Unit extension circuit means for traffic control system

Claim 2

In a traffic control system for controlling the time duration that a traffic signal means displays a go signal in at least one traffic lane and having unit extension circuit means for extending the time duration that said go signal is displayed in that lane in dependence upon traffic detected in that lane by a vehicle detector means; the improvement in said unit extension circuit means comprising: binary signal storage go extension, dual-plate, nondestructive readout, ceramic memory means for storing binary digits wherein the numerical value of said stored binary digits is representative of the time duration of a go extension interval; a source of trigger pulses; comparison means responsive to said trigger pulses and to said binary signal storage go extension means for providing an output signal, representative of the termination of said go extension interval, when the number of said trigger pulses is equal to the said stored binary signal; and, extension interval control means responsive to vehicle detection for acting upon said go extension memory means to change the binary signal stored and thereby vary the time duration of said go extension interval.

Claim 3

In a traffic control system as set forth in claim 1, the improvement wherein said extension interval control means includes circuit means adapted to be coupled to a said traffic detector means for varying the binary signal stored by said go extension memory means in dependence upon traffic detected by said detector means.

Claim 4

In a traffic control system for controlling the time duration the traffic signal means displays a go signal in at least one traffic lane and having unit extension circuit means for extending the time duration that said go signal is displayed in that lane in dependence upon traffic detected in that lane by vehicle detector means; the improvement in said unit extension circuit means comprising: binary signal storage go extension memory means for storing binary digits wherein numerical value of said stored binary digits is representative of the time duration of a go extension interval; a source of trigger pulses; means for providing an output signal, representative of the termination of said go extension interval, when the number of said trigger pulses is equal to the said stored binary signal; and, extension interval control means, responsive to vehicle detection, for acting upon said go extension memory means to change the binary signal stored and thereby vary the time duration of said go extension interval, said extension interval control means including: binary signal storage unit extension memory means for storing binary signals wherein the numerical value of said stored binary signals is representative of the duration of a unit extension interval; means for providing a reference binary signal which increases in value in accordance with the number of said trigger pulses provided thus far during the extension interval; and, memory control means for acting upon said go extension memory means to change the binary signals stored therein in dependence upon the sum of said reference binary signals and the binary signals stored by said unit extension memory means.

Claim 5

In a traffic control system for controlling the time duration the traffic signal means displays a go signal in at least one traffic lane and having unit extension circuit means for extending the time duration that said go signal is displayed in that lane in dependence upon traffic detected in that lane by vehicle detector means; the improvement in said unit extension circuit means comprising: binary signal storage go extension memory means for storing binary digits wherein numerical value of said stored binary digits is representative of the time duration of a go extension interval; a source of trigger pulses; means for providing an output signal, representative of the termination of said go extension interval, when the number of said trigger pulses is equal to the said stored binary signal; and, extension interval control means, responsive to vehicle detection, for acting upon said go extension memory means to change the binary signal stored and thereby vary the time duration of said go extension interval, said extension interval control means including: binary signal storage unit extension memory means for storing binary signals wherein the numerical value of said stored binary signals is representative of the duration of a unit extension interval; means for providing a reference binary signal which increases in value in accordance with the number of said trigger pulses provided thus far during the extension interval; and, memory control means for acting upon said go extension memory means to change the binary signals stored therein in dependence upon the sum of said reference binary signals and the binary signals stored by said unit extension memory means.

Claim 6

In a traffic control system as set forth in claim 3, the improvement including means for adding the binary signals stored by said unit extension memory means to said reference binary signals and providing a summation binary signal having a numerical value equal to the summation of the numerical values of said added signals.

Claim 7

In a traffic control system as set forth in claim 4, the improvement wherein said memory control means is interposed between said binary adder means and said go extEnsion memory means for changing the binary signals stored therein so that the resultant numerical value is that of said summation of binary signals.

Claim 8

In a traffic control system as set forth in claim 3, the improvement including maximum extension interval control means for limiting the time duration of said go extension interval.

Claim 9

In a traffic control system as set forth in claim 6, the improvement wherein said maximum extension interval control means includes: binary signal storage maximum extension memory means for storing a binary signal representative of the duration of the maximum extension interval; and, means for overriding said memory control means when the number of said trigger pulses provided thus far during the extension interval is equal to the decimal numerical value of the binary signal stored by said maximum extension memory means.

Claim 10

In a traffic control system as set forth in claim 7, the improvement including binary counter means for counting said trigger pulses and providing a binary signal which changes in accordance with the number of trigger pulses counted, and said overriding means includes a binary comparator means for providing an override signal when each of the digits of the binary signal from said counter means is equal to the corresponding digit of the binary signal stored by said maximum extension memory means.

