System and method for tracking and recording the location of road barriers - Patents.com

Abstract

The barrier transporter includes a movable chassis, an entrance snout, an exit snout, a conveyor system, and a tracking system that tracks and records the position of the road barrier as it is placed on the road surface so that the final position of the barrier can be determined for evidentiary purposes and / or to warn an operator or others of a misplaced road barrier.

Description

[Background technology]

[0001] Movable road barrier systems are often placed on roadways to create a traffic barrier between oncoming traffic lanes. Unlike permanent barriers, movable road barrier systems may be picked up and repositioned by a barrier transporter to make more efficient use of space, increase vehicle capacity, and reduce traffic congestion. For example, a barrier transporter may move the road barrier system back and forth between road lanes throughout the day to provide more lanes in the direction of peak traffic and / or to create work area space for construction crews.

[0002] Accurate placement of road barrier systems is important because they are typically installed adjacent to busy traffic lanes and, therefore, can impede traffic flow and even cause crashes if improperly positioned. Unfortunately, accurate placement of road barriers can be difficult for a variety of reasons, especially for inexperienced operators. Even when the systems are properly positioned, road barrier systems can be struck by vehicles. Identifying failures in such crashes is difficult because the impact of the vehicle can displace the barriers, preventing investigators from determining whether the road barrier system was properly positioned before the crash. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0003] The present invention solves the aforementioned and related problems and provides a distinct advancement in the art of road barrier transporters. More particularly, the present invention provides a road barrier transporter with a tracking system that tracks and records the position of the road barrier as it is placed on the road surface so that the final position of the barrier can be determined for evidentiary purposes and / or to warn the operator or others of a misplaced road barrier. [Means for solving the problem]

[0004] A barrier transporter constructed in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention generally comprises a movable chassis, an entrance snout, an exit snout, a conveyor system, and the tracking system previously described.

[0005] The chassis has a front end and a rear end and rides on wheels, belts, or other ground-contact traction elements driven by a conventional engine, transmission, and associated mechanical and electrical components. In one embodiment, two operator cables are supported on the chassis, one at each end of the chassis. The transporter can be driven in either direction, but typically only one of the cabs can handle capstan system control at any one time. Other embodiments of the transporter may have only one cab or no cab at all, and instead be remotely or autonomously controlled.

[0006] Both snouts of the barrier transporter are capable of picking up and dropping off road barriers because either end of the transporter can be forward. As used herein, an entry snout is defined as the snout at the end of the chassis that is currently forward and picks up the road barrier span from a first location on the road surface, and an exit snout is defined as the snout at the end of the chassis that is currently rearward and returns the span onto the road surface at a second location different from the first location.

[0007] A conveyor system extends below the chassis and transports roadway barrier spans from the entrance snout to the exit snout. In one embodiment, the conveyor system consists of an "S" shaped structural frame attached to the bottom of the chassis and an array of bogies supported by the frame that pick up and carry the barriers through the transfer machine during the transfer operation.

[0008] According to an important aspect of the present invention, the tracking system tracks and records the position of the road barrier as it is placed on the road surface by the barrier transporter so that the final position of the barrier can be determined for evidentiary purposes and / or to warn an operator or others about a misplaced road barrier. One embodiment of the tracking system comprises at least one position sensor and a processing system.

[0009] A position sensor is mounted to the barrier transporter and senses the position of the road barrier when it is placed on the road surface. In one embodiment, the position sensor is a GPS receiver mounted to the rear of the barrier transporter to sense the geographic coordinates of the barrier when it is placed on the road surface. In another embodiment, the position sensor may be a camera to capture images of the road barrier when it is placed on the road surface. In another embodiment, both the GPS receiver and the camera may be used to sense the position of the road barrier.

