Electric road track module

Abstract

An electric road track module (100) is disclosed, comprising a plurality of segments (30a, 30b) configured to supply power to a vehicle (12), the plurality of segments (30a, 30b) being separated along the electric road track module (100) by insulating members (17), and a plurality of radar sensors (102a, 102b) disposed along the electric road track module (100). Also disclosed is a method of controlling such an electric road track module.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an electric road track for supplying power to a vehicle and the safety of its system, and more specifically, to an electric road track module, an electric road track system, and an object detection method.

Background Art

[0002] Vehicles that are fully or partially electrically driven are becoming increasingly common as the technology improves along with the infrastructure that supports such vehicles. Electric vehicles enable the transportation of goods and people while reducing the use of fossil fuels and the environmental impact compared to conventional alternatives.

[0003] Infrastructure along the road network that supports these fully or partially electric vehicles is being developed, and many charging stations have been installed so that electric vehicles can stop and charge their batteries as needed. However, charging a vehicle battery at a charging station still takes a relatively long time, which is especially true for large vehicles with large-capacity batteries.

[0004] Therefore, an electric road track, which is an emerging technology for electrically supplying power to a vehicle, has emerged. The electric road track can provide the possibility of charging or directly supplying power to a moving vehicle. The electric road track is arranged on or incorporated into a road and transmits power that can be transmitted in various ways to a vehicle traveling along the road.

[0005] Supplying power to a vehicle via an electric road track is a new technology and can reduce the need to stop to charge the battery of an electric vehicle. Therefore, it not only promotes the miniaturization of the battery but also promotes the easier electrification of heavy transport vehicles such as freight trucks because there is no need to stop for a long time to charge the battery.

[0006] The electric road track also offers great potential to improve the safety of transportation, whether it is for freight or personal transportation, which has been overlooked in the prior art electric road tracks.

Summary of the Invention

[0007] In view of the above, an object of the present invention is to provide a method for improving the safety of driving and supplying electricity to a vehicle by an electric road track. This object is also to improve the above prior art solutions.

[0008] To achieve at least one of the above objects and other objects that will become apparent from the following description, an electric road track module according to a first aspect is provided. The electric road track module includes a plurality of segments configured to supply power to a vehicle, the plurality of segments being separated along the electric road track module by insulating members, and a plurality of radar sensors arranged along the electric road track module.

[0009] The radar sensors provide robust detection of objects along the electric road track module. However, for example, if the sensors are dirty, the detection by the radar sensors deteriorates and the sensitivity decreases. The radar sensors provide detection and discrimination of a number of objects, such as vehicles, weather-related objects such as rain and snow, and animals moving on the road. This information helps to monitor the road conditions and warn vehicles on the road if necessary.

[0010] The plurality of radar sensors may be arranged in pairs. The first radar sensor in the pair has a sensing direction on the right side with respect to the longitudinal direction of the electric road track module, and the second radar sensor in the pair has a sensing direction on the left side with respect to the longitudinal direction of the electric road track module. In this way, information regarding whether the object detected by the radar sensor is on the left side or the right side of the electric road can be determined.

[0011] The first radar sensor in the pair may have a sensing direction that is forward or backward with respect to the longitudinal direction of the electric road track module, and the second radar sensor in the pair may have a sensing direction that is backward or forward with respect to the longitudinal direction of the electric road track module.

[0012] The plurality of radar sensors may be arranged within an insulating member.

[0013] The electric road track module may further include a control circuit configured to receive radar sensing signals from the plurality of radar sensors. The control circuit facilitates the processing and management of data from the radar sensor signals, i.e., data in the form of traffic flow information and / or weather condition data.

[0014] The control circuit may be configured to operate and / or stop the segment of the electric road track module based on the radar sensing signals from the plurality of radar sensors.

[0015] The electric road track module may further include a plurality of optical indicators configured to be controlled based on radar sensing signals from the plurality of radar sensors. The optical indicators facilitate providing information from the radar sensors to vehicles traveling on the road, such as information that traffic is stopped ahead or that an animal / person is moving on the road.

[0016] In a second aspect, an electric road track system is provided. The electric road track system includes a plurality of electric road track modules according to the first aspect arranged along a road, and a control server including a control circuit (202) configured to receive radar sensing signals from the plurality of radar sensors.

[0017] Thus, the electric road-track system can monitor, relay and collect data on traffic, road obstacles, weather, etc. from a wide area, facilitating improvement of the safety of the electric road-track system and of travel in general.

[0018] The control circuitry may be configured to activate and / or deactivate the segments of the electric roadway track module based on the radar sensing signals from the plurality of radar sensors.

[0019] The control circuitry may be further configured to perform a traffic flow function based on the received radar sensed signals and configured to accumulate statistical information of vehicles traveling along the roadway along which the plurality of electric roadway track modules are disposed.