Claim 11

In a traffic control system for controlling the time duration that a traffic signal means displays a go signal in at least one traffic lane and having unit extension circuit means for extending the time duration that said go signal is displayed in that lane in dependence upon traffic detected in that lane by a vehicle detector means; the improvement in said unit extension circuit means comprising: binary signal storage go extension memory means for storing binary signal digits wherein the numerical value of said stored binary signal digits is representative of the time duration of a go extension interval; a source of trigger pulses; binary counting means for counting said trigger pulses and providing a binary signal composed of digits which changes in numerical value in accordance with the number of trigger pulses counted; means coupled to said binary counting means and said go extension memory means for providing an output signal, representative of the termination of said go extension interval, when the digits of the two binary signals are the same; and, extension interval control means including circuit means adapted to be coupled to a said traffic detector means for acting upon said go extension memory means to change the binary signal stored thereby in dependence upon traffic detected by said detector means and thereby change the time duration of said go extension interval.

Claim 12

In a traffic control system for controlling the time duration that a traffic signal means displays a go signal in at least one traffic lane and having unit extension circuit means for extending the time duration that said go signal is displayed in that lane in dependence upon traffic detected in that lane by a vehicle detector means; the improvement in said unit extension circuit means comprising: binary signal storage go extension memory means for storing binary signal digits wherein the numerical value of said stored binary signal digits is representative of the time duration of a go extension interval; a source of trigger pulses; binary counting means for counting said trigger pulses and providing a binary signal composed of digits which changes in numerical value in accordance with the number of trigger pulses counted; means coupled to said binary counting means and said go extension memory means for providing an output signal, representative of the termination of said go extension interval, when the digits of the two binary signals are the same; and, extension interval control means including circuit means adapted to be coupled to a said traffic detector means for acting upon said go extension memory means to change the binary signal stored thereby in dependence upon traffic detected by said detector means and thereby change the time duration of said go extension interval.

Claim 13

In a traffic control system as set forth in claim 9, the improvement wherein said extension interval control means includes: binary signal storage unit extension memory means for storing a binary signal representative of the duration of a unit extension interval; and, memory control means for acting upon said go extension memory means to change the binary signal stored therein in dependence upon the total value of said two binary signals.

Claim 14

In a traffic control system as set forth in claim 10, having maximum extension interval control means for limiting the time duration of said go extension interval the improvement including: binary signal storage maximum extension interval memory means for storing a binary signal representative of the duration of a maximum extension interval; and, means for providing an overriding signal, for overriding said memory control means, when the binary signal from said binary counting means equals the binary signal stored by said maximum extension interval memory means.

Claim 15

In a traffic control system as set forth in claim 10, the improvement wherein said unit extension memory means includes a plurality of electrically interrogatable bistable MEMORY means each for storing a binary one or a binary zero signal, each said bistable memory means having an input for receiving an interrogation signal and an output for carrying a binary signal of the character of the stored binary one or binary zero signal in response to receipt of an interrogation signal; and, unit extension memory actuating means adapted to be coupled to a said traffic detector means and controlled thereby for applying a said interrogation signal to said unit extension memory means so that the outputs of the bistable memory means thereof carry an output binary signal numerically equal to the binary signal stored therein.

Claim 16

In a traffic control system as set forth in claim 12, the improvement including binary adder means for adding said output binary signal of said unit extension memory means to the output binary signal of said binary counting means and providing a summation binary signal numerically equal to the summation of the said added binary signals.

Claim 17

In a traffic control system as set forth in claim 13, the improvement wherein said memory control means includes circuit means for receiving said summation binary signal and acting on said go extension memory means to store a binary signal numerically equal to said summation binary signal to thereby extend the total time duration of said go extension interval.

Claim 18

In a traffic control system as set forth in claim 14, wherein each said bistable memory means includes: ferroelectric storage capacitor plate means having a surface, said plate means adapted to be polarized in one of two stable states; and, piezoelectric driving plate means having a portion thereof secured to at least a portion of said surface in such a manner that application of a said interrogation signal to said driving means causes transmission of mechanical forces to said memory plate means in directions acting both laterally and perpendicularly of said surface so that said memory plate means provides an output signal of a binary character in accordance with the state of polarization of said memory means.