[0010] The processing system receives data from one or more position sensors and stores position data representing the current location of the road barrier. The processing system may also store date and time data representing when the road barrier was placed on the road surface. This data may be stored in resident memory or in an external memory of the processing system and later accessed to provide evidence of the location of the barrier at any date and time. For example, if a vehicle is pressed against the barrier, data related to the date and time of impact may be accessed to determine where the barrier was positioned immediately before the impact. Thus, the tracking system provides a searchable log of the barrier's location at any date and time. The tracking system may also be used for training purposes to assist in training operators of the barrier transporter.

[0011] In some embodiments, the processing system is further configured to compare the current position of the road barrier with the reference position data to determine whether the road barrier is currently misplaced. If the road barrier is misplaced, the processing system can generate an alarm signal. The alarm signal can trigger an alarm, display, or command at a user interface of the barrier transporter so that an operator can reposition the barrier or take other corrective action. Alternatively, the alarm signal may be transmitted to a remote computer or control station.

[0012] Because road barriers may be located on bridges that may sway, shift, or move over time, the processing system may also correct or augment the position data as needed to account for such movement. In one embodiment, this may be accomplished by receiving current position data from one or more GPS or other Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receivers mounted on the bridge, comparing such current position data with reference position data for the bridge, and generating correction factors that can be used to correct or augment the position data for the road barrier. The reference position data may be data representing the steady-state position of the bridge, i.e., the position of the bridge when in its initial, non-moving position.

[0013] This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter. Other aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following Detailed Description of the Embodiments and the accompanying drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0014] Embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. [Figure 1] 1 is a top perspective view of a barrier transporter constructed in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a front or rear view of a barrier transporter. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a side view of a barrier transporter. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a top view of a barrier transporter. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a bottom view of the barrier transporter. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a top view of a barrier transporter shown moving a road barrier span from one side of a road to the other. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is a partial front perspective view of a barrier transporter shown picking up a span of roadway barrier. [Figure 8] FIG. 1 is a side view of a barrier transporter shown picking up and repositioning a span of roadway barrier. [Figure 9] 9 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the barrier transporter taken along line 9-9 of FIG. 8 to better illustrate the capstan system. [Figure 10] FIG. 1 is a right side perspective view of a fixed road barrier. [Figure 11] FIG. 1 is a left side perspective view of a fixed road barrier. [Figure 12] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a variable length road barrier shown in its retracted position. [Figure 13] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a variable length road barrier shown in its mid-stroke or neutral position. [Figure 14] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an adjustable length road barrier shown in a fully extended position. [Figure 15] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a typical road barrier span. [Figure 16] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating components of a tracking system for a barrier transporter. [Figure 17]

[0013] The drawings are not intended to limit the invention to the specific embodiments disclosed and described herein. The drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0015] Referring now to the drawings, there is shown a barrier transporter 10 constructed in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. As best shown in Figure 6, the barrier transporter 10 is configured to pick up and reposition spans 12 of interconnected roadway barriers to provide more lanes in the direction of peak traffic, create work area space for construction crews, or otherwise make more efficient use of roadway space to increase vehicle capacity and / or reduce traffic congestion.

[0016] A typical span 12 of road barriers that can be picked up and repositioned by the barrier transporter 10 is shown in Figure 15. The span 12 may be of any length and may include any number of fixed-length road barriers 14 and variable-length barriers 16. In some embodiments, the barriers 14, 16 are connected end-to-end with steel pins and / or tensioning hinge mechanisms, which are described in more detail below.

[0017] Examples of fixed-length barriers 14 are shown in Figures 10 and 11. The barriers 14 may be of any type, shape, and size and may be formed from any suitable material, such as concrete-filled high-strength concrete or a high-strength steel frame. In one embodiment, the barriers 14 have a T-shaped upper end 18 so that they can be picked up and repositioned by the bogie wheels of a barrier transporter, as shown in Figure 9 and described below.

