TRAFFIC LIGHT ASSEMBLY

• US 20100315264A1
• Filed: 06/15/2009
• Published: 12/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: John H. Tarolli
• Original Assignee: John H. Tarolli
• Inventors: TAROLLI, JOHN H.
• Application Number:
  US12/485,008
• Publication Number:
  US 20100315264A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/907
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/095 Traffic lights
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096 provided with indicators in which a mark progresses showing the time elapsed, e.g. of green phase

Abstract

The present invention generally comprises a traffic light assembly comprising a housing; at least one circular display screen disposed on a side of the casing; wherein the circular display screen has a central display region disposed in the center of the circular display, a circumferential display region disposed at a rim of the circular display surrounding the central display region; wherein the central display region displays at least one color selected from the group consisting of red, green, yellow, black, and white; wherein the circumferential display region displays at least one color selected from the group consisting of red, green, yellow, black, and white; and wherein the circumferential display region displays at least one color that is different from a color displayed by the central display region.

Claims

1. A traffic light assembly comprising:

a housing;

at least one circular display screen disposed on a side of the casing;

wherein the circular display screen has a central display region disposed in the center of the circular display, a circumferential display region disposed at a rim of the circular display surrounding the central display region;

wherein the central display region displays at least one color selected from the group consisting of red, green, yellow, black, and white;

wherein the circumferential display region displays at least one color selected from the group consisting of red, green, yellow, black, and white; and

wherein the circumferential display region displays at least one color that is different from a color displayed by the central display region.

2. The traffic light assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein the circumferential display region displays alternating bands of a plurality of black color sections and a plurality of non-black color sections.

3. The traffic light assembly as recited in claim 2, wherein the non-black color is yellow, and wherein the central display region displays the yellow color.

4. The traffic light assembly as recited in claim 2, wherein the central display region further displays an arrow or a numeric number in a color that is different from a color of the central display region.

5. The traffic light assembly as recited in claim 4, wherein the central display region blinks, and the traffic light assembly further comprises a microprocessor coupled to the at least one circular display screen to control the blinking.

6. The traffic light assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein the circumferential display region displays a solid continuous red color band, and the central display region displays the red color, and a solid black band is disposed between the circumferential display region and the central display region.

7. The traffic light assembly as recited in claim 6, wherein the central display region further displays an arrow or a numeric number in a color that is different from red.

8. The traffic light assembly as recited in claim 6, wherein the central display region blinks by alternating a display of red color and a display of white color.

9. The traffic light assembly as recited in claim 7, further comprising:

a microprocessor coupled to the circular display screen and performs a countdown, the countdown is expressed by displaying the numeric numbers in decreasing order;

wherein at the end of the countdown the central display region displays the green color as opposed to the red color; and

wherein at the end of the countdown the circumferential display region displays a black color as opposed to the red color.

10. A traffic light assembly comprising:

a housing;

the assembly has at least three circular display screens, each of the at least three circular display screens has a central display region and a circumferential display region;

wherein the at least three circular display screen include a first screen, a second screen, and a third screen;

wherein the first screen has a circumferential display region that displays a continuous solid black band, and has a central display region that displays a non-black color;

wherein the second screen has a circumferential display region that displays a band of black and non-black colors consecutively arranged in alternating order;

wherein the first screen has a circumferential display region that displays a band of continuous solid non-black color, and a central display region that display a same color as the circumferential display region, and further having a solid black band disposed between the central display region and the circumferential display region; and

wherein the non-black color is at least one selected from the group consisting of green, yellow, red, and white.

11. The traffic light assembly as recited in claim 10 further comprising:

a receiver to receive a signal transmitted from an emergency vehicle;

a microprocessor to process the signal, and, upon receiving the signal, to change the traffic light to display a red light status.

12. The traffic light assembly as recited in claim 10 further comprising:

a signal transmitter to transmit information regarding a light color status of the traffic light, the light color status includes the red light status, a green light status, and a yellow light status;

a vehicle unit to receive said information and alert a driver of the vehicle of the light color status.

13. The traffic light assembly as recited in claim 10 further comprising a camera coupled to the housing.

14. The traffic light assembly as recited in claim 10, wherein the screen is one selected from a group consisting of a plasma screen, a LCD screen, a TFT screen, a TFD screen, an OLED screen, a LED screen, and a STN screen.

15. A method of light signal system, the system comprising:

using a light signal apparatus having at least one circular display screen, wherein each of the at least one display screen has a central display region surrounded by a circumferential display region, wherein the central display region is capable of displaying a color different from a color of the circumferential display region; and

providing a plurality of distinctive pattern combinations, each combination designating a light signal status selected from the group consisting of a red signal status, a yellow signal status, and a green signal status.

16. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein one of the pattern combinations is comprised of displaying a first color in the central display region, and concurrently displaying a continuous solid band of second color in the circumferential display region, wherein the first color has a different color from the second color.

17. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein one of the pattern combinations is comprised of displaying a first color in the central display region, and concurrently displaying a band of punctuated black color sections in the circumferential display region.

18. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein one of the pattern combinations is comprised of displaying a first color in the central display region, and concurrently displaying a band of continuous solid first color in the circumferential display region, and wherein a solid continuous black color band is disposed between the central display region and the circumferential display region.

19. The method as recited in claim 17, further comprising the step of making the central display region blink.

20. The method as recited in claim 17, further comprising the step of displaying an arrow or a numeric number in the central display region.