JP2007299201A - Traffic signal apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To remotely control the lighting operations of a plurality of signal lights individually by means of a common signal light controller; to easily change the content of the lighting operations; to monitor the lighting state of each signal light using the signal controller, so that when a combination of lighting states may cause danger to traffic flow, the control is immediately transitioned to abnormality display operation control; to control the plurality of signal lights at intersections or the like to perform the lighting operations precisely in response to complex traffic flow; and to easily add signal lights. <P>SOLUTION: The plurality of signal lights 8 each have a characteristic ID symbol. A signal light controller 9 for remotely controlling the lighting operations of the signal lights 8 identified by the ID symbols, including lighting order and lighting time, is provided. Each of the signal lights 8 has a communication controller 16 for communicating with the signal light controller 9. When a lighting operation command from the signal light controller 9 matches the ID symbol of each signal light 8, each signal light 8 turns on the light corresponding to the lighting operation command and returns the lighting state to the signal light controller 9. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a traffic signal device, and in particular, the lighting operation of a plurality of signal lamps can be individually controlled remotely with a common signal lamp controller, and the contents of the lighting operation can be easily changed. The present invention relates to a traffic signal device in which a signal lamp can be easily added as required.

  As a conventional traffic signal device, for example, there are devices shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 (a) and (b). In FIG. 5, the electric power for lighting the red 2R, yellow 2Y and green 2G lamps in the signal lamp 1 is supplied from the signal lamp controller 3 to the lamps 2R, 2Y and 2G in the signal lamp 1. Is supplied through. The signal lamp device 1 of FIG. 5 shows a case of a vehicle signal lamp device including three lamp devices 2R, 2Y, and 2G. In the case of pedestrian use, the number of lamps is two.

  The signal lamp controller 3 stores a power supply unit 5 for supplying necessary power to each unit using a commercial power supply, lighting sequences of the lamps 2R, 2Y, 2G in the signal lamp unit 1, lighting times, and the like. The lamp opening / closing unit 7 which controls the control unit 6 and the switching element corresponding to the lighting signal commanded from the control unit 6 and outputs the lighting power (AC100V) input from the power supply unit 5 to the external terminal. Etc. are provided. The signal lamp controller 3 has a dedicated external terminal for each signal lamp 1 and each lamp color, and wiring by the cable 4 is performed for each lamp 2R, 2Y, 2G in the signal lamp 1 from the external terminal. ing.

  The signal lamp controller 3 is connected by a public line from the traffic control center via a transmission unit, and the control of the signal lamp controller 3 and management of the operation state are performed at the traffic control center by this connection.

  6A and 6B show the connection relationship between the four signal lamps 1a to 1d and the signal lamp controller 3 at the intersection. As shown in FIG. 6 (b), the signal lamps 1a and 1b, 1c and 1d that are turned on simultaneously from the signal lamp controller 3 are wired by cables for each of the lamps 1R, 1Y, 1G, 2R, 2Y, and 2G. It has been broken. Thus, the signal lamps 1a and 1b, 1c and 1d controlled simultaneously are connected to the same terminal of the signal lamp controller 3. Now, for example, when lighting each 1G lamp in the signal lamps 1a and 1b, lighting power (AC100V) input from an external commercial power source is output to the 1G output terminal in the signal lamp controller 3. The

  In addition, when changing traffic flow as shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, which will be described later, the signal lamp control that stores the lighting sequence and lighting time of the signal lamp corresponding to the intersection at the intersection. A machine is installed. The traffic flow is controlled by synchronizing the signal light controller with each other. As synchronization methods, there are a wired method and a method in which the start time is adjusted according to the time of the internal clock.

  And when changing traffic flow, the following work is required. That is, (1) change of stored information in the signal lamp controller; the lighting order is changed. (2) Change in lighting output; the number of signal lamps to be output may be changed by changing the lighting order. (3) Change of wiring for signal lamp; This is because the signal lamps that are turned on at the same time change in accordance with the changes of (1) and (2). In this way, since the wiring is changed, the same operation as described above is required when returning to the original control.

  Further, as a conventional technique related to a traffic signal device, for example, the following traffic signal system is known. The traffic signal in this prior art controls an independent power source comprising a solar panel or a wind power generator alone or a solar panel and wind power generator complex and a battery, and switching between the independent power source and a commercial power source. A control device for measuring the voltage, current, internal resistance, specific gravity and the like of the independent power source, and a lamp state measuring unit for measuring the voltage value and current value of the lamp. Is provided. In addition, a management device for remotely monitoring and controlling the traffic signal is installed remotely, and the traffic signal and the management device are connected via an electric communication line, so that the independent power supply state measuring unit and the lamp Each measurement value of the instrument state measurement unit is distributed to the management device.

And the state of deterioration, defect, etc. of the lamp installed in the traffic signal can be constantly monitored remotely from the measured value of the lamp condition measuring unit. As a result, it is possible to grasp an appropriate replacement time before the lamp is in a so-called ball-out state and to perform accurate maintenance and to reduce maintenance costs (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2005-310079 (pages 3 to 4, FIGS. 1 to 4).

