US-12620306-B1 - Systems, methods, devices, and apparatuses for intelligent traffic signaling

US12620306B1US 12620306 B1US12620306 B1US 12620306B1US-12620306-B1

Abstract

Systems, methods, devices, and apparatuses for intelligent traffic signaling are disclosed. The system can include sensors for detecting approaching automobiles. The system can include a processor operable to receive data directly from nearby automobiles and detected data from the sensors. The processor can determine, based on the detected or received data, a level of safeness associated with crossing the opposing traffic lane. The level of safeness can be calculated by at least determining an expected time to arrival of an approaching automobile at the traffic intersection. The system can control one or more traffic beacons based on the level of safeness.

Inventors

Bryan Mulligan

Assignees

Applied Information, Inc.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260505
Application Date: 20240202

Claims (20)

1 . A system for traffic management, comprising: a plurality of electronic computing devices at a plurality of automobiles, wherein each of the plurality of electronic computing devices includes one or more transmitters that propagate signals comprising location, speed, and heading data of a corresponding automobile of the plurality of automobiles; and a traffic management device located at a traffic crossing, wherein the traffic management device is positioned to monitor a respective opposing traffic lane, and wherein the traffic management device comprises: one or more traffic data detection sensors, wherein the one or more traffic data detection sensors comprise radio frequency (“RF”), Wi-Fi, cellular, and radar sensors configured to detect traffic data comprising a distance and speed of automobiles approaching in an opposing traffic lane; one or more traffic beacons; and a processor for controlling the one or more traffic beacons, wherein the processor is operatively connected to the one or more traffic data detection sensors and the processor is configured to: receive the location, speed, and heading data from the plurality of electronic computing devices corresponding to approaching automobiles of the plurality of automobiles; receive detected distance and speed traffic data corresponding to the approaching automobiles from the one or more traffic data detection sensors; compare a first-received of the location, speed, and heading data or the detected distance and speed traffic data to a predetermined threshold for determining an expected time to arrival at the traffic crossing for the approaching automobiles; determine a level of safeness for crossing the opposing traffic lane based on the expected time to arrival at the traffic crossing for the approaching automobiles; and indicate the level of safeness via the one or more traffic beacons to drivers and/or pedestrians intending to cross the opposing traffic lane.
2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of electronic computing devices comprises mobile phones and/or on-board computing devices at the plurality of automobiles.
3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more traffic data detection sensors are configured to monitor about a thirty degree field of view, originating from the traffic management device, over a range of about 750-900 feet.
4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to compare the location, speed, and heading data to the detected distance and speed traffic data to confirm approaching automobiles.
5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the traffic management device transmits the location, speed, and heading data, the detected distance and speed traffic data, and one or more expected times to arrival to neighboring traffic management devices.
6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the system operates in near real-time.
7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more traffic beacons are configured to provide one or more visual indicators, each of the one or more visual indicators being indicative of a corresponding traffic state or a corresponding level of safeness.
8 . The system of claim 7 , wherein a yellow visual indicator of the one or more visual indicators indicates that the opposing traffic lane is safe to cross.
9 . The system of claim 7 , wherein a red visual indicator of the one or more visual indicators indicates that the opposing traffic lane is unsafe to cross.
10 . The system of claim 9 , wherein after a predetermined time threshold elapses without receiving new detected traffic data indicating a presence of an approaching automobile, the processor is further configured to change the red visual indicator to a yellow visual indicator.
11 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the predetermined time threshold is about ten seconds.
12 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more traffic beacons exclude green visual indicators.
13 . A system for traffic management, comprising: a traffic management device located at a traffic crossing, wherein the traffic management device is positioned to monitor a respective opposing traffic lane, and wherein the traffic management device comprises: one or more traffic data detection sensors, wherein the one or more traffic data detection sensors comprise one or more radar sensors configured to detect traffic data comprising a distance and speed of approaching automobiles that are approaching in an opposing traffic lane; one or more traffic beacons; and a processor for controlling the one or more traffic beacons, wherein the processor is operatively connected to the one or more traffic data detection sensors and the processor is configured to: receive location, speed, and heading (LSH) data from a plurality of electronic computing devices, wherein each electronic computing device of the plurality of electronic computing devices is associated with a corresponding automobile of a plurality of automobiles, and the LSH data indicates a location, speed, and heading corresponding to each of the plurality of automobiles; receive, from the one or more traffic data detection sensors, detected distance and speed traffic data corresponding to each of the approaching automobiles; compare a first-received of the LSH data or the detected distance and speed traffic data to a predetermined threshold for determining an expected time to arrival at the traffic crossing for the approaching automobiles; determine a level of safeness for crossing the opposing traffic lane based on the expected time to arrival at the traffic crossing for the approaching automobiles; and indicate the level of safeness via the one or more traffic beacons to drivers and/or pedestrians intending to cross the opposing traffic lane.
14 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the plurality of electronic computing devices comprises a mobile phone or an on-board computing devices at one of the plurality of automobiles.
15 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the one or more traffic data detection sensors are configured to monitor a predetermined field of view originating from the traffic management device.
16 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the processor is further configured to compare the LSH data to the detected distance and speed traffic data to confirm the approaching automobiles.
