Self scheduling flow system with readout as infrastructure

• US 20100117861A1
• Filed: 10/27/2009
• Published: 05/13/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: James J. Free
• Original Assignee: James J. Free
• Inventors: Free, James J.
• Granted Patent: US 10,438,483 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/929
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0104 Measuring and analyzing of parameters relative to traffic conditions
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/07 Controlling traffic signals

Abstract

An invention regarding traffic flow management “Fast Lane On Warning” (FLOW) is disclosed whereby individual vehicles are informed and told what speed to go in order to pass through a traffic signal while the light is green. A FLOW (“fast lane on warning”) director sequencer works in conjunction with a traffic signal sequencer (commonly known in the art), both of which have the same service cycle period Pi. The (RGY) type phases and FLOW readout phases are set for each unique particular intersection. While the traffic sequencer controls repeating RGY cycles, the flow director sequencer instructs, generates, transmits repeating cycles of changeable readouts on one or more roadside unit (RSU) emplacements positioned up the road from the traffic signal for one or more lanes in one or more directions. These changing speed assignments or readouts, individually perceived by motorists, guide in motorists such that by the time they pass through the intersection, they will do so while the traffic signal is green, regardless of any random pattern of traffic individual motorists may have been in as they approached the emplacements.

Claims

1. A traffic management system including a FLOW (Fast Lane On Warning) sequencer means operatively connected in conjunction with a traffic signal and sequencer said signal that controls an intersection,

wherein said signal has a service cycle that is the sum of all its phases, including for example, Red+Green+Yellow=service cycle, (RGY), Pi, and with potential of including other phases including left turn, green arrow, walk,

and wherein said FLOW sequencer also runs through repeating service cycle, Pi, that is the same as that of said traffic signal,

wherein there is one or more lanes in the road leading up to said intersection (run up) in one or more directions that are covered by FLOW sequences,

wherein said FLOW sequences are generated by the FLOW sequencer means and outputted as readouts in one or more emplacement/output means whose position includes being along the side of, or above road as “

roadside units”

(RSU) for each said FLOW lane, or trap, said emplacement output means being operatively connected to said FLOW sequencer means,

wherein said FLOW readouts are perceived by individual motorists in said FLOW lanes, traps, so that motorists know which speed to go in order to make it through the light while it is green,

wherein as a whole, traffic that was previously in a random string before encountering any FLOW readouts or speed assignments is compressed from a length of the product of the service cycle and the speed limit to a substantially shorter length that is the FLOW pattern or “

platoon”

, that is full of traffic that proceeds through the intersection while the signal is open, or in green phase,

wherein multiple lanes (FLOW lanes) which are given FLOW sequences running in the opposing (perpendicular) directions, can include the possibility of moving FLOW patterns taking turns going through their respective green phases,

wherein an example would include North-South versus East-West,

wherein if there is FLOW activity governing said opposing perpendicular directions, said opposing directional traffic can take turns going through same intersection at reasonably high velocities without having to come to a stop,

wherein vehicles remain in somewhat the highest reasonable energy levels wherein increased mobility can be gained, and fuel consumption rate (and therefore emissions) can be reduced as a product of the infrastructure.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the connection means form sequencer to said readout means includes possibilities of cable means or wireless means

3. The system of claim #1 that follows reasonable parameters expected for the safety and mobility that that allow traffic to get through an open phase of said signal.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein there is essentially a starting, arrival time function Pa associated with arriving into area where traffic is managed, coordinated with and appropriately offset from said start of traffic signal RGY service cycle Pi,

wherein Pi of the traffic signal and Pi of the FLOW sequencer means are starting at different times depending on the nature of the installation of said sequencer means,

wherein there is a start or an arrival function that is between zero and said service cycle of traffic signal such that Pi>

Pa>

0,

wherein said arrival function counts down from the service cycle period to zero, than starts at the service cycle again, wherein said arrival function repeats itself just like RGY and with the same period Pi.

