Control of traffic signal due to obstructed view

• US 8,791,837 B2
• Filed: 11/05/2013
• Issued: 07/29/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyndryl Incorporated
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Allen, James D., Davis, Teresa L., Hanthorn, Douglas E.
• Primary Examiner(s): HUNNINGS, TRAVIS R
• Application Number:
  US14/071,743
• Publication Number:
  US 20140055286A1
• Time in Patent Office: 266 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 340/923
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/04 using optical or ultrasonic detectors
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/07 Controlling traffic signals

Abstract

Traffic signal timing may be altered as a function of determining occluded signal viewing. More particularly, processing units may determine that a view of a traffic signal by a person is obstructed by a vehicle located on a first ingress path to a roadway intersection with a second ingress path. The traffic signal controls the right of way of the first ingress path, and the person with the obstructed view is travelling along the first ingress path toward the intersection and is located behind the vehicle relative to a view sightline of the person to the traffic signal. In response to the occluded view determination, a transition of the traffic signal may be delayed from a current visual display of a proceed signal to a subsequent visual display of a stop signal, until an end of a delay period.

Claims

1. A method for altering traffic signal timing as a function of occluded signal viewing, the method comprising:

in response to a determination that a view of a traffic signal by a person is obstructed by a vehicle that is located within a view sightline of the person to the traffic signal, delaying a transition of the traffic signal for a delay period from a current visual display of a proceed signal to the person to a subsequent visual display of a stop signal to the person; and

transitioning the traffic signal from visually displaying the proceed signal to visually displaying the stop signal to the person via the view sightline at an end of the delay period.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

integrating computer-readable program code into a computer system comprising a processor, a computer readable memory and a computer readable storage medium, wherein the computer readable program code is embodied on the computer readable storage medium and comprises instructions that, when executed by the processor via the computer readable memory, cause the processor to perform the steps of delaying the transition of the traffic signal for the delay period from the current visual display of the proceed signal to the person to the subsequent visual display of the stop signal to the person in response to the determination that the view of the traffic signal by the person is obstructed by the vehicle that is located within the view sightline of the person to the traffic signal, transitioning the traffic signal from visually displaying the proceed signal to visually displaying the stop signal to the person via the view sightline at the end of the delay period.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the vehicle is located on a first ingress path to a roadway intersection with a second ingress path, wherein the traffic signal controls the right of way of the first ingress path, wherein the person is travelling along the first ingress path toward the intersection and is located behind the vehicle relative to the view sightline of the person to the traffic signal, wherein the current proceed signal visually conveys via the view sightline to the person that the person has right of way through the intersection, and wherein the subsequent stop signal visually conveys via the view sightline to the person that the person must stop from proceeding into or through the intersection.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the first ingress path is a first roadway lane of vehicular traffic, wherein the person is operating another vehicle on the first roadway lane, and wherein the vehicle is taller than a height of the person while operating the another vehicle.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the another vehicle operated by the person is an automobile or a bicycle, and wherein the vehicle is a truck or a bus.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the first ingress path is a first roadway lane of vehicular traffic comprising an adjacent sidewalk, wherein the second ingress path is a second roadway, wherein the person is a pedestrian located on a sidewalk adjacent to the vehicle, wherein the sidewalk provides ingress to the intersection via a crosswalk across the second roadway;

and

wherein the step of delaying the transition of the traffic signal comprises delaying the transition of the traffic signal until the person crosses the second roadway via the crosswalk.

7. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

selecting a delay amount from at least one predetermined delay amount;

wherein the delaying the transition of the traffic signal comprises generating the delay period by adding the selected predetermined delay amount to a transition period used by a current signal schedule of the traffic signal; and

wherein the end of the selected delay period is an elapse of the generated delay period.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of selecting the delay amount comprises selecting a delay amount that is estimated to enable the person to complete a travel through the intersection.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the at least one delay amount comprises a plurality of delay amounts that are each estimated to enable different pedestrians or vehicles to compete the travel through the intersection;

and

the method further comprising selecting a longest of the delay amounts.

10. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of delaying the transition of the traffic signal comprises initiating a delay in a transition that is scheduled in a transition period used by a current signal schedule of the traffic signal, in response to a real-time determination that the view of the traffic signal by the person via the view sightline is obstructed by the vehicle located on the first ingress path, wherein the person is travelling along the first ingress path toward the intersection and is located behind the vehicle relative to the traffic signal;

and

wherein the transitioning the traffic signal from visually displaying the proceed signal to visually displaying the stop signal to the person via the view sightline at an end of the delay period is in response to a real-time determination that the view of the traffic signal by the person via the view sightline no longer is obstructed by the vehicle.

11. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of determining via the processing unit that the view of the traffic signal by the person is obstructed by the vehicle located on the first ingress path is responsive to signals received by the a sensor located along the view sightline of the person to the traffic signal.

12. A system, comprising:

a processor in communication with a computer readable memory and a tangible computer-readable storage medium;

wherein the processor is in communication with a sensor and with a traffic signal, and when executing program instructions stored on the tangible computer-readable storage medium via the computer readable memory;

in response to a determination that a view of a traffic signal by a person is obstructed by a vehicle that is located within a view sightline of the person to the traffic signal, delays a transition of the traffic signal for a delay period from a current visual display of a proceed signal to the person to a subsequent visual display of a stop signal to the person; and

transitions the traffic signal from visually displaying the proceed signal to visually displaying the stop signal to the person via the view sightline at an end of the delay period.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the vehicle is located on a first ingress path to a roadway intersection with a second ingress path, wherein the traffic signal controls the right of way of the first ingress path, wherein the person is travelling along the first ingress path toward the intersection and is located behind the vehicle relative to the view sightline of the person to the traffic signal, wherein the current proceed signal visually conveys via the view sightline to the person that the person has right of way through the intersection, and wherein the subsequent stop signal visually conveys via the view sightline to the person that the person must stop from proceeding into or through the intersection.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the processor, when executing the program instructions stored on the computer-readable storage medium via the computer readable memory, determines that the view of the traffic signal by the person is obstructed by the vehicle located on the first ingress path in response to signals received by a sensor located along the view sightline of the person to the traffic signal.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the first ingress path is a first roadway lane of vehicular traffic, wherein the person is operating another vehicle on the first roadway lane, and wherein the vehicle is taller than a height of the person while operating the another vehicle.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the first ingress path is a first roadway lane of vehicular traffic comprising an adjacent sidewalk;

wherein the second ingress path is a second roadway;

wherein the person is a pedestrian located on the sidewalk and adjacent to the vehicle;

wherein the sidewalk provides ingress to the intersection via a crosswalk across the second roadway; and

wherein the processor, when executing the program instructions stored on the computer-readable storage medium via the computer readable memory, delays the transition of the traffic signal until the person crosses the second roadway via the crosswalk.

17. An article of manufacture, comprising:

a computer readable tangible storage hardware device having computer readable program code embodied therewith, the computer readable program code comprising instructions that, when executed by a computer processor, cause the computer processor to;

in response to a determination that a view of a traffic signal by a person is obstructed by a vehicle that is located within a view sightline of the person to the traffic signal, delay a transition of the traffic signal for a delay period from a current visual display of a proceed signal to the person to a subsequent visual display of a stop signal to the person; and

transition the traffic signal from visually displaying the proceed signal to visually displaying the stop signal to the person via the view sightline at an end of the delay period.

18. The article of manufacture of claim 17, wherein the vehicle is located on a first ingress path to a roadway intersection with a second ingress path, wherein the traffic signal controls the right of way of the first ingress path, wherein the person is travelling along the first ingress path toward the intersection and is located behind the vehicle relative to the view sightline of the person to the traffic signal, wherein the current proceed signal visually conveys via the view sightline to the person that the person has right of way through the intersection, and wherein the subsequent stop signal visually conveys via the view sightline to the person that the person must stop from proceeding into or through the intersection.

19. The article of manufacture of claim 18, wherein the computer readable program code instructions, when executed by the computer processor, further cause the computer processor to determine that the view of the traffic signal by the person is obstructed by the vehicle located on the first ingress path in response to signals received by a sensor located along the view sightline of the person to the traffic signal.

20. The article of manufacture of claim 18, wherein the computer readable program code instructions, when executed by the computer processor, further cause the computer processor to:

select a delay amount from at least one predetermined delay amount;

delay the transition of the traffic signal by generating the delay period by adding the selected predetermined delay amount to a transition period used by a current signal schedule of the traffic signal; and

end the selected delay period at an elapse of the generated delay period.