[0020] The control circuitry may be further configured to perform a weather monitoring function configured to determine weather conditions based on the received radar sensed signals.

[0021] The control circuitry may further be configured to perform an alarm function configured to generate an alarm signal based on the received radar sensing signal. For example, an alarm may be generated when traffic congestion, animals / people, and / or bad weather are detected to notify drivers of vehicles on the road of a hazard ahead. Furthermore, the alarm signal may be transmitted by the mobile device, e.g., a dedicated application thereof, a cloud-based server, emergency services, and / or a light indicator.

[0022] The control circuitry may be configured to analyze the received radar detection signal to determine the type of object causing the radar detection signal, thereby facilitating providing accurate information for monitoring traffic and / or weather conditions and / or other objects detected by the radar sensor, such as animals / people moving on a road.

[0023] The control server may be further configured to transmit an alarm signal to a vehicle traveling along the road on which the plurality of electric road track modules are arranged.

[0024] Each of the electric road track modules may include a plurality of optical indicators, and the control server may be further configured to control the optical indicators based on the alarm signal. In this way, the alarm signal can be transmitted in a simple and reliable manner, and the driver of the vehicle on the road can be notified that an alarm has been generated by the object detected ahead.

[0025] In a third aspect, a method for controlling an electric road track module is provided. The electric road track module includes a plurality of segments configured to supply power to a vehicle, and a plurality of radar sensors arranged along the electric road track module. The method includes sensing the presence of an object along the electric road track module by analyzing radar signals from the radar sensors, and activating and / or stopping segments of the electric road track module based on the presence of an object along the electric road track module.

[0026] By the method, the safety of the electric road track module and the safety when traveling on the road provided with the electric road track module can be improved. Further, statistical information regarding traffic flow and weather may be generated, which facilitates providing information such as locations where traffic jams often occur, the traffic density of a certain road, and locations where animals easily pass on the road.

[0027] The method may further include analyzing the radar signals to filter out objects in the form of vehicles, and accumulating statistical information of the vehicle traveling along the electric road track module.

[0028] The method may further comprise generating an alarm signal based on the radar signal and warning a vehicle traveling along a road on which the electric road track module is disposed, based on the generated alarm signal. The warning may be generated when a traffic condition and / or a weather condition that is severe enough to warrant a warning is detected. For example, when traffic is moving slowly or is stationary, or when a severe weather condition is detected, and the like.

[0029] The warning may comprise activating a light indicator of one or more electric road track modules disposed along the road on which the electric road track module is disposed.

[0030] The method may further comprise analyzing the radar signal to filter out objects in the form of weather-related objects and monitoring the weather condition in the electric road track module by analyzing the radar signals from the plurality of radar sensors.

[0031] In general, all terms used in the claims should be construed according to their ordinary meaning in the technical field, unless otherwise defined herein. Unless otherwise expressly stated, all references to an (a / an) / the [element, device, component, means, step, etc.] should be construed as referring to at least one example of the said element, the said device, the said component, the said means, the said step, etc. The steps of any method disclosed herein need not be performed in the exact order disclosed, unless otherwise specified.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0032] The above and additional aspects, features, and advantages of the present invention will be better understood through the following illustrative and non-limiting, detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings, where like reference numerals will be used for like elements.

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

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Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

[0033] Here, with reference to the accompanying drawings showing the presently preferred embodiments of the present invention, the present invention will be more fully described below. However, the present invention may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments described herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided for thoroughness and completeness and to fully convey the scope of the present invention to those skilled in the art.

[0034] Figure 1 shows an electric road track module 100 in a top view. The electric road track module 100 is for supplying power to a vehicle 12 (see Figure 5). The electric road track module 100 may form part of an electric road track system 300 as shown in Figure 5, or may be an independent unit, for example, for providing stationary charging to the vehicle 12 in a parking lot.

[0035] The general function of the electric road track module 100 is to supply power to the electric vehicle 12. That is, while the electric vehicle 12 is traveling on the road or parked above the electric road track module 100, the battery of the electric vehicle 12 can be charged. Alternatively, or in combination, the motor of the electric vehicle 12 can be continuously powered electrically. To supply power and / or charge the electric vehicle 12, the electric vehicle 12 may include current collectors 14a, 14b, 14c (see FIG. 5) for drawing power from the electric road track module 100.

[0036] The electric road track module 100 includes a plurality of segments 30a, 30b, at least two segments 30a, 30b. The segments 30a, 30b may form the power transmission of the track line 30 from the electric road track module 100 to the vehicle 12.

[0037] The segments 30a, 30b are separated along the electric road track module 100 by the insulating member 17. The segments 30a, 30b and the insulating member 17 may be arranged in the housing 20. All the second segments 30a may be configured to be powered by the power station 15. The segments 30a configured to be powered form the first set of segments 30a. The power station 15 may be arranged, for example, on the side of the road. The power station 15 may be connected to the electric road track module 100 via conductors 15a, 15b.

