System for determining the position of traffic control devices

Abstract

System (100) for providing position information for checking and documenting the positions of traffic control devices (18 to 34) designed as guideposts in the event of a change in traffic routing in the area of ​​a construction site, wherein the system (100) comprises at least one sensor arrangement (SD) and at least three interface units (121, 122, 123), wherein the sensor array (SD) comprises multiple sensor units (101 to 10 16 ) includes, where each sensor unit (101 to 10 16 ) is attached to one of the traffic control devices (18 to 34), where each sensor unit (101 to 10 16 ) is designed to transmit at least relative position information to at least one other sensor unit (101 to 10 16 ) relative to itself and / or relative to at least one other sensor unit (101 to 10 16) to record, whereby the position information indicates the position of the respective traffic control device (18 to 34), where each sensor unit (101 to 10 16 ) is designed to send the specific relative position information to at least three interface units (121, 122, 123), wherein the at least three interface units (121, 122, 123) are configured to receive data from the sensor units (101 to 10) 16 ) to receive the relative position information sent, wherein the sensor units (101 to 10 16 ) have at least one sensor (46) that provides the relative position information to at least one further sensor unit (101 to 10) 16 ) of the sensor array (SD) is detected, with the relative position information providing a distance value from one of the sensor units (101 to 10 16 ) to at least one of the other sensor units (101 to 10 16 ) include, and wherein the sensor units (101 to 10 16 ) of the sensor array (SD) interact to generate the relative position information for each sensor unit (101 to 10) 16 ) to determine, wherein the sensor units (101 to 10 16 ) form a sensor field in which changes in relative position information are detected based on at least one change in a distance value between at least two sensor units (101 to 10 16 ) are recorded, wherein the system (100) is designed to determine and / or read the position of the at least three interface units (121, 122, 123) in absolute position information, wherein the system (100) has at least one information processing unit (14) which is configured to establish a relationship between the data from the sensor units (101 to 10) 16) to establish certain relative position information and the absolute position information of at least three interface units (121, 122, 123), and wherein the at least three interface units (121 122, 123) are designed to determine 2-dimensional position information by linking the relative position information and the absolute position information, wherein the 2-dimensional position information is configured for integration into a digital map (44) of a map service (42), and wherein the at least three interface units (121, 122, 123) are further configured to provide the relative position information to at least one external receiver (16).

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a system for determining the position of one or more traffic control devices. The present invention further relates to a sensor unit for such a system. Furthermore, the present invention relates to a traffic control device or a warning light for traffic safety measures having such a sensor unit.

[0002] Traffic control devices are used to delimit lanes and / or to define lanes in the event of changes in traffic flow or lane routing. Traffic control devices are required to indicate the change in traffic flow to road users. Traffic flow is changed, for example, during construction sites, during work near the roadway, or for cleanup operations following accidents. To guide traffic past construction sites, the lanes can be diverted and / or vehicles can be diverted to a lane of the opposite carriageway that is normally assigned to oncoming traffic.

[0003] The correct position of individual traffic control devices is particularly important on construction sites, as the safety of the construction site personnel, i.e. the workers working on the construction site, depends on their position. The construction site operator or the companies working on the construction site carrying out work on the roadway or in the area of ​​the roadway must precisely document that the traffic control devices have been correctly positioned and that their correct positioning is regularly checked. Depending on legal requirements, such checks often take place several times a day. Should an accident occur, the construction site operator or the responsible company must be able to prove that the traffic control device was correctly positioned and that its positioning was regularly checked.Checking the position of the traffic control devices and documenting the tests therefore involve a high level of time and expense.

[0004] The position of traffic control devices is also required for driver assistance systems in vehicles or autonomous vehicles. Construction sites, in particular, represent highly complex situations for driver assistance systems or the systems of autonomous vehicles. A construction site may feature narrowed lanes, changing routings, or missing road or lane markings. Without knowing the position of the traffic control devices, vehicles with driver assistance systems or autonomous vehicles are often unable to navigate through construction sites autonomously or independently with the driver assistance system. In many cases, the vehicle then requests the driver to take control of the vehicle in the area of ​​the construction site. Autonomous vehicles or driver assistance systems often access map-based environmental models when they require information about the road layout or traffic.However, in a map-based environmental model, changes in traffic routing, especially those made at short notice, are often not recorded or not sufficiently recorded, which means that autonomous vehicles or driver assistance systems cannot navigate through a section of road with changed traffic routing or through a construction site autonomously or independently. The same applies to tunnels and underpasses, which autonomous vehicles or vehicles with driver assistance systems may not be able to navigate through independently or autonomously.

