Traffic coordinator for arterial traffic system
First Claim
1. A coordinator for use with a plurality of controllers for coordinating traffic at least along an artery, each controller associated with a side street intersection for controlling traffic signals at said intersection, said coordinator comprising:
- (a) means for storing a plurality of values corresponding to cycle lengths, said cycle length values associated with platoons of traffic moving along said artery, and(b) means connected to said storing means for retrieving said cycle length values and for sequentially controlling each of said plurality of controllers in an individual manner to effect said retrieved cycle length values at each associated intersection as said platoons of vehicles move along associated intersections of said artery to thereby coordinate said controllers and traffic along said artery.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A traffic coordinator is disclosed which utilizes a master unit and a plurality of secondary units wherein the secondary units are positioned at artery cross streets for controlling the main artery traffic in a coordinated fashion. Both the master unit and secondary units contain microprocessors for calculating parameters utilized in the coordination system. The coordination system may be installed in already existing timer-controlled intersections and serves to provide a highly efficient real time control of artery green bands, offsets and splits to achieve optimum traffic flow.
41 Citations
119 Claims
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1. A coordinator for use with a plurality of controllers for coordinating traffic at least along an artery, each controller associated with a side street intersection for controlling traffic signals at said intersection, said coordinator comprising:
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(a) means for storing a plurality of values corresponding to cycle lengths, said cycle length values associated with platoons of traffic moving along said artery, and (b) means connected to said storing means for retrieving said cycle length values and for sequentially controlling each of said plurality of controllers in an individual manner to effect said retrieved cycle length values at each associated intersection as said platoons of vehicles move along associated intersections of said artery to thereby coordinate said controllers and traffic along said artery. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72)
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73. A traffic coordination system controlling vehicle traffic flow along a main traffic artery and a plurality of side street intersections comprising:
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(a) a master unit having programmable computing means, (b) at least one inbound and one outbound volume vehicle detector each measuring vehicles entering said artery and for providing inbound and outbound vehicle volume signals to said master unit in response to inbound and outbound vehicle volume respectively, said inbound and outbound vehicle detectors positioned proximate opposite extremities of the artery under control by said coordination system, (c) at least one inbound and one outbound occupancy vehicle detector for providing inbound and outbound occupancy signals to said master unit in response to inbound and outbound vehicle occupancy respectively, said inbound and outbound occupancy detectors positioned within said artery and removed from said corresponding inbound and outbound volume detectors, (d) a plurality of secondary units each unit interconnected to said master unit and having means for receiving and storing data therefrom, (e) said master unit computing means comprising means for calculating a cycle length value for artery traffic in response to received vehicle volume and occupancy signals, (f) a plurality of controllers, one controller connected for operating traffic signals at each side street intersection of said artery, and (g) a secondary unit connected to each controller for providing traffic signal control commands thereto in response, at least in part, to data received and stored from said master unit, whereby traffic is coordinated along said artery in response to sensed vehicle flow. - View Dependent Claims (74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84)
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85. A method of coordinating a plurality of traffic signal lights associated with side street intersections for controlling traffic at said intersections and along a common roadway comprising steps of:
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(a) storing a plurality of cycle length values, said cycle length values associated with groups of vehicles moving along said roadway, (b) automatically retrieving said stored cycle length values, and (c) automatically, sequentially and individually controlling said traffic signal lights in response to said retrieved cycle length values at offset times corresponding to the position along said roadway of the side street intersections, thereby producing cycle lengths at said intersections corresponding to said retrieved cycle length values. - View Dependent Claims (86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100)
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101. A method of coordinating a plurality of traffic signal lights positioned along a common roadway for controlling said roadway and a plurality of side street intersections comprising the steps of:
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(a) sensing vehicles along said roadway to provide input signals to a master unit, (b) calculating in said master unit cycle length values in real time corresponding to said sensed vehicles, (c) transmitting said cycle length values to a plurality of secondary units, each secondary unit associated with a side street intersection, (d) storing said cycle length values in said secondary units, (e) individually retrieving said cycle length values in said secondary units for sequential application as force-off commands to associated controllers controlling said traffic signal lights at said side street intersections, and (f) generating said force-off commands at said secondary units at offset times corresponding to the position of the secondary units along said roadway. - View Dependent Claims (102, 103, 104)
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105. Apparatus for coordinating a plurality of traffic signal lights along an artery having a plurality of side street intersections comprising:
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(a) means for storing in sequence a plurality of cycle length values, said cycle length values associated with platoons of traffic moving along said artery, and (b) means connected to said storing means for retrieving said cycle length values in sequence and for individually and sequentially controlling said plurality of traffic signal lights to effect said retrieved cycle length values at each associated intersection as said platoons of vehicles move along associated intersections of said artery to thereby coordinate said traffic along said artery. - View Dependent Claims (106, 107, 108, 109, 110, 111, 112, 113, 114, 115, 116, 117, 118)
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119. A traffic coordinator for use on a roadway having a plurality of intersections and traffic lights and means for sensing vehicle traffic along said roadway, said sensing means including means for generating signals indicative of said sensed traffic, said coordinator comprising:
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(a) a master unit comprising; (i) input interface means for receiving said signals, (ii) data processing means connected to said input interface means, said data processing means including a microprocessor, data memory storage means and program memory storage means for programming said microprocessor, said data processing means operable for calculating a cycle length value in response to said received signals and for generating cycle length signals corresponding thereto, (iii) output interface means connected to said data processing means for transmitting said cycle length signals, (b) a plurality of secondary units, one secondary unit associated with each of said intersections along said roadway and associated with an offset time from a preselected reference, each secondary unit comprising; (i) input interface means operable for receiving said transmitted cycle length signals from said master unit, (ii) data processing means connected to said input interface means of said secondary unit and including a microprocessor, data memory storage means and program memory storage means for programming said microprocessor, said data processing means of said secondary unit operable for storing representations of said cycle length signals and for retrieving same in the order of storage for generating force-off command signals corresponding to said cycle length signals at time determined by said associated offset times, and (iii) output interface means connected to said data processing means of said secondary unit for receiving said force-off command signals and for applying same to actuate traffic lights at said associated intersections.
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Specification