Smart traffic signal system

Claim 3

The method of claim 1 , wherein said vehicle location and direction of travel is determined via a global positioning system calculation.

Claim 4

The method of claim 2 , wherein said speed of travel is determined via a speed sensor of the vehicle.

Claim 5

The method of claim 3 , wherein the speed range displayed in said vehicle corresponds to the particular lane of the roadway on which said vehicle is traveling.

Claim 6

The method of claim 1 , wherein said traffic signal data is broadcast from said traffic signal.

Claim 7

The method of claim 1 , wherein said traffic signal data is delivered by said traffic signal via a wired network or a wireless network to a collecting server which gathers said traffic signal data from all traffic signals within a predetermined area and wherein said collecting server broadcasts said traffic signal data.

Claim 10

The system of claim 7 , wherein said vehicle location and direction of travel is determined via a global positioning system calculation.

Claim 11

The system of claim 8 , wherein said speed of travel is determined via a speed sensor of the vehicle.

Claim 12

The system of claim 9 , wherein the speed range displayed in said vehicle corresponds to the particular lane of the roadway on which said vehicle is traveling.

Claim 13

The system of claim 7 , wherein said transmitter is coupled to said traffic signal and broadcasts said traffic signal data directly from said traffic signal.

Claim 14

The system of claim 7 further comprising a collecting server configured to receive said traffic signal data via a wired network or a wireless network from all traffic signals within a predetermined area, said collecting server being further configured to broadcast said traffic signal data.

Claim 15

A computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having a computer readable program code embodied in the medium, the computer readable program code comprising instructions effective when executing to: broadcast traffic signal data identifying present and future traffic signal sequences for a traffic signal; receive said traffic signal data at a vehicle; calculate, based on said received traffic signal data, a speed range to be followed by said vehicle to minimize the amount of stopping, starting, and/or speed changing required while enabling the vehicle to progress past the traffic signal; and display said calculated speed range to the occupants of said vehicle; wherein said traffic signal data includes a location of said traffic signal and directional components identifying the directions of approach to said traffic signal to which said data pertains; and wherein said computer readable program code for calculating comprises instructions effective when executing to: determine a location, speed of travel, and direction of travel of said vehicle; identify the location of said traffic signal relative to said vehicle; select the appropriate directional component of said traffic signal data to be used, based on said vehicle's direction of approach to said traffic signal; and calculate said speed range based on said location, speed of travel, and direction of travel of said vehicle, and the location of said traffic signal relative to said vehicle.

Claim 16

A computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having a computer readable program code embodied in the medium, the computer readable program code comprising instructions effective when executing to: broadcast traffic signal data identifying present and future traffic signal sequences for a traffic signal; receive said traffic signal data at a vehicle; calculate, based on said received traffic signal data, a speed range to be followed by said vehicle to minimize the amount of stopping, starting, and/or speed changing required while enabling the vehicle to progress past the traffic signal; and display said calculated speed range to the occupants of said vehicle; wherein said traffic signal data includes a location of said traffic signal and directional components identifying the directions of approach to said traffic signal to which said data pertains; and wherein said computer readable program code for calculating comprises instructions effective when executing to: determine a location, speed of travel, and direction of travel of said vehicle; identify the location of said traffic signal relative to said vehicle; select the appropriate directional component of said traffic signal data to be used, based on said vehicle's direction of approach to said traffic signal; and calculate said speed range based on said location, speed of travel, and direction of travel of said vehicle, and the location of said traffic signal relative to said vehicle.

Claim 17

The computer program product of claim 13 , wherein said vehicle location and direction of travel is determined via a global positioning system calculation.

Claim 18

The computer program product of claim 14 , wherein said speed of travel is determined via a speed sensor of each vehicle.

Claim 19

The computer program product of claim 15 , wherein the speed range displayed in said vehicle corresponds to the particular lane of the roadway on which said vehicle is traveling.

Claim 20

The computer program product of claim 13 , wherein said computer readable program code for broadcasting traffic signal data comprises instructions effective when executing to: broadcast said traffic signal data directly from said traffic signal.

Claim 21

The computer program product of claim 13 , wherein said computer readable program code further comprises instructions effective when executing to: receive said traffic signal data at a collecting server via a wired network or a wireless network from all traffic signals within a predetermined area, and wherein said computer readable program code for broadcasting traffic signal data comprises instructions effective when executing to: broadcast said traffic signal data from said collecting server.