METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR TRAFFIC LIGHT STATE ALERTS

• US 20170243481A1
• Filed: 02/18/2016
• Published: 08/24/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: NEUBECKER, Cynthia M., BENNIE, Brian, MACNEILLE, Perry Robinson, MOHAMMED, Noorulla
• Granted Patent: US 10,565,868 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0962 having an indicator mounted inside the vehicle, e.g. giving voice messages
• 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 1/096783 where the origin of the information is a roadside individual element
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096791 where the origin of the information is another vehicle

Abstract

A system includes a processor configured to receive a wireless light-state notification as a vehicle approaches a traffic light. The processor is also configured to determine an appropriate vehicle action based on at least the light-state, a vehicle speed and a vehicle proximity to the traffic light and recommend the appropriate action to the vehicle driver.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a processor configured to;

receive a wireless light-state notification as a vehicle approaches a traffic light;

determine an appropriate vehicle action based on at least the light-state, a vehicle speed and a vehicle proximity to the traffic light; and

recommend the appropriate action to the vehicle driver.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the appropriate action includes slowing the vehicle if the light-state is red.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the appropriate action includes maintaining a present speed if the light-state is green.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the light-state includes time-to-change data, and the processor is further configured to determine a light-state when the vehicle reaches the traffic light.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the appropriate action includes slowing the vehicle if the light will change from green to red before the vehicle reaches the traffic light, based on the time-to-change, vehicle speed and proximity to the traffic light.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the appropriate action includes maintaining a present speed if the light will change from red to green before the vehicle reaches the traffic light, based on the time-to-change, vehicle speed and proximity to the traffic light.

7. The system of claim 4, wherein the appropriate action includes accelerating the vehicle to a speed limit, if such acceleration will result in reaching the traffic light before the light changes from green to red, based on the time-to-change, vehicle speed and proximity to the traffic light.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the wireless light-state notification is received via dedicated short range communication.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the wireless light-state notification is received from a transceiver provided to the traffic light.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the wireless light-state notification is received from another vehicle broadcasting the light-state notification wirelessly.

11. A system comprising:

a processor configured to;

wirelessly receive light-state data while an object vehicle is stopped at a red light;

determine that a traffic light has changed to green, based on the received light-state data;

determine that any intervening vehicle immediately in front of the object vehicle has begun to move; and

automatically begin to move the object vehicle forward, based on the traffic light change to green and movement of the intervening vehicle.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to wirelessly broadcast the received light-state data.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the wireless light-state data is received via dedicated short range communication.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the wireless light-state data is received from a transceiver provided to the traffic light.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the wireless light-state data is received from another vehicle broadcasting the light-state notification wirelessly.

16. A computer-implemented method comprising:

wirelessly receiving light-state data while an object vehicle is stopped at a red light;

determining that a traffic light has changed to green, based on the received light-state data;

determining that any intervening vehicle immediately in front of the object vehicle has begun to move; and

automatically begin moving the object vehicle forward, based on the traffic light change to green and movement of the intervening vehicle.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising wirelessly broadcasting the received light-state data.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the wireless light-state data is received via dedicated short range communication.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the wireless light-state data is received from a transceiver provided to the traffic light.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the wireless light-state data is received from another vehicle broadcasting the light-state notification wirelessly.