Traffic signal system for congested trafficways

• US 9,424,749 B1
• Filed: 04/15/2015
• Issued: 08/23/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amanda Reed, Daniel E. Reed
• Original Assignee: Amanda Reed, Daniel E. Reed
• Inventors: Reed, Amanda, Reed, Daniel E.
• Primary Examiner(s): WANG, TED M
• Application Number:
  US14/687,322
• Time in Patent Office: 496 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/005 including pedestrian guidance indicator
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/01 Detecting movement of traffic to be counted or controlled G08G1/07 - G08G1/14 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/07 Controlling traffic signals
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/095 Traffic lights
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes

Abstract

A traffic signal system for congested trafficways has a plurality of stationary alarm light/sensor-reader combinations and mobile alarm light/sensor-reader combinations monitoring each other and monitory tags placed on individuals, machines, and hazards to provide real time alarms to not only pedestrians but also machine operators, who are potentially approaching harm'"'"'s way, or have the better ability to avert potential harm. Different forms of alarms are provided to indicate different kinds of alarm conditions and to reduce complacency to alarms, and thus improve effectiveness.

Claims

1. A traffic signal system for congested trafficways in a workspace populated by a plurality of pedestrians and a plurality of vehicle-driver driven land vehicles, said system comprising:

a plurality of transponders for wearing by pedestrians and indicating each such wearer'"'"'s status equates as least to being a pedestrian;

a plurality of transponders for wearing by vehicle-drivers and indicating each such wearer'"'"'s status equates as least to being a vehicle-driver;

a plurality of transponders for wearing by land vehicles and indicating each such wearer'"'"'s status equates as least to being a land vehicle;

a plurality of stationary traffic lights mounted at positions within the workspace to provide traffic signaling in connection with designated areas of concern;

a plurality of stationary sensors/readers of transponder output mounted at positions within the workspace to provide traffic detection over designated areas of concern;

wherein each of said plurality of stationary sensors/readers of transponder output is configured to monitor for at least one alarm condition and, in the event of the alarm condition, activates at least one stationary traffic light;

a plurality of mobile traffic lights mounted on the land vehicles; and

a plurality of mobile sensors/readers of transponder output mounted on the land vehicles;

wherein each of said mobile sensors/readers of transponder output is configured to monitor for at least one alarm condition and, in the event of the alarm condition, activates at least one mobile traffic light or one stationary traffic light.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein:

said transponders comprise RFID devices; and

said sensors/readers comprise RFID readers.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein:

each of a multiplicity of the plurality of said stationary sensors/readers are combined with a corresponding one of a multiplicity of the plurality of stationary traffic lights to form a single, unitary device.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein:

a preponderance of the a single, unitary devices comprising a combination a stationary sensors/reader with a stationary traffic light are provided with a battery power supply, whereby the preponderance of the a single, unitary devices can be mounted or stationed wherever about the workspace without having to have a connection to public utility power.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein:

the at least one alarm condition that each mobile sensor/reader mounted to a land vehicle is configured to monitor includes any of the following alarm conditions;

—

an area that is hazardous because of utilities or hazardous materials,

a hazardous piece of equipment on the ground plane, and

mobile overhead hazards; and

further comprising a multiplicity of additional RFID devices for attaching or mounting proximate at least one of said multiplicity of additional RFID devices to each hazardous area, hazardous piece of equipment, and mobile overhead hazard;

wherein each of the multiplicity of additional RFID devices is configured to transmit a transmission that identifies a representative attribute of the respective hazardous area, hazardous piece of equipment, or mobile overhead hazard, respectively.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein:

the at least one alarm condition that each mobile sensor/reader mounted to a land vehicle is configured to monitor includes any of the following alarm conditions;

—

restricted access through garage doorway, and

palleted cargo not authorized for handling by the land vehicle; and

further comprising another multiplicity of other RFID devices for attaching or mounting proximate at least one of said multiplicity of additional RFID devices to each restricted access and palleted cargo not authorized for handling by the land vehicle;

wherein each the other multiplicity of other RFID devices is configured to transmit a transmission that identifies a representative attribute of the respective restricted access or palleted cargo not authorized for handling by the land vehicle, respectively.

