LED traffic lamp control system

Abstract

A traffic lamp and a method of controlling the traffic lamp based on a power signal are provided. The traffic lamp can include a controller and a light emitting element. When a plurality of light emitting elements is included in the traffic lamp, each light emitting element is coupled with a separate controller. Each controller can be configured to include a predetermined light emitting timing sequence for the corresponding light emitting element. When the power signal is supplied to the traffic lamp, each controller determines a power signal characteristic such as a frequency or a period of the power signal and controls a light output of the light emitting element based on the power signal characteristic and the light emitting timing sequence. A plurality of light emitting elements can be synchronized using the power signal applied to the traffic lamp.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0001]The present disclosure relates to a traffic lamp and more particularly to a system and method of controlling a traffic lamp based on a power signal.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]A traffic lamp can be a signaling device to control traffic flow or to provide an alert or indication to traffic. Traditionally, traffic lamps used incandescent lamps as a light source. However, light emitting diodes (LEDs) are replacing the incandescent lamps because of reduced energy consumption and longer life.[0003]Conventionally, LED traffic lamps are controlled in the same way the incandescent traffic lamps. For instance, a single control box is provided externally to the traffic lamp and is coupled with all the lamps of the traffic lamp. The control box can control the timing of the lights by turning on and off the power signal provided to the lamps of the traffic lamp. This configuration increases the complexity of the traffic lamp control system because additional comp...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0006]Embodiments of the present disclosure provide systems and methods of controlling a traffic lamp based on a power signal. Unlike prior systems where control of the timing sequences of the traffic lamp were performed remotely from the traffic lamp, embodiments of the traffic lamp, as described herein, can include a controller coupled with a light emitting element within the traffic lamp. A power signal can be provided to the traffic lamp and the controller can determine a power signal characteristic based on the power signal. The power signal characteristic can be used to control the light emitting timing of the light emitting element. By eliminating a separate and remote control system, embodiments of the present disclosure can be characterized by implementing fewer system devices with more compact circuitry that can more accurately control and synchronize light emission in the traffic lamp.

Problems solved by technology

However, light emitting diodes (LEDs) are replacing the incandescent lamps because of reduced energy consumption and longer life.

This configuration increases the complexity of the traffic lamp control system because additional components and control methods are necessary to synchronize a plurality of lamps within the traffic lamp.

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