BEACON AND WILDLIFE DETERRENT EQUIPMENT

Abstract

A wildlife deterrent beacon, comprising a post-shaped housing (1) fixed to the ground, and characterized in that it includes: at least one motion detector (3); at least one LED spotlight; at least one speaker (6); a wireless transmitter (7); a power supply; a solar panel (8) connected to the power supply; and at least one electronic circuit with several microcontrollers for managing and controlling the operation of the beacon and in contact with the other components of the beacon.

Description

BEACON AND WILDLIFE DETERRENT EQUIPMENT Object of the invention The present invention relates to a new type of beacon placed on roads used for vehicular traffic. Its purpose is to deter wildlife from crossing the roadway when traffic is present, thereby preventing road accidents. The invention also defines equipment comprising at least one beacon of the type described above. The objective of this invention is to prevent accidents by warning both the animal and the driver of a potential hazard with sufficient advance notice. The field of application of the invention is included within the industrial sector related to road signaling and marking equipment, and is specifically directed to devices, systems or equipment that deter wildlife. Background of the invention It is known that, on roads, generally conventional ones, since there is no perimeter enclosure of the infrastructure, there is a problem of risk of accident due to running over an animal. The main factors in these accidents are, on the one hand, the speed of the vehicles and, on the other hand, the lack of reaction time of both road users and animals. Furthermore, in some sections of the roads, the vegetation is very close to the road surface, which reduces visibility and therefore hinders the detection of any wildlife. This slows down the reaction time of both the driver and the animal itself. Given this technical problem, wildlife deterrent beacon systems are known, which are aimed at reducing incidents of animals being run over on roads. For example, infrared systems are a common solution. These systems work by interrupting the infrared beams when an animal enters the roadway, activating two warning signals placed before the controlled section and timed to trigger. Red beacons along the section can also be activated. These solutions are designed to activate only if a vehicle is detected. However, a problem arises: what happens if the animal remains stationary on the roadway? If the infrared sensor no longer detects an animal and the timer has expired, the system will not activate when a vehicle passes through the section, potentially causing the animal, which was already standing still, to be struck. Furthermore, infrared systems face the problem of vegetation growing on the edges of the road, which, if it grows too much, can hinder the proper functioning of the infrared rays since they are generally placed at a height of about 20-25 cm. Finally, infrared systems also present a problem in the placement of beacons on curved sections of road. The system is activated by infrared beams emitted by the beacons, which project these beams in a straight line. This makes beacon placement more difficult on curved sections, resulting in unprotected areas or requiring the beacons to be placed further from the edge of the road, thus reducing the effectiveness of the red light emitted to warn vehicles. Also known are the conventional means of marking, which have been used for many years, such as reflectors incorporated into the back of the edge marker or sound systems placed on the safety barriers, for which there are no tests carried out and their effectiveness is unknown from experience of use. Taking these aspects into account, the need arises to develop a beacon and beacon equipment that overcomes the aforementioned problems and, furthermore, provides a solution that warns the driver of a dangerous situation while also deterring the animal from the road. Therefore, considering the systems known in the prior art, the present invention presents a solution that acts in two directions: deterring the animal through visual and auditory stimuli and alerting the driver to the exact location where the animal's movement has been detected. This significantly reduces the likelihood of an accident. This bidirectional warning is not currently found in any wildlife detection system and resolves the operational problems of the infrared systems discussed previously. Explanation of the invention The beacon that is the subject of the present invention and the equipment comprising at least one beacon, is designed with the intention of alerting the animal, with sufficient advance notice, so that it has time to react and leave the roadway, thus avoiding being run over; the intention is to alert the animal and also to alert the driver by indicating the area of ​​the presence of an animal. In this sense, a deterrent beacon consists of a support or housing, preferably cylindrical or post-shaped, anchored to the ground, and comprising a motion detector; at least one LED light, which may be red, white, or any other color, with at least one LED light on the front of the support and at least one LED light on the side of the support, which improves the warning to the driver; at least one speaker, preferably ultrasonic, to warn animals both inside and outside the roadway; a wireless transmitter; a power source, preferably a battery; and a solar panel for autonomy when connected to the power source.and comprises at least one electronic circuit with several microcontrollers for managing and controlling the operation of the beacon and which is in contact with the other components of the beacon. As for the casing, this may comprise an upper head where the solar panel is located, where this head may be directional and comprise a rotating and orientable mechanism for positioning the solar panel in order to orient said solar panel in the best direction. The beacon is activated and emits a signal upon the presence of an animal within the motion detector's detection range. The detector's field of view is up to 160º and has an effective activation radius of 10 to 20 meters. With these characteristics, using a spacing between beacons of 15 to 25 meters can fully cover the area where animals can access the roads. Ideally, these beacons are installed on both sides of the roadway. An important aspect of the invention is that the side LED lights provide a visual warning to the driver of the possible presence of an animal, but they also serve as a warning or signal to the animal to move off the road. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the lights are white and red, but the color of the LED lights is not intended to be limiting and they can be any other color. At this point, it should be noted that tests have been carried out on the behavior of the present beacon, tests that have been carried out on a farm in the Montes de Toledo, with a medium-high density of fauna mainly deer (approx. 