[0038] When powered by a positive potential, one segment 30a from the first set of segments 30a forms the positive electrode. The other segments 30b form the second set of segments 30b that are not powered. The segments 30b that are not powered may be set to have the same potential as the ground. Alternatively, the segments of the first set of segments 30a may be powered by a negative potential and thus form the negative electrode. When power is supplied to one of the segments 30a of the first set of segments, a voltage difference occurs between the powered segment 30a and the non-powered segment 30b. Therefore, the electric road track module 100 is segmented into a plurality of segments 30a, 30b arranged to provide an alternating potential.

[0039] Segments 30a, 30b are arranged such that at any instant during travel, at least one of the current collectors 14a, 14b, 14c is connected to a segment 30a of the first set of segments 30a and at least one other of the current collectors 14a, 14b, 14c is connected to a segment 30b of the second set of segments 30b. Therefore, continuous collection of power from the electric road track module 100 can be achieved when the segments 30a of the first set of segments 30a are powered.

[0040] The electric road track module 100 preferably comprises at least one first type of segment 30a and at least one second type of segment 30b, but the electric road track module 100 may comprise a plurality of first type of segments 30a and a plurality of second type of segments 30b.

[0041] Segments 30a, 30b have a length shorter than the length of the vehicle 12 along the elongation direction in the traveling direction (longitudinal direction) 13 of the vehicle. The length of segments 30a, 30b according to a non-limiting example is about 1 m. The insulating member 17 may have a length of about 10 - 30 cm. The plurality of electric road track modules 100 can be arranged alternately as further described with respect to FIG. 5.

[0042] The electric road track module 100 may further include a control server 200. The control server 200 may be arranged within the power station 15, and / or within the electric road track module 100, and / or as a remote server such as a cloud-based server. The control server 200 may be formed by a single unit or may be formed as a distributed unit spanning multiple units, and is configured to execute overall control of the functions and operations of one or more electric road track modules 100. The control server 200 will be further described with reference to FIG. 5.

[0043] According to the above, the teachings of this specification are particularly beneficial for the electric road track module 100 configured for conductive power transmission. However, the teachings of this specification are nonetheless equally applicable to electric road tracks using, for example, inductive power transmission or other power transmission methods.

[0044] This disclosure is based on the recognition that electric road track systems and electric road track modules offer great potential for collecting information and providing it to others such as vehicles and emergency services. Moreover, since electric road tracks are still a relatively new technology, the safety of prior art electric road tracks is an area that is continuously improving.

[0045] In this context, the electric road track module 100 in this disclosure is provided with a plurality of radar sensors 102a, 102b arranged along the electric road track module 100. The radar sensors 102a, 102b may be pulse radar sensors, coherent radar sensors, or preferably small radar sensors such as pulse coherent radars. Other types of radar sensors 102a, 102b are equally applicable, and the teachings of this specification are not limited to the types of radar sensors described above.

[0046] However, in order to obtain the desired accuracy, the radar sensors 102a, 102b should preferably have a short wavelength band, and preferably should have a wavelength band in the mm range. Thereby, the radar sensors 102a, 102b can detect small objects such as raindrops and minute debris such as rocks that may damage the vehicle 12 or the current collectors 14a, 14b, 14c.

[0047] The radar sensors 102a, 120b preferably have a maximum range between 1 m and 5 m, but may have both a longer maximum range and a shorter maximum range.

[0048] The detection zones DZa, DZb of the first radar sensor 102a and the second radar sensor 102b are shown in FIG. 1. However, the detection zones DZa, DZb shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 are not limiting and are mainly for illustrative purposes, and each detection zone DZa, DZb may be different depending on the application, and may, for example, overlap or have other directions and ranges.

[0049] However, as shown in FIG. 1, the first radar sensor 102a, or a plurality of first radar sensors 102a, may be arranged to have a dexter, i.e., a right-side sensing direction, with respect to the longitudinal direction 13 of the electric road track module 100. The longitudinal direction 13 may be regarded as the intended traveling direction along the electric road track module 100. The second radar sensor 102b, or a plurality of second radar sensors 102b, may have a sinister, i.e., a left-side sensing direction, with respect to the longitudinal direction 13 of the electric road track module 100. Each sensor 102a, 102b may be configured to detect an object within its respective detection zone DZa, DZb having a lateral detection angle of 0° and 90° with respect to the longitudinal direction 13 of the electric road track module 100.

