Outdoor lighting fixtures for controlling traffic lights

• US 8,729,446 B2
• Filed: 08/31/2011
• Issued: 05/20/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Orion Energy Systems, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Orion Energy Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: Verfuerth, Neal R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pyo, Kevin
• Assistant Examiner(s): WILLIAMS, DON J
• Application Number:
  US13/223,151
• Publication Number:
  US 20120038490A1
• Time in Patent Office: 993 Days
• Field of Search: 340/539.22, 340/539.1, 340/815.4, 340/901, 340/903, 340/931, 340/933, 315/88, 315/129, 315/152, 315/154, 362/217.16, 362/427, 250/205, 250/221, 250/222.1, 348/143
• US Class Current: 250/205
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0116 from roadside infrastructure, e.g. beacons
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0133 for classifying traffic situation
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0145 for active traffic flow control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/04 using optical or ultrasonic detectors
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/052 with provision for determining speed or overspeed speed measuring in general G01P
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/056 with provision for distinguishing direction of travel
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/16 by timing means
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/19 via wireless transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/195 the transmission using visible or infrared light
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection

Abstract

An outdoor lighting fixture for communicating with a traffic light system is shown and described. The outdoor lighting fixture includes a ballast for providing current to at least one lamp and a fixture housing at least partially surrounding the ballast and the at least one lamp. The outdoor lighting fixture further includes a mount configured to hold the fixture housing to a pole and a control circuit wired to the ballast. A sensor and a radio frequency transceiver are wired to the control circuit. The control circuit is configured to process inputs from the sensor to determine whether to send a light change instruction to the traffic system via the radio frequency transceiver.

Claims

1. An outdoor lighting fixture for communicating with a traffic light system, the outdoor lighting fixture comprising:

a ballast for providing current to at least one lamp;

a fixture housing at least partially surrounding the ballast and the at least one lamp;

a mount configured to hold the fixture housing to a pole;

a control circuit wired to the ballast;

a sensor wired to the control circuit; and

a radio frequency transceiver wired to the control circuit;

wherein the control circuit is configured to process inputs from the sensor to determine whether to send a light change instruction to the traffic system via the radio frequency transceiver.

2. The outdoor lighting fixture of claim 1, wherein the control circuit is configured to assign a priority to the light change instruction and to send a representation of the priority to the traffic system with the light change instruction.

3. The outdoor lighting fixture of claim 1, wherein the control circuit is configured to count a first number of vehicles using the inputs from the sensor.

4. The outdoor lighting fixture of claim 3, wherein the radio frequency transceiver is configured to receive a second count of vehicles on a different street and the control circuit is configured to determine a light change order by comparing the first number of vehicles to the second number of vehicles.

5. The outdoor lighting fixture of claim 3, wherein the control circuit is configured to determine a duration for the light change instruction based on the first count of the number of vehicles.

6. The outdoor lighting fixture of claim 5, wherein the radio frequency transceiver is configured to receive a second count of vehicles on a different street and the control circuit is configured to determine the duration for the light change instruction based on the first count and the second count of the number of vehicles.

7. A system for controlling a traffic light at an intersection of a first street and a second street, comprising:

a first street light oriented to illuminate the first street and having a first motion sensor pointed to detect vehicle traffic on the first street;

a second street light oriented to illuminate the second street and having a second motion sensor pointed to detect vehicle traffic on the second street;

a command system for the traffic light, wherein the first street light and the second street light communicate detected vehicle traffic on the first street and the second street to the command system via radio frequency transceivers of the first street light and the second street light, and wherein the command system changes the traffic light based on the detected vehicle traffic on the first street and the second street.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the command system is configured to compare the detected vehicle traffic on the first street and the second street to determine a precedence for the traffic light change.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the command system is configured to use the comparison of detected vehicle traffic to determine a duration for the traffic light change.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the command system is configured to determine whether a light change cleared the traffic waiting on the first street or the second street.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the command system is configured to adjust the duration of the next traffic light change based on the determination of whether a light change cleared the traffic.

12. A network of outdoor lighting fixtures, comprising:

a first outdoor lighting fixture comprising a motion sensor and configured to detect vehicle traffic on a street using signals from the motion sensor, the first outdoor lighting fixture further comprising a first radio frequency transceiver;

a second outdoor lighting fixture comprising a second radio frequency transceiver;

wherein the first outdoor lighting fixture is configured to cause the first radio frequency transceiver to transmit an indication of detected vehicle traffic to the second radio frequency transceiver;

wherein the second outdoor lighting fixture is configured to provide the indication of detected vehicle traffic to at least one of another outdoor lighting fixture and a traffic light system.

13. The network of outdoor lighting fixtures of claim 12, wherein the first outdoor lighting fixture is configured to brighten in response to detected vehicle traffic.

14. The network of outdoor lighting fixtures of claim 13, wherein the second outdoor lighting fixture is configured to brighten in response to receiving the indication of detected vehicle traffic.

15. The network of outdoor lighting fixtures of claim 12, wherein the second outdoor lighting fixture includes a wired interface to the traffic light system.

16. The network of outdoor lighting fixtures of claim 12, wherein the second outdoor lighting fixture uses the second radio frequency transceiver to transmit the indication of detected vehicle motion to the traffic light system.

17. The network of outdoor lighting fixtures of claim 12, wherein the traffic light system is configured to aggregate indications of detected vehicle traffic from a plurality of outdoor lighting fixtures having motion sensors.

18. The network of outdoor lighting fixtures of claim 17, wherein the traffic light system is configured to determine at least one of a precedence and a duration for a traffic light change at an intersection based on the aggregated indications of detected vehicle traffic.