5. The system of claim 3 wherein said parameters include:

the non exceeding of speed limit (regardless weather it is the actual safe limit, or weather it includes additional safety velocity buffer of further reduced speed) during any kind of compression or consolidation, converging assignments,

to the highest extent possible (i.e. to within the limitations of resolution), the discouragement of crossing of speed assignments wherein compression per unit time occurs on a previously random string of traffic, said string occurring in pre-road run-up, pre-FLOW compressions, pre trap, and wherein vehicles by virtue of assignments are not overtaking one another, approaching one another or the like, in the compression, consolidation period while said speed assignments are converging,

the informing, compressing, consolidating of vehicles in a FLOW zone or trap, within substantially the same proportionate level they were in within the hierarchy as they were before compression in the random continuous strand of traffic, for example, vehicles arriving in the beginning in a random section will be at the beginning of a finally compressed, consolidated FLOW pattern;

vehicles arriving at the middle of said random pattern before FLOW will be in the middle of the FLOW Pattern or “

platoon”

as it goes through the intersection;

those at end of a random string of traffic before FLOW compression, will be at the end of said FLOW Pattern;

a vehicle at the first 20% of said random traffic string will be substantially at 20% into said FLOW Pattern;

same for a vehicle 67% into the random string as well as substantially 67% into ending FLOW and where all other proportions are substantially preserved between said random pattern and said finishing compressed FLOW pattern near said net green.

6. The system of claim 3 that includes possibility forward and/or rear safety buffer time zones established in front of and in back of FLOW pattern wherein front zones allow for wayward traffic before said FLOW pattern include wayward late followers from previous FLOW pattern, waiting traffic to clear out and earlier arrivals, and said following buffer accounts for stragglers of the FLOW zone, as well as those vehicles who might turn onto the trap during a FLOW compression wherein FLOW compression and consolidation will be safer with said forward and afterward buffers,

wherein said buffers that precede and follow FLOW pattern all summate to the green phase at the place of the intersection, and at the time of the green, so that the sum of each buffer and a “

net”

green Tng, add up to the green phase while said FLOW pattern is going through the intersection,

wherein said net greens and before and after buffers can apply to other appropriate sub phases including left turn, green arrow, four-way-plus systems,

wherein since vehicles of a FLOW pattern have to follow one another, that these buffer times and lengths;

“

space times”

including each vehicle position plus its following distance in the hierarchy progress through the green phase in a “

fed-in”

or “

aggregate”

condition.

7. The system of claim 4 where there is an essentially node, or threshold that is defined on the closer side to said traffic signal/intersection as where compression is taking place, wherein converging speed assignments begin,

and that is defined on the side of the node, threshold farther from said signal/intersection as the region before compression and speed assignments begin,

where:

A. the node could be like a reference point given by X where speed limit and substantially half speed limit (although allowing for variation of yellow, pedestrian, green arrow, left turn or the like adjusting it away from exactly half, thus making net green smaller) would coincide,

B. or X=Pi*speed limit

C. or X=(Pi/(1/slow speed−

1/fast speed))

D. or given by a place where Pi and (2*Pi/2) coincide,

E. or any combinations of A through D.

8. The system of claim 4 wherein the following relationship substantially dictates activity within the FLOW zone:

$\mathrm{Vsa}=\frac{X}{\left(\mathrm{Pi}-P<br><br><br><br>a\right)+P<br><br><br><br>i+\mathrm{pgS}-\left[1-\frac{\left(\mathrm{Pi}-P<br><br><br><br>a\right)}{\mathrm{Pi}}\right]<br><br>\mathrm{Tng}}$

where;

Vsa=speed assignment

X=distance to interscecton

Pa=arrival point in time that vehicle enters trap

Pi=service cycle period of intersection

pgS=pre green safety time buffer period

Tng=net green period where compressed FLOW traffic is intended to go through.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein there can also be a following safety buffer time zone wherein it is created by further shrinking Tng

wherein safety following buffer time is created by Tsf=G−

pgs−

Tng, where Tsf is period of safe following such that G>

>

Tsf.