[0005] From DE 10 2004 035 856 A1 an additional electrical device for attachment to a support tube of a traffic facility, such as a traffic sign, a traffic light, a traffic guide post or a beacon, is known, which has electronic means with a sensor device for recording road traffic data and / or a data transmitter for transmitting road traffic data.

[0006] A network localization system is known from WO 2017 / 151129 A1. It comprises at least one base station located on a building roof to receive a GPS signal from a satellite and transmit a base station location signal. An infrastructure device is located at ground level to derive its global position based on the base station location signal. A mobile device is in communication with the infrastructure device via DSRC, and the infrastructure device transmits a derived global position to the mobile device, which cannot receive a GPS signal.

[0007] DE 10 2016 208 621 A1 discloses a method for verifying the content and location of traffic signs. It comprises detecting a traffic sign in one or more images from at least one camera. Using image analysis, the visually recognizable content of the traffic sign depicted in the image is determined. Furthermore, the location of the traffic sign is determined, and data provided by the traffic sign that is not immediately recognizable or interpretable by a human is obtained, representing at least the content and location of the traffic sign. If the determined data and the data obtained from the traffic sign match, the content of the traffic sign is displayed or announced to a driver of the vehicle for information. Alternatively or additionally, the content of the traffic sign can be fed into a vehicle control system.In case of non-conformity, a further automatic plausibility check can be carried out or a query or information can be sent to the driver.

[0008] From WO 2009 / 098 438 A1, a system for determining the position of traffic control devices is known, wherein the system comprises at least one sensor arrangement and at least one interface unit, wherein the sensor arrangement is attached to at least one traffic control device, wherein the sensor arrangement is designed to determine at least position information of the sensor arrangement that indicates the position of the at least one traffic control device, wherein the sensor arrangement is designed to send the determined position information to the at least one interface unit, wherein the at least one interface unit is designed to receive the position information sent by the sensor arrangement, and wherein the at least one interface unit is further designed to provide the position information to at least one external receiver, wherein the sensor arrangement comprises a plurality of sensor units,wherein each of the sensor units is designed to determine relative position information relative to at least one further sensor unit, wherein the at least one sensor unit has at least one sensor which detects the relative position information of at least one further sensor unit of the sensor arrangement, wherein the sensor units of the sensor arrangement cooperate to determine position information for each sensor unit.,

[0009] WO 2018 / 031972 A1 describes a constellation of ultra-wideband (UWB) nodes that are fixedly positioned over a geographical area with known locations. This constellation allows the positioning of mobile objects.

[0010] It is an object of the present invention to provide a system for determining the position of traffic control devices, with which position information from one traffic control device or several traffic control devices can be determined with high accuracy and in near real time.

[0011] This object is achieved by a system having the features of claim 1. Further embodiments are specified in the dependent claims

[0012] The system for providing position information for checking and documenting the positions of traffic control devices configured as beacons in the event of a change in traffic routing in the area of ​​a construction site comprises at least one sensor arrangement and at least three interface units. The sensor arrangement is attached to at least one traffic control device. The sensor arrangement is configured to determine position information of the sensor arrangement that indicates the position of the at least one traffic control device. The sensor arrangement is configured to send the determined position information to the at least three interface units.The at least three interface units are designed to receive the position information sent by the at least one sensor unit, wherein the at least three interface units are further designed to provide the position information to at least one external receiver.

