GB2323198A

GB2323198A - A display system for a traffic signal and a traffic signal

Info

Publication number: GB2323198A
Application number: GB9705122A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Tomohiro Sanada; Terumasa Iba
Original assignee: Tokyo Seimitsu Co Ltd; OHI Co Ltd
Current assignee: Tokyo Seimitsu Co Ltd; OHI Co Ltd
Priority date: 1995-09-12
Filing date: 1997-03-12
Publication date: 1998-09-16
Anticipated expiration: 2017-03-12
Also published as: GB9705122D0; SG42777A1; JPH0981893A; HK1012517A1; GB2323198B; JP2973395B2

Abstract

A Traffic Safety (TS) panel 20 can be easily observed with a traffic signal 10. Multiple pieces of information are changed over to be displayed on the TS panel 20, and a luminescent color of the information (such as traffic information, traffic slogans, advertisements) or a luminescent color of the background of the information is illuminated in the same color as that of the turned-on light of the traffic signal 10, under control of a detector which detects whether each lamp of the traffic signal is turned on or not without changing an electric circuit of the signal. As a result, various information can be displayed on the TS panel 20, and a signal color can be recognized not only by a signal lamp but also by a display color of the TS panel 20. A traffic signal can consist of a luminescent panel displaying changeable symbols with a changeably-coloured background.

Description

A DISPLAY SYSTEM FOR A TRAFFIC SIGNAL AND A TRAFFIC SIGNAL The present invention relates to a display system for a traffic signal and to a traffic signal, and more particularly to a display system for a traffic signal and a traffic signal which displays information including traffic information, traffic slogans, advertisements, and the like.

A traffic signal aims at making the smooth flow of cars and people and at preventing traffic accidents. Accordingly, in a usual traffic signal, as shown in Fig. 14, three lights (red, yellow and green lights) are time-controlled to light one by one. Moreover, a display board, which displays a place where a traffic signal is installed and an advertisement, is installed on the top, bottom or side portion of the traffic signal.

However, there is a problem in that the display contents become difficult to be understood as it gets darker and darker.

Moreover, there is a problem in that it is hard for drivers and pedestrians to understand a signal light of the traffic signal at daytime because they are dazzled by the sun light.

At least in the preferred embodiment the present invention provides a display system for a traffic signal wherein drivers and pedestrians can confirm a signal color easily, traffic information can be confirmed and an advertisement function by traffic slogans and advertisements is provided.

according to the present invention, there is provided a traffic signal comprising: a display means provided at such a position as to be seen together with the traffic signal and displaying information such as traffic information, traffic slogans, advertisements, etc., the display means changing a luminescent color of the information to green, yellow or red; a detecting means provided for each of the different colored lamps of the traffic signal, the detecting means detecting whether each lamp is turned on or turned off without changing an electric circuit of the traffic signal; and a control means for controlling the luminescent color of the information displayed on the display means to be the same color as the traffic signal in accordance with detected output from the detecting means ,,synchronously with changeover of a lighted color of the traffic signal.

The display means displays plural pieces of information, and the control means successively changes over the plural pieces of information displayed on the display means in accordance with a detection signal from the detecting means so as to display desired information on the display means while synchronizing with changeover of a lighted color of the traffic signal.

Further, the present invention comprises: a display means provided in such a manner to be easily observed with a traffic signal for displaying plural pieces of information such as traffic information, traffic slogans, advertisement and the like, the display means capable of displaying a desired information on a display surface thereof while changing over the plural pieces of information, and capable of changing over a luminescent color for a background of the information among each color of the plurality of lamps; and a detecting means provided for each of the plurality of lamps for detecting whether each lamp is turned on or turned off without changing an electric circuit of the traffic signal; and a control means for successively changing over said plural pieces of informa tion in accordance with an detection signal from the detecting means so as to display a desired information on the display surface while synchronizing with a changeover of a turned-on color of the traffic signal and for controlling the luminescent colors of the background of the information in the display means to be a same as a color of a lamp currently turned on.

Therefore, the signal color can be confirmed not only by the signal lamp but also by the display color of the display means and various information displayed in the display means can be confirmed simultaneously. Furthermore, plural pieces of information are changed over to be displayed while synchronizing with a changeover of- a turned-on color, so that the amount of information displayed on the display means can be increased.

