FR2842336A3 - DEVICE FOR TRANSMITTING INFORMATION AND SIGNALING LIGHT CONTROL - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a traffic light control device comprising a microprocessor (1), a traffic light control device (2) controlled by said microprocessor (1) to send the stop and authorization signals. passage and direction, a display panel (3) controlled by the microprocessor (1) to display characters, diagrams and graphic images, a video camera (4) controlled by the microprocessor (1) to monitor the flow circulation, a set of compression circuits (5) of the images taken by the video camera in order to send them to the microprocessor (1), an input-output interface (6) connected to the microprocessor (1) to receive and then transmit control signals, a traffic flow detector (7) connected to the input-output interface (6) and gathering the traffic flow information entered at said microprocessor (1), a transmission line of the type DSL (8) connected to the input-output interface (6) and receiving then transmitting control signals, and a broadband network (9) interconnecting the DSL line (8) and a central traffic control computer (91), said central computer sending and receiving control signals to the microprocessor (1) via said broadband network (9).

Description

INFORMATION TRANSMISSION AND CONTROL DEVICE

SIGNAL LIGHT

  The present invention relates to a device for transmitting information and controlling traffic lights So far, it is known that a traffic light uses red, orange and green lights to control the direction and flow of traffic, and that the traffic light control is carried out by a local control box or by a remote computer located in a central traffic control office so that the traffic flow

can be ordered normally.

  Cables and / or wires must therefore be installed between each. traffic light control unit and central computer for transmitting control signals and data. There are two ways to install cables: above ground or underground. The surface method consists in holding the cables on the electricity pylons, but this method harms the urban landscape and therefore tends to be less and less applied. The underground process consists in burying the cables underground, which avoids deteriorating the urban landscape, but which nevertheless requires the fact of digging the road at first, the works disrupting the flow of traffic during the day, if although the work must be done in the evening. Evening work costs more than day work, the underground process is much more expensive

than the surface process.

  The length of the cable being equal to the distance between the traffic control unit and the central computer, the cost and the installation of the

  cables are also very high.

  A main object of the invention is therefore to provide an information transmission and traffic light control device which uses the existing broadband network to transmit data between the central traffic control computer and the microprocessors of the traffic lights. crossings to avoid installing cables and

  achieve savings in terms of construction cost.

  To this end, the subject of the invention is a device for transmitting information and controlling traffic lights comprising: - a microprocessor located inside a traffic control unit intended to control sets of circuits main, - a signaling light control device connected to and controlled by said microprocessor to send stop, pass and direction authorization signals, - an electronic display panel connected to and controlled by said microprocessor for display characters, diagrams and graphic images, - a video camera connected to and controlled by said microprocessor to monitor the flow of traffic, - a set of compression circuits connected to said microprocessor and to said video camera, said set of circuits of compression compressing the image data taken by said video camera and sending this data to said microprocessor r, - an input-output interface connected to said microprocessor for receiving then transmitting data and control signals, - a circulation flow detector connected to said input-output interface and gathering the flow rate information, the traffic flow information being entered at said microprocessor, - a DSL type transmission line connected to said input-output interface and receiving and then transmitting data and control signals, - a broadband network connecting said line DSL type transmission system and a central traffic control computer therebetween, said central traffic control computer sending and receiving the data and control signals to said microprocessor by

  through said broadband network.

  Advantageously, the video camera is a photographic device. Preferably, the DSL type transmission line is a cable modem, an ADSL line, a VDSL line or a line

XDSL.

  Other characteristics, details and advantages of the invention

  will emerge on reading the description made with reference to the drawings

  attached given by way of example which respectively represent: FIG. 1, a block diagram of the circuits of the present invention, and

  - Figure 2, a flow diagram of the present invention.

  Referring to Figure 1, the components of the present invention are described below: - the microprocessor 1 is located inside a traffic light traffic control unit to control all the

circuit sets.

