Centralized management of preemption control of traffic signals

• US 8,325,062 B2
• Filed: 10/09/2009
• Issued: 12/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Global Traffic Technologies LLC (Vontier Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Global Traffic Technologies LLC (Vontier Corp.)
• Inventors: Johnson, David Randal
• Primary Examiner(s): MULLEN, THOMAS J
• Application Number:
  US12/576,623
• Publication Number:
  US 20110084853A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,152 Days
• Field of Search: 340/909, 340/910, 340/916, 340/917, 340/919, 340/924, 340/906, 340/907, 701/300, 701/301
• US Class Current: 340/909
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/087 Override of traffic control, e.g. by signal transmitted by an emergency vehicle

Abstract

Managing traffic signal preemption at a plurality of intersections. In one approach a security level code that specifies one of a plurality of security levels for at least one jurisdiction is input. The security level controls which emitter codes are allowed to preempt traffic signals at the intersections in the jurisdiction. A set of emitter codes for the plurality of intersections in the jurisdiction is determined in response to the security level code. The set of emitter codes is downloaded to a plurality of preemption controllers at the plurality of intersections in the jurisdiction. Each preemption controller accepts a preemption request only if the preemption request contains an emitter code indicated by the downloaded set of emitter codes as being allowed to preempt traffic signals at the intersections in the jurisdiction.

Claims

1. A method for managing traffic signal preemption at a plurality of intersections, comprising:

inputting a security level code that specifies one of a plurality of security levels for at least one jurisdiction, wherein the one security level controls which emitter codes are allowed to preempt traffic signals at the intersections in the jurisdiction;

determining a set of emitter codes for the plurality of intersections in the jurisdiction in response to the security level code; and

downloading the set of emitter codes to a plurality of preemption controllers at the plurality of intersections in the jurisdiction, wherein each preemption controller accepts a preemption request only if the preemption request contains an emitter code indicated by the downloaded set of emitter codes as being allowed to preempt traffic signals at the intersections in the jurisdiction.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the preemption requests for preempting traffic signals are issued from devices on vehicles; and

the security levels include a first security level that permits any value of emitter code received in a preemption request to activate preemption, and a second security level that permits any value of emitter code, other than a value signifying that the requesting device is not coded or is coded with a default emitter code, to activate preemption.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the security levels include a third security level that blocks a preemption request from preempting a traffic signal in response to the preemption request having a value of emitter code signifying that the requesting device is not coded with an emitter code or a value of emitter code signifying that the requesting device is coded with a default emitter code.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

wherein the jurisdiction includes two or more agencies;

assigning respective, non-overlapping ranges of emitter codes to each of the agencies in response to user input; and

wherein the security levels include a fourth security level that permits preemption of a traffic signal at an intersection in the jurisdiction only for a preemption request having a value of emitter code within one of the respective non-overlapping ranges of emitter codes.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

storing, in response to user input, respective vehicle identifiers in association with emitter codes; and

wherein the security levels include a fifth security level that denies preemption of a traffic signal at an intersection in the jurisdiction for a preemption request having a value of emitter code not associated with a vehicle identifier.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

storing, in response to user input, data indicative of a blocked emitter code in association with the jurisdiction; and

wherein the determined set of emitter codes indicates that the blocked emitter code is blocked from preempting traffic signals in the jurisdiction in each of the first, second, third, and fourth security levels.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing, in response to user input, data indicative of a blocked emitter code in association with the jurisdiction; and

wherein the determined set of emitter codes indicates that the blocked emitter code is blocked from preempting traffic signals in the jurisdiction.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

inputting respective security level codes for two or more jurisdictions;

determining respective sets of emitter codes for the two or more jurisdictions; and

downloading each respective set of emitter codes to preemption controllers at intersections in the respective jurisdiction of the two or more jurisdictions.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the respective security level codes for at least two of the two or more jurisdictions are different and indicate different security levels.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

storing, in response to user input, data indicative of a first and a second one of the two or more jurisdictions providing mutual aid to one another; and

