System and method for aligning the inlet snout of a barrier transporter with a roadway barrier

Abstract

The barrier transporter includes a movable chassis, an entrance snout, an exit snout, a conveyor system, and a control system that aligns the entrance snout with the road barrier before the road barrier is picked up. The control system includes a barrier position sensor, an entrance snout position sensor, and a processing system.

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] A typical barrier transporter includes a movable chassis, an entrance snout supported on the front end of the chassis for picking up road barriers from the road surface, an exit snout located at the rear end of the chassis for placing the road barriers back onto the road surface, and a conveyor system located below the chassis for transporting the road barriers from the entrance snout to the exit snout.

[0003] The entrance snout must be aligned with and typically centered over the road barrier before the barrier is picked up; otherwise, the barrier will rub against the carrier wheels on the entrance snout, causing wear and damage to the entrance snout and the barrier. To this end, an operator must maneuver the barrier transporter to align the entrance snout with the barrier and simultaneously adjust the lateral position of the entrance snout relative to the barrier transporter to precisely align it with the barrier. Unfortunately, these maneuvers are difficult under any circumstances, and particularly when the barrier transporter is operating at high speeds and / or alongside heavy traffic or when operated by an inexperienced operator. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] 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 that includes a control system for aligning the transporter with a road barrier before the barrier is picked up. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] A barrier transporter constructed in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention generally comprises a movable chassis, an entrance snout, an entrance snout positioning mechanism, an exit snout, a conveyor system, and the control system previously described.

[0006] The chassis has two ends and rides on wheels, belts, or other ground-contact traction elements driven by a conventional engine, transmission, and associated mechanical and electrical components. The transporter can be driven in either direction. In one embodiment, two cabs are supported on the chassis, one at each end of the chassis, although embodiments of the transporter may have only one cab or no cabs at all. As used herein, the end of the transporter that currently picks up the barrier is referred to as the "forward end" or "front end," and the end of the transporter that drops the barrier back is referred to as the "rear end."

[0007] Either snout can pick up or drop a barrier depending on the direction of travel of the transport vehicle. The snout that is currently forward is referred to herein as the "entrance snout" and the snout that is currently aft is referred to herein as the "exit snout."

[0008] The entry and exit snouts include a blunder bus that acts as a guide for the barrier as it enters and exits the transferor, and multiple bogie assemblies with carrier wheels that pick up the barrier and carry it toward the conveyor or set it back down after it has been transported through the transferor. An entry snout positioning mechanism is coupled to the entry snout for shifting the entry snout generally laterally relative to the longitudinal axis of the chassis.

[0009] A conveyor system extends below the chassis and transports the roadway barrier span from the entrance snout to the exit snout.

[0010] In accordance with an important aspect of the present invention, the control system aligns the inlet snout with the barrier before the barrier is picked up so that the barrier does not rub against the carrier wheels on the inlet snout or otherwise cause wear and damage to the inlet snout and / or the barrier itself. One embodiment of the control system generally comprises a barrier position sensor, an inlet snout position sensor, and a processing system. The control system may be a stand-alone system or may be integrated into other control systems of the barrier transporter.

[0011] The barrier position sensor senses the position of one of the road barriers (typically the forward-most barrier) before the road barrier is picked up by the entrance snout and generates corresponding barrier position data. In some embodiments, the barrier position sensor is a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) sensor and / or a radio detection and ranging (RADAR) sensor mounted on the entrance snout. In other embodiments, the barrier position sensor may be a camera mounted on the entrance snout or any other device or mechanism operable to sense the position or relative position of at least one of the barriers and generate corresponding position data. As used herein, the "position" of the barrier may be the geographic coordinates of the barrier, the relative position of the barrier with respect to the entrance snout, and / or the angle of the barrier with respect to the entrance snout.

[0012] The entrance snout position sensor senses the position of the entrance snout before the road barrier is picked up and generates corresponding entrance snout position data. In some embodiments, the entrance snout position sensor is a proximity switch, a magnetic position sensor, a potentiometer, a mechanical resolver, a mechanical encoder, or any other sensor capable of sensing the position or relative position of the entrance snout before the barrier is picked up. As used herein, the "position" of the entrance snout may be the geographic coordinates of the entrance snout, the relative position of the entrance snout with respect to the barrier, and / or the angle of the entrance snout with respect to the barrier.

