Traffic signal system with countdown signaling and with advertising and/or news message

• US 20070257817A1
• Filed: 05/08/2006
• Published: 11/08/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: iVoice, Inc.
• Original Assignee: iVoice, Inc.
• Inventors: Mahoney, Jerome
• Application Number:
  US11/429,863
• Publication Number:
  US 20070257817A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/929
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096 provided with indicators in which a mark progresses showing the time elapsed, e.g. of green phase
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 19/22 Advertising or display means on roads, walls or similar surfaces, e.g. illuminated
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 9/30 in which the desired character or characters are formed by combining individual elements panels comprising a number of electrodes in a single cell controlling light arriving from an independent light source, e.g. electro-optical or magneto-optical cell, G02F1/00

Abstract

A traffic signal includes, minimally, at least one traffic signal located at a motor vehicle crossing that includes (i) a traffic signal light that includes at least a red light; (ii) a countdown display that visually indicates relative or actual time remaining before a signal change is to occur; and (iii) a message display for presenting messages in a changing fashion to present messages that are not countdown information. The traffic light control is connected to the traffic signal and includes (i) a control for turning the red light off and on in accordance with preset criteria; (ii) a countdown control connected with the light control and connected to the countdown display, and set to present time remaining before a signal change is to occur; and (iii) a message control connected to the message display to control the presentation of the messages.

Claims

1. A traffic signal system with countdown signaling and with message, comprising:

a) at least one traffic signal located at a motor vehicle crossing including;

(i) a traffic signal light that includes at least a red light;

(ii) a countdown display that visually indicates relative or actual time remaining before a signal change is to occur;

(iii) a message display for presenting messages in a changing fashion to present messages that are not countdown information;

b.) a control means connected to said traffic signal including;

(i) light control means for turning said red light off and on in accordance with preset criteria;

(ii) countdown control means connected with said light control means and connected to said countdown display, and set to present time remaining before a signal change is to occur;

c.) a message control means connected to said message display to send and control the presentation of said messages.

2. The traffic signal system with countdown signaling and with message according to claim 1, wherein said messages on said message display are selected from the group consisting of graphic images, words and combinations thereof.

3. The traffic signal system with countdown signaling and with message according to claim 1, wherein said messages are streaming words.

4. The traffic signal system with countdown signaling and with message according to claim 1, wherein said messages are presented in sequential groups of messages or sequential portions of messages.

5. The traffic signal system with countdown signaling and with message according to claim 1, wherein said messages are selected from the group consisting of entertainment messages, news messages, information messages, public information and announcement messages, advertising and combinations thereof.

6. The traffic signal system with countdown signaling and with message according to claim 1, wherein said messages are transmitted display of motion presentation with closed caption.

7. The traffic signal system with countdown signaling and with message according to claim 6, wherein said motion presentation is a closed caption presentation selected from the group consisting of video, computer generated motion presentation and television.

8. The traffic signal system with countdown signaling and with message according to claim 1, wherein said countdown display is selected from the group consisting of a symbolic representation of relative time remaining, a numerical presentation of actual time remaining and a combination thereof.

9. The traffic signal system with countdown signaling and with message according to claim 1, wherein said traffic signal light includes at least a red light and a green light and the countdown display functions when the green light is lit and the message display functions when the red light is lit.

10. The traffic signal system with countdown signaling and with message according to claim 1, wherein said message display control means includes a government override feature for public emergency messages to supercede normal message display.

11. A traffic signal system with countdown signaling and with message, comprising:

a.) at least one traffic signal located at a motor vehicle crossing including;

(iv) a traffic signal light that includes at least a red light;

(v) a countdown display that visually indicates relative or actual time remaining before a signal change is to occur;

(vi) a message display for presenting messages in a changing fashion to present messages that are not countdown information;

b.) a control means connected to said traffic signal including;

(iii) light control means for turning said red light off and on in accordance with preset criteria;

(iv) countdown control means connected with said light control means and connected to said countdown display, and set to present time remaining before a signal change is to occur;

c.) a message control means wirelessly connected to said message display to control and transmit the presentation of said messages wirelessly.

12. The traffic signal system with countdown signaling and with message according to claim 11, wherein said messages on said message display are selected from the group consisting of graphic images, words and combinations thereof.

13. The traffic signal system with countdown signaling and with message according to claim 11, wherein said messages are streaming words.

14. The traffic signal system with countdown signaling and with message according to claim 11, wherein said messages are presented in sequential groups of messages or sequential portions of messages.

15. The traffic signal system with countdown signaling and with message according to claim 11, wherein said messages are selected from the group consisting of entertainment messages, news messages, information messages, public information and announcement messages, advertising and combinations thereof.

16. The traffic signal system with countdown signaling and with message according to claim 11, wherein said messages are transmitted display of motion presentation with closed caption.

17. The traffic signal system with countdown signaling and with message according to claim 16, wherein said motion presentation is a closed caption presentation selected from the group consisting of video, computer generated motion presentation and television.

18. The traffic signal system with countdown signaling and with message according to claim 11, wherein said countdown display is selected from the group consisting of a symbolic representation of relative time remaining, a numerical presentation of actual time remaining and a combination thereof.

19. The traffic signal system with countdown signaling and with message according to claim 11, wherein said traffic signal light includes at least a red light and a green light and the countdown display functions when the green light is lit and the message display functions when the red light is lit.

20. The traffic signal system with countdown signaling and with message according to claim 11, wherein said message display control means includes a government override feature for public emergency messages to supercede normal message display.