According to the other mode, the present invention comprises: a surface luminescence means for displaying information such as traffic information, traffic slogans, advertisements, and the like on a display surface thereof and for changing over a luminescent color for a background of the information among green, yellow and read, or among green and red; and a control means for successively changing over the luminescent color of the background to green, yellow and red, or green, blinking green and red in a predetermined timing, and for changing over information displayed on the display means of the surface luminescence means in said predetermined timing.

The surface luminescence means displays plural pieces of information, and the control means for sequentially changing over the luminescent color of the background to green, yellow and red, or green, blinking green, and red in a predetermined .timing and for changing over information displayed on the surface luminescence means in the predetermined timing.

Furthermore, the present invention comprises: a surface luminescence means for displaying information such as traffic information, traffic slogans, advertisements, and the like on a display surface thereof and for changing over a luminescence color for a background of the information among green, yellow and red, or among green and red; and a control means for successively changing over a luminescence color of the background to green, yellow and red, or green, blinking green and red in a predetermined timing and for changing over information displayed on the display surface of the surface luminescence means in the predetermined timing.

As a result, for example, in the case of the traffic signal for pedestrians, WALK , STOP or pedestrian marks indicating them, etc. are changed over to be displayed in accordance with the color of the background, and the displayed contents of the traffic signal can be correctly recognized.

Embodiments of the invention, as well as other objects and advantages thereof, will be readily apparent from consideration of the following specification relating to the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters designate the same or similar parts throughout the figures thereof and wherein: Fig. 1 is an external view showing the state that the display system for the traffic signal according this invention is installed in the traffic signal.

Fig. 2 is a view showing the arrangement example of the Traffic Safety panel and the controller at the crossroad intersection.

Fig. 3 is a block diagram showing a composition example of the TS panel and the controller.

Fig. 4 is a view showing an detector shown in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is another example of the synchronous detector.

Figs. 6 (A), 6 (B) and 6 (C) are views showing a turned-on color of a traffic signal and a display information on a Traffic safety panel.

Figs. 7 (A) and (B) are external views respectively showing an example of a display in a traffic signal according to the present invention.

Fig.8 is a block diagram of a traffic signal according to the present invention.

Figs. 9 (A) and (B) are external views illustrating another example of a display in a traffic signal according to the present invention.

A detailed description will hereunder be given off the preferred embodiment of a traffic signal, a display system therefor and a hood for a lamp thereof according to the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Fig. 1 is an external view showing the state that a Traffic Safety panel (hereafter, it is called the TS panel) which composes the display system for the traffic signal according to this invention is installed in the traffic signal.

In Fig. 1, 10 is a well-known traffic signal which consists of three colors including green, yellow and red and attached to a support pole 12 from an electric pole not shown downward through a bracket 14.

20 is a TS panel, such as a color plasma display panel. This TS panel 20 is installed in the upper part of the traffic signal 10 through the bracket 14 and observed simultaneously with the traffic signal 10.

At an intersection of a crossroad shown in Fig. 2, for instance, 4 TS panels 20A attached to traffic signals for driveways and 8 TS panels 20B attached to traffic signals for pavements, that is, 12 TS panels are installed. And, the 12 TS panels 20A and 20B are controlled simultaneously by a controller 30 through optical communication cables 35 about display patterns of panel surfaces.

Fig. 3 is a block diagram showing one embodiment of an internal composition of a TS panel and a controller. The TS panel 20 consists of mainly a synchronism detector 21, a central processing unit (CPU) 23, a memory 24, a video signal producer 25, a display control circuit 26 and a luminescent panel 27 and the controller 30 is mainly composed of a 16 channel multiplexor 31, a RS-232C circuit 32 for optical communication, a memory card unit 33 and a power source unit 34 as shown in Fig. 3.

The controller 30 is operated when the display patterns such as traffic information, traffic slogan or advertisements displayed on the TS panel 20 are changed and memory cards for the memory card unit 33 are replaced. Thus, display pattern data recorded in the memory card is read and is transmitted to the respective TS panels 20 through the RS-232C circuit 32, the 16-channel multiplexor 31 and a optical communication cable 35.

The display pattern data transmitted from the controller 30 is memorized in the memory 24 through an interface not shown for the optical communication of the TS panel 20 and through the CPU 23.

Synchronism signals are transferred from the synchronism detector 21 to the CPU 23 of the TS panel 20 through a signal interface 22. This synchronism detector 21 is a detector which is disposed opposite to each color lamp of the traffic signal 10 and outputs the synchronism signals indicating the state of each lamp which is turned on or turned off, but is not electrically connected to an electric circuit of the traffic signal 10.