[0013] With the system according to the invention, the position of at least one traffic control device and thus the course of the traffic route in the area of ​​the at least one traffic control device can be determined precisely and in real time or at least near real time. The position information determined with the system can be made available for checking and documenting the positioning of the traffic control devices in the event of a change in traffic routing (e.g. in the event of a construction site). Furthermore, the position information determined by the system can be made available directly to autonomous vehicles or driver assistance systems as well as to map services that can be accessed by autonomous vehicles or the driver assistance systems. In addition, the exact traffic routing or route and also the position and location of construction sites can be determined precisely and near real time.

[0014] The at least three interface units are part of the sensor arrangement. The at least three interface units are designed to detect position information.

[0015] The sensor arrangement has a plurality of sensor units. The sensor units of the sensor arrangement can be attached to at least one traffic control device. The sensor units are designed to determine position information from the individual sensor units of the sensor arrangement, which indicates the position of the at least one traffic control device. At least one of the sensor units of the sensor arrangement is designed to send the determined position information to the at least three interface units. The at least three interface units are designed to receive the position information sent by the sensor units, wherein the at least three interface units are further designed to provide the position information to at least one external receiver.

[0016] The sensor units of the sensor array interact to determine position information for each of the sensor units. In other words, one of the sensor units contributes to determining the position information of at least one other sensor unit. The sensor units form a sensor field in which changes in the position information of the individual sensor units, and thus changes in the positions of the traffic control device(s), can be detected directly and precisely.

[0017] The sensor units and the at least three interface units can be constructed essentially identically. In other words, each sensor unit can be configured to receive position information and to transmit position information to an external receiver. The at least three interface units can be configured to determine position information. If the interface units and the sensor units are constructed identically, these units can differ in the function assigned to them (sensor unit or interface unit).

[0018] The sensor units can be configured to determine the position information using UWB (Ultra Wide Band), Wi-Fi, RTK (Real Time Kinematic), GPS, DGPS (Differential Global Positioning System), or 5G. The methods used to determine the sensor units can include, for example, least squares, maximum likelihood estimate, maximum aposteriori probability, triangulation, and / or trilateration.

[0019] Traffic control devices can include, for example, guideposts, barrier fences, warning signs, tunnel and concrete barriers, steel barriers, traffic cones, pylons, and delineator posts. Traffic control devices can generally be temporary or permanent installations that indicate or dictate traffic flow to a vehicle or road user.

[0020] The sensor units of the sensor arrangement are designed to determine relative position information relative to at least one other sensor unit. A sensor unit can, for example, detect the relative position information of at least one other sensor unit relative to itself and / or relative to at least one other sensor unit. The sensor units of the sensor arrangement thus mutually determine their relative position information. Each sensor unit can form a reference point for determining the position information. Since the sensor units forming a reference point can mutually determine their relative position information relative to one another, the relative position information of the sensor units can be determined in a plane or in a space.The sensor units of the sensor arrangement can form a mesh network between them in which the smallest changes in the position information of one or more of the sensor units can be recorded in near real time and output to at least one interface unit.

[0021] The sensor units have at least one sensor that can detect the position information of at least one further sensor unit of the sensor arrangement. The position information detected by the sensor units comprises a distance value from one of the sensor units to at least one further sensor unit. For example, a sensor unit can detect a distance value from the sensor unit or units closest to it. In the mesh network constructed by the sensor units, each sensor unit can continuously detect the distance to one or more of the remaining sensor units. Changes in one or more distance values ​​between one or more sensor units can be detected by the sensor units in near real time.These changes can then be output to the at least three interface units and provided as updated position information to at least one external receiver.

[0022] The system is designed to determine and / or read the positions of the at least three interface units in absolute position information. The absolute position information of the at least three interface units can be predetermined. The absolute position information of the at least three interface units can specify the geopositions of the at least three interface units. The geopositions of the at least three interface units can be specified in absolute coordinates. The geopositions of the at least three interface units can be specified, for example, in WGS84 coordinates. The geopositions of the at least three interface units can be determined, for example, using a known surveying method.

[0023] The at least three interface units are designed to determine 2-dimensional position information by linking the relative position information and the absolute position information, wherein the 2-dimensional position information is designed to be integrated into a digital map of a map service.

