Traffic light prediction system

• US 20080071460A1
• Filed: 09/18/2006
• Published: 03/20/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Guixian Lu
• Original Assignee: Guixian Lu
• Inventors: Lu, Guixian
• Granted Patent: US 8,078,379 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/93
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 7/18 operated by wayside apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096725 where the received information generates an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096758 where no selection takes place on the transmitted or the received information
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096783 where the origin of the information is a roadside individual element

Abstract

A traffic system that helps a driver to save fuel by avoiding red light or by minimized fuel supply before stopping a red light. It predicts the colors of a traffic light and automatically control the speed of the vehicle. The system comprising three kinds of moving sections representing three future colors: green, yellow, and red. The moving sections are moving towards the traffic light. There is a microprocessor in each vehicle to receive messages from the traffic light in front and to calculate an optimal speed to the cruise control in the vehicle.

Claims

1. A Traffic Light Prediction System that controls the speed of a vehicle to save fuel by avoiding red lights or by decelerating before a red light;

said traffic light prediction system defines three kinds of moving sections, red sections, green sections, and yellow sections;

said moving sections are positioned at varying distances along the street extending out from the traffic light;

the length of said moving sections is related to periods of the future traffic light colors;

each kind of said moving sections represents at least one future color of the traffic light;

the movement of said moving sections is synchronized with the traffic light color periods so that the time each of said moving sections reaches the traffic light is the time that the traffic light changes the color to the color that said each moving section represents;

said traffic light prediction system includes a communicator and a broadcast unit to send out information about the periods of the traffic light colors, the phase of the periods, the speed of the moving sections, the distance of the communicator to the traffic light;

said traffic light prediction system comprises a microprocessor for calculation and sending the control message to cruise control, brake system, and a display unit;

2. The Traffic Light Predication System of claim 1, wherein if the vehicle is in one of said red sections and close to one of said green sections in front enough to shift to said green section before reaching the traffic light, said microprocessor shall control the engine to do so;

3. The Traffic Light Predication System of claim 1, wherein if the vehicle is in one of said red sections and has enough time shift to one of said green sections behind before reaches the traffic light by minimizing the fuel supply, said microprocessor shall control the engine to do so;

4. The Traffic Light Predication System of claim 1, wherein if the vehicle is in one of said red section and can reduce the speed by apply brake and reducing fuel in order to shift to one of said green sections without stopping before reaching the traffic light, said microprocessor shall control the engine and break to do so when the total fuel consumption is less than other way (completely stop);

5. The Traffic Light Predication System of claim 1, wherein if the vehicle is in one of said red sections and has to stop anyway, said microprocessor shall minimize the fuel supply to do so;

6. The Traffic Light Predication System of claim 1, if the vehicle is in one of said green sections and there is no other vehicle in near front, said microprocessor shall control the engine to move forwards to the front part of said green section with speed under speed limit to produce space in the rear part of said green section;

7. The Traffic Light Predication System of claim 1, wherein if the vehicle is in one of said green sections and there is another vehicle in front which is reducing speed and getting too close to the vehicle, said microprocessor shall control the engine and break to reduce speed to keep a minimum distance between two vehicles;

8. The Traffic Light Predication System of claim 1, wherein if the vehicle is at the very front end of one of said green sections, said microprocessor shall control the engine to keep vehicle speed equal to speed of said moving sections so that the vehicle will stay at the front;

9. The Traffic Light Predication System of claim 1, wherein said microprocessor is connected to a sensor sensing a vehicle in front;

10. The Traffic Light Predication System of claim 1, wherein said microprocessor is connected to cruise control module and sends data of optimal vehicle speed to the cruise control module;

11. The Traffic Light Predication System of claim 1, wherein said microprocessor is connected to brake system and sends data to dictate some degree of braking.