[0018] 10 and 11, one side of each barrier 14 includes fixed, spaced-apart connecting flanges 20, and the opposite side includes spaced-apart, spring-loaded counter-tension elements 22. A steel rod 24 may be inserted through holes in the flanges 20 and tension elements 22 of adjacent barriers when the adjacent barriers are aligned to interconnect them. The counter-tension elements 22 allow adjacent barriers to move longitudinally relative to one another when the barriers are under tension or compression. In other embodiments, fixed-length barriers may not have counter-tension elements, but instead may have larger holes in the connecting flanges that form a "slow hinge" to accommodate some longitudinal movement between adjacent barriers.

[0019] Examples of variable-length barriers 16 are shown in Figures 12-14. The barriers may be of any shape and size, and each has an outer frame 26 and an inner telescoping structure 28 that can move in and out of the outer frame 26 when the barrier is subjected to tension or compression forces. The variable-length barriers also include connecting flanges 30 that can align with and interconnect to connecting flanges of adjacent barriers with steel rods 32. Movement of the telescoping inner structure 28 is resisted by an internal hydraulic cylinder or other hydraulic or spring mechanism.

[0020] Figure 12 shows the variable length barrier 16 in a fully retracted or compressed state when subjected to a compressive force sufficient to fully compress a hydraulic cylinder or other biasing mechanism. Figure 14 shows the barrier 16 in a fully extended state when subjected to a tensile force sufficient to fully extend a hydraulic cylinder or other biasing mechanism. Figure 13 shows the barrier in its neutral or steady state when not subjected to a compressive or tensile force. Further details of exemplary embodiments of variable length barriers are disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 6,439,802, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0021] Aspects of the barrier transporter 10 will now be described in more detail with reference to Figures 1-9 and 16. One embodiment of the barrier transporter generally comprises a movable chassis 34, an entrance snout 36, an exit snout 38, a conveyor system 40, a capstan system 42, and a tracking system 44. As described in more detail below, the tracking system 44 tracks and records the current position of the road barrier as it is placed by the barrier transporter so that the final position of the barrier can be determined for evidentiary purposes and / or to warn an operator or others of a misplaced road barrier, as described in more detail below.

[0022] The chassis 34 has forward and rearward ends disposed along a generally longitudinal axis that is essentially parallel to the road along which the transporter travels. The chassis 34 rides on wheels 46, belts, or other ground-contact traction elements that are driven by a conventional engine, transmission, and associated mechanical and electrical components.

[0023] In one embodiment, the barrier transporter 10 includes two cabs 48, 50, one at each end of the chassis 34. While the transporter 10 can be driven in either direction, typically only one operator of the cabs can assume significant control at any given time. Typically, the cab in control is the cab at the end of the transport that points in the direction the transport is traveling. In some embodiments, the transporter 10 may have only a single cab, or even no cab, instead of having various sensors and controls that provide autonomous operation without direct operator control or semi-autonomous operation with some operator control.

[0024] An entrance snout 36 is mounted to the front end of the chassis and is configured to pick up a road barrier span from a first location on the road surface, and an exit snout 38 is mounted to the rear end of the chassis for returning the span to a second location on the road surface that is different from the first location. The snouts serve as guides for the road barrier as it is picked up and / or dropped off and can be moved and adjusted by the transport operator to align the snout with the incoming road barrier and the desired placement location. Each snout 36, 38 includes an array of bogie assemblies 52 supported on a conveyor frame, described below. Each bogie assembly 52 includes several carrier wheels 54 that pick up, carry, and / or lay down the barrier depending on the direction of travel of the transport.

[0025] A conveyor system 40 extends beneath the barrier transporter and is configured to transport spans of roadway barrier from the entrance snout 36 to the exit snout 38. The conveyor system 40 may be comprised of multiple assemblies and sections, including straight sections, turning sections, and pick-up / laying sections connected to the snouts 36, 38. As best shown in FIG. 5 , one embodiment of the conveyor system 40 comprises an S-shaped or otherwise curved structural frame 56 attached to the bottom of the transporter and an array of bogie assemblies 52 supported on the frame. Each bogie assembly 52 comprises several carrier wheels 54 that pick up and carry the barrier through the transporter during barrier transfer operations.