[0013] The processing system compares the inlet snout position data with the barrier position data to determine whether the inlet snout is aligned with the barrier before the barrier is picked up by the inlet snout. In some embodiments, the processing system generates an alert if the inlet snout is not aligned with the barrier and sends the alert to a user interface of the barrier transporter so that an operator of the transporter can correct any misalignment before the barrier is picked up. In other embodiments, the processing system controls the inlet snout positioning mechanism to shift the inlet snout laterally to correct any misalignment between the inlet snout and the barrier before the barrier is picked up.

[0014] In yet another embodiment, the processing system generates and sends a steering signal to a user interface to prompt an operator to steer the barrier transporter to align the inlet snout with the barrier, hi another embodiment, the processing system generates and sends a steering signal to an automatic steering mechanism to automatically steer the barrier transporter to align the inlet snout with the barrier.

[0015] 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]

[0016] 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. 2 is a block diagram illustrating components of a barrier transporter control system. [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

[0017] 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 FIG. 6, the barrier transporter 10 is configured to pick up and reposition spans 1 of interconnected roadway barriers 12 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. In accordance with an important aspect of the present invention, as described in more detail below, the barrier transporter includes a control system for aligning the transporter with the barrier before it is picked up to minimize or eliminate damage to the transporter and / or barrier caused by misalignment.

[0018] 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.

[0019] 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.

[0020] 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.

[0021] 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.

[0022] 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.

[0023] Aspects of the barrier transporter 10 will now be described in more detail with reference to Figures 1-9 and 16. An embodiment of the barrier transporter 10 generally comprises a movable chassis 34, an entrance snout 36, an entrance snout positioning mechanism 37, an exit snout 38, a conveyor system 40, a capstan system 42, and a control system 44 for aligning the transporter with the roadway barrier before the barrier is picked up.

[0024] 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.

[0025] In one embodiment, the barrier transporter 10 includes two cabs 48, 50, one at each end of the chassis 34. The transporter 10 can be driven in either direction, but typically only one operator in one of the cabs will have 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 barrier transporter 10 can include various sensors and controls that provide for autonomous operation without direct operator control or semi-autonomous operation with some operator control.

[0026] The 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. Similarly, the exit snout 38 is mounted to the rear end of the chassis for returning the span to the road surface at a second location different from the first location. The snouts 36, 38 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 a blunderbuss assembly 51 and an array of bogie assemblies 52. 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.

[0027] The inlet snout positioning mechanism 37, shown schematically in FIG. 16 , is operable to shift the inlet snout 36 left or right transversely to the longitudinal axis of the transfer vehicle 10 to align the inlet snout with the barrier before the barrier is picked up. One embodiment of the inlet snout positioning mechanism 37 may include a linear actuator, a hydraulic cylinder, an electric motor, or other mechanism or combination of mechanisms for shifting the inlet snout blunder bus 51 left or right. In some embodiments, the inlet snout positioning mechanism 37 may be controlled by a joystick or other control system in one or both of the transfer vehicle's cabs. In other embodiments, the inlet snout positioning mechanism may be controlled automatically by the control system 44 or by a remote operator via a remote control system 74, described below.

[0028] 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.

[0029] 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.

[0030] 16, an embodiment of the control system 44 will now be described in more detail. The control system 44 aligns the inlet snout 36 with the barrier 12 before the barrier is picked up, thereby preventing the barrier from rubbing against the carrier wheels on the inlet snout or otherwise causing wear and damage to the inlet snout and / or the barrier itself. One embodiment of the control system generally includes a barrier position sensor 62, an inlet snout position sensor 64, and a processing system 66. The control system 44 may be a stand-alone system or may be integrated into other control systems of the barrier transporter.

[0031] The barrier position sensor 62 senses the position of at least one of the road barriers 12 (typically the forward-most barrier) before the road barrier is picked up by the entrance snout 36 and generates corresponding barrier position data. In some embodiments, the barrier position sensor is a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) sensor and / or a radio detection and ranging (RADAR) sensor mounted on an extension arm 66 that extends forward of the entrance snout. In other embodiments, the barrier position sensor 62 may be a camera mounted on the entrance snout or any other device or mechanism operable to sense the position or relative position of at least one of the barriers and generate corresponding position data. As used herein, the "position" of the barrier may be the geographic coordinates of the barrier, the relative position of the barrier with respect to the entrance snout, and / or the angle of the barrier with respect to the entrance snout.

