A traffic monitoring and early warning system and method

Abstract

This invention belongs to the technical field of traffic early warning equipment, specifically relating to a traffic monitoring and early warning system and method. Through the setting of an early warning mechanism and the improvement of the structure of conventional traffic cones, it can achieve the effect of real-time monitoring of the road during road closure operations, and make an early warning response when external vehicles enter the road, reminding the surrounding workers to pay attention to the danger. Furthermore, by setting up a horizontal sensor and a wireless communicator, and in conjunction with the changes of traffic cones under different road conditions, it can provide more accurate and effective early warnings.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the technical field of traffic early warning equipment, specifically relating to a traffic monitoring and early warning system and method. Background Technology

[0002] With the vigorous development of infrastructure construction in my country, the construction of road transportation has become increasingly sophisticated. Whether in urban or rural areas, road construction has basically met the basic conditions for vehicle travel. However, in order to ensure the safety of road workers during the construction process, the target road is often closed.

[0003] Although closing the target road can divert external vehicles, there are still cases where external vehicles enter the target road. This makes it difficult for workers on the target road to receive early warnings, which can easily lead to safety accidents. Therefore, in addition to closing the road for operation, it is also necessary to monitor the target road to provide real-time warnings to workers on the road and reduce the possibility of accidents. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide a traffic monitoring and early warning system and method to solve the problems mentioned in the background art.

[0005] To achieve the above-mentioned technical objectives, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is as follows:

[0006] A traffic monitoring and early warning system includes a traffic cone and a control panel. The lower part of the traffic cone is hollow and filled with water, and an early warning mechanism is provided on the upper part of the traffic cone.

[0007] The warning mechanism includes a connector and a warning component. The connector consists of two connecting plates and a central column. The two connecting plates are located at the upper and lower ends of the central column in an I-shaped structure. The connector is connected to the upper side of the traffic cone. The warning component is located in the connector.

[0008] The warning assembly includes an air horn, an air blower, and two infusion tubes. The central column has an installation cavity, the air blower is located in the installation cavity, the air horn is located at the upper end of the connector and connected to the air blower, and the two infusion tubes are symmetrically arranged on the traffic cone. The two ends of the infusion tubes are respectively connected to the hollow structure of the traffic cone and the lower inner wall of the installation cavity.

[0009] The blower includes a slide plate, a corrugated cover, and a spring. The slide plate is slidably sealed within the mounting cavity. The corrugated cover is located within the mounting cavity and between the upper end of the slide plate and the inner wall of the mounting cavity. The spring is located within the corrugated cover. This allows for effective air delivery and repositioning through the compression of the liquid, thereby effectively activating the air horn for warning.

[0010] The upper side of the center column is also provided with a pressure relief pipe, which is located on the lower side of the blower after it has reached its maximum compression stroke; this can protect the components and help warn the vehicle.

[0011] An elastic connecting piece is also provided between the lower end of the slide plate and the lower inner wall of the mounting cavity. The elastic connecting piece is located between the two infusion tubes and is made of either waterproof rubber or plastic. This can separate the space of the mounting cavity, on the one hand, to avoid the liquid transport between the infusion tubes affecting the function of the aerator, and on the other hand, to reduce the amount of liquid required for the function, thereby further improving the reaction speed.

[0012] The traffic cone also has an annular cavity on its upper side, in which two level sensors and a wireless communicator are installed. The two level sensors are 90° apart and are connected to the wireless communicator. The wireless communicator is connected to an external control panel. Both the level sensors and the wireless communicator are electrically connected to a battery.

[0013] The traffic cones are fitted with reflective strips on their sides.

[0014] Based on the above-mentioned traffic monitoring and early warning system, a traffic monitoring and early warning method is also included:

[0015] Step 1: When road traffic needs to be temporarily closed for construction or other purposes, place traffic cones evenly and horizontally on the road at equal intervals;

[0016] Step 2: Initialize the initial level state of the level sensor through the control panel and set the warning threshold;

[0017] Step 3: External warning personnel wear external warning devices connected to the control panel signal and stand by for warning.

[0018] The thresholds in step two include the number of continuously tilted traffic cones N+1, the average tilting time S, and the tilting angle C. When the tilting angle of the horizontal sensor in the traffic cone is greater than the set threshold tilting angle C, the next step is to determine whether the set threshold of continuously tilted traffic cones N+1 has been met. The average tilting time is determined by the total time of the number of continuously tilted traffic cones and compared with the set threshold average tilting time S. The average tilting time and the number of continuously tilted traffic cones do not have to meet the conditions at the same time, and the number of continuously tilted traffic cones is the primary judgment factor.

