FR2783592A1 - Traffic lights adapted to people with red-green color blindness - Google Patents

Abstract

The adaptation to a conventional set of three-color traffic lights is to place a reference lamp to one side of the enclosure (5) for the traffic lights (1a,1b,1c). The reference lamp (2) is illuminated at night or at other times of poor visibility, and can be vertical and extend the full height of the set of lights, or be a point source placed beside the central lamp of the set of lights.

Description

Traffic lights or other suitable for

the visually impaired colors.

  The present invention relates to signaling light systems

  and control lights with light sources in very special colors

  specially adapted to allow the visually impaired colors, in particular

  ment to people with color blindness, the perception of signals.

  This abnormality in color vision, most often causing confusion between red and green, is extremely detrimental in many circumstances of everyday and professional life of

people who have it.

  The gravity of the consequences which result from it, in particular when the

  faulty design of road traffic lights and warnings

  emitted by indicator lights in control rooms, had led to seek ways to attenuate or even eliminate the consequences

dangerous such situations.

  Thus, we have already thought of associating a geometric figure, such as a triangle, square or circle, with each of the three colors of bounds of

road traffic signaling.

  However, such a proposal was not followed up on, probably-

  among other things because of the difficulty of recognizing at a distance in poor visibility conditions the unlit geometric shape

  associated with the associated colored traffic light.

  The same problem can also be encountered for large numbers of indicator lights in the facility control rooms.

industrial or other.

  Signaling or control light systems

  these colored lights according to the present invention are characterized in that one adds to the signaling lights or the existing control lights or of the conventional type a light element serving as a marker for the position of the light or of the light on at the given moment, with respect to to those

  not lit or in relation to the box, eg its shape, which makes them

closed.

  In its most common form, the invention applies to systems comprising

  with at least two indicator lights that light up in turn.

  As a system of road traffic lights, the device according to the invention is particularly applicable to bollards comprising three

  traffic lights aligned vertically or horizontally.

  Preferably, the position marker light element is fixed on a

  side of the alignment of lights or indicators.

  In general, the light element serving as a reference will not be illu-

  undermined only in poor visibility conditions, for example at the

  nightfall, in fog or other bad weather

risk.

  The light element serving as a benchmark can take various forms.

  Preferably, it will be constituted by a lighting tube making it possible to

  recognize the position of the light or the lit indicator in relation to the extent

due from the tube.

  According to other variants, the light element is constituted either by a

  white light positioned at the middle light, either by spotlights

  lights aligned on one side of traffic lights.

  In the accompanying drawings, there are shown, by way of nonlimiting examples, three embodiments of the luminous element serving as a marker for the position of the light and of the lit indicator, namely: a lighting tube in FIG. 1 a white light in Figure 2 and

  several light spots aligned in Figure 3.

  The boxes 5 contain three three-color lights, eg a red light la,

  a yellow light lb and a green light lc, switching on and off alternately

  to regulate road traffic.

  The lighting tube 2 shown in Figure 1 is placed in a housing

  attached to the left side wall of the housing 5.

  In operation, the tube remains on, indicating the position of the

  light, lit at a given time, in the order of successive control lights.

  The position of this light in the succession of aligned lights is identified by the recognition of its position in relation to the total height of the

tube on.

  Without having to recognize the color of the light emitted by the fire, the person suffering from color blindness easily locates the position of this fire

  in the case relative to the column represented by the tube and iden-

  thus confirms the order of command transmitted by the traffic light terminal.

  According to Figure 2, an additional box 3 contains a white light

  which, in operation, remains permanently on.

  Placed at the level of the middle light, the white light allows the identification of the light in the lit state (la, lb, lc) in the same way as the lighting tube

2 of Figure 1.

  The same goal can be achieved according to the embodiment shown in Figure 3 by aligned spots 4 which, in operation remain lit

permanently.

  Other variant embodiments carried out without departing from the

  taken from the invention by those skilled in the art are also an integral part

grantee of the present invention.

  Its advantages are numerous, because not only do the systems according to the invention

  vention render an appreciable service to the visually impaired colors,

  but its application in no way modifies existing habits.

  In the case of supplementing only existing installations without modifying them, the costs occasioned by the installation of benchmarks

  lights according to the invention represent a minimum cost.

Claims (8)

  1. Signaling systems or control lights with colored light sources, adapted to be perceived by color blind persons, characterized in that they are combined with existing or conventional type signaling lights or control lights a luminous element serving as a marker for the position of the light or of the indicator lit at the given moment, in relation to those not lit or in relation to the box which contains them.   2. Systems according to claim 1, characterized in that they comprise   at least two indicator lights that light up in turn.   3. Road traffic light system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the signal lights are three in number   traffic lights aligned vertically or horizontally.   4. Systems according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that   the light element serving as a position marker is fixed on one side   the alignment of lights or indicators.   5. Systems according to claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the element   luminous marker is only illuminated in poor visibility conditions, for example at night, in fog or other atmospheric weather.   6. Systems according to claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the ele-   The luminous reference point consists of a lighting tube.   7. Traffic light system according to any one of claims   1 to 5, characterized in that the light element serving as a reference is   consisting of a white light positioned at the middle fire level.   8. Systems according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that   the light element serving as a reference is constituted by spotlights   lights aligned on one side of traffic lights.