10. The system if claim 8 wherein said Tng can be made smaller and smaller until Tng turns to zero, then the wherein the term

${}^{″}$



- [ 1 - ( Pi - P 



a ) Pi ] 

Tng ″

drops out and the zone of Tng becomes a point,

wherein placement of said point can be determined by how big the setting is for pgS, pre green safety time buffer period,

wherein said target point, as well as small Tng space time can serve to clarify readouts to gain resolution and discourage low resolution assignments causing vehicles to miss said green phase.

11. The system of claim 8 wherein there can be multiple nodes,

wherein X and Pi are multiplied by the same factor “

n”

wherein;

$\mathrm{Vsa}=\frac{\left(n\right)<br><br>X}{\left(\mathrm{Pi}-P<br><br><br><br>a\right)+\left(n\right)<br><br>\mathrm{Pi}+\mathrm{pgS}-\left[1-\frac{\left(\mathrm{Pi}-P<br><br><br><br>a\right)}{\mathrm{Pi}}\right]<br><br>\mathrm{Tng}}$

wherein said multiple nodes can be further up said roadway,

wherein there can be a possibility that said multiple nodes are multiple numbers of the first node (1)X, and can be expressed as (2)X, (3)X, (4)X, (5)X and so on.

12. The system of claim #1 wherein said FLOW sequencer means shares the possibility of being integrated with said traffic signal,

wherein there is also the possibility that said FLOW sequencer means comes as a substantially autonomous unit,

wherein said autonomous version can include its own timing means,

with the possibility of said autonomous FLOW sequencer being piggy backed to an existing traffic sequencer in parasite condition,

wherein there is the possibility of said autonomous FLOW sequencer means running on its own Pi and taking often or occasional corrections, updates, calibrations from said RGY sequencer,

wherein FLOW systems can be added to existing infrastructure instead of having to replace it.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein there are multiple readout means or output devices, emplacements on the same FLOW lane or trap.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein there can be mathematical enhancements or manually programmed inputs applied to empty spaces, voids, or places and times where there are not normally any FLOW outputs,

wherein those vehicles within those normally non-speed-assigned times and places can be provided for, and still have opportunity to gain access to FLOW pattern,

wherein vehicles in normally non-assigned times and places can still be directed to a FLOW pattern and make it through the green light without having to stop,

wherein said vehicles will not be given assignments to cause said vehicles to exceed the speed limit,

wherein said vehicles will not be given cross assignments, or assignments that would cause said vehicles to pass one another as best to the limitations of resolution,

wherein as best as possible that mathematical enhancements assigning traffic into said time (space) buffers (of claim 6), will do so on a basis that is proportional to their position at first encounter.

15. The system of claim 8 wherein said relationship can apply to multiple Tng within the same Pi, with examples including net green for going straight, a different net green (net green arrow) for left turn, for right turn.

16. The system of claim 1 wherein said FLOW sequencer means can respond to automatic or manual inputs.

17. The system of claim 1 as it applies to appropriate allied traffic management applications including intersections with vehicles on tracks, busses, trams, trollies, marine, bicycle, walking, pedestrian.

18. The system of claim 1 wherein RSU;

emplacement;

output means;

readout means includes possibility for being changeable sign means.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein said changeable sign means includes possibility of being a sign including two digits alphanumeric that change as FLOW readouts go through their cycles.

wherein said changeable sign means can easily be seen and distinguished by passing motorist.

20. The changeable sign means of claim 18 wherein readout means includes graphics, colors, semaphores,

wherein said readout means may be easier to interpret and understand.

21. The sign means of claim 18 wherein said changeable sign means is interactive.

22. The interactive changing sign means of claim 21 that includes possibility for output of assigned speed compared to actual speed that vehicle is going,

and wherein in vehicle'"'"'s speedometer is imprecise or malfunctioning, said vehicle can still attain optimal proportional position in FLOW pattern hierarchy.

23. The system of claim 1 wherein emplacement means, FLOW sequencer means, changing output means can be integrated with larger systems including regionally coordinated traffic systems, centrally controlled traffic networks, coordinated traffic networks, green waves traffic networks, autonomous traffic networks, multiple signal controlled and autonomous systems and networks,

wherein said larger systems can be more clearly defined and with better moving-traffic-green-time utilized as well as better output for motorist to understand.