[0050] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 2, which shows a side view of the electric road track module 100 of FIG. 1, and which is further applicable to all embodiments of this specification, the first and second radar sensors 102a, 102b may have a sensing direction that is angled upward with respect to the surface of the electric road track module 100. That is, each sensor 102a, 102b may be configured to detect objects within respective detection zones DZa, DZb having vertical detection angles of 0° and 90° with respect to the longitudinal direction 13 of the electric road track module 100. The vertical detection angle may be as large as about 180°.

[0051] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 1, the first radar sensor 102a may be arranged to have a rearward sensing direction with respect to the longitudinal direction 13 of the electric road track module 100. The second radar sensor 102b may be arranged to have an opposite forward sensing direction with respect to the longitudinal direction 13 of the electric road track module 100. Of course, however, the reverse arrangement is also possible. Furthermore, both the first and second sensors 102a, 102b may be arranged facing a forward or rearward sensing direction.

[0052] In certain applications where angle information is desired regarding the detected object, the data from each of the first sensors 102a and / or the data from each of the second sensors 102b may be combined, for example, in the control server 200, for multi-lateration and / or trilateration purposes.

[0053] Each radar sensor 102a, 102b may be disposed within the electric road track module housing 20. For certain applications, each radar sensor 102a, 102b may be disposed behind a plastic cover that can effectively transmit the radar signals from the radar sensors 102a, 102b without causing interference or distortion of the radar signals. For embodiments where the electric road track module 100 is incorporated into the road, i.e., configured to be essentially flush with the road surface, the plastic cover may form a slight protrusion from the electric road track module 100 and / or the radar sensors 102a, 102b may be angled and disposed such that they can effectively detect in the lateral and / or longitudinal directions with respect to the longitudinal direction 13 of the electric road track module 100. Of course, such an arrangement of the radar sensors 102a, 102b is also possible for other embodiments of the electric road track module 100, such as when the electric road track module 100 is fixedly disposed on the road surface.

[0054] As shown in FIG. 3 showing a top view of the electric road track module 100, the plurality of radar sensors 102a, 102b may be arranged in pairs. Preferably, one first radar sensor 102a and one second radar sensor 102b forming a pair are both disposed on one side surface of the electric road track module 100 at the same longitudinal position along the longitudinal direction 13 of the electric road track module 100.

[0055] FIG. 4 shows a top view of an embodiment of the electric road track module 100 in which the radar sensors 102a, 102b are disposed within the insulating member 17 of the electric road track module 100.

[0056] The electric road track module 100 may further include a plurality of optical indicators 104a, 104b configured to be controlled based on radar signals from a plurality of radar sensors 102a, 102. The optical indicators 104a, 104b may indicate to the driver of the vehicle 12 traveling on the road where the electric road track module 100 is disposed that an obstacle or bad weather is predicted ahead. The optical indicators 104a, 104b may be activated by any of the radar sensors 102a, 102b and do not necessarily have to be the closest radar sensors 102a, 102b. Accordingly, the optical indicators 104a, 104b may be controlled via the control server 200.

[0057] Furthermore, the radar sensors 102a, 102b, or the control server 200 that decodes signals from the radar sensors 102a, 102b, may be configured to distinguish different detected objects, such as the size of the object, whether it is stationary or moving, whether it is raining or snowing, or whether there are puddles / snow accumulations, whether there is congestion / stationary traffic ahead, and the degree of traffic passing over each of the sensors 102a, 102b.

[0058] The optical indicators 104a, 104b, which may be LED light sources, may thus be appropriately controlled, for example, by the control server 200, to indicate the type of traffic obstacle or danger ahead, for example, by changing to a corresponding color or by blinking in different patterns. The optical indicators 104a, 104b may further be controlled to operate only when the vehicle 12 is detected by the radar sensors 102a, 102b along the road 11 where the obstacle is detected.

[0059] The radar sensors 102a and 102b are preferably distributed in the longitudinal direction 13 of the electric road track module 100. The distance between the two first radar sensors 102a and between the two second radar sensors 102b in the longitudinal direction 13 may each be between 0.5 m and 5 m. When the radar sensors 102a and 102b are arranged in pairs, for example, within the housing 20 and / or within the insulating member 17, the distance in the longitudinal direction 13 between the two pairs of radar sensors 102a and 102b may be 0.5 m to 5 m, preferably 4 m. Of course, the distance between the radar sensors 102a and 102b may be equally short or long.

[0060] Referring to FIG. 5 showing the electric road track system 300. The electric road track system 300 includes a plurality of electric road track modules 100 arranged along the road 11. The electric road track module 100 may be arranged on the road 11 or, for example, arranged in a groove formed therein and integrated with the road 11.

[0061] The electric road track system 300 further includes a control server 200 including a control circuit 202 configured to receive radar signals from a plurality of radar sensors 102a and 102b, that is, radar signals indicating objects detected by the radar sensors 102a and 102b.

