Advanced warning and risk evasion system and method

Abstract

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.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An advanced warning and risk evasion system comprising:
 a vicinity monitoring unit having a transmitter and a receiver configured to detect objects travelling through the vicinity monitoring unit's field of view;   a processor communicatively connected to the transmitter and the receiver and configured to utilize information received from the receiver to calculate a velocity of each of the detected objects and a location of each of the detected objects' position relative to the vicinity monitoring unit;   the processor configured to identify protected areas corresponding to regions where the detected objects are not allowed to enter and to detect a hazardous situation when entrance into one of the protected areas by one of the detected objects is imminent; and   wherein, upon receiving an indication from the processor that the hazardous situation has been detected, the vicinity monitoring unit is configured to transmit a signal to the one of the detected objects to trigger auto-brake support therein.   
     
     
         2 . The advanced warning and risk evasion system of  claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to identify traffic patterns based at least in part on a frequency and direction of travel of the detected objects over time, the traffic patterns including at least one traffic area corresponding to an area where a higher number of detected objects pass through over time relative to other areas. 
     
     
         3 . The advanced warning and risk evasion system of  claim 2 , wherein at least one of the protected areas moves with respect to the traffic patterns when the vicinity monitoring unit moves. 
     
     
         4 . 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 the vicinity monitoring unit is configured to communicate boundaries of the protected areas to the personnel tracking unit. 
 
     
     
         5 . The advanced warning and risk evasion system of  claim 4 , wherein a warning signal is transmitted to the personnel tracking unit when the hazardous situation has been detected. 
     
     
         6 . The advanced warning and risk evasion system of  claim 1  and further comprising:
 a first personnel tracking unit in communication with the vicinity monitoring unit, the first personnel tracking unit being located within a first protected area of the protected areas; 
 a second personnel tracking unit in communication with the vicinity monitoring unit, the second personnel tracking unit being located within a second protected area of the protected areas; 
 wherein a warning signal is transmitted to the first personnel tracking unit when entrance into the first protected area by the one of the detected objects is imminent; and 
 wherein the warning signal is not transmitted to the second personnel tracking unit. 
 
     
     
         7 . An advanced warning and risk evasion system comprising:
 a vicinity monitoring unit having a transceiver and a sensor, wherein the transceiver is configured to communicate with a personnel tracking unit mounted in a vehicle, the personnel tracking unit being designed to track a position of the vehicle and communicate with external devices and wherein the sensor comprises a transmitter and a receiver for detecting objects in the sensor's field of view and determine a speed and position of each of the detected objects;   a processor communicatively connected to the transceiver and the sensor and configured to:
 record the speed and the position of the detected objects over time; 
 identify a protected area where the detected objects are not allowed to enter; 
 determine a current position of the vehicle relative to the protected area; 
 compute a trajectory of the vehicle relative to the protected area; 
 determine that a hazardous situation exists when the trajectory of the vehicle indicates that entrance into the protected area by the vehicle is imminent; and 
 transmit a warning signal to the vehicle upon the determination that the hazardous situation exists. 
   
     
     
         8 . The advanced warning and risk evasion system of  claim 7 , wherein the warning signal triggers auto-brake support in the vehicle. 
     
     
         9 . The advanced warning and risk evasion system of  claim 7 , wherein the warning signal activates collision warning in the vehicle. 
     
     
         10 . The advanced warning and risk evasion system of  claim 7 , wherein boundaries of the protected area are transmitted to the vehicle. 
     
     
         11 . The advanced warning and risk evasion system of  claim 7 , wherein the warning signal is transmitted to the personnel tracking unit upon the determination that the hazardous situation exists. 
     
     
         12 . The advanced warning and risk evasion system of  claim 11 , wherein the personnel tracking unit is configured to send an alert upon receipt of the warning signal. 
     
     
         13 . An advanced warning and risk evasion system comprising:
 a vicinity monitoring unit comprising:
 a data storage device having program instructions; 
 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; 
   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; 
 analyze the calculated velocities and positions of the detected objects to estimate a trajectory of each of the detected objects; and 
 identify a hazardous situation when the estimated trajectory of one of the detected objects is towards a protected area; 
   wherein the vicinity monitoring unit is configured to transmit boundaries of the protected area to the detected objects; and   wherein, upon identifying the hazardous situation, the vicinity monitoring unit is configured to transmit a collision warning to the one of the detected objects.   
     
     
         14 . The advanced warning and risk evasion system of  claim 13 , wherein the processor is configured to estimate where a lane of traffic is located based at least in part on the calculated velocities and the positions. 
     
     
         15 . The advanced warning and risk evasion system of  claim 14 , wherein the hazardous situation exists when the one of the detected objects is not following the lane of traffic. 
     
     
         16 . The advanced warning and risk evasion system of  claim 14 , wherein the estimated lane of traffic changes relative to the vicinity monitoring unit when the vicinity monitoring unit moves. 
     
     
         17 . The advanced warning and risk evasion system of  claim 13 , wherein the hazardous situation exists when a distance of the one of the detected objects from the protected area is below a predetermined threshold. 
     
     
         18 . The advanced warning and risk evasion system of  claim 13 , wherein the vicinity monitoring unit is configured to cause a warning signal to be transmitted to a personnel tracking unit located within the protected area upon the identification that the hazardous situation exists. 
     
     
         19 . The advanced warning and risk evasion system of  claim 13 , wherein the vicinity monitoring unit is configured to cause a visual warning signal to be transmitted to the one of the detected objects upon the identification that the hazardous situation exists. 
     
     
         20 . The advanced warning and risk evasion system of  claim 13 , wherein the processor is configured to cause an acoustic warning signal to be transmitted to the one of the detected objects upon the identification that the hazardous situation exists.