TRAFFIC SIGNAL PREEMPTION SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20120188099A1
• Filed: 05/17/2011
• Published: 07/26/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: LEE, HOU-HSIEN, LEE, CHANG-JUNG, LO, CHIH-PING
• Application Number:
  US13/109,049
• Publication Number:
  US 20120188099A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/906
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/087 Override of traffic control, e.g. by signal transmitted by an emergency vehicle

Abstract

A traffic signal preemption system includes a positioning unit, a storage unit, a processing unit, and a control unit. The positioning unit detects a location, a direction, and speed of a vehicle, and outputs a location signal correspondingly. The storage unit stores geographic information. The processing unit gets the geographic information corresponding to the location of the vehicle from the storage unit, thereby estimating a traffic signal location, which the vehicle approaches and a corresponding approach time according to the direction and the speed of the vehicle, respectively. The control unit manipulates the traffic signal according to the approach time of the vehicle through a traffic control system.

Claims

1. A traffic signal preemption system, comprising:

a positioning unit detecting a location, a direction, and speed of a vehicle, and outputting a location signal correspondingly;

a storage unit storing geographic information;

a processing unit getting the geographic information corresponding to the location of the vehicle from the storage unit according to the location signal, thereby estimating a location of a traffic signal the vehicle approaches and a corresponding approach time according to the direction and the speed of the vehicle, respectively; and

a control unit manipulating the traffic signal according to the approach time of the vehicle through a traffic control system.

2. The traffic signal preemption system of claim 1, wherein the positioning unit is embedded in a portable device including a network unit, and the storage unit, the processing unit and the control unit are embedded in a host including a signal receiving/transmitting unit, the positioning unit communicates with the processing unit through the network unit and the signal receiving/transmitting unit.

3. The traffic signal preemption system of claim 1, wherein the processing unit retrieves the geographic information of one kilometer around the vehicle from the storage unit according to the location signal.

4. The traffic signal preemption system of claim 1, wherein the processing unit utilizes the geographic information to estimate at least a traffic signal location on the route to a destination according to the direction of the vehicle.

5. A traffic signal preemption method comprising the following steps:

utilizing a positioning unit to detect a location, a direction, and speed of a vehicle, and output a corresponding location signal;

getting geographic information corresponding to the location of the vehicle according to the location signal, thereby estimating a traffic signal location the vehicle approaches and a corresponding approach time according to the direction and the speed of the vehicle, respectively; and

manipulating the traffic signal according to the approach time of the vehicle through a traffic control system.

6. The traffic signal preemption method of claim 5, wherein the geographic information of one kilometer around the vehicle is retrieved.

7. The traffic signal preemption method of claim 5, wherein the step of “

getting geographic information”

includes “

getting geographic information corresponding to the location of the vehicle according to the location signal, thereby estimating at least a traffic signal location on the route to a destination and at least a corresponding approach time according to the direction and the speed of the vehicle, respectively”

.

8. A traffic signal preemption system, comprising:

a positioning unit detecting a location of a vehicle;

a storage unit storing geographic information;

a processing unit getting the geographic information corresponding to the location of the vehicle from the storage unit according to the location signal; and

a display unit displaying the geographic information retrieved by the processing unit, wherein the processing unit further receives a control signal from a user, thereby manipulating at least a traffic signal selected by the user through a traffic control system.

9. The traffic signal preemption system of claim 8, wherein the positioning unit, the processing unit, and the display unit are embedded in a portable device including a network unit, the storage unit is embedded in a host including a signal receiving/transmitting unit, the processing unit communicates with the storage unit through the network unit and the signal receiving/transmitting unit.

10. The traffic signal preemption system of claim 8, wherein the processing unit retrieves the geographic information of one kilometer around the vehicle from the storage unit according to the location signal.