[0024] The multiple sensor units can have at least one additional sensor. This sensor can be, for example, an acceleration sensor or a gyroscope. The acceleration sensor and / or the gyroscope can be used to save energy. The acceleration sensor and / or the gyroscope can detect movement of the sensor unit and "wake up" the system to determine the current position information. The sensor units can only transmit the determined position information in the "awake" state, which can save energy.

[0025] The system has at least one information processing unit. The information processing unit can process the relative position information acquired by the sensor units. The information processing unit is designed to process the information acquired by the at least one further sensor of the sensor unit. The information processing unit is designed to relate the relative position information determined by the sensor units to absolute position information of the at least three interface units. By establishing a relationship between the relative position information of the sensor units and the absolute position information of the at least three interface units, the relative position information of the sensor units can be located with the absolute position information.As a result, the relative position information of the sensor units, for example with reference to the geopositions of the at least three interface units, can be output by the at least three interface units to an external receiver. An external receiver for relative position information with reference to the geopositions can be map services that provide digital maps for navigation systems of autonomous vehicles or driver assistance systems. Such map services can be cloud-based, for example. The at least three interface units can be designed such that they can communicate directly with a (cloud-based) digital map in order to enter the position information determined by the system into the digital map. Other recipients for such position information can be, for example, traffic control centers or highway providers.

[0026] The at least three interface units can be configured to communicate wirelessly with the at least one external receiver. Each sensor unit can have at least one transmitting / receiving unit configured for wireless communication with the at least three interface units. The sensor units can communicate with at least the at least three interface units, for example, using a radio technology called "symmetrical double-sided two-way ranging." The sensor units of the sensor arrangement can also communicate wirelessly with each other. Each of the sensor units can wirelessly receive information from other sensor units and wirelessly transmit information to other sensor units.

[0027] The external receiver can also be a vehicle. The at least one interface unit can be configured to communicate with a vehicle as an external receiver. The position information determined by the system can be transmitted in real time or at least near real time to a vehicle that is approaching the section of road with the changed traffic routing or is located in this section of road.

[0028] The at least one sensor for detecting the position information can be a time-of-flight sensor. A time-of-flight sensor can detect distances and also differences in altitude. The time-of-flight sensors can thus detect relative position information of the individual sensor units, indicating the position and orientation of the individual sensor units relative to one another. The time-of-flight sensors can detect even small changes in the relative position information of the sensor units or the traffic control devices to which the sensor units are attached. The time-of-flight sensors can be used to construct the digital mesh network to generate the position and orientation of the changed traffic routing or the route section with the changed traffic routing.The detected changes in the position information can be output to the at least one interface unit and made available by the at least one interface unit to external receivers.

[0029] The at least three interface units can be configured to span a coordinate system. The position information of the sensor units can be determined with reference to this coordinate system. The relative position information of the sensor units can be determined in the local coordinate system spanned by the at least three interface units. This relative position information can be linked to the absolute position information and output to an external receiver. The at least three interface units can be a sensor unit. The at least three interface units have a sensor for detecting relative position information.

[0030] The at least three interface units can be connected to the Internet. Furthermore, the at least three interface units can be configured to send and receive information via Wi-Fi. The at least three interface units can have at least one GPS receiver.

[0031] The system can have at least three interface units. Each interface unit can be assigned a portion of the sensor units of the sensor array. In other words, some of the sensor units can communicate with one interface unit, while the other portion of the sensor units can communicate with another interface unit. This can be particularly the case if the system is intended to cover a relatively large route section or area. This allows the position information determined by the system to be provided to an external receiver as close to real time as possible, even if the area to be covered by the system is large.

[0032] The sensor units of the sensor array are mounted on at least one traffic control device designed as a beacon. Traffic control devices can be, for example, beacons, barrier fences, warning signs, tunnel and concrete barrier walls, steel barrier walls, traffic cones, pylons, and delineator posts. Traffic control devices can generally be temporary or permanent installations that indicate or dictate traffic flow to a vehicle or road user.

[0033] The at least one sensor for determining the position information can be a time-of-flight sensor. The at least one sensor can be configured to determine position information using UWB (Ultra Wide Band), Wi-Fi, or RTK (Real Time Kinematics). The at least one sensor can also be configured to determine the position information with centimeter accuracy using GPS, DGPS (Differential Global Positioning System), or 5G.

