6433results about "Controlling traffic signals" patented technology

A system for instantaneously monitoring traffic congestion including a plurality of monitoring electronic devices located in motor vehicles traveling on roadways in a selected region. Each monitoring electronic device is coupled to a GPS receiver that provides physical location to a wireless modem capable of connecting to a wireless communication network. The system also includes a central computer connected to a wide area network that is able of continuously downloading physical location information from a plurality of monitoring electronic devices also connected to the wide area network. The central computer uses a traffic monitoring software program and a mapping database containing roadway information for a region and the movement information from the monitoring electronic devices to create a continuously updated traffic congestion database. Authorized users of the system are able to log onto the central computer to a portion of the database that contains specific traffic flow and congestion information. Using the system, users are also able to obtain estimated times of arrival for a specific trip, and recommendations on alternative route information. The system can also take into consideration current or anticipated events that may affect traffic congestion.

Methods and systems are described for generating a vehicle-to-vehicle traffic alert. Various aspects may include detecting that an abnormal traffic condition exists in an operating environment of a vehicle and generating a related electronic message. The electronic message may be transmitted via the vehicle's transceiver using a wireless communication to a nearby vehicle to alert the nearby vehicle of the abnormal traffic condition and to allow the nearby vehicle to avoid the abnormal traffic condition.

A parking management system that facilitates motorist guidance, payment, violation detection, and enforcement using highly accurate space occupancy detection, unique vehicle identification and guidance displays is described. The system enables reduced time to find parking, congestion mitigation, accurate violation detection, and easier enforcement, and increased payment and enforcement revenues to cities. A system facilitating intersection management is also described having applicability to road intersections and railway crossings.

An emergency vehicle traffic light preemption system for preemption of traffic lights at an intersection to allow safe passage of emergency vehicles. The system includes a real-time status monitor of an intersection which is relayed to a control module for transmission to emergency vehicles as well as to a central dispatch office. The system also provides for audio warnings at an intersection to protect pedestrians who may not be in a position to see visual warnings or for various reasons cannot hear the approach of emergency vehicles. A transponder mounted on an emergency vehicle provides autonomous control so the vehicle operator can attend to getting to an emergency and not be concerned with the operation of the system. Activation of a priority-code (i.e. Code-3) situation provides communications with each intersection being approached by an emergency vehicle and indicates whether the intersection is preempted or if there is any conflict with other approaching emergency vehicles. On-board diagnostics handle various information including heading, speed, and acceleration sent to a control module which is transmitted to an intersection and which also simultaneously receives information regarding the status of an intersection. Real-time communications and operations software allow central and remote monitoring, logging, and command of intersections and vehicles.

A moving subject recognizing system for recognizing a subject, such as a pedestrian, moving toward a forward path of a vehicle to avoid a collision against the subject scans a field ahead the vehicle to detect a transverse velocity of a subject moving in a transverse direction and a longitudinal distance of the subject in a direction of the traveling path which are compared with a first and a second threshold value, respectively, and recognize that the subject is in danger of entering the traveling path and hit by the vehicle when the transverse velocity is greater than the first threshold value and the variation of the longitudinal distance is smaller than the second threshold value.

Methods and systems for a device discovery daemon that bases access of a communication device to an on board vehicle network on device location are provided.

This invention relates to a device to monitor the administration of a fluid through a conduit, such as intravenous fluid, and detect the completion of fluid delivery by monitoring the fluid level inside a chamber. The device will monitor, through an optical fluid sensor comprising a radiation source, two sensors, a logic means, and an indicating means, the bottom half of any “user supplied” drip chamber that is normally full during the administration of fluids. When the fluid level in the chamber drops below a predetermined level, the indicating means will initiate an electromechanical device that releases a pinching device to occlude the conduit. The pinching device is a rotary pincher that derives its force from a torsion spring and is held in the open position by the electromechanical device.

