Surface-emitting road surface signal light system comprising voice guide function and failure notification function

Abstract

To provide a surface-emitting road surface signal light system comprising a voice guidance function to allow pedestrians to cross a crosswalk safely, as well as, a failure notification function to notify, when failure occurs, a remote integrated control center or an administrator's smart device, of the failure, thereby, allowing for a rapid response.SOLUTION: A surface-emitting road surface signal light system comprises: traffic lights provided on signal poles at both ends of a crosswalk, respectively, and each including a red light and a green light; road surface signal lights installed on both ends of the crosswalk, respectively, on a road surface, and operating in conjunction with the traffic lights; sound generation devices that are installed on the signal poles, respectively, and each broadcast crossing guidance when the green light is turned on; and a control unit that controls operation of the traffic lights, the road surface signal lights, and the sound generation devices. The surface-emitting road surface signal light system further comprises: failure detection units that each detect whether failure occurs in the traffic light or the road surface signal light; and a communication unit that is installed in the control unit, and transmits a failure occurrence signal together with location information to an integrated control center or an administrator's smart device in response to the signal from the failure detection unit.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a surface-emitting road traffic signal system having a voice guidance function and a failure notification function. More specifically, the present invention relates to a surface-emitting road traffic signal system having a voice guidance function that enables pedestrians to safely cross a crosswalk and a failure notification function that, when a failure occurs, notifies a remote integrated control center or an administrator's smart device so that the failure can be quickly addressed.

Background Art

[0002] Generally, pedestrian signals are installed at both ends of a crosswalk and are one of the traffic safety means for guiding whether pedestrians can enter or not through red and green lights. Therefore, pedestrians can safely cross the crosswalk by not entering the crosswalk according to the red light signal and only entering the crosswalk according to the green light signal.

[0003] By the way, as the use of smart phones has recently increased, the number of people who look down at the smart phone screen and do not pay attention to the surrounding environment has been increasing. Such people are called "smombies" (Smart phone + Zombie). Smombies do not check the signal even when crossing the crosswalk, which has become a cause of traffic accidents.

[0004] Therefore, traffic signals are also installed at both ends of the crosswalk to prevent traffic accidents of smombies and enable people to recognize the current crosswalk signal without raising their heads. This is called a "surface-emitting road traffic signal". That is, the surface-emitting road traffic signal is installed at both ends of the crosswalk and aims to minimize traffic accidents by allowing people looking down to recognize the crosswalk signal. Such a surface-emitting road traffic signal has an LED for generating a signal installed inside a transparent or translucent case, and emits red or green light from the LED to indicate the current stop signal or walk signal of the crosswalk.

[0005] In addition, an acoustic generator may be installed on a signal pole so that people with low vision or the elderly can safely cross a crosswalk. Such an acoustic generator provides information on the traffic signal changes acoustically along with information about the direction of travel.

[0006] In this way, a signal light system equipped with a road surface signal light and an acoustic generator in addition to the traffic signal installed on the signal pole is called a smart signal light system. However, if a failure occurs in the road surface signal light in such a smart signal light system and no prompt action is taken, pedestrians will not be able to safely cross the crosswalk.

[0007] However, the conventional smart signal light system has a problem in that even when a failure occurs in the road surface signal light, the administrator cannot take measures without confirming the fact of the failure upon the report of the person who discovered it, resulting in a delay in measures.

[0008] On the other hand, as a result of investigating the prior art related to the present invention, a number of patent documents were retrieved. A part of them is described as follows.

[0009] Patent Document 1 discloses a smart AI signal light system installed at the road edge where a crosswalk is formed, having a support column part where a traffic signal is installed; a pedestrian waiting area set with a predetermined width on the road surface where the support column part is installed so that pedestrians can wait while waiting for a signal before crossing the crosswalk; an audio transmission part installed on the support column part for sending guidance information to pedestrians waiting in the pedestrian waiting area by voice; an information display part installed on the support column part for displaying guidance information to pedestrians waiting in the pedestrian waiting area using a display; a detection part installed on the support column part for detecting the presence of pedestrians in the pedestrian waiting area; an illumination part installed on the support column part for irradiating light on the pedestrian waiting area; and a control part for controlling the driving of the traffic signal, the audio transmission part, the information display part, the detection part, and the illumination part, which is embodied to be able to automatically recognize pedestrians waiting for a signal and activate a walking signal.