[0034] The sensor units can be designed for attachment to or integration into a traffic control device. For example, the sensor units can be attached to a warning light for traffic safety measures or integrated into such a warning light. The sensor units can be designed to be connectable to, or connected to, an energy storage unit in a traffic control device. The sensor units can comprise an energy storage unit or a unit for generating electrical energy. For example, the sensor units can comprise a solar element with which electrical energy can be generated.

[0035] A sensor unit can therefore be a self-contained and / or self-contained unit.

[0036] The sensor units can be encapsulated. The sensor units can be designed to be waterproof and / or dustproof. This allows the sensor units to be protected from dust, dirt, moisture, and temperature fluctuations. The encapsulation can also be designed to protect the sensor units from impacts, shocks, and vibrations. Especially in construction sites, encapsulation can significantly increase the service life of the sensor units.

[0037] The sensor units can comprise at least one of the following sensors: gyroscope, acceleration sensor, magnetometer, barometer, humidity sensor, or temperature sensor. These sensors can determine the mechanical loads and the loads caused by environmental influences on the sensor units. For example, the acceleration sensor and / or gyroscope can determine whether the sensor units have been moved and / or initiate the "wake-up" of the system. Furthermore, the acceleration sensor and / or gyroscope can be used to put the system into sleep mode, for example, to save energy. Furthermore, these sensors can determine the mechanical loads on the sensor units caused by a shock or impact, for example, during a vehicle collision.

[0038] An embodiment is described below with reference to the attached figures. They depict: Fig. 1 is a schematic view of a system for determining the position information of traffic control devices; Fig. 2 a schematic view of the system in the installed state; Fig. 3 is a further schematic view of the system in the installed state, with some of the sensor units having a changed position; Fig. Figure 4 is a schematic view showing the communication of the system with a vehicle as an external receiver; Fig. 5 is a schematic view showing the communication of the system with a map service as an external receiver; and Fig. 6 a schematic view of a sensor unit.

[0039] Fig. 1 shows a schematic view of a system 100 for determining the position of one or more traffic control devices.

[0040] The system 100 comprises a sensor arrangement SD, which has a plurality of sensor units 101 to 108, and an interface unit 12. As shown by the arrows P1 to P8, the sensor units 101 to 108 communicate with the interface unit 12. The communication between the sensor units 101 to 108 and the interface unit 12 is wireless. The sensor units 101 to 108 can also communicate wirelessly with each other, as shown by the arrows extending between the individual sensor units 101 to 108. The sensor units 101 to 108 can be attached to traffic control devices (not shown). Furthermore, the sensor units 101 to 108 can also be integrated into the traffic control devices. It is conceivable to arrange a sensor unit 101 to 108 on each traffic control device. Furthermore, a sensor unit 101 to 108 can also be attached to a section of a traffic control device.For the sake of clarity, not all communication channels are shown. For this reason, these arrows are not provided with reference symbols.

[0041] The arrows not provided with reference symbols illustrate, in addition to the communication paths between the sensor units 101 to 108, how the position information of the individual sensor units 101 to 108 can be determined using the sensor units 101 to 108. The sensor units 101 to 108 form a mesh network between them. Each sensor unit 101 to 108 determines the relative position information of at least one other sensor unit 101 to 108. The relative position information can, for example, comprise a distance value or the distance between the individual sensor units 101 to 108. One of the sensor units 101 to 108 can thus detect its distance or the distance to one or more of the remaining sensor units 101 to 108. For example, the sensor unit 108 can detect the distance to the sensor units 107, 106, and 105. The sensor unit 107 detects the distance to the sensor units 105, 106 and 108.All sensor units 101 to 108 determine the distance to several of the remaining sensor units 101 to 108. This creates a mesh network between the sensor units 101 to 108. This mesh network allows even the smallest changes in the position information of one or more of the sensor units 101 to 108 to be recorded in near real-time and with high precision. The recorded position information can then be output to the interface unit 12.