[0032] The entrance snout position sensor 64 senses the position of the entrance snout 36 before the road barrier is picked up and generates corresponding entrance snout position data. In some embodiments, the entrance snout position sensor 64 is a proximity switch, a magnetic position sensor, a potentiometer, a mechanical resolver, or a mechanical encoder operably coupled to the entrance snout positioning mechanism 37, but may be any sensor or other mechanism capable of sensing the position or relative position of the entrance snout before the barrier is picked up by the transfer machine. As used herein, the "position" of the entrance snout may be the geographic coordinates of the entrance snout, the relative position of the entrance snout with respect to the barrier, and / or the angle of the entrance snout with respect to the barrier.

[0033] A processing system 66 is coupled to the barrier position sensor 62 and the inlet snout position sensor 64 by wired or wireless connections and receives and compares the inlet snout position data to the barrier position data to determine whether the inlet snout is aligned with the barrier before the barrier is picked up by the inlet snout. In some embodiments, the processing system compares the inlet snout position data to the barrier position data to determine that the inlet snout is not aligned with the barrier if the inlet snout is not centered on a line extending through the length of the leading-most barrier.

[0034] In some embodiments, the processing system 66 generates an alert if the entrance snout 36 is out of alignment with the barrier 12 and sends the alert to the barrier transporter's user interface 68 so that the transporter operator can correct any misalignment between the entrance snout and the barrier before the barrier is picked up. In some embodiments, the processing system 66 generates an alert signal only if it determines that the misalignment between the entrance snout and the road barrier is greater than a threshold amount. The threshold amount is user-selectable and may vary depending on several factors, such as the transporter's speed, the transporter's position, and / or the barrier's position. For example, the threshold may be greater if the transporter is moving slower and / or if the barricade is out of alignment due to a collision.

[0035] In another embodiment, the processing system 66 generates and sends control signals to automatically control the inlet snout positioning mechanism 37 to correct any misalignment between the inlet snout and the barrier before the barrier is picked up.

[0036] In yet another embodiment, the processing system 66 generates and sends steering signals to the user interface 68 to prompt an operator to steer the barrier transporter to align the inlet snout with the barrier. In another embodiment, the processing system 66 generates and sends steering signals to an automatic steering mechanism 70 to automatically steer the barrier transporter to align the inlet snout with the barrier.

[0037] In other embodiments, the processing system 66 can steer the transfer vehicle 10 and control the inlet snout positioning mechanism 37. For example, the processing system 66 can first generate and send steering signals to the steering mechanism 70 to steer the barrier transfer vehicle to roughly align the inlet snout with the barrier, and then generate and send control signals to the inlet snout positioning mechanism 37 to more precisely align the inlet snout with the barrier.

[0038] The control system 44 may also include a data transceiver 72 for transmitting inlet snout position data, barrier position data, and other data to and receiving control commands and / or data from a remote control system 74 so that the inlet snout positioning mechanism 37 and / or steering system 70 can be remotely controlled. The data transceiver 72 may be any device capable of transmitting and receiving data via a wired or wireless connection. The data receiver may be or include Bluetooth communication, radio frequency (RF) communication, near field communication (NFC), and / or a wired or wireless network adapter or wireless data transceiver for use with 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] In other embodiments, the relative position of the barrier with respect to the entrance snout may be determined by a load cell or other force-measuring sensor located in or near the snout that senses the magnitude and direction of the force applied to the entrance snout by the oncoming road barrier. The processing system may also monitor the output of the force-measuring sensor to determine whether the entrance snout is aligned with the barrier and determine the direction and magnitude of misalignment. In one embodiment, the processing system compares the current force applied to the entrance snout to a threshold force and determines that the entrance snout and barrier are misaligned if the current force exceeds the threshold force. The threshold force may be determined by measuring the force applied to the entrance snout by the oncoming road barrier during a "test run" in which the entrance snout is aligned with the oncoming road barrier. The direction of misalignment may be detected by one or more force-measuring sensors that sense the magnitude of the force applied to either side of the entrance snout by the oncoming road barrier. If the processing system determines that the force applied to one side of the inlet snout is greater than the force applied to the opposite side, the processing system determines that the inlet snout needs to be moved toward the side that is experiencing less force.

[0040] 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.

[0041] One embodiment of method 170 includes sensing the position of a road barrier before it is picked up by the barrier transporter, as shown in box 172. In some embodiments, the aforementioned barrier position sensor 62 senses the position of a leading one of the road barriers 12 before it is picked up by the entrance snout 36 of the barrier transporter.