Claim 19

A traffic actuated traffic controller for controlling the time duration that a traffic signal means displays a go signal in each of at least two traffic lanes wherein for at least one lane the controller is traffic actuatable having traffic detector means associated therewith for registering detected traffic in that lane with the controller and comprising: a plurality of traffic interval time storage memories wherein each said memory includes: a plurality of electrically alterable and electrically interrogatable bistable memory means each for storing a binary one or a binary zero signal so that the binary content of a said memory is representative of a desired time duration for an associated traffic interval, each said memory means having an input for receiving an interrogation signal and an output for carrying a said binary signal in response to receipt of an interrogation signal; interrogating means for sequentially applying interrogation signals to said plurality of bistable memories so that when any one memory is interrogated the outputs of its plurality of bistable memory means provide a binary signal; a source of equitime-spaced trigger pulses; means for actuating said interrogating means to interrogate the next succeeding of said plurality of memories when the number of said trigger pulses received is equal to the numerical value of the binary signal on the outputs of the memory means of the memory last interrogated; each said traffic lane having associated therewith at least one said memory serving as a go initial time storage memory and each said lane also having associated therewith another memory serving as a go extension time storage memory; and, extension interval control means including circuit means adapted to be coupled to a traffic detector means associated with said lane for electrically altering said go extension memory means to change the binary signaL stored thereby in dependence upon traffic detected by said detector means and thereby change the time duration of the go extension interval.

Claim 20

A traffic actuated traffic controller for controlling the time duration that a traffic signal means displays a go signal in each of at least two traffic lanes wherein for at least one lane the controller is traffic actuatable having traffic detector means associated therewith for registering detected traffic in that lane with the controller and comprising: a plurality of traffic interval time storage memories wherein each said memory includes: a plurality of electrically alterable and electrically interrogatable bistable memory means each for storing a binary one or a binary zero signal so that the binary content of a said memory is representative of a desired time duration for an associated traffic interval, each said memory means having an input for receiving an interrogation signal and an output for carrying a said binary signal in response to receipt of an interrogation signal; interrogating means for sequentially applying interrogation signals to said plurality of bistable memories so that when any one memory is interrogated the outputs of its plurality of bistable memory means provide a binary signal; a source of equitime-spaced trigger pulses; means for actuating said interrogating means to interrogate the next succeeding of said plurality of memories when the number of said trigger pulses received is equal to the numerical value of the binary signal on the outputs of the memory means of the memory last interrogated; each said traffic lane having associated therewith at least one said memory serving as a go initial time storage memory and each said lane also having associated therewith another memory serving as a go extension time storage memory; and, extension interval control means including circuit means adapted to be coupled to a traffic detector means associated with said lane for electrically altering said go extension memory means to change the binary signaL stored thereby in dependence upon traffic detected by said detector means and thereby change the time duration of the go extension interval.

Claim 21

A traffic actuated traffic controller as set forth in claim 16 wherein said extension control means includes a unit extension time storage memory constructed as each of said plurality of memories for storing a binary signal wherein the numerical value of the binary content is representative of the duration of a unit extension interval; unit extension actuating means adapted to be coupled to a said detector means associated with said lane and controlled thereby for applying an interrogation signal to said unit extension time storage memory so that the outputs of the bistable memory means thereof carry an output binary signal numerically equal to the binary signals stored therein; and, circuit control means for electrically altering said go extension time storage memory so that the binary signals stored therein provide at least one unit extension interval.

Claim 22

A traffic-actuated traffic controller as set forth in claim 17 including binary counter means for counting said trigger pulses and providing a binary signal which changes in accordance with the number of trigger pulses counted; binary adder means for adding said output binary signal of said unit extension time storage memory to the output binary signal of said binary counting means and providing a summation binary signal equal to the summation of the said added binary signals; and, said circuit control means includes circuit means for receiving said summation binary signal and electrically altering said go extension time storage memory to store a binary signal equal to the summation binary signal to thereby extend the total time duration of said go extension interval.

Claim 23

A traffic-actuated traffic controller as set forth in claim 18 including maximum extension interval control means for limiting the duration of said go extension interval.

Claim 24

A traffic actuated traffic controller as set forth in claim 19 wherein said maximum extension interval control means includes: a maximum extension time storage memory constructed as each of said plurality of bistable memories for storing a binary signal wherein the binary content is representative of the duration of a maximum extension interval, said maximum extension time storage memory being coupled to said interrogating means so as to be interrogated concurrently with said go extension time storage memory; and, comparator means for providing an overriding signal, for use in overriding said extension interval control means, when the binary signal stored by said maximum extension time storage memory is equal to output binary signal from said binary counter means.