[0042] The system 100 can determine and / or read the absolute position information of the interface unit 12. The absolute position information of the interface unit 12 can be predefined and / or determined in advance using a known surveying method. For example, the absolute position information of the interface unit 12 can include the geoposition of the interface unit 12. The geoposition of the interface unit 12 can be specified, for example, in world coordinates. The system 100 or the interface unit 12 can have an information processing unit 14 that establishes a relationship between the relative position information acquired by the sensor units 101 to 108 and the absolute position information of the interface unit 12.

[0043] The interface unit 12 of the system 100 can communicate with an external receiver 16. Communication between the interface unit 12 and the external receiver 16 can be wireless. The interface unit 12 provides the external receiver 16 with the position information acquired by the system 100. The external receiver 16 can be a map service that provides a digital map (also referred to as an "HD map") for autonomous vehicles or driver assistance systems. The position information acquired by the system 100 can be imported into the digital map of the map service in near real time. Furthermore, the external receiver 16 can be a vehicle. The vehicle (not shown) can communicate directly with the interface unit 12 of the system 100 in order to transmit the position information determined by the system 100 to the vehicle in near real time.

[0044] Fig. Figure 2 shows a section S of a traffic route or road with a changed traffic routing. For example, Fig. 2 There may be a construction site to the right of the lane, which requires a change in traffic flow or lane routing. The road will be Fig. 2 and transferred to a lane of the opposite carriageway, which is actually assigned to oncoming traffic. The schematically illustrated traffic control devices 18 to 34 are arranged at section S to indicate the changed traffic routing to a road user. The traffic control devices 18 to 34 can be guide beacons or guide posts. Each of the traffic control devices 18 to 34 has a sensor unit 101 to 108. Further sensor units 109 to 10 16 shown, whereby for reasons of clarity the representation of the sensor units 109 to 10 16associated traffic control devices were omitted. The sensor units 101 to 10 16 can be integrated into the traffic control devices 18 to 34 or attached to the traffic control devices 18 to 34.

[0045] The sensor units 101 to 10 16 span a mesh network between them to determine the relative positions of the individual sensor units 101 to 10 16 The mesh network spanned by the sensor units is formed by the distances between the sensor units 101 to 10 16 lines. Each sensor unit 101 to 10 16 detects the relative position information of one or more of the remaining sensor units 101 to 10 16For example, the sensor unit 101 detects the relative position information of the sensor units 102, 103, 104, 106, and 108. Similarly, the sensor unit 102 can detect the relative position information of the sensor units 101, 103, 104, 105, and 107. The same applies to the remaining sensor units 103 to 10 16 , which also contains the relative position information of neighboring sensor units 101 to 10 16 capture.

[0046] According to the Fig. 2, the system 100 comprises three interface units 121, 122, and 123. The interface units 121, 122, and 123 have known absolute position information. The absolute position information can be determined or read by the interface units 121, 122, and 123. Based on their known absolute position information, the interface units 121, 122, and 123 establish a local coordinate system in which the relative position information of the sensor units 101 to 10 16 can be determined.

[0047] The sensor units 101 to 10 16 send the relative position information they have acquired to the interface units 121, 122 and 123. It can be provided that a group of sensor units 101 to 10 16 sends the position information it has recorded to the interface unit 121. A different group of sensor units 101 to 1016 can send the position information it has recorded to the interface unit 122. Another group of sensor units 101 to 10 16 can send the position information you have recorded to the interface unit 123. The sensor units 101 to 10 16 can send the position information they have acquired to several of the interface units 121, 122 and 123. For example, the sensor units 101 to 108 can send the position information they have acquired to the interface unit 121, whereas the sensor units 109 to 10 16 send the position information they have recorded to the interface unit 122. In addition, the sensor units 101 to 10 16send the position information they have acquired to the interface unit 123. Three interface units 121, 122, and 123 can be provided for determining 2-dimensional position information. Four interface units 121, 122, 123, and 12 can be provided for determining 3-dimensional position information. x (not shown) may be provided.