[0042] The method further includes generating barrier position data corresponding to the position of the road barrier, as shown in box 174 .

[0043] The method further includes sensing the position of the entrance snout before the road barrier is picked up, as shown in box 176. In some embodiments, the aforementioned entrance snout position sensor 64 senses the position of the entrance snout before the road barrier is picked up by the entrance snout 36.

[0044] The method further includes generating inlet snout position data corresponding to the position of the inlet snout, as shown in box 178 .

[0045] The method further includes comparing the inlet snout position data with the barrier position data to determine whether the inlet snout is aligned with the barrier before the barrier is picked up by the inlet snout, as shown in box 180.

[0046] The method further includes aligning the inlet snout with the barrier to correct any misalignment, as shown in box 182 .

[0047] Alignment may include generating an alert if the inlet snout is not aligned with the barrier and sending the alert to a user interface of the barrier transporter so that an operator of the transporter can correct any misalignment between the inlet snout and the barrier before the barrier is picked up.

[0048] Alternatively or additionally, alignment may include controlling an inlet snout positioning mechanism to automatically shift the inlet snout laterally to correct any misalignment between the inlet snout and the barrier before the barrier is picked up.

[0049] Alternatively or additionally, the alignment may include generating and sending a steering signal to a user interface to prompt an operator to steer the barrier transporter to align the inlet snout with the barrier.

[0050] Alternatively or additionally, the alignment may include generating and sending a steering signal to an automatic steering mechanism to automatically steer the barrier transporter to align the inlet snout with the barrier.

[0051] The method may also include transmitting the inlet snout position data and the barrier position data and other data to a remote control system 74 and receiving control instructions at the processing system from the remote control system 74 .

[0052] The method may also include some or all of the following steps: picking up the road barrier from the road surface, transporting the road barrier in a barrier transporter, and placing the road barrier back onto the road surface. Additional Considerations

[0053] 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.

[0054] 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.

[0055] 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.

[0056] 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.

[0057] In various embodiments, computer hardware such as processing system 66, other processing elements, etc., may be implemented as dedicated or general-purpose. For example, processing system 66 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 66 also comprises 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.

[0058] 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.

[0059] Computer hardware components, such as the processing system 66, 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).

[0060] 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.

[0061] 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.

[0062] 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.

[0063] 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.

[0064] 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.

[0065] 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.

[0066] 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 relocating road barriers, comprising: a movable chassis having front and rear ends disposed along a longitudinal axis; an entrance snout supported on the front end of the chassis for picking up the road barrier from a road surface; an inlet snout positioning mechanism for shifting the inlet snout laterally relative to the longitudinal axis of the chassis to move the inlet snout laterally relative to the front end of the chassis; 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 control system for actuating the entrance snout positioning mechanism to move the entrance snout laterally relative to the front end of the chassis to align the entrance snout with the road barrier before the road barrier is picked up; a barrier position sensor for sensing the position of one of the road barriers before the road barrier is picked up by the entrance snout and generating corresponding barrier position data; an inlet snout position sensor for sensing the position of the inlet snout and generating corresponding inlet snout position data; a processing system for analyzing the entrance snout position data and the barrier position data to determine whether the entrance snout is aligned with the road barrier before the road barrier is picked up by the entrance snout; a control system comprising: A barrier transporter comprising:

2. 2. The barrier transporter of claim 1, wherein the processing system further generates an alert if the entrance snout is not aligned with the road barrier and transmits the alert to a user interface of the barrier transporter so that an operator of the barrier transporter can correct any misalignment between the entrance snout and the road barrier before the road barrier is picked up.

3. 2. The barrier transporter of claim 1, wherein the processing system controls the entrance snout positioning mechanism to correct any misalignment between the entrance snout and the road barrier before the road barrier is picked up and to generate an alarm if the entrance snout is not aligned with the road barrier.

4. 2. The barrier transporter of claim 1, wherein the barrier position sensor is a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) sensor mounted in the inlet snout.

5. 2. The barrier transporter of claim 1, wherein the barrier position sensor is a radio detection and ranging (RADAR) sensor mounted in the inlet snout.

6. The barrier transporter of claim 1 , wherein the inlet snout position sensor is a proximity switch, a magnetic position sensor, a potentiometer, a mechanical resolver, or a mechanical encoder.

7. 10. The barrier transporter of claim 1, further comprising a data transmitter in communication with the processing system for transmitting the inlet snout position data and the barrier position data to a remote computing device.

