Traffic guidance system

• US 6,418,371 B1
• Filed: 08/24/2000
• Issued: 07/09/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: IP2H AG
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi International GmbH (Mitsubishi Corp. (Turkey))
• Inventors: Arnold, Jörg
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuchlinski, Jr., William A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Marc-Coleman, Marthe Y.
• Application Number:
  US09/622,972
• Time in Patent Office: 684 Days
• Field of Search: 701/117, 701/200, 341/905, 341/902, 341/907, 341/995, 341/904, 341/988
• US Class Current: 701/117
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/08 according to detected number or speed of vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096716 where the received information does not generate an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096725 where the received information generates an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/09675 where a selection from the received information takes place in the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096783 where the origin of the information is a roadside individual element
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0968 Systems involving transmission of navigation instructions to the vehicle

Abstract

A traffic guidance system for controlling, guiding and/or optimizing traffic movements, wherein a sensor is provided for detecting the momentary traffic situation, is characterized having in mind an effective control of traffic movements, even in a heavy traffic volume, in that the sensor comprises a radio receiver, and/or a receiver for optical signals, and/or a receiver for acoustical signals for radio signals, and/or optical signals, and/or acoustical signals emitted by road users.

Claims

1. A traffic guidance system for controlling, guiding, and/or optimizing traffic movements along a roadway, comprising

a transmitter carried by each of a plurality of roadway users for actively transmitting a signal irrespective of the state of movement of the user, and

a plurality of sensors each mounted at a different fixed location along the roadway for receiving the signals from the transmitters and processing the signals in an entirely decentralized manner at the location where they are received to determine the number of roadway users and to enable an effective control of traffic movements and so as to form a network which is responsive to said signals.

2. The traffic guidance system as defined in claim 1 wherein each transmitter actively transmits a signal selected from the group consisting of a radio signal, an optical signal, an acoustical signal, and combinations thereof.

3. The traffic guidance system as defined in claim 1 wherein each sensor is connected to a traffic light signal.

4. The traffic guidance system as defined in claim 1 the transmitter carried by each user is integrated in an electrical system of the user.

5. The traffic guidance system as defined in claim 1 the transmitter carried by each user transmits pulses of a predetermined frequency.

6. The traffic guidance system as defined in claim 1 wherein each sensor comprises a receiver and a processor for processing the signals and which includes a memory.

7. The traffic guidance system as defined in claim 6 wherein each sensor further comprises a transmitter for communicating with the transmitters of the users.

8. The traffic guidance system as defined in claim 7 wherein the memory of the processor of each sensor includes information concerning the traffic routes and/or roadway facilities which may be transmitted to the users by the transmitter of the associated sensor.

9. The traffic guidance system as defined in claim 1 each sensor is designed and configured for detecting a signal pulse rate and its changes and/or the signal power and its changes.

10. The traffic guidance system as defined in claim 1 wherein each sensor comprises a switching device to permit a plurality of said traffic guidance systems to have wireless communication with one another.

11. The traffic guidance system as defined in claim 1 wherein each sensor is designed and configured for detecting the Doppler shift of the signals so as to indicate the state of movement of the roadway users.

12. The traffic guidance system as defined in claim 1 wherein the transmitters are each designed and configured as a relay to permit data transmission among said sensors.

13. The traffic guidance system as defined in claim 1 wherein the transmitters of different groups of roadway users are designed and configured to emit unique signals to permit a classification of the users.

14. The traffic guidance system as defined in claim 1 wherein the transmitters and/or sensors are designed and configured for detecting weather conditions.

15. The traffic guidance system as defined in claim 1 wherein each sensor is designed and configured for communicating with the transmitters of the users.