[0048] Due to the known absolute position information of the interface units 121, 122 and 123, the values ​​of the sensor units 101 to 10 16 The relative position information acquired is linked with the absolute position information or with the geoposition of the interface units 121, 122 and 123. The position information generated in this way can be provided by the interface units 121, 122 and 123 to an external receiver. The sensor units 101 to 10 16The relative position information recorded can also be output to external receivers without being linked to absolute position information.

[0049] With the sensor arrangement described, changes in the position information of the sensor units 101 to 10 16 quickly and with high accuracy, so that the position information provided by the system 100 can be made available to an external receiver in near real time via the interface units 121, 122 and 123.

[0050] Fig. Figure 3 shows a situation in which the traffic control devices 28 and 30, ie the guide beacons 28 and 30, have been moved. The guide beacons may have been moved, for example, by construction workers or a construction vehicle (not shown). The guide beacons 28 and 30, with the sensor units 106 and 108 arranged on them, are located in the lane of section S. The sensor units 101 to 10 16 and the mesh network you have created, represented by the lines, allows the change in the position of the sensor units 106 and 108 or the new position of the sensor units 106 and 108 to be detected quickly and with high precision by the traffic control devices 28 and 30. With the system 100, updated position information can be output to external receivers in near real time due to the rapid and accurate detection of changes in the position information of the traffic control devices 28 and 30.

[0051] Fig. Figure 4 shows a schematic view of the communication of the system 100 with a vehicle 36 as an external receiver. Fig. 4, the beacons 18 and 20 are shown as traffic control devices. The beacons 18 and 20 each have a warning light 38 and 40. The sensor units 101 and 102 can be attached to the warning light 38 and 40 or integrated into the warning light 38 and 40. The sensor units 101 and 102 send the relative position information they detect to the interface unit 12 of the system 100. The interface unit 12 is designed to provide the relative position information detected by the sensor units 101 and 102 to the vehicle 36 as an external receiver. This allows the vehicle to be provided with the exact positions of the traffic control devices 18 and 20 and the sensor units 101 and 102 arranged thereon in near real time. The vehicle 36 can use the section S (see Fig. 2) drive through or stop safely to avoid colliding with traffic control devices 28 and 30.

[0052] Fig. 5 shows a schematic representation of the communication of system 100 with a map service 42. The traffic control device 18 is a beacon with a warning light 36 attached thereto. The sensor unit 101 can be integrated into the warning light 36 or attached to the warning light 36. The sensor unit 101 on the beacon 18 sends the position information it detects to the interface unit 12 of the system 100. The interface unit 12 of the system 100 can locate the relative position information detected by the sensor unit 101 with its absolute position information. The interface unit 12 can make the position information detected by the system 100 available to the map service 42. The map service 42 can be cloud-based.The position information provided to the map service 42 can be integrated into a digital map 44 so that autonomous vehicles or driver assistance systems of a vehicle that access the digital map 44 with their navigation systems can record the current position of the beacon 18 with the sensor unit 101.

[0053] Fig. 6 shows a schematic view of a sensor unit 10. The sensor unit 10 has a sensor 46 for detecting position information, a transmitting / receiving unit 48, and a controller 50 that can control the sensor 46 and the transmitting / receiving unit 48. The sensor unit 10 can further have an energy storage unit 52. Instead of the energy storage unit 52, a unit for generating electrical energy can be provided. This unit can, for example, have a solar panel to supply the sensor unit 10 with electrical energy. A sensor unit 10 can thus be a self-sufficient and / or self-contained unit. Furthermore, the sensor unit 10 can be connected to an energy storage unit or the power supply of a traffic control device. In this case, the sensor unit can be designed without its own power supply.

[0054] In addition, the sensor unit 10 can have an acceleration sensor 54 and a gyroscope 56. The acceleration sensor 54 and the gyroscope 56 can be used to detect the mechanical loads on the sensor unit 10 due to shocks, impacts, or vibrations. In addition to the acceleration sensor 54 and the gyroscope 56, the sensor unit 10 can have at least one further sensor 58. This sensor can be a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, a barometer, or a magnetometer. It is also conceivable for the sensor unit 10 to comprise several of the aforementioned sensors or all of the aforementioned sensors. The information detected by the aforementioned sensors or by the sensors 54, 56, and 58 can be sent to the interface unit 12 (see Fig.1). This allows the state of sensor unit 10 to be determined and taken into account. Furthermore, it is conceivable to interpret the determined relative position information based on the information acquired by the aforementioned sensors or by sensors 54, 56, and 58, or to take the acquired information into account when acquiring the relative position information.

