Governing the Operation of an Asset within a Geo-Zone

Abstract

A method of operating an incursion warning system for a work zone, the incursion warning system comprising: a plurality of sensor units arranged about a perimeter of the work zone; and a plurality of alarm units each comprising one or more of an audio, visual or haptic alarm operable to warn a workforce of a potential danger in response to a detected breach into the work area; the method comprising: establishing a geo-zone delimiting a geographical area that includes at least part of the work zone; and a set of rules associated with the geo-zone; deriving an instruction for one of the alarm units determined to be in the geo-zone from the set of rules based on a characteristic of the alarm unit and a characteristic(s) of one or more other alarm units determined to be within the geo-zone; and wherein the instruction is derived in response to a change in a characteristic of the alarm unit and/or the one or more other alarm units and/or one or more of the sensor units within the geo-zone.

1 . A method comprising:
 establishing a geo-zone and a set of rules associated with the geo-zone;   deriving an instruction for an asset in the geo-zone from the set of rules based on a characteristic of the asset and a characteristic of one or more other assets within the geo-zone; and wherein the instruction is derived in response to a change in a characteristic of the asset and/or the one or more other assets within the geo-zone.   
     
     
         2 . A method according to  claim 1  wherein the instruction is transmitted to the asset to govern operation of the asset within the geo-zone. 
     
     
         3 . A method according to  claim 1  or  2  wherein the instruction is derived in response to a change in a characteristic of the one or more other assets within the geo-zone. 
     
     
         4 . A method according to  claim 1  or  2  wherein the instruction is derived in response to a change in a characteristic of the asset. 
     
     
         5 . A method according to  any previous claim  wherein the asset is arranged to transmit a status message in response to a change in a characteristic of the asset; and in which the instruction is derived in response to receipt of the status message. 
     
     
         6 . A method according to  any previous claim  comprising deriving, in response to the change in a characteristic of the asset and/or the one or more other assets within the geo-zone, a second instruction for a second asset within the geo-zone from the set of rules based on an characteristic of the second asset and a characteristic(s) of other assets within the geo-zone. 
     
     
         7 . A method according to  claim 6  wherein the second instruction is derived in response to a change in a characteristic of the asset. 
     
     
         8 . A method according to  claim 6  wherein the second instruction is derived in response to a change in a characteristic of the one or more other assets within the geo-zone. 
     
     
         9 . 
     
     
         10 . A method of operating an incursion warning system for a work zone, the incursion warming system comprising: a plurality of sensor units arranged about a perimeter of the work zone; and a plurality of alarm units each comprising one or more of an audio, visual or haptic alarm operable to warn a workforce of a potential danger in response to a detected breach into the work area;
 the method comprising:
 establishing a geo-zone delimiting a geographical area that includes at least part of the work zone; and a set of rules associated with the geo-zone; 
 deriving an instruction for one of the alarm units determined to be in the geo-zone from the set of rules based on a characteristic of the alarm unit and a characteristic(s) of one or more other alarm units determined to be within the geo-zone; 
 and wherein the instruction is derived in response to a change in a characteristic of the alarm unit and/or the one or more other alarm units and/or one ore more of the sensor units within the geo-zone. 
   
     
     
         11 . A method according to  claim 10  comprising selecting an alarm unit for which an instruction needs to be derived in response to any one of: a change in a characteristic of the alarm unit; a change in characteristic of one or more other alarm units in the geo-zone; and a status message from a sensor unit within the geo-zone indicative of a perimeter strike and/or breach. 
     
     
         12 . A method according to  claim 10  or  11  wherein the instruction is derived in response to a status message from a sensor unit within the geo-zone indicative of a perimeter strike and/or breach; in which the instruction is transmitted to the alarm unit, and in which the alarm unit, in response to receiving the instructions operates its alarm. 
     
     
         13 . A system comprising:
 a control means including means to establish a geo-zone and an associated set of rules;   a plurality of assets within the geo-zone;   the control means arranged to derive an instruction for one of the plurality of assets within the geo-zone from the set of rules based on a characteristic of the asset and/or a characteristic of plurality of assets within the geo-zone; wherein the instruction is derived in response to a change in a characteristic of the asset and/or the one or more other assets within the geo-zone.   
     
     
         14 . A system according to  claim 13  wherein the control means uses the instruction to govern operation of the asset within the geo-zone. 
     
     
         15 . A system according to  claim 13  or  14  wherein the control means is arranged to derive a second instruction for a second asset of the plurality of assets within the geo-zone from the set of rules based on a characteristic of the second asset and/or a characteristic of plurality of assets within the geo-zone; the second instruction derived in response to a change in a characteristic of the asset and/or the one or more other assets within the geo-zone. 
     
     
         16 . A system according to  claim 15  wherein the second instruction is different from the first instruction. 
     
     
         17 . A system according to  claim 13  wherein the asset is arranged to transmit information in response to a change in a status of the asset. 
     
     
         18 . A method of managing a set of temporary traffic signals used to control flow of traffic, the method comprising:
 establishing a geo-zone delimiting a geographical area that includes temporary traffic signals in order define said traffic signals as a set of traffic signals;   identifying a traffic condition characteristic for each traffic signal of the set, the traffic condition characteristic being indicative of a journey time for traffic approaching the respective traffic signal;   establishing a set of rules for the set of traffic signals to control the flow of traffic; and   deriving an instruction for at least one of the traffic signals from the set of rules based on the traffic condition characteristic of at least one of the traffic signals of the set; the instruction being used by the at least one traffic signal to alter the timing of the traffic signals, and wherein the instruction is derived in response to a change in the status of at least one of the traffic signals and/or a change in the traffic condition characteristic of at least one of the traffic signals of the set.   
     
     
         19 . A method according to  claim 18  wherein the traffic condition characteristic comprises and/or is derived from external traffic information obtained through the internet. 
     
     
         20 . A method according to  claim 19  comprising creating a further geo-zone that defines two locations on a highway leading up to traffic signal and using the external traffic information obtained through the internet to determine the traffic condition characteristic between those two locations. 
     
     
         21 . A method according to  claim 18  or  19  comprising comparing the traffic condition characteristics of traffic signals to determine a degree of disparity between journey times for traffic approaching respective traffic signal; and deriving the instruction in response to a determination that the degree of disparity is greater than a threshold disparity; and wherein the instruction is operable to alter the timings of the traffic signals to reduce the degree of disparity. 
     
     
         22 . A method according to any  claim 18-21 comprising deriving the instruction in response to a determination that the journey times for traffic approaching one of the traffic signals is greater than a threshold journey time and wherein the instruction is operable to alter the timings of the traffic signals to reduce the journey time associated with that traffic signal. 
     
     
         23 . A temporary signal system to control flow of traffic, the system comprising:
 a plurality of portable traffic signals arranged about a highway to control traffic flow along said highway;   a work controller arranged to:
 establish a geo-zone delimiting a geographical area that includes the portable traffic signals in order define said portable traffic signals as a set of traffic signals; 
 identify a traffic condition characteristic associated for each portable traffic signal of the set, the traffic condition characteristic being indicative of a journey time for traffic approaching the respective portable traffic signal; 
 establish a set of rules for the set of traffic signals to control the flow of traffic; and 
 derive an instruction for at least one of the portable traffic signals from the set of rules based on the traffic condition characteristic of at least one of the portable traffic signal of the set; and wherein the instructions is derived in response to a change in the status of at least one of the portable traffic signals and/or a change in the traffic condition characteristic of at least one of the traffic signals of the set.