Method and apparatus for vehicle driving guide

• US 8,115,652 B2
• Filed: 01/27/2009
• Issued: 02/14/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kang Lee
• Original Assignee: Kang Lee
• Inventors: Lee, Kang
• Primary Examiner(s): Bugg, George
• Assistant Examiner(s): MCNALLY, KERRI L
• Application Number:
  US12/360,546
• Publication Number:
  US 20100156668A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,113 Days
• Field of Search: 340/905
• US Class Current: 340/905
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0104 Measuring and analyzing of parameters relative to traffic conditions
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/04 using optical or ultrasonic detectors
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096716 where the received information does not generate an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096741 where the source of the transmitted information selects which information to transmit to each vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096775 where the origin of the information is a central station

Abstract

A method and an apparatus for vehicle driving guide with lamps are applied to a target road. The apparatus has a traffic condition detection module, multiple indication lamps and a signal control module. The traffic condition detection module obtains a traffic condition. The indication lamps are mounted separately on the target road. The signal control module is electrically connected to the traffic condition detection module and the indication lamps and operates the indication lamps according to a control process based on different traffic conditions. The control process may be in a chase mode that sequentially pulses the indication lamps on with a regulated moving direction of the target road with a pulse interval between turning the indication lamps on to present an impression that the lights are moving at an indicator speed. The impression allows drivers in vehicles on the target road to follow to drive.

Claims

1. An apparatus for vehicle driving guide comprising:

a traffic condition detection module obtaining a traffic condition;

multiple indication lamps being mounted separately on a target road and arranged into multiple lamp blocks; and

a signal control module being electrically connected to the traffic condition detection module and the indication lamps and controlling the indication lamps according to a control process based on different traffic conditions to guide drivers in vehicles on the target road, wherein the signal control module comprises

multiple sub-control modules corresponding respectively to the lamp blocks and electrically connected to the traffic condition detection module, and each sub-control module electrically connected to the indication lamps in a corresponding lamp block, receiving the traffic condition from the traffic condition detection module and transmitting a coordination signal based on the traffic condition; and

a main controller connected to the sub-control modules through a multiplexer and a de-multiplexer, receiving the coordination signals from the sub-control modules, arbitrating conflicts between the sub-control modules and transmitting enable signals respectively and differentially to the sub-control modules to coordinately operate the sub-control modules;

wherein each sub-control module comprises;

a time counter;

a signal controller connected to the time counter and the indication lamps in a corresponding lamp block; and

a processor electrically connected to the traffic condition detection module, the multiplexer, the de-multiplexer and the signal controller, receiving the traffic condition from the traffic condition detection module, transmitting the coordination signal based on the traffic condition to the main controller through the multiplexer, transmitting a driving signal to the signal controller in a corresponding sub-control module when receiving a corresponding enable signal from the main controller and controlling the indication lamps in the corresponding lamp block according to the control process.

2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the control process comprises a chase mode that sequentially pulses the indication lamps on with a regulated moving direction of the target road with a pulse interval between turning the indication lamps on to present an impression that the lights are moving at an indicator speed; and

the time counters assist the signal controllers of the sub-control modules in the signal control module in controlling and changing the pulse interval.

3. The apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the signal control module further comprises an interval setting terminal being electrically connected to the sub-control modules to allow inputting and changing the pulse interval.

4. The apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the traffic condition detection module further comprises:

multiple cameras being mounted on the target road to capture traffic condition image data including vehicle images and background images; and

a traffic condition determination unit being electrically connected to the cameras to receive the traffic condition image data, distinguishing the vehicle images from the background images and determining the traffic condition by tracking the vehicle images and calculating at least one traffic speed from at least one vehicle in the vehicle images.

5. The apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the traffic condition detection module further comprises:

multiple cameras being mounted on the target road to capture traffic condition image data including vehicle images and background images; and

a traffic condition determination unit being electrically connected to the cameras to receive the traffic condition image data, distinguishing the vehicle images from the background images and determining the traffic condition by tracking the vehicle images and calculating at least one traffic speed from at least one vehicle in the vehicle images.

6. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the traffic condition detection module further comprises:

multiple cameras being mounted on the target road to capture traffic condition image data including vehicle images and background images; and

a traffic condition determination unit being electrically connected to the cameras to receive the traffic condition image data, distinguishing the vehicle images from the background images and determining the traffic condition by tracking the vehicle images and calculating at least one traffic speed from at least one vehicle in the vehicle images.

7. A method for vehicle driving guide comprising steps of:

providing traffic condition data, wherein the traffic condition data are traffic condition image data having vehicle images and background images;

obtaining a traffic condition from the traffic condition data, wherein the step of obtaining a traffic condition has sub-steps of;

distinguishing the vehicle images from the background images in the traffic condition image data;

positioning the vehicle images;

tracking the vehicle images and calculating an average traffic speed, and at least one vehicle in the vehicle images being tracked through multiple frames so the traffic speed of the at least one vehicle is calculated and an average traffic speed is calculated from the at least one traffic speed; and

determining a traffic condition being either smooth traffic or heavy traffic or traffic jam or accident from the tracked vehicle images and the average traffic speed; and

operating multiple indication lamps on a target road according to a control process based on the traffic condition to guide drivers in vehicles wherein each indication lamp emits lights comprising green light, red light and yellow light, and the step of operating multiple indication lamps on a target road has sub-steps of;

controlling the indication lamps to emit green light and follow the control process in a chase mode that sequentially pulses the indication lamps on with a regulated moving direction of the target road with a pulse interval between turning the indication lamps on to present an impression that the lights are moving at an indicator speed when the traffic condition is smooth traffic, and the indicator speed being equivalent to the average traffic speed;

controlling the indication lamps to emit yellow light and follow the control process in the chase mode when the traffic condition is heavy traffic; and

controlling the indication lamps to emit red light and follow a warning mode when the traffic condition is traffic jam or accident.

8. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the sub-step of controlling the indication lamps to emit either green or yellow lights and follow the control process in the chase mode further controls the indication lamps to be partially activated, with at least one indication lamp not being activated distributed between two indication lamps being activated.