An apparatus and system to manage monitored traffic density in relationship to spatial locational flow rates. The system includes a variety of mobile and / or stationary transmitting and receiving comm-devices utilizing certified comm-devices equipped Avics iChipset arranged in a polarity of vehicles, in communication with stationary and / or mobile hub comm-devices and / or other certified comm-devices, strategically arranged within and / or along one or more roadways and in communication with a server channel networked to a central server. Configured to receive and / or transmit encrypted traffic data from the diversity of stationary and / or mobile transmitting and receiving comm-devices over the network, update traffic data in the non shared database, continuously calculate optimal traffic density flow for one or more of vehicles traveling along the one or more roadways based on the updated vehicular transit data, transmitting variations in speed adjustments in a network infrastructure to one or more vehicles; adjusting traffic light intersections based on traffic density traversing such roadways based on the optimal traffic flow suggestions combined with Predicated Traffic Artifacts transmitted via system generated encrypted digital comm-advice directives; and in turn share extracted and / or transmitted data with each state an federal DOT departments and other stack holders, including insurance companies and vehicle manufacturers and dealers with information to assist with making the traffic network safer. The present invention presents an Intuitive ITS engaged in Channeled Vehicular Telematics conveying statistical data, from an plurality of network devices, providing informational services forecasting safety-critical features and more, in return gathering and disseminating connected channelled intelligence between vehicles from within and surrounding infrastructures and other shareholders. Such data includes vehicle Phase-Change Spatial analytics from traffic congestion artifacts, along with Consumption Variable Analysis that provides real-time Energy Summation Data from combined vehicle exhausted energy by adjusting traffic flow based on traffic density in relationship with the human factor, vehicle capacity to navigate and topography and climatic variations in relationship with any area being traversed, and most importantly the use of the unique string identification. USIN acknowledged as ‘tMarker Audit Trail’ or simply tMarker Trail as to data inception creation point. Managed within a secure private network infrastructure, each comm-device is synchronized with localized cloud servers in communication will a central server. This invention embarks on a new era in vehicle management, further enhancing time sensitive movements, leaving no doubt as to Vehicle Symmetry Orientation, especially once you move your vehicle and additional particulars currently not beyond the scope of this art presented herein. ITTS will throughly reduce the worlds fossil fuel supply consumption rate and on many other fronts availed by extracted data, transmitted from each vehicles onboard vehicle processor equipped with Avics iChipSet on certified comm-devices, reducing navigational concerns to elementary variables creating a safe traffic network.

A vehicle warning system for use in conjunction with road signs proximate a roadway and that are visible by passing motorists. The system has two assemblies, one on each side of a roadway and associated with a road sign. Each assembly has a power source, one or more lights that when lit project light that is visible to a passing motorist, a controller, a light activation device, and a wireless transceiver. Operation of the light activation device of a first of the assemblies causes the wireless transceiver of the first assembly to send a signal to the wireless transceiver of the second assembly, and both controllers to temporarily connect one or more lights of each assembly to the power source for the assembly, to light the one or more lights and thus project light that is visible to the motorist from both sides of the roadway.

The invention relates to a road traffic control method and corresponding traffic facilities. The method includes: setting roads mounted or vehicles mounted devices for controlling queens passing; setting associated traffic facilities which assist controlling queens; guiding, including and controlling to vehicle flows in various directions by the above devices and facilities; arranging the vehicle queens into sequential array at the same time or by turns in roads and crosses according to preset procedure. By the method, the vehicle flows can pass continuously or non-continuously without crossing or with less crossing in multi-driveway road. The invention has small investment, wide application and can greatly improve the cross passing ability.