[0062] The control server 200 may be formed by a physical unit connected to each of the electric road track modules 100 in the electric road track system 300. Further, the control server 200 may be further connected to the control server 200 of one or more electric road track modules 100. Further, the control server 200 may be formed as a distributed unit, for example, by the control server 200 of the electric road track module 100 or as a remote control server 200 by cloud computing accessed via, for example, a wireless network.

[0063] The electric road track module 100 of the electric road track system 300 does not need to be physically connected to each other, and it can be understood that the electric road track system 300 can thus be formed by the electric road track modules 100 being arranged at geographically separated positions in relation to each other and being wirelessly connected to each other by the communication unit 206 shown in FIG. 6 of the control server 200.

[0064] As shown in FIG. 5, the control server 200 may be arranged within the power station 15. The power station 15 may be arranged to supply power to one or more of the electric road track modules 100 of the electric road track system 300 via the conductors 15a, 15b described, for example, in relation to FIG. 1.

[0065] Refer to FIGS. 5 and 6 simultaneously. Here, FIG. 6 is a schematic block diagram of the electric road track module 100 and / or the control server 200 of the electric road track system 300.

[0066] The control circuit 202 may be configured to execute a traffic flow function 210 configured to accumulate statistical information regarding a vehicle 12 traveling along a road 11 on which a plurality of electric road track modules 100 are arranged, based on radar detection signals received from a plurality of radar sensors 102a, 102b. Thus, the statistical data can be used, for example, to determine whether there is traffic stationary or moving at low speed on the road 11. The statistical information regarding the vehicle may be received from any of the radar sensors 102a, 102b of the electric road track system 300, and the electric road track system 300 may collect real-time statistical information regarding traffic along the road 11 on which it is arranged.

[0067] Furthermore, the traffic flow function 210 may include activating / deactivating the segments 30a, 30b such that the segments 30a, 30b where the vehicle 12 is present operate so that the vehicle 12 can draw power therefrom. The segments 30a, 30b where the vehicle 12 is not present are not activated correspondingly.

[0068] The traffic flow function 210 may include, for example, transmitting traffic flow statistical data by the communication unit 206 so as to monitor the number of vehicles traveling on the road 11, the speed at which traffic moves, the distance between the vehicles 12 on the road 11, and changes in speed. The information may include positioning data indicating the positions of the radar sensors 102a, 102b that are the data sources. Thus, the traffic flow data may be accurately traced and illustrated on a digital map showing patterns of the traffic flow and the like.

[0069] The positioning data may be obtained as the positions of each electric road track module 100 with a known position and each radar sensor 102a, 102b in the electric road track system 300, and may be used to determine the actual positions of the objects detected by the radar sensors 102a, 102b.

[0070] The control server 200 may include a positioning unit 216 consisting of a GPS positioning unit 216 or another type of positioning unit 216 for the purpose of determining the positions of each electric road track module 100 within the electric road track system 300 and the positions of each individual radar sensor 102a, 102b. With this positioning unit 216, the actual positions of each radar sensor 102a, 102b and / or each electric road track module 100 can be determined.

[0071] The control circuit 202 may be further configured to execute a weather monitoring function 212 configured to determine a weather condition based on radar detection signals received from a plurality of radar sensors 102a, 102b. The radar sensors 102a, 102b can thus relay signals to the control server 200 by means that can determine, for example, whether rain, snow, or puddles are present and the severity of the weather condition. Further, as described above, the positions of the radar sensors 102a, 102 and / or the electric road track module 100 can be used to determine the position of the determined weather condition. The weather monitoring function 212 may include transmitting, by the communication unit 206, weather data indicating whether there is precipitation and the type thereof. The information may include positioning data indicating the positions of the radar sensors 102a, 102b that are the sources of the data. In this way, the weather data can be accurately traced and can indicate to the user in real time, for example, on a digital map, whether precipitation is expected.

[0072] The control circuit 202 may be further configured to execute an alarm function 214 configured to generate an alarm signal based on radar detection signals received from a plurality of radar sensors 102a, 102b. The alarm signal may include providing a signal to the driver of the vehicle 12 on the road 11 by means of activating one or more optical indicators 104a, 104b. The alarm signal may be provided additionally or alternatively by the communication unit 206 and may include information regarding the type of obstacle, for example, when a person or an animal is detected, when a vehicle moving at a low speed or stationary is detected, when a severe weather condition is detected, etc. Thus, the alarm function 214 may be initiated based on the determined type of object and / or the severity of the weather condition detected by the radar sensors 102a, 102b.

[0073] The alarm function 214 may include wirelessly transmitting an alarm signal by the communication unit 206.

[0074] Furthermore, the alarm signal may include a position indicating the position of the radar sensors 102a, 102b and / or the electric road track module 100, which is the source of the alarm signal, e.g., from the GPS unit of the control server 200 of the electric road track system 300.

