Traffic signal remote control system

Abstract

Abstract A SYSTEM FOR REMOTELY CONTROLLING TRAFFIC SIGNALS WHEREIN A SIGNAL TRANSMITTED FROM AN EMERGENCY VEHICLE CAUSES A TRAFFIC LIGHT SIGNAL CONTROLLER MOUNTED AT AN INTERSECTION TO OPERATE IN A REMOTELY CONTROLLED MODE TO CONTROL A TRAFFIC LIGHT SIGNALING OPERATION IN A SELECTED PHASE OF OPERATION IN RESPONSE TO THE DETECHED DIRECTION OF APPROACH OF THE EMERGENCY VEHICLE AND THE SENSED PHASE OF THE TRAFFIC LIGHT AT THE TIME THE APPROACH OF THE EMERGENCY VEHICLE IS DETECTED. THE DETECTOR PREFERABLY INCLUDES A LIGHT SENSITIVE COMMUNICATIONS RECEIVER WHICH IS CAPABLE OF DISTINGUISHING A PREDETERMINED LIGHT COMMUNICATION SIGNAL HAVING PULSES OF RELATIVELY SHARP RISE TIME AND OF A PREDETERMINED FREQUENCY, FROM STEADY STATE AMBIENT LIGHT. THIS PREFERRED RECEIVER COMBINES A PHOTOVOLTAIC DETECTOR HAVING A FAST RESPONSE TIME IN PARALLEL WITH AN INDUCTANCE COIL. THE INDUCTANCE VALUE OF THE COIL IS CHOSEN IN RELATION TO THE PHOTOVOLTAIC DETECTOR CAPACITANCE TO PROVIDE A RESONANT CIRCUIT RESPONSE TO A SAID PREDETERMINED LIGHT COMMUNICATION SIGNAL AND, IN THE ABSENCE OF A SHARPLY VARYING LIGH PULSE, TO CAUSE THE COIL TO ACT AS A DC SHORT CIRCUIT. A TRANSMITTER FOR PROVIDING SUCH A LIGHT COMMUNICATIONS SIGNAL PREFERABLY INCLUDES A CHAMBER HAVING A LIGHTTRANSMISSIVE WALL, AND ELECTRONIC FLASH LAMP MOUNTED IN THE CHAMBER HAVING ELECTRICAL CONDUCTORS ADAPTED TO BE CONNECTED TO BE ENERGIZED, AND A LIGHT-TRANSMISSIVE ELECTRICALLY-INSULATING FLUID IN THE CHAMBER TO CONTACT THE ELECTRICAL CONDUCTORS OF THE ELECTRONIC FLASH LAMP.

Inventors

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