  A signaling light control device 2 is connected to and controlled by the microprocessor 1 to transmit the signals

  stop, authorization to pass and direction.

  An electronic display panel 3 is connected to and controlled by the microprocessor 1 to display characters, patterns

and graphic images.

  A video camera 4 is connected to and controlled by the

  microprocessor 1 to monitor traffic flow.

  A set of compression circuits 5 is connected to the microprocessor 1 and to the video camera 4. This set of compression circuits 5 compresses the image data taken by the video camera 4

  and sends the data thus compressed to microprocessor 1.

  An input-output interface 6 is connected to the microprocessor 1 and receives and then transmits data and control signals. A circulation flow detector 7 is connected to the input-output interface 6 and collects the flow information of

  that entered at the microprocessor level 1.

  A high speed transmission line 8 of DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) type is connected to the input-output interface 6 and then receives

  transmits data and control signals.

  A broadband network 9 interconnects the DSL transmission line 8 and a central traffic control computer 91, which computer sends and receives the data and control signals to the microprocessor through the wide network

band 9.

  The video camera 4 is a photographic device and the transmission line 8 of DSL type is either a cable modem, or an ADSL line (Asymetrical Digital Subscriber Line), or a VDSL line (Very High data rate Subscriber Line) or a line

XDSL, as needed.

  Based on the above structure and referring to the flowchart shown in Figure 2, the traffic flow sensor 7 located at the road crossings gathers the traffic flow information and transmits the data to the microprocessor 1 via the input-output interface 6. The camera 4 introduces the traffic flow images at the level of the compression circuit assembly 5. This data is converted into digital signals by the set of compression circuits 5 and they are entered at the microprocessor 1. The DSL type transmission line 8 transmits the data to the traffic flow detector 7 and to the camera 4 via the broadband network 9 to the central traffic control computer 91. The central traffic control computer 91 then calculates the best control sequence for the control device. nde of the traffic light 2 and transmits this control sequence via the broadband network 9. The transmission line 8 of DSL type then receives this sequence and then transmits it to the microprocessor 1 which responds accordingly to the control device

traffic light 2.

  Thus, the communication between the microprocessor 1, at the level of the road crossings, and the central traffic control computer 91 located in the central office takes place via the existing broadband network 9. Consequently, the device according to the invention avoids the tedious nature of installing cables. Installation costs and

  works can be minimized.

  The traffic information can also flow from the central traffic control computer 91 via the broadband network 9. Thus, the microprocessor 1 can receive this information and display messages on the display panel.

  electronic, and all drivers can be informed.

  The invention is in no way limited to the exemplary embodiment

  given solely by way of illustration of the subject of the invention.

Claims (3)

  1. An information transmission and traffic light control device comprising: - a microprocessor (1) located inside a traffic control unit intended to control main circuit assemblies; - a signaling light control device (2) connected to and controlled by said microprocessor (1) to send stop, passage authorization and direction signals; - an electronic display panel (3) connected to and controlled by said microprocessor (1) for displaying characters, diagrams and graphic images - a video camera (4) connected to and controlled by said microprocessor (1) for monitoring traffic flow; - a set of compression circuits (5) connected to said microprocessor (1) and to said video camera (4), said set of compression circuits (5) compressing the image data taken by said video camera (4) and sending this data to said microprocessor (1); - an input-output interface (6) connected to said microprocessor (1) for receiving and then transmitting data and control signals; a flow rate detector (7) connected to said input-output interface (6) and collecting the flow rate information, the flow rate information being entered at said microprocessor (1); - a DSL type transmission line (8) connected to said input-output interface (6) and receiving and then transmitting data and control signals; - a broadband network (9) connecting said DSL type transmission line (8) and a central traffic control computer (91) therebetween, said central traffic control computer (91) sending and receiving data and the control signals to said   microprocessor (1) via said broadband network (9).   2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that   said video camera (4) is a camera.   3. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that said DSL type transmission line (8) is a cable modem, a line   ADSL, a VDSL line or an XDSL line.