[0010] Patent Document 2 discloses a pedestrian safety system in cooperation with a crosswalk signal that induces pedestrians to comply with traffic signals and prevent traffic accidents. The system includes a signal determination unit that receives a signal from a traffic signal control unit and determines whether the pedestrian signal is a walking signal, a stop signal, or a flashing signal; a laser irradiator that is installed at the upper part of a pedestrian signal post on a crosswalk and irradiates a number of laser planes onto the safety line area of the crosswalk to detect pedestrians when the signal determination unit determines that it is a stop signal or a flashing signal; a pedestrian direction determination unit that receives a pedestrian detection signal from the laser irradiator and determines the walking direction of the pedestrian; and a control unit that outputs a corresponding guidance broadcast or warning sound through an acoustic output unit when the pedestrian direction determination unit determines that the walking direction of the pedestrian is from the sidewalk to the roadway.

[0011] Patent Document 3 discloses a smart traffic signal warning device for managing the walking safety of smartphone users on a crosswalk. The device includes a warning device main body case installed on either side of the stop line of the crosswalk; a pedestrian sensing sensor unit installed on the side of the warning device main body case to sense pedestrians when they cross the stop line and provide a sensing signal to the main control unit; a main control unit that acquires the walking signal provided from a signal control panel to a pedestrian signal, and when the acquired walking signal is a walking stop signal, acquires a sensing signal from the pedestrian sensing sensor unit and provides a warning sound operation signal to an acoustic output unit installed around the crosswalk and a danger warning light operation signal to a light emitting lamp installed on the road surface of the crosswalk; an acoustic output unit installed around the crosswalk that outputs a set warning sound when receiving a warning sound operation signal from the main control unit and outputs a set walking sound when receiving a walking sound operation signal from the main control unit; and a light emitting lamp installed on the road surface of the crosswalk that turns on a danger warning light when receiving a danger warning light operation signal from the main control unit and turns on a walking light when receiving a walking light operation signal from the main control unit. The device can prevent traffic accidents of pedestrians caused by being engrossed in a smartphone and support the walking of visually impaired persons, thereby managing the walking safety of smartphone users on the crosswalk.

[0012] Patent Document 4 includes a number of blocks whose upper surfaces are embossed so as to rub against the soles of pedestrians' shoes and generate frictional noise; a number of sensors formed on the upper surfaces of the number of blocks to sense the frictional noise generated by rubbing against pedestrians; a number of amplifying units that amplify and output the frictional noise sensed by the number of sensors; a number of level limiters that limit the level of the frictional noise output from the number of amplifying units and output a signal that can confirm that what is located on the number of blocks is a pedestrian by restricting the output signal; a number of pilot speakers that generate a pilot signal to check for abnormalities in the number of sensors; a number of pilot signal amplifying units that amplify and input the pilot signal to the number of pilot speakers; a warning speaker that generates a warning sound for pedestrians trying to cross the road; a warning signal amplifying unit that amplifies and outputs a warning signal to the warning speaker; and a control unit that receives the signal output from the number of level limiters, outputs a control signal to a traffic signal control unit that checks for the presence of pedestrians trying to cross the road and controls the lighting of the traffic signal, outputs a pilot signal to the number of pilot signal amplifying units, and outputs a warning signal to the warning signal amplifying unit, and discloses a traffic signal control device that senses when a pedestrian is waiting to cross the road and controls the traffic signal.

[0013] Patent Document 5 discloses a speaker with improved directivity performance in a directional speaker having a number of piezoelectric ceramic cells. By providing an adjustment unit for each of the piezoelectric ceramic cells to adjust the output direction of the acoustic wave generated from the piezoelectric ceramic cell and preventing interference from the wave output parts of the plurality of piezoelectric ceramic cells, the directivity can be improved and output, and since an improved sound quality can be output with a small number of piezoelectric ceramic cells, the installation number of the piezoelectric ceramic cells can be reduced to save costs.

