Traffic control system for selection among multiple offsets and multiple cycle lengths in response to the levels of two measured traffic characteristics

• US 3,241,107 A
• Filed: 09/18/1961
• Issued: 03/15/1966
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/1961
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Charles L Du Vivier
• Original Assignee: Charles L Du Vivier
• Inventors: DU VIVIER CHARLES L
• Application Number:
  US04/138,827
• Time in Patent Office: 1,639 Days
• US Class Current: 340/911
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/081 Plural intersections under common control

Claims

1. A TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEM HACING A MASTER CONTROLLER FOR SELECTION OF VARIOUS TRAFFIC CONTROL OUTPUTS FOR THE CONTROL OF THE LENGTH OF THE TIME CYCLE OF LOCAL TRAFFIC SIGNAL CONTROLLERS AND FOR CONTROLLING THE OFFSET OF SUCH TIME CYCLE WITH RESPECT TO A MASTER TIME CYCLE, SAID MASTER CONTROLLER COMPRISING TRAFFIC CHARACTERISTIC MEASURING MEANS FOR EACH OF TWO TRAFFIC DIRECTIONS ON A ROADWAY RESPECTIVELY FOR PROVIDING AN ELECTRICAL VOLTAGE OUTPUT RESPECTIVELY DEVELOPED FROM A SERIES OF VEHICLES IN TRAFFIC SENSED IN ITS RESPECTIVE DIRECTION, THE LEVEL OF SAID VOLTAGE OUTPUT REPRESENTING A CHARACTERISTIC OF TRAFFIC FLOW OF SAID VEHICLES AND BEING SUBSTANTIALLY CONTINUOUSLY VARIABLE OVER A RANGE OF VALUES PROPORTIONAL TO THE MEASURED TRAFFIC CHARACTERISTIC OF THE RESPECTIVE DIRECTION, A FIRST, A SECOND AND A THIRD VOLTAGE LEVEL RESPONSIVE MEANS INDIVIDUAL TO EACH MEASURING MEANS FOR OPERATING RESPECTIVELY IN RESPONSE TO FIRST, SECOND AND THIRD LEVELS OF A PROGRESSIVELY HIGHER ORDER OF THE RESPECTIVE SAID ELECTRICAL OUTPUT, EACH SAID LEVEL RESPONSIVE MEANS INCLUDING MEANS INDIVIDUAL THERETO FOR ADJUSTING THE LEVEL FOR SUCH RESPONSE, FOURTH RESPONSIVE MEANS INDIVIDUAL TO THE RESPECTIVE SAID MEASURING MEANS AND COMPRISING ADJUSTABLE DIFFERENCE CIRCUIT MEANS COUPLED TO BOTH SAID ELECTRICAL OUTPUTS FOR OPERATING INDIVIDUALLY IN RESPONSE TO THE LEVEL OF THE SAID ELECTRICAL OUTPUT OF THE ASSOCIATED SAID MEASURING MEANS BEING SUBSTANTIALLY IN EXCESS OF THE LEVEL OF THE OTHER SAID ELECTRICAL OUTPUT OF THE OTHER SAID MEASURING MEANS BY AN ADJUSTABLE PREDETERMINED DIFFERENCE, OFFSET CONTROL CIRCUIT MEANS SELECTABLE FOR PROVIDING ALTERNATIVE OFFSET TRAFFIC CONTROL OUTPUTS FOR OFFSET OF SAID TIME CYCLE OF THE LOCAL TRAFFIC SIGNAL CONROLLERS FOR ONE AND THE OTHER OF THE RESPECTIVE TWO TRAFFIC DIRECTIONS, RESPONSE TRANSLATING MEANS FOR SELECTING SAID TRAFFIC CONTROL OUTPUTS IN RESPONSE TO DIFFERENT COMBINATIONS OF OPERATION AND NON-OPERATION OF SAID SEVERAL RESPONSIVE MEANS FOR THE RESPECTIVE DIRECTIONS, SAID TRANSLATING MEANS INCLUDING MEANS RESPONDING TO THE OPERATION OF EITHER OR BOTH OF SAID FIRST LEVEL RESPONSIVE MEANS FOR THE RESPECTIVE DIRECTIONS AND ONE OR THE OTHER OF SAID FOURTH RESPONSIVE MEANS RESPECTIVELY FOR SELECTING ONE OR THE OTHER OF SAID OFFSET CONTROL OUTPUT CIRCUITS RESPECTIVELY, FIRST, SECOND AND THIRD INDIVIDUALLY SELECTABLE ROTARY TIMING MEANS INDIVIDUALLY ADJUSTABLE FOR PROVIDING FIRST, SECOND AND THIRD TIME LENTHS FOR SAID MASTER TIME CYCLE RESPECTIVELY WHEN SELECTED FOR CONTROL OF CYCLE LENGTH OF SAID TIME CYCLE OF SAID LOCAL TRAFFIC SIGNAL CONTROLLERS, AND SAID RESPONSE TRANSLATING MEANS FURTHER INCLUDING FURTHER MEANS COUPLED TO THE SECOND AND THIRD LEVEL RESPONSIVE MEANS RESPECTIVELY FOR TWO RESPECTIVE TRAFFIC DIRECTIONS FOR SELECTING FOR OPERATION SAID ROTARY TIMING MEANS IN RESPONSE TO DIFFERENT COMBINATIONS OF OPERATION OR NON-OPERATION OF SAID SECOND AND THIRD LEVEL RESPONSIVE MEANS, SAID FURTHER MEANS INCLUDING MEANS FOR SELECTING FOR OPERATION SAID FIRST ROTARY TIMING MEANS IN RESPONSE TO NONOPERATION OF SAID SECOND AND THIRD LEVEL RESPONSIVE MEANS, MEANS FOR SELECTING FOR OPERATION SAID SECOND ROTARY TIMING MEANS IN RESPONSE TO OPERATION OF EITHER ONE OR THE OTHER OF SAID SECOND LEVEL RESPONSIVE MEANS AND NON-OPERATION OF BOTH SAID THIRD LEVEL RESPONSIVE MEANS, AND MEANS FOR SELECTING FOR OPERATION SAID THIRD ROTARY TIMING MEANS IN RESPONSIVE TO OPERATION OF ONE OR THE OTHER OF SAID THIRD LEVEL RESPONSIVE MEANS.