Device for traffic-dependent control of barriers and light signals at a grade crossing
AssigneeRobert Bosch GmbH
InventorBenedikt Lehnertz
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Abstract
In a method for traffic-dependent output of a control signal for at least one of a barrier and a traffic light signal at a grade crossing, a radar sensor device detects motions of traffic objects over a street traffic area of the grade crossing, a control signal is emitted to a control unit for the barrier and/or for the traffic light signal situated on the inflow side of the grade crossing, using a lead time before an expected time of arrival of a train at the grade crossing, and the lead time is determined with the aid of a curve over time of the detected motions of the traffic objects, the lead time for a slow-moving traffic being greater than for a more rapidly flowing, unimpeded traffic.
Claims12
A device for a traffic-dependent control of at least one of a barrier and a traffic light signal situated on an inflow side of a grade crossing, comprising:
- a radar sensor device configured to detect motions of traffic objects over a street traffic area of the grade crossing;
- and
- an evaluation unit having a processor configured to:
- determine a desired lead time before an expected time of arrival of a train at the grade crossing, with the aid of a curve over time of the detected motions of the traffic objects, wherein the lead time is increased as traffic speed is decreased;
- and
- emit a control signal to a control unit for at least one of the barrier and the traffic light signal situated on the inflow side of the grade crossing, using the determined lead time before an expected time of arrival of a train at the grade crossing.
A method for the traffic-dependent output of a control signal for at least one of a barrier and a light signal at a grade crossing, the method comprising:
- detecting motions of traffic objects over a street traffic area, by at least one radar sensor device situated in stationary manner with respect to the street traffic area;
- determining a lead time before an expected time of arrival of a train at the grade crossing, with the aid of the curve over time of the detected motions of the traffic objects over the street traffic area, wherein the lead time is increased as traffic speed is decreased;
- and
- emitting a control signal to a control unit for at least one of the barrier and the traffic light signal situated on the inflow side of the grade crossing, using the determined lead time before an expected time of the arrival of a train at the grade crossing.
A method for controlling at least one of a barrier and a light signal at an inflow side of an area of a grade crossing, the method comprising:
- obtaining a characterization of motion of vehicles at the grade crossing based on sensor data;
- based on the characterization of the motion of vehicles, estimating an amount of time needed for a vehicle to exit the area of the grade crossing at an outflow side of the area after entering the area of the grade crossing from the inflow side of the area;
- in a case where a time between a present time and an expected train arrival time is at least as long as the estimated amount of time, setting a lead time, preceding the expected train arrival time, at which to activate the at least one of the barrier and the light signal at the inflow side of the area, wherein the setting of the lead time is performed based on the estimated amount of time according to a condition that an amount of time between the lead time and the expected train arrival time is at least as long as the estimated amount of time;
- and
- controlling the activation of the at least one of the barrier and the light signal at the inflow side of the area based on the set lead time.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.