System and method for traffic preemption emitter type detection and response

• US 9,711,045 B1
• Filed: 07/13/2015
• Issued: 07/18/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tomar Electronics Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Tomar Electronics Incorporated
• Inventors: Worthy, David G., Geiger, Timothy A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Swarthout, Brent
• Application Number:
  US14/798,244
• Time in Patent Office: 736 Days
• Field of Search: 340902, 340906
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/087 Override of traffic control, e.g. by signal transmitted by an emergency vehicle

Abstract

A traffic preemption system comprising a vehicle preemption unit configured to mount to a vehicle and transmit a signal comprising one or more identifying pulses, a detection unit configured to, receive the signal transmitted by the vehicle preemption unit, identify a characteristic of the vehicle preemption unit using the one or more identifying pulses, and calculate a timing delay based on the identified characteristic of the vehicle preemption unit, and an intersection preemption unit configured to receive the timing delay from the detection unit and change a traffic light in response to the timing delay.

Claims

1. A traffic preemption system comprising:

a vehicle preemption unit configured to mount to a vehicle and transmit a signal comprising one or more identifying pulses;

a detection unit configured to;

receive the signal transmitted by the vehicle preemption unit;

identify a characteristic of the vehicle preemption unit using the one or more identifying pulses; and

calculate a timing delay based on the identified characteristic of the vehicle preemption unit; and

an intersection preemption unit configured to;

receive the timing delay from the detection unit; and

change a traffic light in response to the timing delay, wherein the characteristic of the vehicle preemption unit identified comprises at least one of a model and a manufacturer of the vehicle preemption unit.

2. The traffic preemption system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle preemption unit comprises at least one of a strobe emitter and an LED emitter.

3. The traffic preemption system of claim 1, wherein the one or more identifying pulses comprises a pulse pattern.

4. The traffic preemption system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle preemption unit is further configured to transmit a predetermined pulse pattern based on a priori information about a characteristic of the vehicle preemption unit.

5. A traffic preemption system comprising:

a vehicle preemption unit configured to mount to a vehicle and transmit a signal comprising one or more identifying pulses;

a detection unit configured to;

receive the signal transmitted by the vehicle preemption unit;

identify a characteristic of the vehicle preemption unit using the one or more identifying pulses; and

calculate a timing delay based on the identified characteristic of the vehicle preemption unit; and

an intersection preemption unit configured to;

receive the timing delay from the detection unit; and

change a traffic light in response to the timing delay, wherein the vehicle preemption unit further comprises an output signal power detector configured to measure a signal strength of the signal transmitted by the vehicle preemption unit.

6. The traffic preemption system of claim 5, wherein the characteristic of the vehicle preemption unit identified comprises the signal strength of the signal transmitted by the vehicle preemption unit.

18. The traffic preemption system of claim 5, wherein the vehicle preemption unit comprises at least one of a strobe emitter and an LED emitter.

19. The traffic preemption system of claim 5, wherein the one or more identifying pulses comprises a pulse pattern.

20. The traffic preemption system of claim 5, wherein the vehicle preemption unit is further configured to transmit a predetermined pulse pattern based on a priori information about a characteristic of the vehicle preemption unit.

7. A traffic preemption system comprising:

a vehicle preemption unit configured to mount to a vehicle and transmit a signal comprising one or more identifying pulses;

a detection unit configured to;

receive the signal transmitted by the vehicle preemption unit;

identify a characteristic of the vehicle preemption unit using the one or more identifying pulses; and

calculate a trip point based on the identified characteristic of the vehicle preemption unit and an estimated speed of the vehicle; and

an intersection preemption unit configured to;

receive the trip point from the detection unit; and

change a traffic light in response to the trip point received, wherein the characteristic of the vehicle preemption unit identified comprises at least one of a model and a manufacturer of the vehicle preemption unit and the detection unit is further configured to normalize a pulse amplitude of the signal received from the vehicle preemption unit based on the characteristic of the vehicle preemption unit that is identified.

8. The traffic preemption system of claim 7, wherein the detection unit is further configured to determine an amplitude of the signal transmitted by the vehicle preemption unit by sampling the incoming signal and determining an average pulse amplitude or by determining a width of a detection envelope for the incoming signal.