The synchronism detector 21 may consist of a detector, as shown in Fig. 4, wherein a coil 21A is -wound on to each lead 10B to light each lamp 10A of the traffic signal and the magnetic field produced by electric current fl-owing when the lamp is turned on is converted into an electric signal and another detector, as shown in Fig. 5, comprising a photo sensor 21B which is disposed opposite to each lamp 10A of the traffic signal converts the light when the lamp is turned on into an electric signal. 10B is a sunshade cover of the lamp in Fig. 5.

In Fig. 3, the CPU 23 reads out display pattern data which is memorized in accordance with a turned-on color of the lamp, from the display pattern data memorized in the memory 24 on a basis of a synchronism signal, which is input via a signal interface 22 and indicates a color of a lamp which is currently turned, on. Then, the CPU 23 outputs video signals to the display control circuit 26 through the video signal producer 25 to make, for instance, the luminescent color of information such as advertisement characters and patterns in white color and the color of the background luminescent in the same color as the signal, and the display control circuit 26 makes a light-emitting panel 20 emit in accordance with the input video signal.

That is, in the case when a green lamp 10G of the traffic signal 10 is turned on as shown in Fig. 6 (A), the information corresponding to the green color is displayed on the TS panel, and its background color is made to be green. Likewise, in the case when a yellow lamp lOY of the traffic signal 10 is turned on as shown in Fig. 6 (B), the information corresponding to the yellow color is displayed on the TS panel 20, and the background color is made to be yellow. In the case when a red lamp 10R of the traffic signal 10 is turned on as shown in Fig. 6 (C), the information corresponding to the red color is displayed on the TS panel 20, and the background color is made to be red. Incidentally, in this embodiment, the information displayed on the TS panel 20 is changed over in accordance with the turned-on color of the traffic signal. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, more than three kinds of information are memorized and the information is sequentially changed over to be displayed while synchronizing with the changeover of the traffic signal. A thermo heater and a fan heater 29 are driven by the power source 28 to keep the temperature range for using the TS panel 20 in 0 C - 45" C. Moreover, the power source 28 supplies the power to respective circuits of the TS panel 20.

According to the above-described structure, the information such as characters of advertisements, patterns, etc. is illuminated white on the panel surface of the TS panel 20, and the background color is changed over to be the same luminescent color as that of the traffic signal while synchronizing with the changeover of the traffic signal. The information such as advertisement characters, patterns, etc. is luminescent in white. However, the information may be luminescent in colors except for-green, yellow and red, or the information may not be luminescent at all.

The TS panel 20 can provide various kinds of information with drivers and pedestrians, and the entire panel surface is changed over to be the same luminescent color as that of the traffic signal, so the TS panel surface can serve as an auxiliary traffic signal which can be easily seen from a distance. Moreover, the TS panel 20 is completely separated from an electric system of the traffic signal, so the reliability of the traffic signal cannot be damaged.

Incidentally, in this embodiment, information displayed on the TS panel 20 is changed over in accordance with the turnedon color of a signal, however, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, more than three pieces of information may be memorized in the memory 24, so that the information can be successively changed over while synchronizing with a changeover of the signal. Moreover, The TS panel is composed of the color plasma display panel, but the present invention should not be limited to this. For example, the TS panel may be composed of a light-emitting diode panel or a liquid crystal display panel.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the background color of the TS panel 20 is changed according to the lighted color of the traffic signal; however, the present invention should not be restricted to this. The background-color of the TS panel 20 may be fixed (including the color which is not luminescent), and the luminescent color of the information displayed on the TS panel 20 may be changed to be the same color as the traffic signal synchronously with the changeover of the lighted color of the traffic signal. Moreover, the information may be changed at the same time with the changeover of the luminescent color of the information displayed on the TS panel 20.

Next, a detailed description will be given of one embodiment of a traffic signal according to this invention.

In Fig. 7, 110 is a luminescence panel which shows the display part of the traffic signal according to this invention.

It is a color plasma display panel. This luminescent panel 110 is supported by a supporting pole 112 of a electric pole not shown.

The luminescent panel 110, as shown in Fig. 8* is controlled by a controller 114 and a panel drive circuit 116 for luminescence. That is, the controller 114 contains a timer and outputs control signals which change the luminescent panel 110 over to green, yellow and red at every predetermined time successively to a panel drive circuit 116. The panel drive circuit 116 makes the luminescence surface as a whole of the luminescent panel 110 in the luminescent color specified by the control signals luminescent in response to the inputcontrol signals.

