Traffic management systems and methods of informing vehicle operators of traffic signal states

• US 8,471,728 B2
• Filed: 09/17/2010
• Issued: 06/25/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Michael Flaherty
• Original Assignee: Michael Flaherty
• Inventors: Flaherty, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): CROSLAND, DONNIE L
• Application Number:
  US12/884,518
• Publication Number:
  US 20110068950A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,012 Days
• Field of Search: 340/905, 340/911, 340/920, 340/929
• US Class Current: 340/905
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096 provided with indicators in which a mark progresses showing the time elapsed, e.g. of green phase
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096716 where the received information does not generate an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096741 where the source of the transmitted information selects which information to transmit to each vehicle

Abstract

A traffic management system and method are provided that determine and present a target speed for a vehicle to travel from a first position to a second position when a signaling device at the second position is in a desired phase. The target average speed can be presented via a variety of output devices, such as a display and/or speaker. The output device could, for example, be stationary, at a fixed distance from the signaling device, such as a roadside display. The output device could be a mobile device, carried in a vehicle or by a user, e.g., a cell phone, GPS navigation system, or personal digital assistant. The system can include a signal timing processor that determines a target average speed of travel between the first and second positions, which can be based on, or calculated from, timing information of the signals and a distance between the two positions.

Claims

1. A traffic management system, comprising:

a signal timing processor configured to determine a target average speed of travel between a first position and a second position that must be achieved by a vehicle at the first position to reach the second position when a signaling device proximal to the second position is in a first state of a plurality of states; and

an output device stationary relative to the vehicle and positioned at a fixed distance from the signaling device that outputs the target average speed at the vehicle.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first state is a go state.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the signaling device is a traffic signal.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the traffic signal includes a green light, an amber light, and a red light, and the green light is the first state.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the output device includes a stationary roadside device that includes a display of the target average speed.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the output device displays the target average speed as a number of miles per hour or kilometers per hour.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the output device includes a first region that displays the target average speed and a second region that displays a second set of information.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the second region includes a company logo.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the second region is a dynamic display.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the dynamic display displays one or more of alerts, advertisements, temperature, and travel information.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the signal timing processor is configured to determine a target average speed based on a set of inputs including the fixed distance between the first and second positions and traffic signal sequence information.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the set of inputs further includes at least one speed limit.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the set of inputs includes traffic congestion information.

14. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a motion detector that activates at least one of the signal timing processor and the output device in response to a detected motion of the vehicle.

15. A traffic management system, comprising:

a signal timing processor configured to determine a target average speed of travel between a first position and a second position that must be achieved by a vehicle at the first position to reach the second position when a traffic signal at the second position is in go state; and

a display device that outputs the target average speed as a number that is visible from the vehicle,

wherein the signal timing processor is configured to determine a target average speed based on a set of inputs including a fixed distance between the first and second positions and traffic signal sequence information.

16. A method of informing an operator of a vehicle of target average speed to travel to arrive at a multi-state signaling device when the signaling device is in a go state, the method comprising:

storing a location of the multi-state signaling device in a memory;

determining a vehicle location;

receiving information indicating a timing sequence and state of the multi-state signaling device;

determining the target average speed of travel between a vehicle position and the multi-state signaling device that must be achieved to reach the multi-state signaling device during the go state; and

outputting, at an output device stationary relative to the vehicle and positioned at a fixed distance from the signaling device, the target average speed of travel at the vehicle.