symbols can be an absence of symbol corresponding to the plain background of the display area. The invention may be applied equivalently to B25, B33 or B43-codified road signs. Moreover, a road sign with a circular front plate has been described, but the invention may be applied by equivalence to a road sign with a square or rectangular front plate, the mobile and possibly fixed flat support(s) being configured to remain within the size of the front plate. Finally, the registered trademarks mentioned belong to their respective owners.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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1558194 | Sep 2015 | FR | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/FR2016/052150 | 8/30/2016 | WO | 00 |