[0019] The external warning device includes a horn or a flashing light.

[0020] The present invention has at least the following advantages compared to the prior art:

[0021] By setting up an early warning system and improving the structure of existing traffic cones, it is possible to monitor the road in real time during road closure operations and issue early warnings when external vehicles enter the road, alerting nearby workers to potential dangers. Furthermore, by using horizontal sensors and wireless communicators to monitor changes in traffic cones under different road conditions, more accurate and effective early warnings can be provided. Attached Figure Description

[0022] The present invention can be further illustrated by the non-limiting embodiments given in the accompanying drawings.

[0023] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a traffic monitoring and early warning system according to the present invention.

[0024] Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional view of the structure of the present invention.

[0025] Figure 3 for Figure 2 Enlarged diagram of point A in the middle.

[0026] Figure 4 for Figure 2 Enlarged diagram of point B in the middle.

[0027] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the warning mechanism of the present invention.

[0028] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of another embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] Traffic cone 1, reflector 11, connecting plate 2, center column 21, air horn 3, infusion tube 31, mounting cavity 32, sliding plate 33, corrugated cover 34, spring 35, pressure relief pipe 36, elastic connecting piece 37, annular cavity 4, horizontal sensor 41, wireless communicator 42. Detailed Implementation

[0030] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the present invention, the technical solution of the present invention will be further described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0031] Example 1:

[0032] like Figure 1-5 As shown, a traffic monitoring and early warning system includes a traffic cone 1 and a control panel. The lower part of the traffic cone 1 is hollow and filled with water, and an early warning mechanism is provided on the upper part of the traffic cone 1.

[0033] The warning mechanism includes a connector and a warning component. The connector consists of two connecting plates 2 and a central column 21. The two connecting plates 2 are located at the upper and lower ends of the central column 21 respectively in an I-shaped structure. The connector is connected to the upper side of the traffic cone 1. The warning component is located in the connector.

[0034] The warning assembly includes an air horn 3, an air blower, and two infusion tubes 31. The central column 21 has an installation cavity 32. The air blower is located inside the installation cavity 32. The air horn 3 is located at the upper end of the connector and is connected to the air blower. The two infusion tubes 31 are symmetrically arranged on the traffic cone 1. The two ends of the infusion tubes 31 are respectively connected to the hollow structure of the traffic cone 1 and the lower inner wall of the installation cavity 32.

[0035] When it is necessary to temporarily block or close traffic on the road, multiple traffic cones can be placed at equal intervals on the target road to close the road and monitor it in real time. In the event of a vehicle suddenly entering the road, the traffic cones can provide timely warnings to the staff on the road.

[0036] When an intruder such as a car is present, the traffic cone 1 will be knocked over by the car. When the traffic cone 1 is hit, its hollow structure on the side will be compressed and contracted. At this time, the water inside the traffic cone 1 will be squeezed and injected into the infusion tube 31. The infusion tube 31 will then inject the water into the mounting cavity 32 of the central column 21. The injection of water will push the air blower in the central column 21 and deliver air through the air horn 3. At this time, the air horn 3 will emit a warning sound due to the air flow. Since the air horn 3 is a conventional technology, it will not be described in detail here. The sound produced by the air horn 3 will warn the surrounding staff, thus achieving the effect of early warning and protection for the staff.

[0037] The blower includes a slide plate 33, a bellows cover 34, and a spring 35. The slide plate 33 is slidably sealed within the mounting cavity 32. The bellows cover 34 is located within the mounting cavity 32 and between the upper end of the slide plate 33 and the upper inner wall of the mounting cavity 32. The spring 35 is located within the bellows cover 34.

[0038] When water in traffic cone 1 is introduced into installation cavity 32 through infusion pipe 31, the thrust of the liquid will push slide plate 33. At this time, the movement of slide plate 33 will push the air in corrugated cover 34 to be output and pass through air horn 3 to produce sound. When traffic cone 1 is subjected to high-intensity impact, the water in traffic cone 1 will be squeezed out quickly, so the air in installation cavity 32 can be output at a faster speed, thereby ensuring that the warning sound can be effectively emitted. On the other hand, if the impact occurs at a lower speed, it can give the surrounding staff time to notice and react. Therefore, it is okay if the impact at a lower speed does not produce sound.

