LED traffic light and method manufacture and use thereof

Details LED traffic light and method manufacture and use thereof LED traffic light and method manufacture and use thereof

1998-11-20

2000-04-25

Wu, Daniel J.

Communications: electrical

Visual indication

Multiple colors

34081545, 340907, 362231R, G08G 1095

Patent

active

060549327

ABSTRACT:
A new embodiment LED traffic light 40 having a housing 49 that provides at least three signal lights 42, 44, and 46. The three signal lights 42, 44, and 46 are all embedded in a single opening 50 of housing 49. The LEDs for signal lights 42, 44, and 46 are arranged in a generally common area that allows activation and display of one of the signal lights in a corresponding symbolic shape (i.e. universal symbol or words). Red signal light 42 has red LEDs 41 spread out and arranged in an octagon shape (i.e. stop sign shape). From a distance or afar, however, it may be difficult for persons to distinguish between the octagon shape and the circular shape (i.e. stop and go signals respectively). Therefore, a border 52 of contrasting color LEDs 54 (i.e. different color other than the color of the octagon) is placed around the octagon shape and illuminated to further enhance and define the stop sign or octagon shape thereof. The border 52 may be made to blink or flash (i.e. by blinking all of the LEDs 54). Green signal light 46 has green LEDs 45 spread out and arranged in a circular shape. In the areas which red signal light 42 and green signal light 46 commonly overlap, clusters of two LEDs (i.e. red LEDs 41 and green LEDs 45) exist. Yellow signal light 44 has yellow LEDs 43 spread out and arranged mounted in a triangle shape. In the areas which the three signal lights 42, 44, and 46 commonly overlap, clusters of three LEDs (i.e. red LEDs 41, yellow LEDs 43, and green LEDs 45) exist. Another new embodiment LED traffic light 40B has a number of LED clusters 51B within an entire area 50B. Each cluster 51B has at least four different colored LEDs: a red LED 41, a yellow LED 43, a green LED 45, and a contrasting colored LED 54. The new traffic light 40B is programmed to activate the LED clusters 51B so that the desired traffic information (i.e. traffic signal, border, text, etc.) is displayed.

REFERENCES:
patent: 3863207 (1975-01-01), Galella
patent: 3983532 (1976-09-01), Hayes
patent: 4271408 (1981-06-01), Teshima et al.
patent: 4839647 (1989-06-01), Patterson
patent: 4857920 (1989-08-01), Kataoka et al.
patent: 5136287 (1992-08-01), Borenstein
patent: 5898381 (1999-04-01), Gartner et al.
Tech Update, "LED Traffic Lights", by Chris Calwell Nov. 1995, pp. 0-16, published in Boulder, Colorado.
E Source, Chapter 13 "Special Applications: LED Traffic Lights" 1994, sections 13.1-13.2, published in Boulder, Colorado.

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