Traffic signal connected digital electronic display and method of controlling the same

• US 8,675,909 B2
• Filed: 07/22/2011
• Issued: 03/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AmZetta Technologies, LLC (American Megatrends International, LLC)
• Original Assignee: American Megatrends Incorporated
• Inventors: Sivertsen, Clas
• Primary Examiner(s): TSAI, TSUNG YIN
• Application Number:
  US13/188,910
• Publication Number:
  US 20130022245A1
• Time in Patent Office: 970 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 382/100
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/07 Controlling traffic signals
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096 provided with indicators in which a mark progresses showing the time elapsed, e.g. of green phase

Abstract

A digital electronic display connected to a traffic signal and a method of controlling the digital electronic display are provided. The digital electronic display includes a communication unit configured to receive content including content segments and metadata, a display screen, and a processor. The processor is configured to monitor the traffic signal to determine when, and the duration during which, a red light and a green light of the traffic signal is illuminated, present a content segment on the display screen corresponding to the red light based on the metadata and substantially for the entire duration when the red light is illuminated, and control the display screen to operate in a low-power state substantially for the entire duration when the green light is illuminated.

Claims

1. A digital electronic display operating in conjunction with a traffic signal, comprising:

a communication unit configured to receive content including content segments and metadata, the content segments comprising a first content segment corresponding to illumination of a red light of the traffic signal and a second content segment corresponding to illumination of a turn light of the traffic signal;

a display screen;

a camera configured to capture images of vehicles in front of the traffic signal and to output a corresponding image signal;

a sensor unit configured to detect illumination states of the traffic signal and output a corresponding detection output; and

a processor configured to

determine when and the duration during which each of at least the red light and a green light of the traffic signal is illuminated by monitoring motion of the vehicles within the image signal and by using the detection output of the sensor unit,

present the first content segment corresponding to illumination of the red light on the display screen based on the metadata and substantially for the entire duration when the red light is illuminated, and

control the display screen to operate in a low-power state substantially for the entire duration when the green light is illuminated.

2. The digital electronic display of claim 1, wherein the turn light of the traffic signal is a left turn light, wherein monitoring motion of the vehicles by the processor further comprises determining when and the duration during which the left turn light is illuminated based upon the vehicles moving through a left turn lane, and wherein the processor is further configured to present the second content segment corresponding to the left turn light on the display screen based on the metadata and substantially for the entire duration when the left turn light is illuminated.

3. The digital electronic display of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to estimate a timing schedule for the traffic signal.

4. The digital electronic display of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to control the display screen to operate in a low-power state, or an off state, in response to the image signal indicating that a number of vehicles at the traffic signal are less than a specified threshold number of vehicles.

5. The digital electronic display of claim 1, wherein the communication unit comprises a wireless transceiver and a port unit, and the content is received from one of a web portal through connection of the wireless transceiver to the Internet or connection of the port unit to the Internet, or from another device through the wireless transceiver or the port unit.

6. The digital electronic display of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to analyze the image signal output by the camera using image-processing techniques to obtain demographic information related to the vehicles in front of the traffic signal, and to output the demographic information to another device.

7. The digital electronic display of claim 1 wherein:

the traffic signal is used at a pedestrian crossing;

the camera is configured to capture images of pedestrians waiting at the red light of the traffic signal and to output a corresponding image signal;

the processor is further configured to determine demographics of the pedestrians waiting at the red light of the traffic signal from the image signal output by the camera; and

the processor presents the content segment on the display screen based on the demographics of the pedestrians waiting at the red light.

8. A method of controlling a digital electronic display connected to a traffic signal, the method comprising:

receiving content including a plurality of content segments and metadata, the plurality of content segments comprising a first content segment corresponding to illumination of a red light of the traffic signal and a second content segment corresponding to illumination of a turn light of the traffic signal;

capturing images of vehicles in front of the traffic signal into an image signal;

determining when and the duration during which each of at least the red light and a green light of the traffic signal is illuminated by monitoring motion of the vehicles within the image signal and by using a detection output of a sensor unit configured to detect illumination states of the traffic signal and to output the detection output corresponding thereto;

presenting the first content segment corresponding to the illumination of the red light on a display screen based on the metadata and substantially for the entire duration when the red light is illuminated; and

controlling the display screen to operate in a low-power state substantially for the entire duration when the green light is illuminated.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the turn light of the traffic signal is a left turn light, wherein monitoring motion of the vehicles within the image signal comprises determining when and the duration during which the left turn light of the traffic signal is illuminated based upon the vehicles moving through a left turn lane, and wherein the method further comprises presenting the second content segment corresponding to the illumination of the left turn light of the traffic signal on the display screen based on the metadata and substantially for the entire duration when the left turn signal is illuminated.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising estimating a timing schedule for the traffic signal.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising controlling the display screen to operate in a low-power state, or an off state, in response to the image signal indicating that a number of vehicles at the traffic signal are less than a specified threshold number of vehicles.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the content is received from another device through a wireless transceiver or a port unit.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

obtaining demographic information related to the vehicles in front of the traffic signal using image-processing techniques; and

outputting the demographic information to another device through a wireless transceiver or through a port unit.

14. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

determining demographics of pedestrians waiting at the red light of the traffic signal used at a pedestrian crossing from an image signal output by a camera configured to capture images of the pedestrians waiting at the red light, wherein the content segment is presented on the display screen with further reference to the demographics of the pedestrians waiting at the red light.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable instructions stored thereupon that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to:

receive content including content segments and metadata, the content segments comprising a first content segment corresponding to illumination of a red light of the traffic signal and a second content segment corresponding to illumination of a turn light of the traffic signal;

capture images of vehicles in front of a traffic signal into an image signal;

determine when and the duration during which each of at least a red light and a green light of the traffic signal is illuminated by monitoring motion of the vehicles within the image signal and by using a detection output of a sensor unit configured to detect illumination states of the traffic signal;

present the first content segment corresponding to the illumination of the red light on a display screen based on the metadata and substantially for the entire duration when the red light is illuminated; and

control the display screen to operate in a low-power state substantially for the entire duration when the green light is illuminated.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the computer is further caused to estimate a timing schedule for the traffic signal.