[0075] As shown in FIG. 6, the control server 200 may be part of an electric road track system 300 including the electric road track module 100 and / or a plurality of electric road track modules 100. The control server 200 may include a control circuit 202 associated with a memory 208. The control circuit 202 includes an associated processor 204 such as a CPU (central processing unit), a microcontroller, or a microprocessor. The processor 204 is configured to execute program code stored in the memory 208 to perform functions 210, 212, 214 and the operations of the control server 200.

[0076] The memory 208 may be one or more of a buffer, flash memory, hard disk, removable media, volatile memory, non-volatile memory, RAM (random access memory), or another suitable device. In a typical configuration, the memory 208 may include non-volatile memory for long-term data storage and volatile memory that functions as the system memory of the control server 200. The memory 208 may exchange data with the control circuit 202 via a data bus. Associated control lines and address buses between the memory 208 and the control circuit 202 may also be present.

[0077] The control server 200 may further comprise a communication unit 206, as described above, connected to the control circuit 202 and configured to enable communication between the electric road track module 100 and another electric road track module 100, e.g. another communication unit 206, between the electric road track module 100 and another unit, such as a mobile device or an application for a mobile device, e.g. via a cloud service, a navigation system of the vehicle 12, an emergency service, etc. The communication unit 206 may provide wired communication, e.g. between the electric road track modules 100. Furthermore, wireless communication is also possible by the communication unit 206. Also, as described above, the control server 200 may include a positioning unit 216, such as a GPS positioning unit 216 or other positioning units 216.

[0078] Communications by the communications unit 206 may include data transfer, etc. Data transfer may include, but is not limited to, downloading and / or uploading data, such as signals from the radar sensors 102a, 102b, and receiving or sending messages. The data may be processed by the control server 200. Processing may include storing the data in a memory, such as the memory 208 of the control server 200, performing an operation or function, etc.

[0079] The functions and operations 210, 212, 214 of the control server 200 may be embodied in the form of executable logic routines (e.g., lines of code, software programs, etc.) stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium (e.g., memory 208) of the control server 200 and executed (e.g., using the processor 204) by the control circuitry 202. Furthermore, the functions and operations 210, 212, 214 of the control server 200 may be independent software applications or may form part of a software application that performs additional tasks related to the control server 200.

[0080] The functions and operations 210, 212, 214 described above may be regarded as a method 1000 configured to be executed by a related device. Also, the functions and operations 210, 212, 214 described above may be implemented in software, but such functions may equally be executed via dedicated hardware or firmware, or some combination of hardware, firmware and / or software.

[0081] Referring to FIG. 6, a schematic flowchart of a method 1000 for detecting an object along an electric road track module 100 is shown, which comprises a plurality of segments 30a, 30b configured to supply power to a vehicle 12, and a plurality of radar sensors 102a, 102b arranged along the electric road track module 100. The method comprises sensing 1001 the presence of an object along the electric road track module 100 by analyzing 1002 radar signals from the radar sensors 102a, 102b. The radar signals may originate from the radar sensors 102a, 102b on the electric road track module 100 where the method 1000 is executed, or from another related electric road track module 100 forming part of the electric road track system 300 where the method 1000 is executed.

[0082] Method 1000 may further include analyzing the radar sensing signal 1002 to filter objects in the form of the vehicle 12, and accumulating statistical information regarding the vehicle 12 traveling along the electric road track module 100. Traffic flow data, i.e., statistical information, can thus be accumulated for the purpose of information provision and to monitor how the traffic situation is along the road 11 where the electric road track module 100 and / or the electric road track system 300 are arranged along the road 11. Method 1000 may include transmitting the traffic flow data 1004 by the communication unit 206. The data may further include the position data of the radar sensors 102a, 102b and / or the electric road track module 100, which are the sources of the traffic flow data. The traffic flow data may be transmitted intermittently or continuously at certain time intervals.

[0083] Method 1000 may further include analyzing the radar signal 1002 to filter objects in the form of weather-related objects such as raindrops, snowfall, puddles and / or snow accumulation. Thus, by analyzing the radar signals from the plurality of radar sensors 102a, 102b 1002, the weather condition can be monitored by the electric road track module 100.

[0084] Thus, method 1000 may include accumulating and / or transmitting information regarding the detected weather condition, i.e., weather data, to a recipient such as the vehicle 12, the mobile device, or the weather monitoring service, for example, by the communication unit 206. Thus, the weather condition may include whether rain / snow / hail is detected, whether there is standing water / snow / hail, and the position of the detected weather condition. The severity of the weather condition may also be determined and included.

