Communication of emergency messages with road markers

• US 20120249341A1
• Filed: 03/30/2011
• Published: 10/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Brown, Craig M., Northway, Craig W., Rose, Gregory G., Purser, Jessica M.
• Application Number:
  US13/076,227
• Publication Number:
  US 20120249341A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/902
• CPC Class Codes: E01F 9/559 illuminated
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0104 Measuring and analyzing of parameters relative to traffic conditions
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/095 Traffic lights
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096716 where the received information does not generate an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096758 where no selection takes place on the transmitted or the received information
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096775 where the origin of the information is a central station

Abstract

Disclosed is an apparatus, system, and method to communicate emergency messages utilizing road markers. The road marker may include: a light emitter to emit different light colors; a transmitter; and a receiver to receive an emergency message from an emergency vehicle, a road marker gateway, or another road marker. Further, the road marker may include a processor to: to command the light emitter to emit a light color based upon the emergency message received by the receiver; and command the transmitter to transmit the received emergency message to at least one other road marker.

Claims

1. A road marker to communicate emergency messages with other road markers comprising:

a light emitter to emit different light colors;

a transmitter;

a receiver to receive an emergency message from an emergency vehicle, a road marker gateway, or another road marker; and

a processor to;

command the light emitter to emit a light color based upon the emergency message received by the receiver; and

command the transmitter to transmit the received emergency message to at least one other road marker.

2. The road marker of claim 1, wherein, the emergency message is transmitted from an emergency vehicle to the road marker, a road marker gateway, or a traffic management station.

3. The road marker of claim 1, wherein, the emergency message is transmitted from a vehicle to a traffic management station, to a road marker gateway, and to the road marker.

4. The road marker of claim 1, wherein, the emergency message is transmitted from a traffic management station to a road marker gateway and to the road marker.

5. The road marker of claim 1, wherein, if the emergency message is a “

close the lane”

message, the processor commands the light emitter to emit a red color to communicate the “

close the lane”

message to drivers and the processor commands the transmitter to transmit the received “

close the lane”

message to other road markers.

6. The road marker of claim 1, wherein, if the emergency message is a “

traffic collision”

message, the processor commands the light emitter to emit a red color to communicate the “

traffic collision”

message to drivers and the processor commands the transmitter to transmit the received “

traffic collision”

message to other road markers.

7. The road marker of claim 1, wherein, if the received message is a “

bad weather condition”

message, the processor commands the light emitter to emit a yellow color to communicate the “

bad weather condition”

message to drivers and the processor commands the transmitter to transmit the received “

bad weather condition”

message to other road markers.

8. The road marker of claim 1, wherein, the light colors emitted by the light emitter include at least one of green, yellow, or red.

9. The road marker of claim 8, wherein, the light colors are flashing.

10. The road marker of claim 1, further comprising at least one of an optical sensor or a motion vibration sensor to monitor vehicle traffic, the processor to determine whether vehicle traffic is congested, and to command the light emitter to emit a yellow color, or, if not congested, to command the light emitter to emit a green color, and the processor to command the transmitter to transmit the monitored vehicle traffic to other road markers, to a road marker gateway and to a traffic management station.

11. A method to communicate emergency messages between road markers comprising:

receiving an emergency message at a road marker from an emergency vehicle, a road marker gateway, or another road marker;

commanding a light emitter to emit a light color based upon the emergency message received; and

transmitting the received emergency message to at least one other road marker.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein, the emergency message is transmitted from an emergency vehicle to the road marker, a road marker gateway, or a traffic management station.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein, the emergency message is transmitted from a vehicle to a traffic management station, to a road marker gateway, and to the road marker.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein, the emergency message is transmitted from a traffic management station to a road marker gateway and to the road marker.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein, if the emergency message is a “

close the lane”

message, further comprising the light emitter emitting a red color to communicate the “

close the lane”

message to drivers and transmitting the received “

close the lane”

message to other road markers.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein, if the emergency message is a “

traffic collision”

message, further comprising the light emitter emitting a red color to communicate the “

traffic collision”

message to drivers and transmitting the received “

traffic collision”

message to other road markers.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein, if the received message is a “

bad weather condition”

message, further comprising the light emitter emitting a yellow color to communicate the “

bad weather condition”

message to drivers and transmitting the received “

bad weather condition”

message to other road markers.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein, the light colors emitted by the light emitter include at least one of green, yellow, or red.

19. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

monitoring vehicle traffic;

determining whether vehicle traffic is congested, and if so, commanding the light emitter to emit a yellow color, or, if not congested, commanding the light emitter to emit a green color; and

commanding the transmission of the monitored vehicle traffic to other road markers, to a road marker gateway and to a traffic management station.

20. A road marker to communicate emergency messages with other road markers comprising:

mean for receiving an emergency message at a road marker from an emergency vehicle, a road marker gateway, or another road marker

means for emitting a light color based upon the emergency message received; and

means for transmitting the received emergency message to at least one other road marker.

21. The road marker of claim 20, wherein, the emergency message is transmitted from an emergency vehicle to the road marker, a road marker gateway, or a traffic management station.

22. The road marker of claim 20, wherein, the emergency message is transmitted from a vehicle to a traffic management station, to a road marker gateway, and to the road marker.

23. The road marker of claim 20, wherein, the emergency message is transmitted from a traffic management station to a road marker gateway and to the road marker.

24. The road marker of claim 20, wherein, if the emergency message is a “

close the lane”

message, further comprising means for emitting a red color to communicate the “

close the lane”

message to drivers and means for transmitting the received “

close the lane”

message to other road markers.

25. The road marker of claim 20, wherein, if the emergency message is a “

traffic collision”

message, further comprising means for emitting a red color to communicate the “

traffic collision”

message to drivers and means for transmitting the received “

traffic collision”

message to other road markers.