wherein the set of emitter codes for the first jurisdiction, includes a subset of emitter codes for the second jurisdiction in response to the data indicative of the mutual aid.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the set of emitter codes for the second jurisdiction, includes a subset of emitter codes for the first jurisdiction in response to the data indicative of the mutual aid.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

inputting user selection data indicating whether emitter codes corresponding to an agency within the jurisdiction are allowed to preempt traffic signals at the intersections in the jurisdiction; and

wherein the set of emitter codes for the plurality of intersections in the jurisdiction is determined from the security level code and the user selection data corresponding to the agency.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

inputting user selection data indicating whether a selected emitter code is allowed to preempt traffic signals at the intersections in the jurisdiction; and

wherein the set of emitter codes for the plurality of intersections in the jurisdiction is determined from the security level code, the user selection data corresponding to the agency, and the user selection data corresponding to the selected emitter code.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

inputting user selection data indicating whether a selected emitter code is allowed to preempt traffic signals at the intersections in the jurisdiction; and

wherein the set of emitter codes for the plurality of intersections in the jurisdiction is determined from the security level code and the user selection data corresponding to the selected emitter code.

15. A system for managing traffic signal preemption at a plurality of intersections, comprising:

a processor;

a common bus coupled to the processor;

a memory unit coupled to the common bus;

a network adapter; and

an input/output unit coupled to the common bus;

wherein, the processor, memory unit, network adapter, and input/output unit are configured to;

receive a security level code input that specifies one of a plurality of security levels for at least one jurisdiction, wherein the security level code input controls which emitter codes are allowed to preempt traffic signals at the plurality of intersections in the jurisdiction;

determine a set of emitter codes for the plurality of intersections in the jurisdiction in response to the security level code; and

download the set of emitter codes to a plurality of preemption controllers at the plurality of intersections in the jurisdiction, wherein each preemption controller accepts a preemption request only if the preemption request contains an emitter code indicated by the downloaded set of emitter codes as being allowed to preempt traffic signals at the plurality of intersections in the jurisdiction.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein:

the preemption requests for preempting traffic signals are issued from devices on vehicles; and

the security levels include a first security level that permits any value of emitter code received in a preemption request to activate preemption, and a second security level that permits any value of emitter code, other than a value signifying that the requesting device is not coded or is coded with a default emitter code, to activate preemption.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the security levels include a third security level that blocks a preemption request from preempting a traffic signal in response to the preemption request having a value of emitter code signifying that the requesting device is not coded with an emitter code or a value of emitter code signifying that the requesting device is coded with a default emitter code.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein, the processor and memory unit are configured to:

store data indicative of a first and a second one of the at least one jurisdiction providing mutual aid to one another in response to user input; and

wherein the set of determined emitter codes for the first jurisdiction includes a subset of emitter codes for the second jurisdiction in response to the data indicative of the mutual aid.

19. An article of manufacture, comprising:

a non-transitory processor-readable storage medium configured with processor-executable instructions, the instructions when executed by a processor causing the processor to perform operations including;

receiving a security level code input that specifies one of a plurality of security levels for at least one jurisdiction, wherein the one security level input controls which emitter codes are allowed to preempt traffic signals at a plurality of intersections in the jurisdiction;

determining a set of emitter codes for the plurality of intersections in the jurisdiction in response to the security level code; and

downloading the set of emitter codes to a plurality of preemption controllers at the plurality of intersections in the jurisdiction, wherein each preemption controller accepts a preemption request only if the preemption request contains an emitter code indicated by the downloaded set of emitter codes as being allowed to preempt traffic signals at the plurality of intersections in the jurisdiction.

20. The article of manufacture of claim 19, wherein the security levels include a security level that blocks a preemption request from preempting a traffic signal in response to the preemption request having a value of emitter code signifying that a requesting device is not coded with an emitter code or a value of emitter code signifying that the requesting device is coded with a default emitter code.

21. The article of manufacture of claim 19, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:

in response to a user input, store data indicative of a first and a second one of the at least one jurisdiction providing mutual aid to one another; and

add to the determined set of emitter codes for the first jurisdiction, a subset of emitter codes for the second jurisdiction, in response to the data indicative of the mutual aid.