[0026] The capstan system 42 is mounted along the conveyor system 40 and adjusts tension or compression in the road barrier span 12 while it is being transported by the conveyor system in an attempt to maintain the barrier span in its original longitudinal position relative to the roadway. As best shown in FIGS. 5 and 9 , one embodiment of the capstan system 42 includes a pair of large capstan wheels 58 on either side of the conveyor system, a hydraulic cylinder, linkage, or other mechanism 60 for biasing the wheels against the road barrier as it passes, and a motor and pump for driving the wheels to apply varying forward and backward pressures to the road barrier. The capstan system 42 functions by clamping the barrier with the capstan wheels 58 and applying forward or reverse rotational pressure to the barrier as it passes over the conveyor system 42. This relieves excessive tension or compression in the span, reducing barrier movement and / or repositioning the barriers relative to one another.

[0027] An embodiment of the tracking system 44 will now be described in more detail. The tracking system 44 tracks and records the current position of the road barrier as it is placed by the barrier transporter so that the barrier's final position can be determined for evidentiary purposes and / or to warn the operator or others of a misplaced road barrier. One embodiment of the tracking system 44 is shown in FIG. 16 and generally includes at least one position sensor 62 and a processing system 64. The control system 44 may be a stand-alone system or may be integrated into other control systems of the barrier transporter 10.

[0028] The position sensor 62 is mounted to the barrier transporter 10 and senses the position of the road barrier when it is placed on the road surface. The position sensor 62 may be any sensing device and / or combination of devices operable to sense the coordinates or relative position of the road barrier when it is placed on the road surface and generate corresponding position data.

[0029] In one embodiment, the position sensor 62 is a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receiver, such as a GPS receiver, a Glonass receiver, a Galileo receiver, or a Compass System receiver, operable to receive navigation signals from satellites and calculate the location of the barriers responsive to the signals. The GNSS receiver may include one or more processors, controllers, or other computing devices and memory for storing information accessed and / or generated by the processors or other computing devices, and may include or be coupled to a patch antenna, a helical antenna, or any other type of antenna. The GPS or other GNSS receiver is configured to sense the geographic coordinates of each road barrier as it is positioned on the road.

[0030] As best shown in FIGS. 3 and 7 , the GPS or other GNSS receiver 62 may be mounted on a support arm 66 extending behind the exit snout 38 so that it is suspended directly above the location where each barrier will be placed on the ground by the barrier transporter. The GPS or other GNSS receiver 62 and / or processing system 64 may be triggered by a switch or other mechanism so that the processing system records the coordinates of the center of each road barrier when it is placed on the ground. In other embodiments, the GPS or other GNSS receiver may be mounted elsewhere on the transporter, and the processing system is configured to compensate the position reading to correspond to the coordinates of the center of the road barrier when it is placed on the ground. In other embodiments, the GPS or other GNSS receiver 62 may obtain multiple coordinates for each road barrier, such as the locations of each barrier's edges and center. In still other embodiments, the GPS or other GNSS receiver may obtain more or fewer coordinates of the road barriers.

[0031] In another embodiment, the position sensor 62 may be a camera mounted on the exit snout to capture images of the road barrier as it is positioned on the road surface and generate associated image data that indicates the relative position of the road barrier with respect to lane markers, shoulders, and other markers shown in the image.

[0032] In some embodiments, the tracking system may include multiple location sensors, including the aforementioned GPS receiver, a camera, and / or additional sensors.

[0033] The processing system 66 receives data from the one or more position sensors 62, including the aforementioned location data, image data, and possibly other data representing the current location of the road barrier. The processing system 64 stores the location data, image data, and other data in resident memory 68 or external memory 70. The processing system 64 may also store date and time data representing the date and time the road barrier was placed on the road surface. This date and time data may be stored in resident memory 68 or external memory 70. The stored data may be accessed later to provide evidence of the location of the barrier at any date and time. For example, if a vehicle is pressed against a barrier, data related to the date and time of the collision can be accessed to determine where the barrier was positioned immediately before the collision. Thus, the tracking system provides a searchable log of the barrier's location at any date and time. In some embodiments, the log may be stored on a website or other publicly accessible computer system so that anyone, including insurance adjusters, law enforcement officials, etc., can access the log and determine the barrier's location at any date and time.