17 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the traffic management device transmits, to neighboring traffic management devices, the LSH data, the detected distance and speed traffic data, or the expected time to arrival at the traffic crossing for the approaching automobiles.
18 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the one or more traffic beacons are configured to provide one or more visual indicators, each of the one or more visual indicators being indicative of a corresponding traffic state or a corresponding level of safeness.
19 . The system of claim 18 , wherein: a yellow visual indicator of the one or more visual indicators indicates that the opposing traffic lane is safe to cross; or a red visual indicator of the one or more visual indicators indicates that the opposing traffic lane is unsafe to cross.
20 . A system for traffic management, comprising: a traffic management device located at a traffic crossing, wherein the traffic management device is positioned to monitor a respective traffic lane, and wherein the traffic management device comprises: one or more traffic data detection sensors, wherein each of the one or more traffic data detection sensors is configured to detect traffic data corresponding to each of one or more approaching automobiles and transmit the traffic data as detected traffic data; one or more traffic beacons; and a processor for controlling the one or more traffic beacons, wherein the processor is operatively connected to the one or more traffic data detection sensors and the processor is configured to: for each of the one or more approaching automobiles: receive transmitted vehicle data from one or more electronic computing devices associated with a corresponding approaching automobile of the one or more approaching automobiles; receive the detected traffic data from at least one of the one or more traffic data detection sensors, wherein at least some of the detected traffic data corresponds to the corresponding approaching automobile; and compare a first-received of either the transmitted vehicle data or the detected traffic data to a predetermined threshold for determining an expected time to arrival at the traffic crossing for the one or more approaching automobiles; determine a level of safeness for crossing the traffic crossing based on the expected time to arrival at the traffic crossing for the one or more approaching automobiles; and output instructions for the one or more traffic beacons to display one or more indications of the level of safeness.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a continuation patent application of, and claims the benefit of and priority to, U.S. Non-Provisional patent application Ser. No. 17/521,433, filed on Nov. 8, 2021, and entitled “SYSTEMS, METHODS, DEVICES, AND APPARATUSES FOR INTELLIGENT TRAFFIC SIGNALING,” which is a continuation patent application of, and claims the benefit of and priority to, U.S. Non-Provisional patent application Ser. No. 16/591,267, filed on Oct. 2, 2019, and entitled “SYSTEMS, METHODS, DEVICES, AND APPARATUSES FOR INTELLIGENT TRAFFIC SIGNALING,” which claims the benefit of, and priority to, U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/739,978, filed on Oct. 2, 2018, and entitled “SYSTEMS, METHODS, DEVICES, AND APPARATUSES FOR INTELLIGENT TRAFFIC SIGNALING,” the disclosures of which are incorporated by reference as if the same were set forth herein in their entireties. TECHNICAL FIELD The present disclosure relates generally to intelligent traffic signaling using a plurality of sensors and networked electronic computing devices. BACKGROUND The technology included in conventional traffic controllers and lighting systems has largely remained unchanged for the past century. Generally, traffic controller boxes regulate one or more lights at intersections, crosswalks, beacons, etc., based on hard-coded and static states for dictating the right-of-way for drivers and pedestrians. Despite the seemingly acceptable functionality of preexisting traffic systems, modern technology is rapidly outpacing the status quo. Therefore, there exists a long-felt but unresolved need for systems, methods, and apparatuses that improve traffic signals by connecting mobile phones, automobiles, or other communication hardware available to drivers and pedestrians alike to the systems that regulate traffic for improving the safety and overall experience of citizens on the road. BRIEF SUMMARY OF DISCLOSURE The present systems, methods, devices, and apparatuses relate generally to the management of traffic controllers and traffic lights/signals based on cellular data, radar, and/or radio frequency (“RF”) data relating to the real-time positions of one or more automobiles and/or pedestrians. In one embodiment, the system, methods, devices, and apparatuses discussed in the present disclosure aim to improve outdated and conventional traffic controllers by integrating hardware and software solutions that allow for traffic related data to be shared between the traffic controllers, drivers, and pedestrians to promote a safer, more efficient, and overall enhanced traffic environment. In various embodiments, the systems, methods, devices, and apparatuses described herein may allow for a driver of a vehicle (or a pedestrian) to be informed of the safeness of an opposing roadway for crossing the opposing roadway. As will be discussed in greater detail herein, aspects of the present disclosure determine a traffic light state based on one or more sensor readings. The sensor readings may be received from sensors such as radar sensors, RF sensors, and LTE-supported or other wireless networked devices, and these sensor readings may indicate the location, heading, speed, and/or other information relating to their respective vehicles. In particular embodiments, the traffic light states may be displayed independently from preexisting traffic lights (e.g., red, yellow, and green lights directing regular traffic flow). For example, separate devices may be installed near turning lanes (e.g., when turning across traffic where no intersection is present) to include a plurality of lights, where the plurality of lights may include various turning arrow configurations of different blinking patterns and colors. As will be described in greater detail herein, sensor readings may be processed and compared to predefined thresholds (or the like) for determining which traffic light state the system should display. In certain embodiments, some lighting configurations may indicate that the opposing lane is safe to cross, while others may indicate that the opposing lane is dangerous to cross. Aspects of the present disclosure provide improvements over traditional traffic lights and controllers such that embodiments of the present disclosure indicate the safeness of an opposing lane, while traditional traffic systems do not. In one embodiment, the present disclosure discusses a system for traffic management, including: a plurality of electronic computing devices at a plurality of automobiles, wherein each of the plurality of electronic computing devices includes one or more transmitters that propagate signals including location, speed, and heading data of the automobile; and a traffic management device located at a traffic crossing, wherein the traffic management device is positioned to monitor a respective opposing traffic lane, and wherein the traffic management device includes: traffic data detection sensors, wherein the traffic data detectio