[0014] Patent Document 6 discloses a surface-emitting signal lamp that includes an LED module that generates light for signals; a lower case and an upper case that house the LED module inside; and a case seal configured at a position where the lower case and the upper case are clamped for waterproofing the LED module. The surface-emitting signal lamp further includes a protective housing made of aluminum die-casting that protects the signal lamp body. The protective housing is configured in a well shape that surrounds the side and bottom surfaces of the signal lamp body except for the upper surface. The protective housing is characterized by preventing the signal lamp body including polycarbonate from directly contacting the ground, thereby improving visibility and durability.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0015]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Patent Document 3

Patent Document 4

Patent Document 5

Patent Document 6

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0016] The present invention was devised to solve the above-mentioned problems of the prior art. It is equipped with a voice guidance function to enable pedestrians to safely cross the crosswalk, and also has a failure notification function. When a failure occurs, it notifies the integrated control center at a remote location or the smart device of the administrator, enabling prompt response. The object is to provide a surface-emitting road traffic signal system with a voice guidance function and a failure notification function.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0017] To achieve the above object, the present invention includes a traffic signal installed vertically on signal posts respectively provided at both ends in the crossing direction of a crosswalk, including a red light and a green light; a surface-emitting road traffic signal installed on the road surface at both ends in the crossing direction of the crosswalk and operating in conjunction with the traffic signal; an acoustic generator installed on the signal post for performing crosswalk guidance broadcast when the green light is on; and a control unit for controlling the operations of the traffic signal, the surface-emitting road traffic signal, and the acoustic generator. It is characterized by including a failure detection unit respectively provided on the traffic signal and the surface-emitting road traffic signal to detect the presence or absence of a failure of the traffic signal or the surface-emitting road traffic signal, and a communication unit provided in the control unit for transmitting a failure occurrence signal together with location information to the integrated control center or the smart device of the administrator in response to the signal of the failure detection unit.

[0018] Further, according to the surface-emitting road traffic signal system with a voice guidance function and a failure notification function of the present invention, the integrated control center or the smart device is characterized by including an alarm generation unit that issues an alarm when receiving a failure occurrence signal from the communication unit of the control unit.

[0019] Further, according to the surface-emitting road traffic signal system with a voice guidance function and a failure notification function of the present invention, the integrated control center is characterized by including a failure notification unit that transmits the location information of the surface-emitting road traffic signal where a failure has occurred to the smart device of the administrator when receiving a failure occurrence signal from the communication unit of the control unit.

[0020] Further, according to the surface-emitting road traffic signal system with the voice guidance function and the failure notification function of the present invention, the road traffic signal is formed by being divided into a plurality of parts, and each of the divided road traffic signals is provided with a failure detection unit.

[0021] Further, according to the surface-emitting road traffic signal system with the voice guidance function and the failure notification function of the present invention, the road traffic signals are each formed by being divided into a length of 30 to 40 cm, and the divided road traffic signals are connected in parallel.

Effect of the Invention

[0022] The surface-emitting road traffic signal system with the voice guidance function and the failure notification function of the present invention includes a road traffic signal and an acoustic generator, and it is of course possible for pedestrians facing downward or visually impaired pedestrians to safely cross the crosswalk. When a failure occurs in the traffic signal or the road traffic signal, by notifying the integrated control center or the administrator's smart device of the fact, there is an effect of quickly taking countermeasures and smoothly maintaining the traffic on the crosswalk.

[0023] Further, according to the surface-emitting road traffic signal system with the voice guidance function and the failure notification function of the present invention, the integrated control center or the smart device is provided with an alarm sound generation unit, and when a failure occurs in the traffic signal or the road traffic signal of the smart traffic signal system, there is an effect of quickly recognizing the fact and enabling a response.