26. The road marker of claim 20, wherein, if the received message is a “

bad weather condition”

message, further comprising means for emitting a yellow color to communicate the “

bad weather condition”

message to drivers and means for transmitting the received “

bad weather condition”

message to other road markers.

27. The road marker of claim 20, wherein, the light colors emitted by the light emitter include at least one of green, yellow, or red.

28. The road marker of claim 20, further comprising:

means for monitoring vehicle traffic;

means for determining whether vehicle traffic is congested, and if so, emitting a yellow color, or, if not congested, emitting a green color; and

means for commanding the transmission of the monitored vehicle traffic to other road markers, to a road marker gateway and to a traffic management station.

29. A computer program product comprising:

a computer-readable medium comprising code for;

receiving an emergency message at a road marker from an emergency vehicle, a road marker gateway, or another road marker

emitting a light color based upon the emergency message received; and

transmitting the received emergency message to at least one other road marker.

30. The computer program product of claim 29, wherein, the emergency message is transmitted from an emergency vehicle to the road marker, a road marker gateway, or a traffic management station.

31. The computer program product of claim 29, wherein, the emergency message is transmitted from a vehicle to a traffic management station, to a road marker gateway, and to the road marker.

32. The computer program product of claim 29, wherein, the emergency message is transmitted from a traffic management station to a road marker gateway and to the road marker.

33. The computer program product of claim 29, wherein, if the emergency message is a “

close the lane”

message, further comprising code for emitting a red color to communicate the “

close the lane”

message to drivers and code for transmitting the received “

close the lane”

message to other road markers.

34. The computer program product of claim 29, wherein, if the emergency message is a “

traffic collision”

message, further comprising code for emitting a red color to communicate the “

traffic collision”

message to drivers and code for transmitting the received “

traffic collision”

message to other road markers.

35. The computer program product of claim 29, wherein, if the received message is a “

bad weather condition”

message, further comprising code for emitting a yellow color to communicate the “

bad weather condition”

message to drivers and code for transmitting the received “

bad weather condition”

message to other road markers.

36. The computer program product of claim 29, wherein, the light colors emitted by the light emitter include at least one of green, yellow, or red.

37. The computer program product of claim 29, further comprising:

code for monitoring vehicle traffic;

code for determining whether vehicle traffic is congested, and if so, emitting a yellow color, or, if not congested, emitting a green color; and

code for commanding the transmission of the monitored vehicle traffic to other road markers, to a road marker gateway and to a traffic management station.

38. A road marker gateway to communicate emergency messages to and from road markers comprising:

a transmitter;

a receiver to receive an emergency message from a traffic management station; and

a processor to command the transmitter to transmit the emergency message to a road marker, wherein the road marker emits a light color based upon the received emergency message and transmits the received emergency message to at least one other road marker.

39. The road marker gateway of claim 38, wherein, the emergency message is transmitted from an emergency vehicle to a road marker or the road marker gateway, and the road marker gateway transmits the emergency message to the traffic management station.

40. The road marker gateway of claim 38, wherein, the emergency message is transmitted from a vehicle to the traffic management station, and the traffic management station transmits the emergency message to the road marker gateway.

41. The road marker gateway of claim 38, wherein, if the emergency message is a “

close the lane”

message, the road marker emits a red color to communicate the “

close the lane”

message to drivers and transmits the received “

close the lane”

message to other road markers.

42. The road marker gateway of claim 38, wherein, if the emergency message is a “

traffic collision”

message, the road marker emits a red color to communicate the “

traffic collision”

message to drivers and transmits the received “

traffic collision”

message to other road markers.

43. The road marker gateway of claim 38, wherein, if the emergency message is a “

bad weather condition”

message, the road marker emits a yellow color to communicate the “

bad weather condition”

message to drivers and transmits the received “

bad weather condition”

message to other road markers.

44. The road marker gateway of claim 38, wherein the road marker includes at least one of an optical sensor or a motion vibration sensor to monitor vehicle traffic and transmits the monitored vehicle traffic data to the road marker gateway, and the road marker gateway transmits the monitored vehicle traffic data to the traffic management station.

45. A computer program product comprising:

a computer-readable medium comprising code for;

receiving an emergency message from a traffic management station; and

transmitting the emergency message to a road marker, wherein the road marker emits a light color based upon the received emergency message and transmits the received emergency message to at least one other road marker.

46. The computer program product of claim 45, wherein, the emergency message is transmitted from an emergency vehicle to a road marker or the road marker gateway, further comprising code for transmitting the emergency message to the traffic management station.

47. The computer program product of claim 45, wherein, the emergency message is transmitted from a vehicle to a traffic management station, and the traffic management station transmits the emergency message to the road marker gateway.

48. The computer program product of claim 45, wherein, if the emergency message is a “

close the lane”

message, the road marker emits a red color to communicate the “

close the lane”

message to drivers and transmits the received “

close the lane”

message to other road markers.

49. The computer program product of claim 45, wherein, if the emergency message is a “

traffic collision”

message, the road marker emits a red color to communicate the “

traffic collision”

message to drivers and transmits the received “

traffic collision”

message to other road markers.

50. The computer program product of claim 45, wherein, if the emergency message is a “

bad weather condition”

message, the road marker emits a yellow color to communicate the “

bad weather condition”

message to drivers and transmits the received “

bad weather condition”

message to other road markers.

51. The computer program product of claim 45, wherein the road marker includes at least one of an optical sensor or a motion vibration sensor to monitor vehicle traffic and transmits the monitored vehicle traffic data to the road marker gateway, further comprising code for transmitting the monitored vehicle traffic data to the traffic management station.