Job Site Traffic Direction via Priority-Based Collision Avoidance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing job site collision avoidance methods are limited by their reliance on worker situational awareness, imprecision in proximity sensing, and inability to react flexibly to situational factors, making them ineffective in preventing collisions between vehicles and protected regions or entities.
Innovation Solution
A system that receives information about entities on a job site, assigns priorities, and determines right of way using a collision avoidance module to issue alerts and implement actions, enhancing situational awareness and collision prevention through real-time data processing and communication.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If physical barriers and markings are used to protect regions or entities, then workers can be guided to avoid protected areas, but the protection is ineffective against heavy equipment and depends on worker awareness
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces passive mechanical barriers (flags, ropes, stakes) with an active electronic system comprising transceivers, processors, and communication networks. This system automatically detects entity locations, evaluates collision risk based on multiple situational factors, and communicates warnings to operators, eliminating dependence on worker awareness and physical barrier effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables entities (vehicles, equipment, protected objects) to actively participate in collision avoidance by equipping them with transceivers that automatically transmit and receive location and warning data. Each entity independently contributes to the collective safety network without requiring external monitoring or manual intervention.
2Adaptability or versatility
If proximity alarms are used for collision avoidance, then warnings can be transmitted between entities, but the system lacks precision and cannot react flexibly to various situational factors
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements continuous bidirectional communication between transceivers on different entities, creating a real-time feedback loop. Each entity's location, speed, and status are constantly monitored and fed back to the network, allowing dynamic adjustment of collision risk assessments and warning thresholds based on current situational factors.
Solution Approach 2:
The system evaluates multiple parameters simultaneously (location, speed, entity type, environmental conditions) and dynamically adjusts collision risk determination based on combinations of these parameters. This multi-parameter approach enables flexible response to diverse situational factors while maintaining high precision through comprehensive data analysis.
3Reliability
If proximity sensing is used to detect entities, then collision warnings can be issued, but the sensing is imprecise with varying transmission and reception ranges
Solution Approach 1:
The transceiver system is designed to perform multiple functions: transmitting entity location data, receiving warning messages, determining collision risk, and communicating with multiple different entities simultaneously. This multi-functional approach consolidates detection, communication, and decision-making capabilities into a single reliable system that operates consistently across varying conditions.
Data Source
AI summary
In a method for automatically directing traffic on a site, information is received regarding a plurality of selected entities on the job site. An indication of a first priority assigned to a first of the plurality of selected entities is received. An indication of a second priority assigned to a second of the plurality of selected entities is received. It is then determined that the first of the plurality of selected entities has a right of way over the second of the plurality of selected entities based upon a comparison of the first priority and the second priority.