Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
2~3~7 1.
( 4 5 2 2 9 a ) ~El~IOI) YOR G~RATI2~& A~ ~TTE2~IO~ ATT~CTI~G
SI~
The inventia~ relates to a method for generating an
attention attracting signal provided as a sequence of different
signal periods of a signal generator.
It is known to make attention attrac~ing signals
perceptible either by a sta~ic or by a peri~di d.Lspl~y~ One o~
~hese two me~hod~ is generall-y usedt r~gardl2s5 wheth~r ~he
dispLay i5 effected mechanically (by pointers, needles, colox
discs etc.) acoustlcally (by ~uzzers, whis~les, bells) or
opticall~ (by warning lights, warning flashers, especially
traffic lights, or by a ligh-t buoy or lighthouse signal). Such
displays ser~e their purpose well as long as a professional
watchfulness ~f the persons ~ddressed by the siqnal can be
acco~nted for. Where a reduced watchfulness i5 possi~le, a
periodically fla~hing display i~ ge~erally used (e.g. yellow
.
flashing lights for traffic lights or red f~ashing alarm li~hts
in the case of hazardous machinery). In ever repeating situa-
kions, which therefore are partly losing their alarming charac-
ter, a periodical signal may lead to a habit and accordingly,
the signal may be disregarded. The problem may be known to many
users of alarm clocks generating an alarm signal repeating in
fixed intervals. ~ similar problem occurs with systems for
traffic guiding and warning, especially in heavy populated
areas, where such guiding and warning displays are numerous.
There is the danger that these displays are overlooked from
time to time, especially when there is only little traffic or
when traffic is slow.
Hence, it i5 a general object o:E the presen-t inven~
tion to provide a method oE generating a signal that counter
acts this habitual effect. Now, .in order to implement these and
still further objects of the invention, which will become more
readily apparent as the description proceeds, the method is
manifested by the features of the claims.
The invention will be better understoad and objects
other than those set forth above will become apparent when con
2~3~B'7~
sideration is given to the following de~ailed description
~hereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed
drawings, wherein:
Figures la, lb show timing diagrams of two embodi-
ments of the invention;
Figure 2 shows the timing diagram of another embod-
iment;
Figure 3 shows a block diagram of a circuit for
effecting the invention; and
Figure 4 shows par~.ially a flow chart for
controlling the circuit of Figure 3.
In the -following description the term "random
sequence or pseudorandom se~uence" i9 subst.ituted by the simpls
term ~random~. For more details on xandom or p~eudorandom
sequences, see e.g. U. ~'ietze and Ch. Schenk, "Halbleiter
Schaltungstechnik", Springer 1976.
Figure 1 shows the timing diagram of a preferred
simple embodiment of the invention, where only two different
states of the signal generator are generated. This may be e.g.
the light and the dark state of a yellow traffic lisht. The two
states may be as well two different intensities of a light
signal of any color, e.g. for railways~ or may cons~itu~e the
states "alarm" and ~'silence'- of an alarm clock or two different
.
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2 ~
sounds of a siren. In the diagram the states are designated as
O (zero) and 1 (one~, although the states are not limited to an
~l~ff" and "onl~ state, respectively. Tha states designated as O
and 1 may eOg. belong to an intensive and to a weak pha~e of a
single signal lamp. The states may further express the states
of a light changing from yellow to orange color and vice versa
or they may relate to the lighting of two adjacent lamps of the
same color. The abscissa in the diagram shows the time t.
In the example of Figure la, the shortest duration
of the state 1 is limited by a selected fixed value A at each
occurrence of the state 1. A random time B1, B2, B3... is added
to A at each occurrence of the state 1. ~enerally, the duration
of the added random time is limited, the limit being depicted
as Bo in Figure la. Contrary to ~he state 1, the state O is set
in Figure la at a selected but fîxed value R.
In the example of Figure lb, both state~ have a
selectable minimum duration A and R, respect.ively, to which a
random duxation Bi and Si, respectively, is added, which is
limited in duration by the selectable values Bo and SO, respec-
tively.
Of course, se~eral other combinations of limited
and/or unlimited tim~ sequences other than those described in
Figures la, lb are possible. For example, a~ter a fixadly or
randomly set number of chan~es of state (or after a certain
time) a limi~ed number of states with fixed duration may be
inserted if this is preferred.
2~
Fig. 2 shows the timing diagram of a signal genera-
tor with four s~ates. light green, dark green, light red, dark
red. Always, a pair of light and dark states o-f one color
changes to a like pair of states of the other color. To sim-
plify the example, all pairs of states of the kind "green" have
the same duration G and all of the kind "red" have the same
duration R, although this naturally is not necessary. Within
each pair, the duration of the first state Hi and Si, respec-
tively, is randomly selected between æero and the maximum value
G and R, respectively. The attention of an obser~er is directed
in this way predominantly on this signal - without changing the
color of the optical signal. A limitation to only one color,
generally the color red, is possible.
The signal sequences described with reference to
Figs. 1 and 2 may be ~enerated by a circuit as shown schemati-
cally as a block diagram in Fig. 3. A c0ntral procsssi.ng unlt
(CPU) i5 powered by a power sllpply (not shown). The processlng
unit is connected to a memory unit 2 including ROM and RAM
memory. The central processing unit acts accordin~ to the
program contained in the memory. The signal sequences are
accordingly generated by the processing unit and are fed to an
interface 3. The signals are then fed via driviny circuits 4a,
4~ adapted to drive a lamp or a horn, respectively, to the
signal lamp 5 and the signal horn 6. The processing unit 1 is
programmed to maintain a certain state of the lamp and/or the
horn during a time period determined pseudorandomly.
'
.
6 ~ ~ 3 ~
Figure 4 shows a simplified flow chart of the
program path for generating a signal with two alternately
occurring states ON and OFF. Each duration of the signal ON
consists of a fixed duration tBE plus a variable part tVE; each
duration of the signal OFF consis~s of a fixed duration tBA and
a variable part tVA. The flowchart of Fig. 4 shows a closed
loop for alternately generating the signals ON and OFF, which
have a random duration within two limits. Of course, in a
working program, there are program branches for initializing
and for the regular break-off o the process (not shown in Fig.
4) as well as o-ther service rou-tines.
Appendix A shows a program written in the language
C for generating the signals and displa~ing them on the screen
of a personal computer.
While there are shown and described prese.nt pre-
ferred embodiments of the invention, it is to be distinctl~
understood that the invention is not limited thereto, bu-t may
be otherwise variously emboclied arld practiced wi.thin the scope
o the following claims.
P.ppendix~fi~3
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