[0024] Further, according to the surface-emitting road traffic signal system with the voice guidance function and the failure notification function of the present invention, the integrated control center is provided with a failure notification unit, and when a failure occurs in the traffic signal or the road traffic signal of the smart traffic signal system, by quickly notifying the administrator's smart device of the fact, there is an effect of enabling early response.

[0025] In addition, according to the surface-emitting road traffic signal system equipped with the voice guidance function and the failure notification function of the present invention, the road traffic signals are divided into a plurality of units and connected in parallel, and each road traffic signal is equipped with a failure detection unit. Therefore, even when a failure occurs only in a part rather than the entire road traffic signal, it is of course possible to cope with this situation. Even when a failure occurs in a part of the road traffic signal, the remaining road traffic signals can be used to guide the traffic signal to the pedestrians looking downwards and enable them to safely cross the crosswalk.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0026]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0027] Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings, a surface-emitting road traffic signal system equipped with the voice guidance function and the failure notification function of the present invention will be described as follows.

[0028] The terms used in the present invention are terms defined in consideration of the functions in the present invention, and since these may vary depending on the intentions or customs of users and operators, the definitions of these terms must be interpreted according to the meanings and concepts consistent with the technical matters of the present invention.

[0029] Meanwhile, the embodiments of the present invention do not limit the scope of the present invention. Instead, they are merely exemplary matters of the components presented in the claims of the present invention and are included in the technical idea throughout the specification of the present invention. The embodiments include components that can be substituted as equivalents from the components of the claims.

[0030] And, the selective terms in the following embodiments are used to distinguish one component from another, and the components are not limited by the terms.

[0031] Therefore, in describing the present invention, a detailed description of related known technologies that may unnecessarily obscure the gist of the present invention is omitted.

[0032] For explaining a preferred embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram illustrating a surface-emitting road signal lamp system having an audio guidance function and a failure notification function according to the present invention; FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of the surface-emitting road signal lamp system having an audio guidance function and a failure notification function according to the present invention; FIG. 3 is a block diagram representing an integrated control center of the surface-emitting road signal lamp system having an audio guidance function and a failure notification function according to the present invention; and FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram of a road signal lamp and a control unit in the surface-emitting road signal lamp system having an audio guidance function and a failure notification function according to the present invention.

[0033] The surface-emitting road signal lamp system having an audio guidance function and a failure notification function according to the present invention is configured to include a signal lamp (10), a road signal lamp (20), an acoustic generating device (30), a control unit (40), and an integrated control center (100), as illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 4.

[0034] The traffic signal (10) is installed on signal posts (11) vertically installed at both ends in the transverse direction of the crosswalk (50), and is composed of at least a red light and a green light. And, after the green light is lit, it is configured to change to a flashing signal after a certain period of time has elapsed, and may further include a remaining time display unit that represents the remaining time until the red light is lit. Also, the traffic signal (10) is equipped with a failure detection unit (15) for checking the presence or absence of a failure through the presence or absence of lighting of the red light or the green light.

[0035] The road surface traffic signal (20) is installed on the road surface at both ends in the transverse direction of the crosswalk (50), and operates in conjunction with the traffic signal (10). At this time, the road surface traffic signal (20) is also equipped with a failure detection unit (25) for detecting the presence or absence of a failure.

[0036] And, as shown in FIG. 4, the road surface traffic signal (20) is preferably divided into a plurality of unit traffic signals having a length of 30 to 40 cm corresponding to the width of the crosswalk (50) and connected in parallel. At this time, each of the divided road surface traffic signals (20-1, 20-2, 20-3, 20-4) is equipped with a failure detection unit (25-1, 25-2, 25-3, 25-4), and it is more preferable that each failure detection unit (25-1, 25-2, 25-3, 25-4) operates independently.

[0037] Thereby, even when a failure occurs only in a part of the road surface traffic signal (20) rather than the entire road surface traffic signal (20), it is of course possible to take measures. Also, even when a failure occurs in a part of the road surface traffic signal (20), the remaining road surface traffic signal (20) can be used to guide the pedestrians looking down with traffic signals and allow them to safely cross the crosswalk.