[0039] The upper side of the center column 21 is also provided with a pressure relief pipe 36, which is located on the lower side after the blower is in its maximum compression stroke. In order to avoid excessive pressure in the mounting cavity 32 caused by a strong impact, and at the same time to further serve as an emergency warning to the driver, when the entire blower is fully contracted, the slide plate 33 will pass the port where the pressure relief pipe 36 connects to the mounting cavity 32. At this time, the water in the mounting cavity 32 will be discharged through the pressure relief pipe 36, thereby relieving the pressure of the component. At the same time, the sprayed water will serve as a warning to the vehicle that hits the traffic cone 1. Except when the driver is unable to control the vehicle normally or the vehicle is completely malfunctioning and cannot be operated, it can warn the driver in case of vehicle misoperation, such as veering off course, to avoid vehicle accidents.

[0040] An elastic connecting piece 37 is also provided between the lower end of the slide plate 33 and the lower inner wall of the mounting cavity 32. The elastic connecting piece 37 is located between the two infusion tubes 31. The elastic connecting piece 37 is made of either waterproof rubber or plastic. The elastic connecting piece 37 can separate the two infusion tubes 31. In this way, when the water storage in the traffic cone 1 is insufficient, only half of the water can be injected to achieve the same effect of driving the air horn 3 to make a sound. At the same time, this can separate the ports of the two infusion tubes 31, preventing the two infusion tubes 31 from transferring liquid to each other and thus failing to effectively drive the blower.

[0041] The traffic cone 1 has reflective strips 11 attached to its side; this ensures that drivers are alerted at night.

[0042] Example 2:

[0043] like Figure 6 As shown, in a further improvement based on Embodiment 1, an annular cavity 4 is also opened on the upper side of the traffic cone 1. Two horizontal sensors 41 and a wireless communicator 42 are provided in the annular cavity 4. The two horizontal sensors 41 are 90° apart. The two horizontal sensors 41 are connected to the wireless communicator 42 by signal. The wireless communicator 42 is connected to the external control panel by communication. Both the horizontal sensors 41 and the wireless communicator 42 are electrically connected to the battery.

[0044] To further improve the protection and early warning effect for staff in the target road section, the horizontal sensor 41 can detect whether the traffic cone 1 is tilted. At the same time, the two horizontal sensors 41 are set at 90° to meet the detection of tilting changes in most directions of the traffic cone 1. The wireless communicator 42 is used to connect with the external control panel to determine the status of the traffic cone 1, so as to make further judgments. For example, if the traffic cone 1 has an excessive tilting change, it can be determined that the traffic cone 1 has tilted. If a large number of adjacent traffic cones 1 tilt in a short period of time, it can be determined that a vehicle has entered the road section, so that staff at a distance can make advance predictions and take protection.

[0045] According to the aforementioned traffic monitoring and early warning system, a traffic detection and early warning method is also included, comprising:

[0046] Step 1: When road traffic needs to be temporarily closed for construction or other purposes, place traffic cones 1 evenly and horizontally on the road at equal intervals;

[0047] Step 2: Initialize the initial level state of the level sensor 41 through the control panel and set the warning threshold;

[0048] Step 3: External warning personnel wear external warning devices connected to the control panel signal and stand by for warning.

[0049] The thresholds in step two include the number of continuously tilted traffic cones 1 (N+1), the average tilting time (S), and the tilting angle (C). When the tilting angle of the horizontal sensor 41 in traffic cone 1 is greater than the set threshold tilting angle (C), the next step is to determine whether the set threshold of continuously tilted traffic cones 1 (N+1) has been met. The average tilting time is determined by the total time of continuously tilting traffic cones 1 and compared with the set threshold average tilting time (S). The average tilting time and the number of continuously tilted traffic cones 1 cannot be satisfied simultaneously, and the number of continuously tilted traffic cones 1 is the primary judgment factor. External warning devices include horns or flashing lights.

[0050] Specifically, when conducting road traffic warnings, several traffic cones 1 can cooperate to form a complete monitoring chain. When a vehicle enters the monitoring chain formed by the traffic cones 1, the traffic cones 1 in that section of the road will tip over due to the vehicle's entry.