Mobile monitoring systems and methods are disclosed. In accordance with one aspect of the invention, the system includes a plurality of vehicles and a base communication station that are in communication with each other. Each of the vehicles includes a camera that generates image data, a location device that generates geographic coordinates of the vehicle, a computing device that receives the image data from the camera and the geographic coordinates of the vehicle and forms a processed image signal that includes the image data, the geographic coordinates and a time stamp, and a communication device that receives the processed image signal from the computing device and wireless transmits the processed image signal to the base communication station. The base communication station receives the processed image signal. The base communication station can include an image processor to further process the processed image signal from each of the plurality of vehicles to form an output signal and a transmitter that transmits the output signal. The output signal can be used to control traffic control devices, vehicles and to provide other useful information.

A traffic informational system provides information to traffic moving along a road and may include a plurality of traffic information devices mountable to the road, each having an integral power producing source, at least a first set of illumination sources, and a wireless communications subsystem. The traffic informational system may further include at least a first external control device comprising at least one antenna and a transmitter communication wirelessly with the traffic information devices and / or with one another. The traffic information device may communicate with one another, and may include sensor for sensing ambient conditions. The system employs various approaches to reducing power consumption and improving communications, and is suitable for a wide range of applications, including use in remote environments.

An area mixed traffic self-adapting signal coordinated control method relates to the technical field of the automatic control, wherein the vehicle information for entering the control junction is detected through a detector, and the vehicle information is transmitted to the traffic signal controller; the traffic signal controller performs the preheating on the traffic flow data, while the area coordinated control computer analyzes the traffic flow operation state of each inlet section of the junction, to perform the realtime analysis forecast, provides the optimized traffic signal project timing parameters to the traffic signal controller. The method of the invention divided the city road net into a plurality of subareas, adopts the layer net working to coordinated control the duration time of the traffic light at each junction, advances the traffic capacity, prevents the traffic congestion, reduces the off gas, ensures the traffic safety.

A vehicle navigation system for use with a traffic information broadcast system which transmits traffic data relating to primary road segments and a communication system which transmits traffic data relating to road segments in a local geographic area. A broadcast receiver receives the broadcast traffic data from the broadcast system and stores the received data. A communication transmitter, when activated, transmits a data request to the communication system. A communication receiver receives the local traffic data from the communication system in response to the data request while a processor displays traffic information on a display screen corresponding to the received broadcast traffic data and the received local traffic data. The local traffic data includes both traffic information relating to local road segments as well as non-traffic temporal events, such as weather, and time-related events which affect traffic flow. A database of historic traffic flow for the road segments is periodically updated to reflect new traffic data.

An apparatus and system for monitoring and managing traffic flow. The system includes a plurality of remote sensor devices arranged in a plurality of vehicles, a plurality of remote communication hub devices operatively arranged along one or more roadways and in communication with the plurality of remote sensor devices, a central server, a network interface in communication with the central server and the plurality of remote communication hub devices over a network, and a shared database in communication with the central server. The central server is configured to receive traffic data from the plurality of remote sensor devices over the network, update traffic data in the shared database, periodically calculate an optimal traffic flow for one or more of vehicles traveling along the one or more roadways based on the updated traffic data, and transmit timing adjustments over the network to one or more traffic light intersections based on the optimal traffic flow calculations. The network interface is configured to send and receive traffic data. The traffic data includes vehicle location information and network traffic congestion information.

A traffic warning system which alerts approaching vehicle traffic to the presence of a pedestrian in a crosswalk. The system includes a plurality of surface mounted lights partially embedded in and placed across a roadway. The lights are activated by the pedestrian, either by manual switch or by a sensor, before he enters the crosswalk. Once activated, the flashing lights warn drivers of approaching vehicles that the pedestrian may have entered the crosswalk, and that caution should be exercised.

Traffic information, including traffic flow information and traffic incident information, obtained through a traffic management system for providing and facilitating the exchange of traffic information between a remote location and a vehicle may be presented to a user on a user display in the vehicle. The traffic information may be presented to the user in several circumstances, either as cued by the user, or automatically presented by the traffic management system. The user display may also automatically display traffic flow and traffic incident information for the direction that the user is traveling or along a route calculated by the navigation device. Further, a window displaying information about an upcoming traffic incident such as distance to the incident and incident details may automatically appear in the user display. Alternately, the user may select a roadway, freeway, or area for which traffic information is desired.