11. The traffic preemption system of claim 7, wherein the vehicle preemption unit is further configured to transmit a suppression signal to the detection unit and the intersection preemption unit is further configured to prevent a change in a traffic light in response to the suppression signal received from the detection unit.

9. A traffic preemption system comprising:

a vehicle preemption unit configured to mount to a vehicle and transmit a signal comprising one or more identifying pulses;

a detection unit configured to;

receive the signal transmitted by the vehicle preemption unit;

identify a characteristic of the vehicle preemption unit using the one or more identifying pulses; and

calculate a trip point based on the identified characteristic of the vehicle preemption unit and an estimated speed of the vehicle; and

an intersection preemption unit configured to;

receive the trip point from the detection unit; and

change a traffic light in response to the trip point received, wherein the vehicle preemption unit further comprises an output signal power detector configured to measure a signal strength of the signal transmitted by the vehicle preemption unit.

10. The traffic preemption system of claim 9, wherein the characteristic of the vehicle preemption unit identified comprises the signal strength of the signal transmitted by the vehicle preemption unit.

21. The traffic preemption system of claim 9, wherein the detection unit is further configured to determine an amplitude of the signal transmitted by the vehicle preemption unit by sampling the incoming signal and determining an average pulse amplitude or by determining a width of a detection envelope for the incoming signal.

22. The traffic preemption system of claim 9, wherein the vehicle preemption unit is further configured to transmit a suppression signal to the detection unit and the intersection preemption unit is further configured to prevent a change in a traffic light in response to the suppression signal received from the detection unit.

12. A traffic preemption method comprising:

transmitting a signal comprising one or more identifying pulses by a vehicle preemption unit mounted to a vehicle;

receiving the signal by a detection unit;

identifying, by the detection unit, a characteristic of the vehicle preemption unit using the one or more identifying pulses;

adjusting, by the detection unit, an amplitude of a signal output by the detection unit based on the identified characteristic of the vehicle preemption unit;

receiving, by an intersection preemption unit, the amplitude-adjusted signal output from the detection unit; and

changing, by the intersection preemption unit, a traffic light in response to the amplitude-adjusted signal received by the intersection preemption unit, wherein the characteristic of the vehicle preemption unit identified comprises at least one of a model and a manufacturer of the vehicle preemption unit and the method further comprises normalizing a pulse amplitude of the signal received from the vehicle preemption unit based on the characteristic of the vehicle preemption unit that is identified.

13. The traffic preemption method of claim 12, wherein the one or more identifying pulses comprises a pulse pattern.

14. The traffic preemption method of claim 12, further comprising determining, by the detection unit, an amplitude of the signal transmitted by the vehicle preemption unit by sampling the incoming signal and determining an average pulse amplitude or by determining a width of a detection envelope for the incoming signal.

15. The traffic preemption method of claim 12, further comprising transmitting, by the vehicle preemption unit, a predetermined pulse pattern based on a priori information about a characteristic of the vehicle preemption unit.

16. A traffic preemption method comprising:

transmitting a signal comprising one or more identifying pulses by a vehicle preemption unit mounted to a vehicle;

receiving the signal by a detection unit;

measuring, by an output signal power detector of the vehicle preemption unit, a signal strength of the signal transmitted by the vehicle preemption unit;

identifying, by the detection unit, a characteristic of the vehicle preemption unit using the one or more identifying pulses;

adjusting, by the detection unit, an amplitude of a signal output by the detection unit based on the identified characteristic of the vehicle preemption unit;

receiving, by an intersection preemption unit, the amplitude-adjusted signal output from the detection unit; and

changing, by the intersection preemption unit, a traffic light in response to the amplitude-adjusted signal received by the intersection preemption unit.

17. The traffic preemption method of claim 16, wherein the characteristic of the vehicle preemption unit identified comprises the signal strength of the signal transmitted by the vehicle preemption unit.

23. The traffic preemption method of claim 16, wherein the one or more identifying pulses comprises a pulse pattern.

24. The traffic preemption method of claim 16, further comprising determining, by the detection unit, an amplitude of the signal transmitted by the vehicle preemption unit by sampling the incoming signal and determining an average pulse amplitude or by determining a width of a detection envelope for the incoming signal.

25. The traffic preemption method of claim 16, further comprising transmitting, by the vehicle preemption unit, a predetermined pulse pattern based on a priori information about a characteristic of the vehicle preemption unit.