[0051] During the pre-setting phase, the judgment variables of the control panel can be set according to the actual road conditions of the actual road section. That is, the number of traffic cones that are continuously tilted is set to N+1, where N is a variable. Based on the number of traffic cones that are continuously tilted, the average tilting time S is set. If the number of tilted cones reaches 3 or more within 2 seconds, it is confirmed that there is a safety hazard. The control panel will issue a warning to the staff at a distance, thereby increasing the warning distance and better matching the judgment conditions when a vehicle enters.

[0052] Furthermore, based on the judgment condition of the tilt angle C, if the tilt angle of traffic cone 1 has been greater than C at least once, it is judged that traffic cone 1 has been subjected to a strong impact; otherwise, it is judged that it is a non-strong impact and a human-induced or non-dangerous tilt. In conjunction with the above judgment condition, the misjudgment of the equipment can be reduced and the judgment accuracy can be improved. Correspondingly, if the above-mentioned continuous tilting without falling over is satisfied, and the tilting time satisfies S, it can also be judged that a vehicle has deviated too much and continuously scraped the continuous traffic cones. At this time, depending on the specific situation, different levels of warnings are given to the staff, such as long-interval audible and visual warnings, or short-interval audible and visual warnings.

[0053] The above embodiments are merely illustrative of the principles and effects of the present invention and are not intended to limit the invention. Any person skilled in the art can modify or alter the above embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, all equivalent modifications or alterations made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and technical concept disclosed in the present invention should still be covered by the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A traffic monitoring and early warning system, comprising traffic cones and a control panel, characterized in that: The lower part of the traffic cone is hollow and filled with water, and the upper part of the traffic cone is equipped with a warning mechanism. The warning mechanism includes a connector and a warning component. The connector consists of two connecting plates and a central column. The two connecting plates are located at the upper and lower ends of the central column in an I-shaped structure. The connector is connected to the upper side of the traffic cone. The warning component is located in the connector. The warning assembly includes an air horn, an air blower, and two infusion tubes. The central column has an installation cavity, the air blower is located in the installation cavity, the air horn is located at the upper end of the connector and connected to the air blower, and the two infusion tubes are symmetrically arranged on the traffic cone. The two ends of the infusion tubes are respectively connected to the hollow structure of the traffic cone and the lower inner wall of the installation cavity. The blower includes a slide plate, a corrugated cover, and a spring. The slide plate is slidably sealed within the mounting cavity. The corrugated cover is located within the mounting cavity and between the upper end of the slide plate and the upper inner wall of the mounting cavity. The spring is located within the corrugated cover. The upper side of the central column is also provided with a pressure relief pipe, which is located on the lower side of the blower after the blower is in the maximum compression stroke. An elastic connecting piece is also provided between the lower end of the slide plate and the lower inner wall of the mounting cavity. The elastic connecting piece is located between the two infusion tubes and is made of either waterproof rubber or plastic.

2. The traffic monitoring and early warning system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The traffic cone also has an annular cavity on its upper side, in which two level sensors and a wireless communicator are installed. The two level sensors are 90° apart and are connected to the wireless communicator. The wireless communicator is connected to an external control panel. Both the level sensors and the wireless communicator are electrically connected to a battery.

3. A traffic monitoring and early warning system according to claim 2, characterized in that: The traffic cones are fitted with reflective strips on their sides.

4. A traffic monitoring and early warning method according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that: Step 1: When road traffic needs to be temporarily closed for construction or other purposes, place traffic cones evenly and horizontally on the road at equal intervals; Step 2: Initialize the initial level state of the level sensor through the control panel and set the warning threshold; Step 3: External warning personnel wear external warning devices connected to the control panel signal and stand by for warning.

5. The early warning method according to claim 4, characterized in that: The thresholds in step two include the number of continuously tilted traffic cones N+1, the average tilting time S, and the tilting angle C. When the tilting angle of the horizontal sensor in the traffic cone is greater than the set tilting angle C, the next step is to determine whether the set number of tilted traffic cones N+1 has been reached. The average tilting time is determined by the total time of the number of continuously tilted traffic cones and compared with the set average tilting time S. The average tilting time and the number of continuously tilted traffic cones do not have to meet the conditions at the same time, and the number of continuously tilted traffic cones is the primary judgment factor.

6. The early warning method according to claim 5, characterized in that: The external warning device includes a horn or a flashing light.

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