Traffic light control apparatus for emergency vehicles

• US 6,072,406 A
• Filed: 06/28/1999
• Issued: 06/06/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Roger D. Leonard, William H. Leonard
• Original Assignee: Roger D. Leonard, William H. Leonard
• Inventors: Leonard, William H., Leonard, Roger D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hofsass, Jeffery A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Phung
• Application Number:
  US09/340,867
• Time in Patent Office: 344 Days
• Field of Search: 340/902, 340/904, 340/906, 340/907, 455/228, 455/99, 455/227
• US Class Current: 340/902
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/087 Override of traffic control, e.g. by signal transmitted by an emergency vehicle

Abstract

A traffic light control apparatus for emergency vehicles for enabling control of a plurality of traffic signal lights disposed at a controlled intersection by an operator of an emergency vehicle and for disabling a conventional traffic signal light controller used for controlling the operation of the traffic signal lights. The device includes a relay for disconnecting the conventional traffic signal light controller in response to a disconnect signal, a directional compass disposed in the emergency vehicle for generating a plurality of directional signals, a transmitter for transmitting the directional signals, a data receiver disposed at the controlled intersection for receiving and decoding the directional signals and generating a plurality of input signals, a state machine for accepting the input signals, for generating a plurality of state signals, for generating a plurality of output signals dependent upon the input signals and state signals, and for generating the disconnect signal, and a plurality of relays for energizing the traffic lights responsive to the output signals. An audible alarm located at the controlled intersection is activatable by the operator of the emergency vehicle.

Claims

1. A traffic control apparatus for emergency vehicles for enabling control of a plurality of traffic signal lights disposed at a controlled intersection by an operator of an emergency vehicle and for disabling a conventional traffic signal light controller used for controlling the operation of the traffic signal lights comprising:

a relay means for disconnecting the conventional traffic signal light controller, the relay means being responsive to a disconnect signal;

a directional compass operable to generate a plurality of directional signals representative of the emergency vehicle'"'"'s direction of travel in response to the vehicles direction of travel, the directional compass being disposed on the emergency vehicle;

a transmitter means for transmitting the directional signals, the transmitter means being operatively connected to the directional compass and disposed on the emergency vehicle;

a data receiver means for receiving and decoding the directional signals, the data receiver means being disposed at the controlled intersection;

a state machine means for accepting the decoded directional signals, for generating a plurality of state signals, for generating a plurality of output signals dependent upon the decoded directional signals and the state signals, and for generating the disconnect signal; and

a plurality of relay means for energizing the traffic lights responsive to the output signals.

2. The traffic light control apparatus for emergency vehicles of claim 1, wherein the directional compass further comprises a Hall-effect sensor operatively coupled to a microcontroller.

3. The traffic light control apparatus for emergency vehicles of claim 1 further comprising a light source operably connected to the state machine means.

4. The traffic light control apparatus for emergency vehicles of claim 3 further comprising an audible alarm operatively connected to the data receiver.