30 ind·Km2), and the analyses on the effectiveness of the beacons and the probability of crossing, as well as on habituation suggest that the beacons are activated once the animal has approached to a distance of between 13-17 m from the beacon; and that the animals react with a probability of flight above 60%, therefore, the probability of the animal crossing to the road is significantly reduced. Taking this aspect into account, the present invention also defines a deterrent equipment comprising at least one deterrent beacon, as previously indicated, and at least one control beacon arranged at the ends of each section of road where the equipment is installed. Going into greater detail, this control beacon consists of a metal cabinet placed at the back of the warning sign, inside which is the electronic control circuit, the power supply consisting of the battery, the solar panel, the communication equipment with its corresponding communication antenna, it also has motion sensors for vehicle detection, a wireless communication module to be in connection / communication with the wildlife deterrent beacons and a power supply with a battery. The control beacons are responsible for detecting vehicles entering the protected section and for activating the system. These beacons are located between 150 and 300 meters from the first wildlife deterrent beacons and may be placed behind the wildlife control section warning sign. Once the vehicle is detected, the control beacon activates the wildlife deterrent beacons, which generate a sequence of ultrasounds and flashes of light that scare away the animal, whether it is in the vicinity of the road, preventing it from crossing, or if it is inside the roadway. This way, the driver, upon seeing the flashing lights, becomes aware of a possible danger and takes precautions. Once it has been detected that there are no vehicles within the protected section, the system turns off, allowing the animals to cross the road without risk of being hit, thus achieving the natural movement of the animals. Another relevant aspect of the invention is that the deterrent equipment comprising the above beacons has a wireless telemetry system which allows its operation to be controlled remotely from any type of electronic device, such as a mobile phone, a tablet or a computer. In this regard, the beacons, through their communication module, allow connection to a software application that enables remote management of the equipment. For example, it allows real-time monitoring of the installation; configuration of system parameters; performance of periodic system checks; verification of battery and solar panel status; consultation of operating hours, as well as temperature and humidity data; and downloading or managing a historical record of results to generate a control database. For this reason, as previously indicated, in a preferred embodiment of the invention, each beacon has four microcontrollers, which allows for optimal operation of both the beacons and the deterrent system. In this regard, the wireless telemetry system for its management and control allows for remote monitoring of all installed equipment from a control center via an application. If one of the wildlife beacons malfunctions, the rest can continue operating normally, as the beacons have their own independent power supply. This system offers two operating modes: "Controlled Mode" and "Automatic Mode." Under normal conditions, the system operates in "Controlled Mode," meaning it activates and deactivates as needed. In "Automatic Mode," the system is always active. This ensures the system is completely reliable and secure, guaranteeing continuous operation. It should be noted that the terms written in this descriptive report should be taken in a broad and non-limiting sense, and the specific definition of measurements, number of beacons or specific manufacturing materials is not the object of the invention; likewise, the description of how to put it into practice should also be taken in a broad and non-limiting sense. Brief description of the drawings To complete the description being made and to help in a better understanding of the characteristics of the invention, a set of drawings is included as an integral part thereof, in which, for illustrative and non-limiting purposes, the following has been represented: Figure 1.- Shows a front elevation view of an assembled deterrent beacon. Figure 2.- Shows a side elevation view of an assembled deterrent beacon. Figure 3.- Shows a front elevation view of a deterrent beacon without the head where the solar panel is located. Figure 4.- Shows schematically the location of the different beacons that make up a road marking system. Figure 5.- Shows a diagram of the activation zone of the deterrent beacons in response to the presence of an animal. Detailed description of some ways of carrying out the invention Based on the above description, one possible embodiment of a deterrent beacon (DB), as shown in Figures 1-3, is a beacon consisting of a post-shaped housing (1) with an anchor (2) fixing it to the ground, and comprising: a motion detector (3); a red LED spotlight (4) and a white LED spotlight (5) arranged on the front of the housing, and a side LED spotlight (11) arranged on the side of the housing; at least one speaker (6); a wireless transmitter (7); a power supply (not shown) such as a battery; and a solar panel (8) for autonomy; an upper head (9) where the solar panel is located, which can be directional by comprising a rotating mechanism (10) that orients the position of the solar panel (8); and comprises an electronic board (not shown) for the management and control of the operation of the beacon and which is in contact with the rest of the beacon components. Regarding the possible implementation of wildlife deterrent equipment located on a roadway, such as a conventional highway, as shown in Figure 4, this equipment comprises at least one control beacon (BC) located at the ends of each section of the roadway (A); where this beacon consists of a metal cabinet placed at the rear of the warning sign, inside which is located the entire electronic control circuit, solar panel, communication antenna, motion sensors for vehicle detection, and a post-shaped support fixed to the ground; and at least one deterrent beacon (BD) located on at least one of the two sides of the roadway (A) and positioned between the control beacons (BC); where each beacon is constituted as previously indicated; Where, in one embodiment of the invention, the separation between deterrent beacons (BD) is between 15 and 25 m, so that the front through which animals can access the roads is fully covered on at least one side of the traffic lane (A), and preferably they are arranged on both sides of the traffic lane; and where the control beacons (BC) are located at a distance of between 150-200 m from the first deterrent beacons. Going into detail about a possible implementation of a control beacon (BC), although it is not represented, this beacon consists of a metal cabinet placed at the back of the warning sign, inside which is the electronic control circuit, the power supply consisting of the battery, solar panel, the communication equipment with its corresponding communication antenna, it also has motion sensors for vehicle detection, a wireless communication module to be in connection / communication with the deterrent beacons (BD); and a top head that is directional with a rotating mechanism that orients the position of the solar panel. Finally, as can be seen in Figure 5, the deterrent beacon (DB) is activated and emits a signal upon the presence of an animal within the detection field of the motion detector. This detector has a mechanism that opens up to a 160° detection angle and has an effective activation radius (Ra) ranging from 10 to 20 m. With these characteristics, and as seen in Fig. 4, using a separation between beacons of between 15 and 25 m completely covers one side of the roadway where animals can access it.