[0085] That is, method 1000 may thus comprise continuously or intermittently transmitting 1004 signals, i.e., data, detected and filtered by radar sensors 102a, 102b of the electric road track module 100 of the electric road track system 300, which signals indicate traffic conditions such as, for example, weather conditions, the speed at which traffic is moving, and / or the number of vehicles 12 passing by. When transmitting the signals 1004, method 1000 may incorporate location information regarding where the weather conditions and / or traffic conditions detected by radar sensors 102a, 102b occur, so that the recipient of the transmitted signal, for the purpose of providing information, can determine where the signal was transmitted from and can thus present information accordingly to facilitate decoding of the signal. The recipient of the transmitted signal may be, for example, vehicle 12, a mobile device, another electric road track module 100, an emergency service provider, etc.

[0086] Method 1000 may further comprise generating 1003 an alarm based on the radar signal and warning, based on the generated alarm signal, a vehicle 12 traveling on a road 11 along which the electric road track module 100 is arranged. For example, when an object in the form of a stationary vehicle or an animal is detected by radar sensors 102a, 102b, a warning signal may be transmitted 1004 to vehicle 12 traveling on road 11 or may be transmitted directly or indirectly to other devices as described above.

[0087] An alarm 1003 is generated when it is determined that the situation on road 11 needs to be notified to vehicle 12 to avoid accidents and / or deterioration of traffic conditions. For example, when it is detected by radar sensors 102a, 102b that an animal is moving along road 11, a warning may be generated 1003 and transmitted 1004 to vehicle 12 traveling on road 11 in the direction where the animal is detected. The warning may be received directly by activating optical indicators 104a, 104b and / or by transmitting 1004 a warning signal that can be received by either the wireless receiver of vehicle 12 or a mobile device carried by a person inside vehicle 12 by communication unit 206 and / or via a remote server such as a cloud-based server that relays the warning signal to vehicle 12 and / or the mobile device traveling on road 11. The warning signal may further be transmitted 1004 to, for example, emergency services as described above.

[0088] For example, a navigation system or a mobile device of vehicle 12 that has received a transmission alarm signal and / or a transmission data signal indicating traffic conditions and / or weather conditions can integrate that information into its digital navigation map to advise or notify the user of vehicle 12 and / or the mobile device in real time about the situation on road 11. Also, the above information can be used to generate an alternative route to avoid traffic jams and the like.

[0089] Method 1000 may further include activating and / or stopping segments 30a, 30b of the electric road track module 100 based on the detected radar signals from radar sensors 102a, 102b, for example, such that only the segments 30a, 30b where the vehicle 12 is present are activated. Further, the radar sensors 102a, 102b may sense the presence of an object 1001, or may determine 1002 by analyzing the radar signals that the object is an animal or other object that should not be near the operating electric road track module 100. Thus, method 1000 may comprise stopping segments 30a, 30b 1005 to prevent injury to animals / people and / or damage to the electric road track module 100 and / or the vehicle 12.

[0090] Furthermore, even when no alarm signal is generated 1003, method 1000 may comprise activating the optical indicators of one or more electric road track modules 100 as a means of transmitting 1004 a signal indicating the traffic situation to a vehicle 12 traveling on road 11. The optical indicators 104a, 104b may be controlled according to the type of object detected by the radar sensors 102a, 102b as described above. Thus, different displays may be provided by the optical indicators 104a, 104b when the object is a stationary vehicle, a slow-moving vehicle, a normal / unrestricted moving vehicle, an animal, a fallen tree and / or a puddle of water, etc. Thus, the transmission 1004 of the signal and / or the generation 1003 of the alarm may comprise activating the optical indicators 104a, 104b.

[0091] Those skilled in the art will understand that the present invention is in no way limited to the above preferred embodiments. On the contrary, many modifications and variations are possible within the scope of the appended claims. Additionally, variations of the disclosed embodiments can be understood and brought about by those skilled in the art in practicing the invention according to the claims, from a consideration of the drawings, the disclosure, and the appended claims.

Claims

1. An electric road track module, comprising: a plurality of segments (30a, 30b) configured to supply power to a vehicle (12), the plurality of segments (30a, 30b) being separated along the electric road track module (100) by an insulating member (17); a plurality of radar sensors (102a, 102b) arranged along the electric road track module (100); a control circuit (202) configured to receive radar sensing signals from the plurality of radar sensors (102a, 102b) and to activate and / or deactivate the segments (30a, 30b) of the electric road track module (100) based on the radar sensing signals from the plurality of radar sensors (102a, 102b); wherein the plurality of radar sensors (102a, 102b) are arranged in pairs, a first radar sensor (102a) in the pair having a sensing direction (DZa) on the right side with respect to the longitudinal direction (13) of the electric road track module (100), and a second radar sensor (102b) in the pair having a sensing direction (DZb) on the left side with respect to the longitudinal direction (13) of the electric road track module (100).

