US3602880A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Traffic signal control system
Assignee: Omron Corp
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Filing: 1968-02-08
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Granted: 1971-08-31
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Expires: 1988-02-08
Abstract
Abstract A system for providing smooth traffic control at an intersection of two or more streets includes a detecting means for each street which comprises a combination of detectors and a signal generator which produce a first signal when a platoon has been detected on the street and a second signal which denotes the traffic volume on the street. The first and second signals from the detecting means are coupled to a logic means which also has inputs from the traffic signal green indicators for each street and a priority command signal. The logic means include a component circuit for each street. If a platoon is detected on one of the streets and the signal indication to that street is red, the corresponding component circuit applies a control signal to a controller to change the state of the traffic signal. If platoons coincide on at least two streets, a third circuit including a comparing means having the second signals coupled thereto inhibits the production of a control signal by the corresponding component circuit of the street having the lesser traffic volume. However, a fourth circuit always gives priority to one of the streets when a priority command signal is present, by inhibiting the production of the control signal by the corresponding component circuit of the street which does not have priority.
Inventors
- 👤 Hirosi Ueda
- 👤 Hisao Nakatani
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-26 10:19
CPC Classifications
G; G08; G08G; G08G1/00; G08G1/07; G08G1/08
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 16
Claim 1
Independent Claim
238 words
A system for controlling a traffic signal at an intersection of a plurality of streets, comprising: a. a plurality of traffic sensing means, each of said means being responsive to the traffic on one street of said intersection and comprising at least one vehicle detector for said street, means responsive to said vehicle detector for providing a first signal when a platoon has occurred on said street by passage of a predetermined number of vehicles by said detector within a relatively short time interval, and means responsive to said vehicle detector for providing a second signal related to the traffic volume on said street, b. means providing a plurality of third signals indicating the state of the traffic signal displayed to each of the said streets, c. means having coupled thereto said plurality of first, second, and third signals and operable in response thereto to produce an output signal when a platoon has been detected on at least two of said streets and when the traffic signal being displayed on one of said streets which has a greater traffic volume than the others is in a red state to block entrance of traffic from said one street into the intersection, and d. controller means operable in response to said output signal to change the state of the traffic signal being displayed to said one street to a green state permitting entry from said one street into the intersection
Claim 2
Independent Claim
238 words
A system for controlling a traffic signal at an intersection of a plurality of streets, comprising: a. a plurality of traffic sensing means, each of said means being responsive to the traffic on one street of said intersection and comprising at least one vehicle detector for said street, means responsive to said vehicle detector for providing a first signal when a platoon has occurred on said street by passage of a predetermined number of vehicles by said detector within a relatively short time interval, and means responsive to said vehicle detector for providing a second signal related to the traffic volume on said street, b. means providing a plurality of third signals indicating the state of the traffic signal displayed to each of the said streets, c. means having coupled thereto said plurality of first, second, and third signals and operable in response thereto to produce an output signal when a platoon has been detected on at least two of said streets and when the traffic signal being displayed on one of said streets which has a greater traffic volume than the others is in a red state to block entrance of traffic from said one street into the intersection, and d. controller means operable in response to said output signal to change the state of the traffic signal being displayed to said one street to a green state permitting entry from said one street into the intersection
Claim 3
Independent Claim
220 words
A system for controlling a traffic signal at an intersection of a plurality of streets comprising: a. a plurality of traffic sensing means, each of said means being responsive to the traffic on one street of said intersection and including at least one vehicle detector for said street and means responsive to said vehicle detector for providing a first signal when a platoon has occurred on said street by passage of a predetermined number of vehicles by said vehicle detector within a relatively short time interval, b. means producing a priority command signal determining which of said streets has priority in the intersection, c. means having coupled thereto said plurality of first signals and said priority command signal and being operable to produce an output signal when a platoon has been detected on at least two of said streets at the same time and when the traffic signal which is being displayed to that one of said streets which is accorded priority over the remaining streets is in a red state to block entrance of traffic from said priority street into the intersection, and d. controller means operable in response to said output signal to change the state of the traffic signal being displayed to said priority street to a red indication permitting entrance from said street into the intersection.