A novel system and method of integrating an RF emissions device, such as a radar system (103A), within a traffic control indicator (101) system. The system and method determines, using LFM-CW radar signals (201) and a multi-stage spectral processing algorithm (600), if one or more object / vehicle targets will enter an intersection and comprises receiving a radar echo response (203) indicating the object / vehicle target (104) is approaching the intersection, receiving range and velocity of the object / vehicle targets (104), and based on the receiving, determining if the object / vehicle target (104) will enter the intersection. The system and method can programmatically be configured to activate red-light-hold, green-light-extension, or left-turn-warning.

Embodiments describe new mechanisms for signalized intersection control. Embodiments expand inputs beyond traditional traffic control methods to include awareness of agency policies for signalized control, industry standardized calculations for traffic control parameters, geometric awareness of the roadway and / or intersection, and / or input of vehicle trajectory data relative to this intersection geometry. In certain embodiments, these new inputs facilitate a real-time, future-state trajectory modeling of the phase timing and sequencing options for signalized intersection control. Phase selection and timing can be improved or otherwise optimized based upon modeling the signal's future state impact on arriving vehicle trajectories. This improvement or optimization can be performed to reduce or minimize the cost basis of a user definable objective function.

An HOV enforcement system comprises roadside imaging units connected over a network to a central processing center. The roadside imaging units include Ethernet cameras with integrated vehicle detectors, night-time lighting, and image servers. The central processing center includes a central server with license plate reading and vehicle matching software, storage and databases, and review staff to issue bills and citations.

The invention discloses an intelligent coordination control method of a dynamic bi-directional green wave band for an urban traffic trunk road. The method comprises the steps of starting, processing coordination parameters, processing intersection parameters, processing time and processing cycle, etc. The method adopts a double-stage control structure, namely, a control layer of a traffic control center server and a control layer of an intersection intelligent signal controlling machine, through the information interaction and the coordination of the traffic control center server and the intersection intelligent signal controlling machine, phase sequence is optimized in an on-line manner; and common period, highway section upper phase difference, highway section down phase difference, the starting time of an upper coordination phase, the starting time of a down coordination phase, green ratio at each intersection and other key control parameters are optimized and calculated on a real-time basis. The intelligent coordination control method gets rid of the limit of equal intersection intervals required for the coordination control of the green wave band for the urban traffic trunk road, and realizes the unceasing travel of bi-directional traffic flows on the main road by applying the traffic engineering technique, the artificial intelligence technique and the automatic control technique, thereby reducing the parking rate while the traffic capacity of the trunk road is improved, and obviously reducing the traveling time.

Traffic signal control systems and methods in accordance with various embodiments of the invention are disclosed. One embodiment includes: at least one image sensor mounted with a bird's eye view of an intersection; memory containing a traffic optimization application and classifier parameters for a plurality of classifiers, where each classifier is configured to detect a different class of object; a processing system. In addition, the traffic optimization application directs the processing system to: capture image data using the at least one image sensor; search for pedestrians and vehicles visible within the captured image data by performing a plurality of classification processes based upon the classifier parameters for each of the plurality of classifiers; determine modifications to the traffic signal phasing based upon detection of at least one of a pedestrian or a vehicle; and send traffic signal phasing instructions to a traffic controller directing modification to the traffic signal phasing.

A method and apparatus for providing timely and efficient notification of vehicle parking space availability and locations of vehicle parking spaces to motorists or other network users. Local detector devices sense the presence or absence of a vehicle in a particular parking space and communicate space identification and status information to a computer network. The parking space status information is integrated with electronic street maps of the area where the relevant spaces are located. Integrated maps containing space status identifiers are communicated to any number of networks.