8. 2. The barrier transporter of claim 1, wherein the processing system further generates and transmits a steering signal to a user interface to prompt an operator to steer the chassis if the entrance snout is not aligned with the road barrier.

9. 1. A barrier transporter for picking up and relocating road barriers, comprising: a movable chassis having front and rear ends disposed along a longitudinal axis; an entrance snout supported on the front end of the chassis for picking up the road barrier from a road surface; an inlet snout positioning mechanism for shifting the inlet snout laterally relative to the longitudinal axis of the chassis to move the inlet snout laterally relative to the front end of the chassis; 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 control system for aligning the entrance snout with the road barrier before the road barrier is picked up, a barrier position sensor mounted on the barrier transporter for sensing the position of one of the road barriers before the road barrier is picked up by the entrance snout and generating corresponding barrier position data; an inlet snout position sensor for sensing the position of the inlet snout and generating corresponding inlet snout position data; a processing system for analyzing the entrance snout position data and the barrier position data to determine whether the entrance snout is aligned with the road barrier before the road barrier is picked up by the entrance snout, for controlling the entrance snout positioning mechanism to shift the entrance snout left or right relative to the front end of the chassis to correct any misalignment between the entrance snout and the road barrier before the road barrier is picked up, and for generating an alert and sending the alert to a user interface if the entrance snout is not aligned with the road barrier; a control system comprising: A barrier transporter comprising:

10. 10. The barrier transporter of claim 9, wherein the barrier position sensor is a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) sensor or a radio detection and ranging (RADAR) sensor mounted in the inlet snout.

11. 10. The barrier transporter of claim 9, wherein the inlet snout position sensor is a proximity switch, a magnetic position sensor, a potentiometer, a mechanical resolver, or a mechanical encoder.

12. 10. The barrier transporter of claim 9, further comprising a data transmitter in communication with the processing system for transmitting the inlet snout position data and the barrier position data to a remote computing device.

13. 10. The barrier transporter of claim 9, wherein the processing system further generates and transmits a steering signal to the user interface to prompt an operator to steer the chassis if the entrance snout is not aligned with the road barrier.

14. 1. A method of moving a road barrier using a barrier transporter, comprising: sensing the position of a leading one of the road barriers before the road barrier is picked up by an entrance snout of the barrier transporter; generating barrier position data corresponding to the position of the first road barrier; sensing the position of the entrance snout before the road barrier is picked up by the entrance snout; generating inlet snout position data corresponding to the position of the inlet snout; comparing, by a processing system, the entrance snout position data with the barrier position data to determine whether the entrance snout is aligned with the road barrier before the road barrier is picked up by the entrance snout; shifting the entrance snout laterally relative to a front end of a chassis of the barrier transporter under control of the processing system to correct any misalignment between the entrance snout and the road barrier before the road barrier is picked up; A method comprising:

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising generating an alert and transmitting the alert to a user interface if the entrance snout is not aligned with the road barrier.

16. 15. The method of claim 14, wherein the position of the leading road barrier is sensed by a Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) sensor or a Radio Detection and Ranging (RADAR) sensor mounted in the entrance snout.

17. The method of claim 14 , wherein the position of the inlet snout is sensed with a proximity switch, a magnetic position sensor, a potentiometer, a mechanical resolver, or a mechanical encoder.

18. The method of claim 14 further comprising transmitting the inlet snout position data and the barrier position data to a remote computing device.

19. 15. The method of claim 14, further comprising generating and transmitting a steering signal to a user interface to prompt an operator to steer the barrier transporter if the entrance snout is not aligned with the roadway barrier.

20. 1. A barrier transporter for picking up and relocating road barriers, comprising: a movable chassis having front and rear ends disposed along a longitudinal axis; an entrance snout supported on the front end of the chassis for picking up the road barrier from a road surface; an inlet snout positioning mechanism for shifting the inlet snout laterally relative to the longitudinal axis of the chassis to move the inlet snout laterally relative to the front end of the chassis; 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 control system for aligning the entrance snout with the road barrier before the road barrier is picked up by actuating the entrance snout positioning mechanism to shift the entrance snout laterally relative to the front end of the chassis; a sensor for sensing a relative position between the entrance snout and one of the road barriers before the road barrier is picked up by the entrance snout and generating corresponding relative position data; a processing system for analyzing the relative position data to determine whether the entrance snout is aligned with the road barrier before the road barrier is picked up by the entrance snout; a control system comprising: A barrier transporter comprising:

Images