Claim 4
Independent Claim
220 words
A system for controlling a traffic signal at an intersection of a plurality of streets comprising: a. a plurality of traffic sensing means, each of said means being responsive to the traffic on one street of said intersection and including at least one vehicle detector for said street and means responsive to said vehicle detector for providing a first signal when a platoon has occurred on said street by passage of a predetermined number of vehicles by said vehicle detector within a relatively short time interval, b. means producing a priority command signal determining which of said streets has priority in the intersection, c. means having coupled thereto said plurality of first signals and said priority command signal and being operable to produce an output signal when a platoon has been detected on at least two of said streets at the same time and when the traffic signal which is being displayed to that one of said streets which is accorded priority over the remaining streets is in a red state to block entrance of traffic from said priority street into the intersection, and d. controller means operable in response to said output signal to change the state of the traffic signal being displayed to said priority street to a red indication permitting entrance from said street into the intersection.
Claim 5
Independent Claim
136 words
A system for controlling a traffic signal at an intersection of a plurality of streets, comprising: a. a first traffic sensing means including at least one vehicle detector for one of said streets of said intersection, and means responsive to said vehicle detector for providing a first signal when a platoon has been detected on said street by passage of a predetermined number of vehicles by said vehicle detector within a relatively short time interval, b. means producing a second signal when the state of the traffic signal displayed to that street is red to block entrance from the street into the intersection, c. means producing a third signal upon the occurrences of said first and said second signals, and d. controller means changing the state of the traffic signal in response to said third signal.
Claim 6
Independent Claim
136 words
A system for controlling a traffic signal at an intersection of a plurality of streets, comprising: a. a first traffic sensing means including at least one vehicle detector for one of said streets of said intersection, and means responsive to said vehicle detector for providing a first signal when a platoon has been detected on said street by passage of a predetermined number of vehicles by said vehicle detector within a relatively short time interval, b. means producing a second signal when the state of the traffic signal displayed to that street is red to block entrance from the street into the intersection, c. means producing a third signal upon the occurrences of said first and said second signals, and d. controller means changing the state of the traffic signal in response to said third signal.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
149 words
A system as recited in claim 3 further comprising: a. a second vehicle sensing means including at least one vehicle detector for a second street of said intersection, and means responsive to said second vehicle detector for pRoviding a fourth signal when a platoon has been detected on said second street by passage of a predetermined number of vehicles by said second vehicle detector within a relatively short time interval, b. means for producing a fifth signal when the state of the traffic signal displayed to the second street is red to block entrance from the second street into the intersection, c. means producing a sixth signal upon the occurrence of said fourth and fifth signals, and d. means coupling said third and said sixth signals to said controller means so that said controller means changes the state of the traffic signal in response to either of said signals.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
85 words
The system of claim 4: a. wherein said first and second traffic sensing means also include means responsive to said vehicle detectors for providing seventh and eighth signals denoting the traffic volume on the first and second streets, respectively, b. further including means comparing said seventh and eighth signals and providing a priority command signal when the traffic volume on the first street exceeds that on the second street, and c. means responsive to the priority command signal for inhibiting production of said sixth signal.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
50 words
A system as recited in claim 5, further comprising: a. means providing a priority command signal when the traffic on the first street is to have priority over the traffic on the second street, and b. means responsive to said priority command signal for inhibiting production of said sixth signal.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
98 words
The system of claim 6: a. wherein said first and second traffic sensing means also include means responsive to said vehicle detectors for providing seventh and eighth signals denoting the traffic volume on the first and second streets, respectively, b. further including means comparing said seventh and said eighth signals and providing a second priority command signal when the traffic volume on the first street exceeds that on the second street, and c. means coupling said first and said second priority command signals to said inhibiting means so that said inhibiting means acts in response to either signal.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
52 words
The system of claim 7, further comprising: a. means for providing a ninth signal upon the concurrence of said first and said fourth signals, and b. a second means inhibiting the production of said third signal upon the occurrence of said ninth signal and the absence of both said priority command signals.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
