Communications: electrical – Traffic control indicator – Plural intersections under common central station control
Reexamination Certificate
2002-07-09
2004-03-23
Hofsass, Jeffery (Department: 2636)
Communications: electrical
Traffic control indicator
Plural intersections under common central station control
C340S907000, C340S909000, C340S916000, C340S937000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06710722
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
I. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to a traffic light control and information transmission device and, more specifically, to a traffic light control and information transmission device that consists of a microprocessor on the cross road, the microprocessor further connects to a traffic light controller, an electronic display board, a video camera, a compression circuitry, an I/O interface, a traffic flow detector and connected to the central traffic control computer through the DSL (Digital Subscriber Loop). The control signals, traffic, public information or news of the central traffic control computer can go through the DLS to the microprocessor; the microprocessor can control the traffic light and display all the information on the electronic display board. The traffic flow data of the cross roads can be accessed by the traffic flow detector and the video camera and transmitted back to the central traffic control computer. This scheme applies the existing broadband network to transmit data between the central traffic control computer and the microprocessors of the cross roads to avoid the installation of the cables and save the construction cost.
II. Description of the Prior Art
Heretofore, it is known that a traffic light applies red, yellow and green light to control the traffic direction and flow, the control of the traffic light is done by the local control box or by the computer in the remote central traffic control office so that the traffic flow can be controlled under normal.
Cables and/or wires must be installed between every control box of the traffic light and the central computer to transmit the control signals and data; two ways to install the cables: above ground and underground. The above ground method is to have the cables hang over the electrical poles, however this method makes the city scene ugly, therefore this method is gradually not applied. The underground method is to bury the cables underground, this method can avoid the ugly scene issue; however in order to bury the cables underground, the road must be diged first, the road work will interfere the traffic flow on the daylight, therefore the work must be done in the evening, to work in the evening costs higher than that of the daylight. The underground method costs much higher than the above ground method.
The length of the cable is the distance of the traffic control box and the central computer; the cost of cable is also very high.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore a primary object of the invention to provide a traffic light control and information transmission device that applies the existing broadband network to transmit data between the central traffic control computer and the microprocessors of the cross roads to avoid the installation of the cables and save the construction cost.
In order to achieve the objective set forth, a traffic light control and information transmission device in accordance with the present invention comprises a microprocessor on the cross road, the microprocessor further connects to a traffic light controller, an electronic display board, a video camera, a compression circuitry, an I/O interface, a traffic flow detector and connected to the central traffic control computer through the DSL (Digital Subscriber Loop). The control signals, traffic, public information or news of the central traffic control computer can go through the DSL to the microprocessor; the microprocessor can control the traffic light and display all the information on the electronic display board. The traffic flow data of the cross roads can be accessed by the traffic flow detector and the video camera and transmitted back to the central traffic control computer.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3652983 (1972-03-01), Endo et al.
patent: 3660812 (1972-05-01), Inose et al.
patent: 3675196 (1972-07-01), Molloy et al.
patent: 3792431 (1974-02-01), Matysek
patent: 6377191 (2002-04-01), Takubo
patent: 6411328 (2002-06-01), Franke et al.
patent: 6573929 (2003-06-01), Glier et al.
Hofsass Jeffery
Lee Hsi-Che
Pham Lam
Rabin & Berdo P.C.
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