[0055] With the system 100 according to the invention and the sensor units 10 according to the invention, the position of at least one traffic control device 18 to 34 can be determined precisely and in real time, or at least near real time. The position information determined by the system can be provided for checking the positioning of the traffic control devices in the event of a change in traffic routing (e.g., during a construction site), for autonomous vehicles or driver assistance systems, and for map services. This allows traffic routing and also the position and location of construction sites to be determined precisely and near real time.

Claims

[1] System (100) for providing position information for checking and documenting the positions of traffic control devices (18 to 34) designed as beacons in the event of a change in traffic routing in the area of ​​a construction site, wherein the system (100) comprises at least one sensor arrangement (SD) and at least three interface units (121, 122, 123), wherein the sensor arrangement (SD) comprises several sensor units (101 to 10 16 ) includes where each sensor unit (101 to 10 16 ) is attached to one of the traffic control devices (18 to 34), where each sensor unit (101 to 10 16 ) is designed to transmit at least relative position information to at least one further sensor unit (101 to 10 16 ) relative to itself and / or relative to at least one further sensor unit (101 to 10 16), wherein the position information indicates the position of the respective traffic control device (18 to 34), where each sensor unit (101 to 10 16 ) is designed to send the determined relative position information to the at least three interface units (121, 122, 123), wherein the at least three interface units (121, 122, 123) are designed to receive the signals from the sensor units (101 to 10 16 ) to receive the relative position information sent, wherein the sensor units (101 to 10 16 ) have at least one sensor (46) which receives the relative position information of at least one further sensor unit (101 to 10 16 ) of the sensor arrangement (SD), wherein the relative position information includes a distance value of one of the sensor units (101 to 10 16 ) to at least one further of the sensor units (101 to 10 16 ) and wherein the sensor units (101 to 10 16 ) of the sensor arrangement (SD) cooperate to obtain the relative position information for each sensor unit (101 to 10 16 ) to determine wherein the sensor units (101 to 10 16 ) form a sensor field in which changes in the relative position information are detected based on at least one change in a distance value between at least two sensor units (101 to 10 16 ) are recorded, wherein the system (100) is designed to determine and / or read the position of the at least three interface units (121, 122, 123) in absolute position information, wherein the system (100) comprises at least one information processing unit (14) which is designed to establish a relationship between the signals received from the sensor units (101 to 10 16) certain relative position information and the absolute position information of the at least three interface units (121, 122, 123), and wherein the at least three interface units (121, 122, 123) are designed to determine 2-dimensional position information by linking the relative position information and the absolute position information, wherein the 2-dimensional position information is designed to be integrated into a digital map (44) of a map service (42), and wherein the at least three interface units (121, 122, 123) are further designed to provide the relative position information to at least one external receiver (16). [2] System (100) according to claim 1, wherein the at least three interface units (121, 122, 123) are configured to communicate wirelessly with the at least one external receiver (16). [3] System (100) according to one of claims 1 to 2, wherein each sensor unit (101 to 10 16 ) has at least one transmitting / receiving unit (48) which is designed at least for wireless communication with the at least three interface units (121, 122, 123), and / or wherein the sensor units (101 to 10 16 ) are designed to communicate wirelessly with at least one further sensor unit (101 to 10 16 ) to communicate. [4] System (100) according to one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the at least three interface units (121, 122, 123) are designed to communicate with a vehicle (36) as an external receiver. [5] System (100) according to one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the sensor (46) is a time-of-flight sensor for detecting the relative position information. [6] System (100) according to one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the at least three interface units (121, 122, 123) are designed to span a coordinate system in which the relative position information of the sensor units (101 to 10 16 ) and / or wherein the three interface units (121, 122, 123) are each assigned a part of the sensor units (101 to 10 16 ) is assigned to the sensor arrangement (SD).

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