181 words
A system for controlling a traffic signal at an intersection of a plurality of streets comprising: a. a plurality of platoon detecting means, each of said means being responsive to the traffic on one street of said intersection and including at least one vehicle detector per said street, and means responsive to said vehicle detector for providing a first signal when a predetermined number of vehicles have passed said vehicle detector within a relatively short time interval, b. means providing a plurality of second signals indicating the state of the traffic signal displayed to each of said streets, c. means having coupled thereto said first signals from said plurality of platoon detecting means and said plurality of second signals and producing therefrom a third signal upon the coincidence of any of said first signals and its corresponding second signal when a platoon occurs on a street for which the traffic signal is in a red state, and d. controller means operable in response to said third signal to change the traffic signal being displayed to said street to a green state.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
181 words
A system for controlling a traffic signal at an intersection of a plurality of streets comprising: a. a plurality of platoon detecting means, each of said means being responsive to the traffic on one street of said intersection and including at least one vehicle detector per said street, and means responsive to said vehicle detector for providing a first signal when a predetermined number of vehicles have passed said vehicle detector within a relatively short time interval, b. means providing a plurality of second signals indicating the state of the traffic signal displayed to each of said streets, c. means having coupled thereto said first signals from said plurality of platoon detecting means and said plurality of second signals and producing therefrom a third signal upon the coincidence of any of said first signals and its corresponding second signal when a platoon occurs on a street for which the traffic signal is in a red state, and d. controller means operable in response to said third signal to change the traffic signal being displayed to said street to a green state.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
228 words
A system for controlling a traffic signal at an intersection of two streets, comprising: means for detecting a platoon on one of said streets to produce a first signal; means for detecting a platoon on the other of said streets to produce a second signal; means for detecting the traffic volume on said two streets to produce a third signal when said traffic volume is greater on said one street than on said otheR street; means for producing a fourth signal when said traffic signal being displayed to said other street inhibits entrance of traffic on said other street into said intersection; means for producing a fifth signal when the traffic signal being displayed to said one street inhibits entrance of traffic on said one street into said intersection; means for producing a sixth signal when said first and fifth signals only coincide; means for producing a seventh signal when said second and fourth signals coincide; means for preventing the production of said sixth signal when said first and second signals coexist in the absence of said third signal; means for preventing the production of said seventh signal when said first, second and third signals coexist; and means operable in response to said sixth and seventh signals alternatively to change said traffic signal to an indication to permit entrance of traffic on each said street into said intersection.
Claim 15
Independent Claim
228 words
A system for controlling a traffic signal at an intersection of two streets, comprising: means for detecting a platoon on one of said streets to produce a first signal; means for detecting a platoon on the other of said streets to produce a second signal; means for detecting the traffic volume on said two streets to produce a third signal when said traffic volume is greater on said one street than on said otheR street; means for producing a fourth signal when said traffic signal being displayed to said other street inhibits entrance of traffic on said other street into said intersection; means for producing a fifth signal when the traffic signal being displayed to said one street inhibits entrance of traffic on said one street into said intersection; means for producing a sixth signal when said first and fifth signals only coincide; means for producing a seventh signal when said second and fourth signals coincide; means for preventing the production of said sixth signal when said first and second signals coexist in the absence of said third signal; means for preventing the production of said seventh signal when said first, second and third signals coexist; and means operable in response to said sixth and seventh signals alternatively to change said traffic signal to an indication to permit entrance of traffic on each said street into said intersection.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
48 words
The system of claim 10, wherein said third signal producing means further including means for producing a eighth signal when traffic on said one street is accorded priority to pass said intersection over traffic on said other street, said eighth signal functioning in place of said third signal.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1974-08-30 | 1975-03-01 | 1975-08-31 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1978-08-30 | 1979-03-01 | 1979-08-31 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1982-08-30 | 1983-03-01 | 1983-08-31 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |