GB2216318A

GB2216318A - Road usage control system

Info

Publication number: GB2216318A
Application number: GB8807794A
Authority: GB
Inventors: John Sinclair Armour; Granville Fisher
Original assignee: SEC DEP FOR TRANSPORT
Current assignee: SEC DEP FOR TRANSPORT
Priority date: 1988-03-31
Filing date: 1988-03-31
Publication date: 1989-10-04
Also published as: GB8807794D0

Abstract

A road usage control system has a plurality of light units (15) embedded in a road surface (11), and means for switching individual lights (15) on and off according to one of at least two predetermined programmes in order to indicate recommended or mandatory methods of road usage. For example, the lights (15) may be switched on and off in such a way that a light appears to advance along a motorway at a recommended or mandatory vehicular speed. Alternatively two or more series of lights may be positioned across a lane to control access. <IMAGE>

Description

ROAD USAGE CONTROL SYSTEMS The present invention relates to road usage control systems for the control of vehicles and pedestrians.

Road usage control systems involving visible displays situated above a road surface are well known and include, for example, the familiar red amber and green traffic control signals, gantry mounted signals, and motor way speed advice and warning signals. Whilst generally very effective these do have disadvantages in that they require a driver to divert his attention from road conditions ahead of and behind him. In adverse driving conditions such as in heavy traffic, fog, rain or snow this can result in accidents due either to the distraction of the drivers'attention by signals, or alternatively to the signals' remaining unnoticed.

Passive road usage control systems are also well known, as road mounted warning signs of, for example, the imminence of motoway slip roads, and also as direction control aids, in the form of the well known "cats-eyes". The latter are particularly effective due to the positioning in an actual road surface where they are automatically seen by a driver. However, to function correctly they rely on reflecting light, and their effectiveness is therefore considerably reduced in adverse weather conditions such as fog and snow where they may be completely obscured or may be only briefly visible to a driver.

The use of actively illuminated lights embedded in surfaces of vehicle pathways is well known, but has hitherto mainly been used for aircraft runways and taxi ways. These lights have conventionally been used only as passive control systems designating routes to be travelled.

According to the present invention a road usage control system includes a plurality of light units embedded in a road surface, a pavement or both and means for switching individual lights on and off according to one of at least two predetermined programmes in order to indicate recommended or mandatory methods of road usage.

In accordance with one of the invention lights embedded in the form of at least one line extending along a road such as a motorway are individually switched on and off according to a pattern simulating movement of a light along the line of the lights, the rate of movement being such as to indicate to a driver of a vehicle the sped at which he should be travelling. The rate can be controlled by automatic or by manual means in accordance with, for example, traffic or weather conditions.

In another embodiment two or more parallel series of lights positioned acrosfi a vehicle pathway are sequentially switched on or off to emphasis whether that pathway is or is not available for use.

Suitable vehicle pathways for such use are motorways, where it may be required to indicate that a motorway is blocked by, for example, roadworks or an accident, and that vehicles should take an appropriate slip road to join an alternative route. With this use preferably two or more rows of red lights are used, and these can advantageously be used with an arrow like line of preferably green lights directing traffic away from the motorway. Similar uses are possible in, for example, the vehicle manoeuvring areas of ports and airports, and in car parks. Pedestrian crossings may have their control effectiveness amplified by use of the invention, with, for example, two or more rows of red lights alternatively switched on and off on the vehicle passage way, associated with lines of sequentially switched green lights on the pedestrian pathway.

Some embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings, of which: Figure 1 shows a planned view of a motorway, Figure 2 shows a lamp control system, Figure 3 shows a planned view of a motorway and slip road junction, and Figure 4 shoes a planned view of a pedestrian crossing on a roadway.

A motorway (figure 1) having carriage ways 11 separated by a barrier 12 has each carriageway 11 divided into 3 lanes 13 separated by two parallel series 14 of lights such as those shown at 15.

Each light35 is connected (Figure 2) to aiightcontrol unit 16 controlled by a central controller 17. The central controller 17 has inputs from a manual control 18 and an automatic fog detector 19, and may also have an output to a fog warning sign 20.

In use a typical usage pattern would be for the lights 15 to be unlit during daylight hours and to be switched on under the control of thelamp control unit 16 and central controller 17 during night hours. However when required, such as during foggy, wet, icy or snowy conditions or when traffic is required to slow down due to the imminence of road works or accident conditions the central controller 17 can be instructed by the manual controller 18 or automatic fog detector 19 to actuate the lamp control unit 16 to sequentially switch on and off the lights 15 in the lines 14 to simulate a light advancing along the motorway, the speed of advance being adjusted to a speed at which vehicles on the motorway can travel safely. Thus a driver will know that he is travelling at the correct speed if he keeps pace with the "advance" of the light.It is well known that one of the reasons for drivers proceeding at dangerous speeds in fog is because of the lack of the visual references by which a driver roughly gauges his speed and by his wish not to remove his attention from the road ahead to glance at a speedometer. The invention therefore gives a driver an indication of the correctness or otherwise of his speed without his having to remove his attention from the road.

In another embodiment of the invention (Figure 3) a motorway junction 30 has a slip road 31 leading from a motorway 11.

A plurality of lines of which 2 are shown at 32, of red lights such as those shown at 33 are positioned in the motorway surface across the junction 30, and a line of green lights such as those shown at 34 are positioned in the road surface leading from the motorway 11 to the slip road 31. In use the lights 33, 34 will normally be unlit.

However should the police or other authorities wish to temporarily close the stretch of motorway beyond the junction 30 because of, for example, an accident, the lights can be actuated to advise drivers to take the slip road 31 rather than crossing the lines 32 of red lights 33. A preferred method of operation is for the lines 32 of red lights 33 to be switched alternatively on and off, and for the green light 34 to be switched on and off either in synchronism or, preferably, sequentially in the same manner as the lights 15 as described in operation in the embodiment of Figures 1 and 2.

Additional warning might also be given by red lights 35 in the outer lanes well before the junction 30. It will be realised that the use of flashing lights in the road surface is much more effective in catching a drivers attention than the conventially used post mounted warning signs at the sides of the motorway.

Similar uses of "barrier" lines of light such as those illustrated at 32 in figure 3, and "guide" lights such as those illustrated at 34 in figure 3 can be used in many similar environments such as in vehicle movement areas in airports and seaports, and in car parks. A further embodiment of the invention (Figure 4) is used in conjunction with conventional traffic and pedestrian controls, two or more lines 51 of lights such as those shown at 52 being positioned in the surface of a road 50 before a pedestrian crossing 53. Lines 54 of lights such as those shown at 55 are positioned along the pedestrian crossing. In use when the road is for use by vehicles the lights 52, 55 will remain unilluminated, but when the pedestrian crossing 53 is to be made available for pedestrians the lines 51 of lights 52 will be sequentially actuated to show the colour red, whilst the lines 54 of lights 55 will be sequentially or steadily actuated to show the colour green. The lights 55 may, for example, be actuated steadily until the safe period for pedestrians is approaching termination, and then actuated sequentially.

Many other embodiments of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

Claims

1. A road usage control system including a plurality of light units embedded in a road surface, a pavement or both and means for switching individual lights on and off according to one of at least two predetermined programmes in order to indicate recommended or mandatory methods of road usage.

2. A road usage control system as claimed in Claim 1 wherein lights are embedded in the form of at least one line extending along a road, the lights being switched on and off according to a pattern simulating movement of a light along the line of lights, the rate of movement being such as to indicate to a driver of a vehicle the speed at which he should be travelling.

3. A road usage control system as claimed in Claim 2 wherein the road is a motorway.

4. A road usage control system as claimed in Claim 1 wherein two or more parallel series of lights positioned across a vehicle pathway are sequentially switched on and off to emphasise whether that pathway is or is not available for use.

5. A road usage control system as claimed in Claim 4 wherein the vehicle pathway is a motorway and wherein the series of lights are positioned at a junction, wherein the lights are red, and where the lights are operated to indicate that the vehicles should not continue along the motorway but should turn off onto a slip road at the junction.

6. A road usage control system as claimed in Claim 5 additionally having a line of sequentially operated green lights indicating a route onto the slip road.

7. A road usage control system as claimed in Claim 4 wherein the vehicle pathway is a lane of a motorway and wherein the series of lights are red and are operated to indicate when that lane is about to become Unavailable for traffic.

8. A road usage control system as claimed in Claim 4 wherein the vehicle pathway is in the manoeuvring area of a port, of an airport or of a vehicle park.

9. A road usage control system as claimed in Claim 1 including at least two series of red lights positioned before a pedestrian crossing and sequentially operated before and during availability of the crossing for pedestrians.

10. A road usage control system as claimed in Claim 9 including at least two series of green lights positioned along the pedestrian crossing and operated, sequentially or steadily, when the crossing is available for pedestrians.

11. A road usage control system substantially as herein described.

12. A road usage control system substantially as herein described with reference to Figures 1 to 4 of the accompanying drawings.