[0034] Because the road barrier may be located on a bridge or other structure that may sway, shift, or move over time, the processing system 64 may also correct or augment the position data as necessary to account for such movement. In one embodiment, this may be accomplished by receiving current position data from one or more GPS receivers mounted on the bridge or other structure, comparing such current position data with reference position data for the structure, and generating correction factors that can be used to correct or augment the position data for the road barrier. The reference position data for the bridge or other structure may be data representing the steady-state position of the structure, i.e., the position of the structure when in its initial, non-moving position.

[0035] The processing system 64 may also compare the current position of the road barrier to a reference position to determine if the road barrier is currently misplaced. If the road barrier is misplaced, the processing system 64 may generate an alarm signal. The alarm signal may trigger an alarm, display, or command at a user interface 72 on the barrier transporter 10 so that an operator can reposition the barrier or take other corrective action. In other embodiments, the alarm signal may be transmitted to a control system 74 of the barrier transporter so that the transporter can take corrective action, and / or may be transmitted to a remote computer or control station for remote monitoring and control purposes.

[0036] The reference position may be stored in memory 68, memory 70, or resident memory within another control system of the barrier transporter, an external computer, and / or other data source 76, such as a computer, smartphone, or other electronic device used by the transporter operator. Such reference data may include coordinates of the barrier when it was first installed, coordinates of the barrier when it was last repositioned, and / or coordinates for a desired position of the barrier.

[0037] In some embodiments, processing system 64 generates an alarm signal only if it determines that the position of the road barrier deviates from the reference position by more than a threshold amount. The threshold amount is user-selectable and may vary depending on the environment in which the road barrier system is located. For example, in an environment with narrow lanes and fast traffic, the threshold amount may be a small amount, such as one inch. However, in an environment with larger spaces and slower traffic, such as a parking lot, the threshold amount may be larger, such as one foot.

[0038] The tracking system 44 may also include a data transmitter for transmitting location data, time and date data, alarm signals, and other data to the memory 70, the user interface 72, the control system 74, and / or other devices. The data transmitter may be any device capable of transmitting data via a wired or wireless connection. The data receiver may be or include a wired or wireless network adapter or wireless data transceiver for use with Bluetooth communication, radio frequency (RF) communication, near field communication (NFC), and / or a cellular network, Global System for Mobile communications (GSM), 3G, or other mobile data network, and / or Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX), etc.

[0039] Another embodiment of the present invention is a method 170 of moving a road barrier using a barrier transporter as described and illustrated herein. The flowchart of Figure 17 illustrates exemplary steps in one embodiment of the method 170. In some alternative implementations, the steps or functions noted in the various blocks may occur in an order different from that shown in Figure 17. For example, two blocks shown in succession in Figure 17 may in fact be executed substantially concurrently, or the blocks may be executed in the reverse order, depending on the functionality involved.

[0040] One embodiment of method 170 includes picking up the road barrier from the road surface, as shown in box 172. The method further includes transporting the road barrier with a barrier transporter, as shown in box 174. The method further includes placing the road barrier back onto the road surface, as shown in box 176.

[0041] The method further includes sensing the position of the road barrier as it is placed on the road surface using a sensor mounted on the barrier transporter, as shown in box 178. The sensor may be one or more of the sensors described above.

[0042] The method further includes storing position data representing the position of the road barrier when it is placed on the road surface, as shown in box 180. The position data may be stored in a memory coupled to or in communication with the processing system as described above. The method further includes storing date and time data representing the date and time the road barrier was placed on the road surface, as shown in box 180. The position data may be stored in a memory coupled to or in communication with the processing system as described above.

