SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR EXPANDING PREEMPTION AND BUS PRIORITY SIGNALS

• US 20110109478A1
• Filed: 09/07/2010
• Published: 05/12/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jarrid Michael Gross, Jonathan Youngman, William A. Williamson, William Thomas Williamson
• Original Assignee: Jarrid Michael Gross, Jonathan Youngman, William A. Williamson, William Thomas Williamson
• Inventors: Williamson, William A., Youngman, Jonathan, Williamson, William Thomas, Gross, Jarrid Michael
• Granted Patent: US 8,760,315 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/906
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/087 Override of traffic control, e.g. by signal transmitted by an emergency vehicle

Abstract

A system for controlling traffic for allowing passage of an emergency vehicle through an intersection controlled by traffic signals includes an intersection module for transmitting signals for preempting the traffic signals and one or more circuit cards coupled to the intersection module. Each expansion card includes a plurality of contact closures for outputting one or more of the signals for preempting the traffic signals. The intersection module selects an expansion card based on a type of output desired, and further selects one or more contact closures of the selected card for the desired output. The expansion cards allow preempt or vehicle outputs beyond the output that a single card can provide. According to another embodiment, the output expansion is achieved by emulating the communication interface between the intersection module and the traffic signal controller.

Claims

1. A system for controlling traffic for allowing passage of an emergency vehicle through an intersection controlled by traffic signals, the system comprising:

an intersection module for transmitting signals for preempting the traffic signals; and

one or more circuit cards coupled to the intersection module, each circuit card including a plurality of contact closures for outputting one or more of the signals for preempting the traffic signals,

wherein, the intersection module is configured to select a circuit card from the one or more circuit cards based on a type of output desired, and further select one or more contact closures of the selected card for the desired output.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the intersection module includes a table storing a list of output signals mapped to addresses of the one or more circuit cards, wherein the intersection module selects the circuit card based on the table.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein each of the addresses include an address of a specific contact closure for the corresponding circuit card.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the intersection module is included in a master circuit card coupled to a traffic signal controller configured to control the traffic signals.

5. A system for controlling traffic for allowing passage of an emergency vehicle through an intersection controlled by traffic signals, the system comprising:

an intersection module for transmitting signals for preempting the traffic signals; and

an emulation module coupled to the intersection module for emulating outputs for a plurality of bus interface units, each of the plurality of bus interface units being configured to communicate with a traffic signal controller controlling the traffic signals.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the emulation module emulates the plurality of bus interface units without requiring a separate circuit card or card rack for each of the plurality of bus interface units.