2. An electric road track module, comprising: a plurality of segments (30a, 30b) configured to supply power to a vehicle (12), the plurality of segments (30a, 30b) being separated along the electric road track module (100) by an insulating member (17); a plurality of radar sensors (102a, 102b) arranged along the electric road track module (100); a control circuit (202) configured to receive radar sensing signals from the plurality of radar sensors (102a, 102b) and to activate and / or deactivate the segments (30a, 30b) of the electric road track module (100) based on the radar sensing signals from the plurality of radar sensors (102a, 102b); wherein The plurality of radar sensors (102a, 102b) are arranged in pairs, and the first radar sensor (102a) in the pair has a sensing direction (DZa) forward or backward with respect to the longitudinal direction (13) of the electric road track module (100), and the second radar sensor (102b) in the pair has a sensing direction (DZb) backward or forward with respect to the longitudinal direction (13) of the electric road track module (100). Electric road track module (100).

3. The plurality of radar sensors (102a, 102b) are arranged within the insulating member (17). The electric road track module (100) according to claim 1 or claim 2.

4. Further comprising a plurality of optical indicators (104a, 104b) configured to be controlled based on radar sensing signals from the plurality of radar sensors (102a, 102b). The electric road track module (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. A plurality of electric road track modules (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, and A control server (200) comprising a control circuit (202) configured to receive radar sensing signals from the plurality of radar sensors (102a, 102b) and to activate and / or stop the segments (30a, 30b) of the electric road track module (100) based on the radar sensing signals from the plurality of radar sensors (102a, 102b). An electric road track system (300) comprising the same.

6. The control circuit (202) is further configured to execute a traffic flow function (210) configured to accumulate statistical information of vehicles (12) traveling along the road (11) on which the plurality of electric road track modules (100) are arranged along the road (11) based on the received radar sensing signals. The electric road track system (300) according to claim 5.

7. The control circuit (202) is further configured to execute a weather monitoring function (212) configured to determine a weather condition based on the received radar sensing signals. The electric road track system (300) according to claim 5 or 6.

8. The electric road track system (300) according to any one of claims 5 to 7, wherein the control circuit (202) is further configured to execute an alarm function (214) configured to generate an alarm signal based on the received radar sensing signal.

9. The electric road track system (300) according to claim 8, wherein the control circuit (202) is configured to analyze the received radar sensing signal to determine the type of object that brings about the radar sensing signal.

10. The electric road track system (300) according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the control server (200) is further configured to transmit an alarm signal to a vehicle (12) traveling along the road (11) on which the plurality of electric road track modules (100) are arranged along the road (11).

11. The electric road track system (300) according to any one of claims 8 to 10, wherein each of the electric road track modules (100) includes a plurality of optical indicators (104a, 104b), and the control server (200) is further configured to control the optical indicators (104a, 104b) based on an alarm signal.

12. A method (1000) for controlling an electric road track module (100), wherein the electric road track module (100) includes a plurality of segments (30a, 30b) configured to supply power to a vehicle (12), and a plurality of radar sensors (102a, 102b) arranged along the electric road track module (100). The plurality of radar sensors (102a, 102b) are arranged in pairs, and a first radar sensor (102a) in the pair has a sensing direction (DZa) on the right side with respect to the longitudinal direction (13) of the electric road track module (100), and a second radar sensor (102b) in the pair has a sensing direction (DZb) on the left side with respect to the longitudinal direction (13) of the electric road track module (100). and / or The first radar sensor (102a) in the pair has a sensing direction (DZa) that is forward or backward with respect to the longitudinal direction (13) of the electric road track module (100), and the second radar sensor (102b) in the pair has a sensing direction (DZb) that is backward or forward with respect to the longitudinal direction (13) of the electric road track module (100), and The method includes sensing (1001) the presence of an object along the electric road track module (100) by analyzing (1002) the radar signal from the radar sensor, and activating and / or stopping (1005) segments (30a, 30b) of the electric road track module (100) based on the presence (1001) of an object along the electric road track module (100), and A method (1000) comprising the above.

13. The method (1000) according to claim 12, further comprising analyzing (1002) the radar signal to filter out objects in the form of vehicles, and accumulating statistical information of the vehicle (12) traveling along the electric road track module (100).

14. The method (1000) according to claim 12 or 13, further comprising generating (1003) an alarm signal based on the radar signal, and warning a vehicle (12) traveling along the road (11) where the electric road track module (100) is arranged along the road (11).

15. The method (1000) according to claim 14, wherein the warning comprises activating optical indicators (104a, 104b) of one or more electric road track modules (100) arranged along the road (11) where the electric road track module (100) is arranged along the road (11).

16. The method (1000) according to any one of claims 12 to 15, further comprising analyzing (1002) the radar signal to filter out objects in the form of weather-related objects, and monitoring the weather condition in the electric road track module (100) by analyzing (1002) the radar signals from the plurality of radar sensors.

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