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US 11,605,291 B2Granted
Stop sign with traffic control features
OwnerMark Lamonchainventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Systems and methods for providing traffic signals to drivers of vehicles include vehicle-based systems which visually or audibly provide wait and proceed messages to drivers. A command center electronically receives arrival times recorded by time keeping devices of stop signs at an intersection upon arrival of the vehicles as determined by vehicle detection devices. Identifiers for the arriving vehicles are received and associated with the arrival times. A command is transmitted to set the traffic signaling device of the stop sign associated with an earliest arrival time to proceed, and if the earliest arrival time is associated with an identifier, to provide the proceed message at the vehicle-based systems associated the identifier.
Claims21
A system for providing traffic signals to drivers of vehicles, said system comprising:
- vehicle-based systems, each associated with a respective identifier, located at a respective one of the vehicles, and configured to selectively provide a wait message and a proceed message to a respective one of the drivers of the respective one of the vehicles;
- stop signs, each associated with an intersection and comprising:
- a vehicle detection device having a respective signaling range and configured to detect any of the vehicles within the respective signaling range and receive any of the identifiers from any of the vehicles within the respective signaling range and comprising one of the vehicle-based systems;
- a traffic signaling device configured to signal the respective one of the drivers of the respective one of the vehicles at a respective one of the stop signs to proceed or wait;
- a time keeping device configured to record arrival times of the vehicles detected by the vehicle detection device;
- and
- a command center configured to:
- electronically receive the recorded arrival times from the stop signs;
- electronically receive the identifiers associated with the arrival times;
- determine which of the received arrival time is earliest;
- command a given one of the stop signs associated with the earliest of the received arrival times to signal proceed at the traffic signaling device;
- and
- if the earliest of the received arrival times is associated with one of the identifiers, command the vehicle-based system of the vehicle associated with the earliest of the received arrival times to provide the proceed message.
10 more elements
A method for providing traffic signals to drivers of vehicles, said method comprising:
- electronically receiving arrival times upon arrival of vehicles at stop signs associated with an intersection;
- electronically receive identifiers for at least some of said arriving vehicles, wherein each of said electronically received identifiers is associated with one of the electronically received arrival times;
- determine an earliest one of said electronically received arrival times;
- and
- command a traffic signaling device associated with one of the stop signs associated with the earliest one of the electronically received arrival times and a vehicle-based system associated with one of the vehicles associated with the identifier associated with the earliest one of the electronically received arrival times to provide a proceed signal;
- wherein said arrival of said vehicles is detected by vehicle detection devices, each located at one of said stop signs, and said identifiers are received at said vehicle detection devices at said stop signs.
3 more elements
A system for providing traffic signals to drivers of vehicles, said system comprising:
- a number of vehicle-based systems, each located at one of a subset of the vehicles and comprising a driver alert system configured to visually or audibly provide wait and proceed messages to a respective one of the drivers of a respective one of the number of vehicles;
- a number of stop signs, each associated with an intersection and comprising:
- a vehicle detection device configured to detect any of the number vehicles within a signaling range of the vehicle detection device by receipt of wireless electronic communication signal from such vehicles in the subset with the signaling range of the vehicle detection device, the received wireless electronic communication signals comprising identifiers;
- a traffic signaling device configured to signal the drivers of the vehicles at the stop sign to proceed or wait;
- a time keeping device;
- a network communication device;
- and
- a controller in electronic communication with the vehicle detection device, the traffic signaling device, the time keeping device, and the network communication device, wherein said controller is configured to:
- receive an indication from the vehicle detection device that a given one of the number of vehicles has arrived at the stop sign;
- record an arrival time for the given vehicle;
- record any identifier received for the given vehicle in association with the received arrival time;
- and
- electronically transmit the recorded arrival time and any recorded identifier to a command center;
- a controller located at the command center in electronic communication with the controllers of each of the number of stop signs by way of a network communication device at the command center and the network communication devices at each of the stop signs, and controller configured to:
- electronically receive the recorded arrival times;
- electronically receive any recorded identifiers associated with said received recorded arrival times;
- order the recorded arrival times chronologically;
- transmit a command to a given one of the stop signs associated with the earliest of the recorded arrival times to set the traffic signaling device associated with the given one of the stop signs to proceed;
- and
- if the earliest of the recorded arrival times is associated with a given one of the recorded identifiers, transmit a command to the driver alert system associated with a given one of the number of vehicles in the subset associated with the given one of the recorded identifiers to signal proceed at the driver alert system associated with the given one of the number of vehicles.
17 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.