[0038] The acoustic generator (30) is installed on the signal pole (11) and conducts crosswalk guidance broadcasts when the green light of the traffic signal (10) is on. It is preferable to install a guide that outputs sound only in a certain direction to form a directional speaker. And the acoustic generator (30) is provided on a bollard or a signal pole installed in a specific area in front of the level crossing, operates according to the signal of a sensor that detects an object, and outputs specific instructions such as "Get back", "Walk while paying attention to the left and right", "Cross quickly", "Use the next signal" etc. to the object by sound.

[0039] As shown in FIG. 2, the control unit (40) controls the operation of the traffic signal (10), the road surface signal lamp (20), and the acoustic generator (30), and is provided with a communication unit (45) that transmits a failure occurrence signal together with location information to the integrated control center (100) according to the signals of the failure detection units (15) and (25) respectively provided on the traffic signal (10) or the road surface signal lamp (20).

[0040] The integrated control center (100) integrates and manages a number of smart traffic signal systems. As shown in FIG. 3, it includes a display (110) on which a map showing the smart traffic signal systems in each area is presented, a receiving unit (120) that receives the failure occurrence signals transmitted from the communication unit (45) provided in the control unit (40) of each smart traffic signal system, an alarm generation unit (130) that issues an alarm when a failure occurrence signal from the communication unit (45) provided in the control unit (40) of each smart traffic signal system is received, a failure notification unit (140) that transmits the location information of the road surface signal lamp (20) where the failure has occurred to the administrator when a failure occurrence signal from the communication unit (45) provided in the control unit (40) of each smart traffic signal system is received, and a main control unit (150) that controls these.

[0041] The surface-emitting road traffic signal system with the voice guidance function and the failure notification function of the present invention configured as described above is equipped with all of the road traffic signals and the sound generating devices, enabling pedestrians looking down or pedestrians with hearing impairments to safely cross the crosswalk. When a failure occurs in the traffic signal or the surface-emitting road traffic signal, the fact can be notified to the integrated control center or the smart device of the administrator, allowing for prompt response.

[0042] As described above, when a failure occurs in the traffic signal or the surface-emitting road traffic signal, it has been explained that a fixed signal is transmitted to the smart device of the administrator via the integrated control center. However, when a failure occurs in the traffic signal or the surface-emitting road traffic signal, it is also possible to directly transmit a failure occurrence signal to the smart device of the administrator without going through the integrated control center, enabling prompt response measures to be taken.

[0043] As described above, the present invention has been explained, but this is for explaining the invention. Those with ordinary knowledge in the technical field to which the present invention pertains will understand that various modifications or equivalent embodiments are possible from the detailed description of the invention. Therefore, the true scope of the rights of the present invention should be determined by the technical idea of the claims.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0044] 10... Traffic signal 11... Signal post 15... Failure detection unit 20(20-1, 20-2, 20-3, 20-4)... Surface-emitting road traffic signal 25(25-1, 25-2, 25-3, 25-4)... Failure detection unit 30... Sound generating device 40... Control unit 45... Communication unit 50... Crosswalk 100... Integrated control center 110... Display 120... Receiver 130... Alarm generation unit 140... Failure notification unit 150... Main control unit

Claims

[Claim 1] A traffic light (10) including a red light and a green light, the traffic light being provided on a signal pole (11) installed vertically at each end of the crosswalk (50); a road signal light (20) installed on the road surface at both ends of the crosswalk (50) in the crossing direction and operated in conjunction with the traffic light (10); a sound generating device (30) installed on the signal pole (11) for making a crossing announcement when the green light is on; and a control unit (40) for controlling the operation of the traffic light (10), the road signal light (20), and the sound generating device (30); The surface light-emitting road signal light system with a voice guidance function and a fault notification function includes a fault detection unit (15, 25) provided in the traffic light (10) and the road signal light (20) to detect the presence or absence of a fault in the traffic light (10) or the road signal light (20), and a communication unit (45) provided in the control unit (40) for transmitting a fault occurrence signal together with location information to an integrated control center (100) or a manager's smart device in response to a signal from the fault detection unit (15, 25).

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