System and method for automatically adjusting traffic light

• US 7,864,072 B2
• Filed: 06/17/2008
• Issued: 01/04/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: West, Frances W., Ferre, Wilfredo, Ghez, Julien, Basson, Sara H., Kanevsky, Dimitri
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Tai T
• Application Number:
  US12/140,543
• Publication Number:
  US 20090146841A1
• Time in Patent Office: 931 Days
• Field of Search: 340/925, 340/903, 340/905, 340/907, 340/917, 340/933, 340/936, 340/944, 701/25, 701/41, 701/43
• US Class Current: 340/925
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/005 including pedestrian guidance indicator
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/07 Controlling traffic signals

Abstract

A system, program product and method for automatically adjusting the traffic light of a traffic light controlled intersection. Personal data relative to a pedestrian cross walking the intersection, including walking speed, and the current speed of a vehicle approaching the intersection are simultaneously acquired. Both the personal data and the vehicle current speed are processed to generate cross walk control signals, such as indicators of risk of collision between vehicle and pedestrian. Where the risk warrants action, the “stop” condition of the traffic light is enable to warn the vehicle to stop. Traffic control signals are also generated to control the duration of the “walk” condition for slow moving pedestrians.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

obtaining personal data relative to a pedestrian crossing an intersection, said personal data including at least walking speed of said pedestrian;

obtaining current speed of at least one vehicle approaching the intersection;

processing said personal data and the current speed of said at least one vehicle to create at least one cross walk indicator; and

adjusting a traffic light according to the value of said at least one cross walk indicator.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of processing said personal data of said pedestrian comprises the step of comparing the said walking speed of said pedestrian to a standard normal walking speed value.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the step of processing said current speed of said at least one vehicle comprises the step of comparing said current speed to a threshold vehicle speed value.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein said at least one cross walk indicator comprises a signal indicative of a slow moving pedestrian and the said step of adjusting the traffic light further comprises the step of adjusting the time duration of a “

walk”

signal of said traffic light according to the walking speed of said slow moving pedestrian.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one cross walk indicator comprises a signal indicative of a risk of collision between the said at least one vehicle and said pedestrian, and wherein said step of adjusting said traffic light comprises generating a Stop signal to warn said at least one vehicle to stop.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of acquiring personal data further comprises the step of receiving wireless personal data relative to said pedestrian.

7. The method of claim 4 further comprising the step of determining whether the crossing of said intersection by said pedestrian is complete, and further comprising the step of maintaining said time duration until said pedestrian completes crossing said intersection.

8. The method of claim 3 wherein when said current speed of said at least one vehicle exceeds said threshold vehicle speed value, a vehicle “

stop”

signal is generated.

9. A system, comprising:

detection apparatus for obtaining personal data relative to at least one pedestrian crossing an intersection, said personal data including at least walking speed of said pedestrian;

detection apparatus for obtaining the current speed of at least one vehicle approaching said intersection;

data processing apparatus for processing said personal data relative to the walking speed of said at least one pedestrian crossing said intersection and said current vehicle speed of said at least one vehicle approaching said intersection to generate traffic control signals; and

a traffic light regulator for sending said traffic control signals to a traffic light to control vehicle and pedestrian traffic in accordance with pedestrian and vehicle traffic speed.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein said date processing apparatus compares the walking speed value of said at least one pedestrian crossing said intersection to a stored standard normal walking speed value and generates a traffic control time duration signal value in accordance with the difference between said pedestrian walking speed value and said standard normal walking speed value where said pedestrian walking speed value is less than said walking speed value.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein said data processing apparatus compares said current vehicle speed value of said at least one vehicle approaching said intersection to a threshold vehicle speed value.

12. The system of claim 10 wherein said time duration value is sent to said traffic control regulator to control the time duration of the “

walk”

condition of said traffic light.

13. The system of claim 9 wherein said traffic control signals include a risk signal representing the risk of collision between said at least one vehicle and said at least one pedestrian crossing said intersection with said risk signal sent to said traffic control regulator to enable the “

stop”

condition of said traffic light for said at least one vehicle.

14. The system of claim 9 including wireless communication apparatus for transmitting data to said data processing apparatus.

15. A computer program product for controlling a traffic light, said computer program product comprising:

a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith, the computer readable program code comprising;

a first program instruction to access personal data in said relative to a pedestrian crossing an intersection, said personal data including at least walking speed of said pedestrian;

a second program instruction to access the current speed in said of at least one vehicle approaching said intersection;

a third program instruction to process said personal data and said current speed of said at least one vehicle to generate traffic control decisions and;

a fourth program instruction acting to generate traffic light control instructions according to said traffic control decisions.

16. The computer program product of claim 15 including a program instruction stored on said computer readable storage medium to compare said walking speed value of said pedestrian to a standard normal walking speed value and produce traffic control decisions based upon a time duration value difference when the said walking speed value of said pedestrian is different than said standard normal walking speed value.

17. The computer program product of claim 16 including a program instruction stored on said computer readable storage medium to compare said current speed of said at least one vehicle to a threshold vehicle speed value.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, including a program instruction stored on said computer readable storage medium to apply said time duration value difference of said traffic control decisions to adjust the time duration of a “

walk”

condition of a traffic light control instruction.

19. The computer program product of claim 18 including a program instruction stored on said computer readable storage medium to generate a risk value indicator representing the risk of a collision based upon said current speed of said at least one vehicle and said walking speed of said pedestrian and generate a traffic light control instruction that will be used to enable a “

stop”

signal to warm said at least one vehicle to stop when said risk value indicates possible collision between said vehicle and pedestrian.

20. The computer program product of claim 19 including a program instruction stored on said computer readable storage medium that will act to store and process personal data received from wireless apparatus.