Claims

1. A wildlife deterrent beacon, comprising a post-shaped housing (1) fixed to the ground, and characterized in that it includes: at least one motion detector (3); at least one LED spotlight; at least one speaker (6); a wireless transmitter (7); a power supply; a solar panel (8) connected to the power supply; and at least one electronic circuit with several microcontrollers for managing and controlling the operation of the beacon and in contact with the other components of the beacon.

2. A wildlife deterrent beacon according to claim 1, characterized in that it includes an upper head (9) on which the solar panel (8) is mounted.

3. A wildlife deterrent beacon according to claim 2, wherein the upper head (9) is directional and includes a rotating mechanism (10) that orients the position of the solar panel (8).

4. A wildlife deterrent beacon according to claim 1, wherein the speaker (6) is of the ultrasonic type. 5.Wildlife deterrent beacon, according to claim 1, wherein the power source is a battery.

6. Wildlife deterrent beacon, according to claim 1, wherein there is at least one LED spotlight arranged on the front of the housing.

7. Wildlife deterrent beacon, according to claim 1, wherein there is at least one LED spotlight arranged on the side of the housing. 8.Wildlife deterrent equipment, installed on a section of a roadway (A), characterized by comprising: - at least one deterrent beacon (BD), according to any of the preceding claims; wherein these beacons are arranged on at least one of the two sides of the roadway (A); - at least one control beacon (BC) arranged at the ends of each section of the roadway (A) and on at least one of the two sides of the roadway; wherein this beacon consists of a post-shaped support fixed to the ground, and comprises at least one motion detector, a wireless communication module for connection with the deterrent beacons (BD), a microcontroller, and a power supply.

9. Wildlife deterrent equipment, according to claim 8, wherein the control beacon (BC) comprises a solar panel. 10.Wildlife deterrent equipment according to claim 9, wherein the beacon comprises an upper head on which the solar panel is mounted.

11. Wildlife deterrent equipment according to claim 10, wherein the upper head is directional and comprises a rotating mechanism that orients the position of the solar panel.

12. Wildlife deterrent equipment according to claim 8, wherein the power source for the control beacon (BC) is a battery.

13. Wildlife deterrent equipment according to claim 8, wherein the separation between deterrent beacons (BD) is between 15 and 25 m.

14. Wildlife deterrent equipment according to claim 8, wherein the control beacons (BC) are located at each end of the section at a distance of between 150 and 300 m from the first deterrent beacons (BD).