Advanced warning and risk evasion system and method
This invention relates in general to the field of safety devices, and more particularly, but not by way of limitation, to systems and methods for providing advanced warning and risk evasion when hazardous conditions exist. In one embodiment, a vicinity monitoring unit is provided for monitoring, for example, oncoming traffic near a construction zone. In some embodiments, the vicinity monitoring unit may be mounted onto a construction vehicle to monitor nearby traffic and send a warning signal if hazardous conditions exist. In some embodiments, personnel tracking units may be worn by construction workers and the personnel tracking units may be in communication with the vicinity monitoring unit. In some embodiments, a base station is provided for monitoring activities taking place in or near a construction site including monitoring the locations of various personnel and vehicles within the construction site.
1. An advanced warning and risk evasion system comprising:
a vicinity monitoring unit having a radar, the radar comprising a transmitter and a receiver configured to detect vehicles travelling through the radar's field of view;
a processor communicatively connected to the radar and configured to utilize information received from the radar to calculate a velocity of each of the detected vehicles and plot each of the detected vehicles' position on a map;
the processor configured to identify traffic patterns on the map based at least in part on a frequency and direction of travel of the detected vehicles over time, the traffic patterns including at least one traffic area corresponding to a portion of the map where a higher number of detected vehicles pass through over time relative to other portions of the map;
the processor further configured to identify protected areas on the map corresponding to regions of the map where vehicles are not allowed to enter and to detect a hazardous situation when a target vehicle has deviated from the traffic patterns and entrance into one of the protected areas is imminent;
a warning device coupled to the vicinity monitoring unit and configured to transmit a warning signal to the target vehicle upon receiving an indication from the processor that the hazardous situation has been detected.
2. The advanced warning and risk evasion system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the protected areas on the map moves with respect to the traffic patterns when the vicinity monitoring unit moves.
3. The advanced warning and risk evasion system of claim 1 and further comprising:
a personnel tracking unit in communication with the vicinity monitoring unit; and
wherein one of the protected areas corresponds to a region of the map in close proximity to the personnel tracking unit.
4. The advanced warning and risk evasion system of claim 3 , wherein a second warning signal is sent to the personnel tracking unit when the hazardous situation has been detected.
5. The advanced warning and risk evasion system of claim 1 , wherein the warning device is a long range acoustical device capable of sending a directional acoustic beam at the target vehicle.
6. An advanced warning and risk evasion system comprising:
a sensor comprising a transmitter and a receiver for detecting objects in the sensor's field of view and determining a speed and position of each of the detected objects;
a processor communicatively connected to the sensor, the processor being configured to:
record the speed and the position of the detected objects over time and plot the recorded data on a map;
estimate traffic patterns, including boundaries of a traffic area on the map, based at least in part on the recorded data;
identify a protected area on the map proximate to the sensor, the protected area corresponding to a subset of a region of the map between the sensor and the traffic area;
determine a current position of a target object relative to the protected area;
compute a trajectory of the target object relative to the protected area; and
determine that a hazardous situation exists when the trajectory of the target object indicates that the target object has deviated from the traffic patterns and entrance into the protected area is imminent; and
a warning device coupled to the processor and configured to transmit a warning signal to the target object upon the determination that the hazardous situation exists.
7. The advanced warning and risk evasion system of claim 6 , wherein the protected area changes relative to the traffic area when the sensor moves.
8. The advanced warning and risk evasion system of claim 6 and further comprising:
a personnel tracking unit in communication with the processor; and
wherein the processor is configured to transmit a second warning signal to the personnel tracking unit upon the determination that the hazardous situation exists.
9. The advanced warning and risk evasion system of claim 8 , wherein the personnel tracking unit is configured to alert a user of the personnel tracking unit of the hazardous situation upon receipt of the second warning signal.
10. The advanced warning and risk evasion system of claim 6 , wherein the warning device is a long range acoustical device capable of sending a directional acoustic beam at the target vehicle.
11. An advanced warning and risk evasion system comprising:
a vicinity monitoring unit comprising:
a data storage device having program instructions and a heat map stored therein;
a sensor having a transmitter and a receiver for detecting objects in the sensor's field of view; and
a processor operatively coupled to the data storage device and the sensor;
a personnel tracking unit communicatively coupled to the vicinity monitoring unit;
wherein the processor is configured to receive information from the sensor and execute the program instructions to:
calculate velocities and positions for each of the objects detected by the sensor;
plot the positions of each of the detected objects relative to the sensor to corresponding locations on the heat map;
estimate where a lane of traffic is located on the heat map based at least in part on the plotted positions;
analyze the calculated velocities and positions of the detected objects to estimate a trajectory of each of the detected objects; and
identifying that a hazardous situation exists when the estimated trajectory of one of the detected objects indicates collision with the vicinity monitoring unit is imminent; and
a warning device coupled to the vicinity monitoring unit and configured to transmit a warning signal to the one of the detected objects upon the hazardous situation existing.
12. The advanced warning and risk evasion system of claim 11 , wherein the hazardous situation exists when the estimated trajectory of one of the detected objects indicates the detected object is heading towards the vicinity monitoring unit and is not following the lane of traffic.
13. The advanced warning and risk evasion system of claim 11 , wherein the hazardous situation exists when the estimated trajectory of one of the detected objects indicates the detected object is heading towards the vicinity monitoring unit and a distance of the detected object from the vicinity monitoring unit is below a predetermined threshold.
14. The advanced warning and risk evasion system of claim 11 , wherein the estimated lane of traffic on the heat map changes relative to the vicinity monitoring unit when the vicinity monitoring unit moves.
15. The advanced warning and risk evasion system of claim 11 and further comprising:
a personnel tracking unit in communication with the processor; and
wherein the processor is configured to cause a second warning signal to be transmitted to the personnel tracking unit upon the identification that the hazardous situation exists.
16. The advanced warning and risk evasion system of claim 15 , wherein the personnel tracking unit is configured to alert a user of the personnel tracking unit of the hazardous situation upon receipt of the second warning signal.
17. The advanced warning and risk evasion system of claim 11 , wherein the warning device is a long range acoustical device capable of sending a directional acoustic beam at the one of the detected objects.