Incidentally, as information displayed in the traffic signal for pedestrians, as shown in Figs. 9 (A) and (B), a pedestrian mark indicating that pedestrians walk and stops may be displayed in addition to the above-described character information.

With this arrangement, the luminescence surface of the lurninescent panel 110 as a whole is made luminescent in one color.

Therefore, when the above-mentioned traffic signal is compared with the conventional one having the same size, the luminescent area will become three times bigger so that the visibility is improved. Further, the description has been given of the case in which the color plasma display panel is used as a luminescence panel in the above embodiment; however, the present invention should not necessarily be limited to this, and a fluorescent display tube, a luminescent diode panel or a liquid crystal display may be used.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the whole luminescent surface of the luminescent panel 110 is made luminescent in a color designated by the pattern signal, and the characters and the marks designated by the pattern signal are displayed on the luminescent surface. The present invention, however, should not be restricted to this. The luminescent color of the characters and marks displayed on the luminescent panel 110 may be made luminescent in a color designated by a control signal, and the characters and marks displayed on the luminescent panel 110 may be changed over at the same time with the changeover of the luminescent color of the characters and marks.

It should be understood, however, that there is no intention to limit the invention to the specific forms disclosed, but on the contrary, the invention is to coverall modifications, alternate constructions and equivalents falling within the scope of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A display system for a traffic signal comprising: display means for displaying information provided at such a position as to be seen together with said traffic signal, said display means changing a luminescent color of said information to green, yellow or red; detecting means provided for each of the different colored lamps of said traffic signal, said detecting means detecting whether each lamp is turned on or turned off without changing an electric circuit of said traffic signal; and control means for controlling the luminescent color of said information displayed on said display means to be of a color which is the same as a color of said traffic signal in synchronism with a detection output from said detecting means, said luminescent color being controlled in synchronism with a changeover of a lighted color of said traffic signal.

2. The display system for the traffic signal as defined in claim 1, wherein: said display means displays multiple pieces of information; and said control means successively changes over said multiple pieces of information displayed on said display means in synchronism with a detection signal from said detecting means so as to display desired information on said display means, said desired information being changed in synchronism with a changeover of a lighted color of said traffic signal.

3. The display system for the traffic signal as defined in claim 1 or 2, wherein said information is at least one part of traffic information, a traffic slogan and an advertisement.

4. A display system for a traffic signal including a plurality of different colored lamps, the system comprising: display means for displaying information provided at such a position as to be seen together with said traffic signal, the display means changing over multiple pieces of information to display desired information on a display screen thereof and changing a luminescent color of a background of said information to green, yellow or red; detecting means provided for each of the different colored lamps of said traffic signal, said detecting means detecting whether each lamp is turned on or turned off without changing an electric circuit of said traffic signal; and control means for successively changing over said multiple pieces of information in synchronism with a detection signal from the detecting means so as to display respective desired information on said display screen for each of said plurality of lamps, the desired information being changed in synchronism with a changeover of a lighted color of said traffic signal from one color to another and for controlling the luminescent color of a background of said information on said display means to be of a color which is the same as a color of a lamp currently turned on.

5. The display system for the traffic signal as defined in claim 4, wherein said information is at least one part of traffic information, a traffic slogan and an advertisement.

6. A traffic signal comprising: surface luminescence means for displaying information on a display screen thereof and for changing over a luminescent color of a background of said information among green, yellow and red, or among green and red; and control means for successively changing over said lumi nescent color of said information to green, yellow and red, or green, blinking green and red in a predetermined timing, and for changing over information displayed on said display means of said surface luminescence means in said predetermined timing.

7. The traffic signal as defined in claim 6, wherein said surface luminescence means displays multiple pieces of information.

8. The traffic signal as defined in claim 6 or 7, wherein said information is at least one part of traffic information, a traffic slogan and an advertisement.

9. A traffic signal including a red lamp, a yellow lamp and a green lamp, the traffic signal comprising: surface luminescence means for displaying information on a display screen thereof and for changing over a luminescent color of a background of said information among green, yellow and red, or among green and red; and control means for successively changing over a luminescent color of said background to green, yellow and red, or green, blinking green and red in a predetermined timing and for changing over information displayed on said display screen of said surface luminescence means in said predetermined timing.

10. The traffic signal as defined in claim 9, wherein said information is at least one part of traffic information, a traffic slogan and an advertisement.

11. A display system for a traffic signal, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

12. A traffic signal, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.