[0043] The method further includes correcting or augmenting the position data as necessary to account for any movement of the road surface on which the road barrier is located, as shown in box 182. In one embodiment, this includes receiving current position data from one or more GPS receivers mounted on the road surface, comparing such current position data with reference position data, and generating correction factors that can be used to correct or augment the position data for the road barrier.

[0044] The method further includes comparing the current position relative to the road barrier to a reference position to determine if the road barrier is currently misplaced, as shown in box 184. The comparing step may be performed using the processing system described above. The method further includes generating an alarm signal if the barrier is misplaced, as shown in box 186. The comparing step may be performed using the processing system described above, and the alarm signal may be transmitted to a user interface, a control system of the vehicle, or an external control system. Additional Considerations

[0045] References herein to "one embodiment," "an embodiment," or "an embodiment" mean that one or more referenced features are included in at least one embodiment of the present technology. Separate references herein to "one embodiment," "an embodiment," or "an embodiment" do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor are they mutually exclusive, unless so stated and / or readily apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art from the description. For example, features, structures, operations, etc. described in one embodiment may, but are not necessarily, included in other embodiments. Thus, the present technology may include various combinations and / or integrations of the embodiments described herein.

[0046] While this application describes detailed descriptions of many different embodiments, the legal scope of the descriptions is defined by the language of the claims at the end of this patent and their equivalents. The detailed description is to be construed as exemplary only and does not describe every possible embodiment, as describing every possible embodiment would be impractical. Many alternative embodiments can be implemented using either current technology or technology developed after the filing date of this patent and still fall within the scope of the claims.

[0047] Throughout this specification, multiple instances may implement components, operations, or structures described as a single instance. Although individual operations of one or more methods are illustrated and described as separate operations, one or more of the individual operations may be performed simultaneously, and there is no requirement that the operations be performed in the order illustrated. Structures and functions presented as separate components in example configurations may be implemented as combined structures or components. Similarly, structures and functions presented as a single component may be implemented as separate components. These and other variations, modifications, additions, and improvements are within the scope of the subject matter of this specification.

[0048] Certain embodiments are described herein as including logic or certain routines, subroutines, applications, or instructions. These may constitute either software (e.g., code embodied in a machine-readable medium or transmission signal) or hardware. In hardware, routines, etc., are tangible units capable of performing certain operations and may be configured or arranged in a particular way. In exemplary embodiments, one or more computer systems (e.g., standalone, client, or server computer systems) or one or more hardware modules of a computer system (e.g., a processor or group of processors) may be configured with software (e.g., an application or application portion) as computer hardware that operates to perform certain operations described herein.

[0049] In various embodiments, computer hardware such as processing system 64, other processing elements, etc., may be implemented as dedicated or general-purpose. For example, processing system 64 may comprise dedicated circuitry or logic that is permanently configured, such as an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or indefinitely configured to perform specific operations, such as an FPGA. Processing system 64 may also comprise programmable logic or circuitry (e.g., as included in a general-purpose processor or other programmable processor) that is temporarily configured by software to perform specific operations. It will be understood that the decision to implement a processing system as dedicated, dedicated, permanently configured circuitry, or general-purpose (e.g., configured by software) may be determined by cost and time considerations.

[0050] Thus, the term "processing system" or equivalent should be understood to encompass a tangible entity, that is physically constructed, permanently configured (e.g., hardwired), or temporarily configured (e.g., programmed) to operate in a particular manner or perform particular operations described herein. Considering embodiments in which the processing system is temporarily configured (e.g., programmed), each processing element need not be configured or instantiated at any one instance of time. For example, if the processing system includes a general-purpose processor configured using software, the general-purpose processor may be configured as different processing elements at different times. Thus, the software may configure the processing elements to configure a hardware configuration at one time and to configure different hardware configurations at different times.