7. A traffic signal method for congested trafficways in a workspace populated by a pedestrians, a vehicle-driver driven land vehicles, and other hazards;

said method comprising the steps of;

providing a pedestrian with a pedestrian'"'"'s RFID transponder to wear while traversing the workspace;

configuring said pedestrian'"'"'s RFID transponder to transmit a transmission that identifies a representative attribute of said pedestrian;

providing a land vehicle with a land vehicle'"'"'s RFID transponder to be attached or mounted thereto while traversing the workspace;

configuring said land vehicle'"'"'s RFID transponder to transmit a transmission that identifies a representative attribute of said land vehicle;

mounting or stationing an RFID sensor/reader in the workspace to monitor a hazardous corner or hazardous intersection of plural trafficways/walkways;

linking a traffic light to the RFID sensor/reader for receiving operating signals;

mounting or stationing the traffic light with respect to the hazardous corner or hazardous intersection such that it is visible to the pedestrian or vehicle-driver of the land vehicle on the approach to the traffic light on any of the concerned ones of the plural trafficways/walkways;

configuring the RFID sensor/reader and linked traffic light such that when the pedestrian is within range of the RFID sensor/reader, the traffic light provides a ‘

pedestrian within range’

indication, whereby on the pedestrian'"'"'s approach to the traffic light, the traffic light provides the pedestrian feedback that he or she has been sensed; and

configuring the RFID sensor/reader and linked traffic light such that when the land vehicle is within range of the RFID sensor/reader, the traffic light provides a ‘

land vehicle within range’

indication, whereby on the vehicle-driver'"'"'s approach to the traffic light, the traffic light provides the pedestrian feedback that driven land vehicle has been sensed.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

providing a second pedestrian with a pedestrian'"'"'s RFID transponder to wear while traversing the workspace; and

configuring the RFID sensor/reader and linked traffic light such that when plural pedestrians are within range of the RFID sensor/reader, the traffic light provides an ‘

at least two pedestrians within range’

indication, whereby on either pedestrian'"'"'s approach to the traffic light, the traffic light provides the pedestrians feedback that they have been sensed.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein:

the ‘

pedestrian within range’

indication comprises a steady yellow light; and

the ‘

at least two pedestrians within range’

indication comprises a flashing yellow light.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein:

the ‘

pedestrian within range’

indication comprises one illuminated image; and

the ‘

at least two pedestrians within range’

indication comprises another illuminated image.

11. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

providing a second land vehicle with a land vehicle'"'"'s RFID transponder to have attached or mounted thereto while traversing the workspace; and

configuring the RFID sensor/reader and linked traffic light such that when plural land vehicles are within range of the RFID sensor/reader, the traffic light provides an ‘

at least two land vehicles within range’

indication, whereby on either vehicle-driver'"'"'s approach to the traffic light, the traffic light provides the vehicle drivers feedback that both land vehicles have been sensed.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein:

the ‘

land vehicle within range’

indication comprises a steady red light; and

the ‘

at least two land vehicles within range’

indication comprises a flashing red light.

13. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

providing a vehicle driver with a driver'"'"'s RFID transponder to wear while traversing the workspace;

configuring said driver'"'"'s RFID transponder to transmit a transmission that identifies a representative attribute of said vehicle driver;

configuring the RFID sensor/reader and linked traffic light such that when a dual detection is made of both a driver'"'"'s transponder and a land vehicle transponder in close proximity to one another, the RFID sensor/reader and the traffic light treat the dual detection as a detection of one land vehicle; and

configuring the RFID sensor/reader and linked traffic light such that when a lone detection is made of a driver'"'"'s transponder in the absence of, or remote from, detection of a land vehicle transponder, the RFID sensor/reader and the traffic light treat the lone detection as a detection of one pedestrian.

14. The method of claim 7, wherein:

combining the stationary RFID sensor/reader with stationary traffic light to form a single, unitary device.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

providing a battery power supply to the single, unitary device whereby affording great flexibility where to mount or station the unitary device without having to have a connection to public utility power.

16. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

providing other specified hazards with a specified hazard RFID transponder to be attached or mounted thereabout while within the environment of the workspace;

configuring said specified hazard RFID transponder to transmit a transmission that identifies a particular attribute of the specified hazard;

providing the land vehicle with a RFID sensor/reader and warning light combination to be attached or mounted thereto while traversing the workspace;

configuring the land vehicle'"'"'s RFID sensor/reader and warning light to sense and read the transmissions of any of the specified hazard RFID transponders and provide a warning that such is within range by means of the warning light.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein:

the specified hazards can comprise any of;

—

an area that is hazardous because of utilities or hazardous materials,

a hazardous piece of equipment on the ground plane,

mobile overhead hazards,

restricted access through garage doorway, and/or

palleted cargo not authorized for handling by the land vehicle.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

a lightbar in the helm of the land vehicle, the lightbar being visible to the vehicle driver and having at least three indications indicative of at least straight ahead, left or right; and

configuring the land vehicle'"'"'s RFID sensor/reader and the lightbar to sense and read the transmissions of any pedestrian RFID transponders and provide a warning that not only such is within range but also by providing the straight ahead, left or right indication if the pedestrian transponder is generally straight ahead, or more to the left or right respectively.