Wireless Pedestrian Button Using Receiver Angle Codes
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing pedestrian crosswalk signal systems rely on compasses for orientation, which can be inaccurate due to external factors like magnetism, and do not allow activation from a distance, making them unreliable for visually and hearing-impaired users.
Innovation Solution
An advanced wireless push button system that uses location information from receivers and a mobile app to enable pedestrian signal activation and navigation without relying on compasses, utilizing Bluetooth Low Energy protocols and mobile devices for user interface and navigation guidance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a compass is used in the wireless push button to determine orientation, then the device can identify crosswalk direction, but the measurement accuracy deteriorates due to external magnetic factors
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the compass component from the wireless push button device entirely. Instead of using a compass to determine orientation, the system extracts the orientation determination function to the receiver infrastructure. The receiver, which has a fixed known location and orientation, calculates the pedestrian's direction based on signal reception, thereby eliminating the need for an inaccurate compass in the portable device.
Solution Approach 2:
The receiver acts as an intermediary between the push button and the orientation determination process. Rather than the push button directly measuring its own orientation with a compass, the receiver mediates the process by using its fixed position and signal reception data to calculate the crosswalk direction, providing more accurate orientation information.
2Reliability
If the push button is placed close to the crosswalk for reliable signal activation, then activation reliability improves, but accessibility deteriorates for users who need to activate from a distance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a virtual push button through a mobile application that replicates the functionality of the physical push button. Users can activate the pedestrian signal from a distance using the mobile device's interface, which transmits the activation request wirelessly to the receiver. This copying approach allows users to initiate the crossing request before physically reaching the crosswalk.
Solution Approach 2:
The system combines both physical and virtual push button interfaces, making the system universally accessible to different user preferences and abilities. The mobile application provides additional functionality for distance activation while the physical button remains available for traditional use, creating a multi-functional activation system.
3Adaptability or versatility
If visually and hearing impaired users are provided with multiple alert types, then accessibility improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The mobile application serves as a universal interface that provides multiple alert modalities (visual through the screen, auditory through the speaker, and haptic through vibration) within a single integrated system. This multi-functional approach allows the same device to serve users with different sensory impairments without requiring separate specialized devices.
Solution Approach 2:
The mobile device's existing sensors and output mechanisms (accelerometer, gyroscope, speaker, vibration motor, display) are utilized to provide accessibility features. The system leverages the mobile device's inherent capabilities to deliver customized alert types based on user needs, reducing the need for additional specialized components in the push button system.
Data Source
AI summary
A system for registering pedestrian signal requests comprising receivers configured to broadcast wireless messages, wherein a first field of a first receiver location information message is occupied by a first receiver angle code defined for a first receiver corresponding to a first crosswalk of a traffic intersection and a second field of the first receiver advertisement packet is occupied by a first special code corresponding to the first receiver. An advanced wireless push button is configured to enable a first button to identify any wireless message to be the first receiver message if the first receiver angle code is found in the first field. On activation of the first button the advanced wireless push button transmits the first receiver angle code and, on receipt of the first receiver angle code, first receiver registers a request for a pedestrian signal for the first crosswalk if a walk signal is found off.