[0051] Computer hardware components, such as the processing system 64, associated memory elements, and processing elements, can provide information to and receive information from other computer hardware components. Accordingly, the described computer hardware components may be considered communicatively coupled. When multiple such computer hardware components are present simultaneously, communication may be achieved by signal transmission (e.g., via appropriate circuits and buses) connecting the computer hardware components. In embodiments in which multiple computer hardware components are configured or instantiated at different times, communication between such computer hardware components may be achieved, for example, by storing and retrieving information in memory structures accessed by the multiple computer hardware components. For example, one computer hardware component may perform an operation and store the output of that operation in a memory device to which it is communicatively coupled. Additional computer hardware components can then access the memory device to retrieve and process the stored output. Computer hardware components may also initiate communication with input or output devices and operate on resources (e.g., collections of information).

[0052] Various operations of the example methods described herein may be performed, at least in part, by one or more processing elements configured temporarily (e.g., by software) or permanently to perform the associated operations. Whether temporarily or permanently configured, such processing elements may constitute processing element-implemented modules that operate to perform one or more operations or functions. Modules referred to herein may, in some example embodiments, include processing element-implemented modules.

[0053] Similarly, methods or routines described herein may be at least partially processing element-implemented. For example, at least some of the operations of a method may be performed by one or more processing elements or processing element-implemented hardware modules. Performance of a particular operation may reside not only within a single machine, but also be distributed among one or more processing elements spread across several machines. In some exemplary embodiments, the processing elements may be located in a single location (e.g., in a home environment, an office environment, or as a server farm), while in other embodiments, the processing elements may be distributed across multiple locations.

[0054] Unless otherwise specified, descriptions herein using words such as "processing," "operating," "calculating," "determining," "presenting," "displaying," and the like may refer to operations or processes of a machine (e.g., a computer having processing elements and other computer hardware components) that manipulates or transforms data represented as physical (e.g., electronic, magnetic, or optical) quantities in one or more memories (e.g., volatile memory, non-volatile memory, or a combination thereof), registers, or other machine components that receive, store, transmit, or display information.

[0055] As used herein, the terms "comprises," "comprising," "includes," "including," "has," "having," or any other variation thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion. For example, a process, method, article, or apparatus that includes a list of elements is not necessarily limited to only those elements and may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus.

[0056] The final claims of this patent application are not intended to be construed under 35 U.S.C. § 112(f) unless conventional means-plus-function language, such as "means for" or "step for," is expressly recited in the claim.

[0057] Although the present invention has been described with reference to the embodiments illustrated in the accompanying drawings, it should be noted that equivalents may be used and substituted herein without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the claims.

[0058] Having thus described various embodiments of the present invention, what is new and desired to be protected by patent literature includes the following:

Claims

1. 1. A barrier transporter for picking up and repositioning road barriers, comprising: an entry snout for picking up the road barrier from the road surface; an exit snout for returning the road barrier to the road surface; a conveyor system disposed between the entrance snout and the exit snout for transporting the roadway barrier from the entrance snout to the exit snout; a tracking system for tracking the position of the road barrier when it is placed on the road surface; The tracking system includes: a position sensor mounted on the barrier transporter for sensing the position of the road barrier when the road barrier is placed on the road surface; a memory for storing position data representing a position of the road barrier when the road barrier is placed on the road surface and date and time data corresponding to the position data; a processing system in communication with the position sensor and the memory; The processing system includes: storing the position data and the date and time data in the memory; generating, via the memory, a searchable log of the location data and the date and time data; querying the log based on the date and time data; a barrier transporter that outputs the location data based on the inquiry to determine the location of the road barrier at a date and time represented by the date and time data.

2. 2. The barrier transporter of claim 1, wherein the processing system compares the position data with reference position data to determine whether the position of the road barrier when placed on the road surface deviates from the reference position.

3. 3. The barrier transporter of claim 2, wherein the processing system generates an alarm signal if it determines that the position of the road barrier when placed on the road surface deviates from the reference position by more than a threshold amount.

