TRAFFIC CONTROLLER WITH BINARY COUNTER

• US 3,775,744 A
• Filed: 03/29/1971
• Issued: 11/27/1973
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/1968
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Philip Cane
• Original Assignee: Philip Cane
• Inventors: Cane, Philip
• Primary Examiner(s): Claffy, Kathleen H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Myers, Randall P.
• Application Number:
  US05/128,883
• Time in Patent Office: 974 Days
• Field of Search: 340/35,36,41,44 328/41,42,45,46,48,49 307/220,226,110
• US Class Current: 340/923
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/08 according to detected number or speed of vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/082 Controlling the time between beginning of the same phase of a cycle at adjacent intersections

Abstract

A controller for traffic lights employing solid state components and providing both vehicular and pedestrian control. Cross street controls initiate operation of a binary counter sequentially to operate signal lights through predetermined time intervals. Interconnecting circuits provide for coordination with other signal lights, vehicle extension intervals, recall and resetting controls. An auxiliary memory circuit operates to distinguish between vehicle only and pedestrian operation.

Claims

1. In a traffic signal controller apparatus comprising, a binary counter having a plurality of bistable stages and at least one input count line and capable of assuming a number of different states each representative of a predetermined traffic flow condition, and manually operated means for generating a single count pulse at a time and thereby selectively advancing the count in said binary counter to thereby establish the next traffic flow condition, said manually operated means comprising, a switch means having an actuated and non-actuated state, power supply means, a uni-junction transistor coupled to said switch means and said power supply means and having a control electrode, and a capacitor coupled to said control electrode, said capacitor adapted to be in a charged condition insufficient to render said uni-junction transistor conductive when said switch means is in its actuated state and adapted to be in a discharge condition rendering said uni-junction transistor conductive when said switch means changes to its non-actuated state thereby generating said count pulse via said capacitor.

2. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said switch means is a normally open push button switch.

3. In a traffic signal controller apparatus comprising, a binary counter having a plurality of bistable stages, means for selectively advancing the count in said binary counter to establish a sequence of different states of said binary counter, each said state representative of a predetermined traffic flow condition and including an initial state, means for time demarcating the time duration of each traffic flow condition, said means for selectively advancing being responsive to said means for time demarcating, said means for selectively advancing including, means for causing said binary counter, in a cycle, to step through a first group of n counts corresponding to a first phase of traffic flow, means for causing said binary counter to skip m counts in the same cycle, and means for causing said binary counter to step through a second group of n counts in the same cycle corresponding to a second phase of traffic flow, wherein said last count of both said first and second group of n counts causes said controller to assume a condition wherein stop signals are displayed to traffic approaching in both phases, said means for causing said counter to skip comprising decoding means responsive to a predetermined binary counter position for skipping said m counts.

4. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 comprising a resistive voltage divider coupled intermediate said switch means and capacitor for establishing an initial voltage on said capacitor when said switch means is actuated, which initial voltage is less than the firing voltage of said uni-junction transistor.

5. In a traffic signal controller apparatus comprising, a binary counter having a plurality of bistable stages, means for selectively advancing the count in said binary counter to establish a sequence of different states of said binary counter, each said state Representative of a predetermined traffic flow condition and including an initial state, means for time demarcating the time duration of each traffic flow condition, said means for selectively advancing being responsive to said means for time demarcating, said means for selectively advancing including, means for causing said binary counter, in a cycle, to step through a first group of n counts corresponding to a first phase of traffic flow, means for causing said binary counter to skip m counts in the same cycle, means for causing said binary counter to step through a second group of n counts in the same cycle corresponding to a second phase of traffic flow, said last count of both said first and second group of n counts causing said controller to assume a condition wherein stop signals are displayed to traffice approaching in both phases, and means for decoding the count in said binary counter, each said count being representative of a predetermined traffic flow condition, said decoding means including a plurality of decoder gates wherein the gates for decoding said last count of both said first and second group of n counts each have fewer necessary connections from said binary counter than the remaining gates of said plurality of decoder gates.

6. In a traffic signal controller for establishing a predetermined number of traffic flow conditions apparatus comprising:

a binary counter having a group of cascaded stages and capable of assuming a plurality of counts greater than said pre-determined number, each of said counts corresponding to a traffic flow condition, said counter being advanced from one count to another once for each input signal coupled to an input terminal of said counter, manually operated means for generating an input signal, and means for coupling said input signal to said input terminal of said counter for advancing the count thereof to establish the next traffic flow condition, said manually operated means comprising, a switch having an actuated state and a non-actuated state, power supply means, a three terminal semiconductor device coupled by way of said switch to said power supply means, one of said terminals being a control electrode and another coupled to said switch, and a capacitor coupled to said control electrode, said capacitor adapted to be in a charged condition insufficient to render said device conductive when said switch is in its actuated state and adapted to be in a discharge condition rendering said device conductive when said switch changes to its non-actuated state thereby generating said input signal via said capacitor.