4. 4. The barrier transporter of claim 3, further comprising a data transmitter in communication with said processing system for transmitting said location data and said alarm signal to a remote computing device.

5. 2. The barrier transporter of claim 1, wherein the position sensor is a GNSS receiver mounted in the exit snout for sensing the geographic coordinates of the road barrier when the road barrier is positioned on the road surface.

6. 2. The barrier transporter of claim 1, wherein the position sensor is a camera for capturing an image of the road barrier as it is positioned on the road surface and generating image data representative of the image.

7. The barrier transporter of claim 1 , wherein the position sensor includes a GPS receiver and a camera.

8. 10. The barrier transporter of claim 1, wherein the surface is a road, a shoulder of a road, a travel lane on a bridge surface, a shoulder of a bridge surface, a parking lot, an on-ramp, or an off-ramp.

9. 1. A barrier transporter for picking up and relocating road barriers, comprising: an inlet snout mounted to a front end of the barrier transporter for picking up the road barrier from a road surface; an exit snout attached to a rear end of the barrier transporter for returning the road barrier to the road surface; a conveyor system disposed between the entrance snout and the exit snout for transporting the roadway barrier from the entrance snout to the exit snout; a tracking system for tracking the position of the road barrier when it is placed on the road surface; The tracking system includes: a position sensor mounted on the barrier transporter for sensing the position of each of the road barriers when the road barriers are placed on the road surface; a memory for storing position data representing a position of the road barrier when the road barrier is placed on the road surface and date and time data corresponding to the position data; a processing system in communication with the position sensor and the memory; The processing system includes: storing the position data and the date and time data in the memory; generating, via the memory, a searchable log of the location data and the date and time data; querying the log based on the date and time data; outputting the location data based on the query to determine the location of the road barrier at a date and time represented by the date and time data; A barrier transporter that compares the position data with reference position data to determine whether the position of the road barrier deviates from the reference position.

10. 10. The barrier transporter of claim 9, wherein the processing system generates an alarm signal if the position of the road barrier deviates from the reference position by more than a threshold amount.

11. 11. The barrier transporter of claim 10, further comprising a data transmitter in communication with the processing system for transmitting the location data, the time and date data, and the alarm signal to a remote computing device.

12. 10. The barrier transporter of claim 9, wherein the position sensor is a GNSS receiver mounted in the exit snout.

13. 10. A barrier transporter as claimed in claim 9, wherein the position sensor is a camera for capturing an image of the road barrier as it is positioned on the road surface and generating image data representative of the image.

14. The barrier transporter of claim 9 , wherein the position sensor includes a GNSS receiver and a camera mounted in the exit snout.

15. 10. The barrier transporter of claim 9, wherein the surface is a road, a shoulder of a road, a travel lane on a bridge surface, a shoulder of a bridge surface, a parking lot, an on-ramp, or an off-ramp.

16. 1. A method of moving a road barrier, comprising: picking up the road barrier from the road surface using an inlet snout of a barrier transporter; transporting the roadway barrier from the entrance snout to the exit snout of the barrier transporter using a conveyor system; placing the road barrier back onto the road surface using the exit snout; sensing the position of the road barrier when it is placed on the road surface using a sensor mounted on the barrier transporter; storing in a memory position data representing a position of the road barrier when the road barrier is placed on the road surface and date and time data corresponding to the position data; generating, via the memory, a searchable log of the location data and the date and time data; querying the log based on the date and time data; outputting the location data based on the query to determine the location of the road barrier at a date and time represented by the date and time data; A method comprising:

17. 17. The method of claim 16, further comprising comparing the position data with reference position data and generating an alarm signal if the position of the road barrier deviates from the reference position by more than a threshold amount.

18. 18. The method of claim 17, further comprising the step of transmitting the warning signal to an operator of the barrier transporter.

19. 17. The method of claim 16, further comprising the step of augmenting and correcting the position data to account for movement of the road surface on which the road barrier is positioned.

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