  In the traffic signal device according to the prior art shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 (a), (b), the lighting order and lighting time of each lamp in the signal lamp is stored in the signal lamp controller, Wiring with a cable is performed for each lamp of the signal lamp that is turned on simultaneously from the signal lamp controller. For this reason, if you want to change the control so that the signal lamps that are lit at the same time are turned on separately, change the lighting sequence data stored in the signal lamp controller, and between each lamp of the signal lamp controller and the signal lamp Re-wiring with a cable is necessary, which is a very difficult task. In addition, when adding a signal lamp, it is necessary to add wiring by a cable between each lamp in the signal lamp controller and the signal lamp, which is quite difficult work as described above. Further, the signal lamp controller group at the intersection is configured such that signal lamps to be turned on simultaneously are determined and cannot be changed during the control. For this reason, it is difficult to cause a plurality of signal lamps at an intersection to perform a lighting operation that accurately corresponds to a complicated traffic flow.

  In addition, the telecommunication line connecting the traffic signal device and the management device in the prior art described in Patent Document 1 includes the measured values of the independent power source voltage, current, internal resistance, specific gravity, etc. It is only for distributing measured values of voltage values and current values to the management device.

  Therefore, the lighting operation of a plurality of signal lamps is individually controlled remotely with a common signal lamp controller, and the contents of the lighting operations can be easily changed, and the lighting state of each signal lamp controller is monitored by the signal lamp controller. In the case of a combination lighting state that causes danger, immediately shift to the abnormal display operation control, and perform the lighting operation that accurately corresponds to the complicated traffic flow for multiple signal lamps at intersections etc., and if necessary, the signal lamp Therefore, a technical problem to be solved in order to enable the most effective operation of the traffic signal device arises, and the present invention aims to solve this problem.

The present invention has been proposed in order to achieve the above object, and the invention according to claim 1 includes a plurality of signal lamps, a solar cell, a wind power generator, and a battery for supplying power to a power supply unit of the signal lamps. In the traffic signal device comprising a power supply device comprising a combination of the above, the signal light device has a unique identification symbol, a power supply unit that is shared with a unique or signal light device controller, and a communication control unit that communicates with the signal light device controller The signal lamp controller includes a communication unit that communicates with each signal lamp, and a lighting that includes a lighting order and a lighting time for each signal lamp identified by the identification symbol via the communication unit. A control unit that transmits an operation command and a power supply unit that is unique or shared with the power supply unit of the signal lamp unit, and the signal lamp unit matches a self-identification symbol with respect to a lighting operation command from the signal lamp unit controller Do A lighting control unit that performs lighting of the lamp corresponding to the lighting operation command, and the lighting control unit determines a lamp to be lit and supplies power to the lamp of the lamp color to turn on the lamp. The traffic signal apparatus characterized by having comprised as mentioned above is provided.

  According to this configuration, the signal lamp controller uses the power of the power supply unit owned by itself, and transmits a lighting operation command together with a unique identification symbol of the signal lamp unit to the signal lamp unit via the communication unit. To do. This command is input to the communication control unit of the signal lamp, and when the communication control unit matches the identification symbol, the command is transmitted to the lighting control unit of the signal lamp, and the lighting control unit sets the lamp to be lit. Judgment is made, and the power of the power supply unit possessed by the signal lamp is supplied to the lamp so that the operation corresponding to the lighting operation command is executed.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, the signal lamp controller monitors the lighting state of each of the signal lamps, and transmits an abnormal signal to each of the signal lamps in the case of a combination lighting state that causes danger in traffic flow. 2. The traffic signal device according to claim 1, wherein the lighting control unit blinks or extinguishes the lamp when the abnormal signal is received.

  According to this configuration, the signal lamp controller monitors the lighting state of each lamp, and if it becomes a lighting state of a combination that causes a danger in traffic flow, it is abnormal for each signal lamp. Send a signal. The lighting control unit that has received the abnormality signal executes blinking or extinguishing control of the lamp.

  Invention of Claim 3 WHEREIN: The said lighting control part determines the voltage or electric current value concerning the said lamp, and after making collation with the said lighting operation command, it is set as a lighting state, Furthermore, the present lighting state is set. The traffic signal device according to claim 1, wherein the traffic signal device is configured to transmit to the signal lamp controller.

  According to this configuration, the lighting control unit monitors the voltage or current value applied to the lamp, detects the lamp that is currently lit, and the lit lamp is controlled by the signal lamp control. After confirming that the lighting operation is the same as that for which the lighting operation is commanded from the unit, the current lighting state is transmitted to the signal lamp control unit.

  The invention according to claim 4 is characterized in that the signal lamp performs blinking or extinguishing of the lamp when an abnormality occurs in a communication line and the lighting operation command cannot be received for a certain period of time. A traffic signal device according to claim 1, 2 or 3 is provided.

  According to this configuration, when the signal lamp cannot receive a command signal from the signal lamp controller for a certain period of time due to trouble such as disconnection of the communication line, the lamp control unit blinks the lamp or Execute the light extinction control.

  In the fifth aspect of the present invention, when the signal lamp controller has an abnormality in the communication line and cannot receive the lighting state from the signal lamp for a certain period of time, the signal lamp having the abnormality is 5. The traffic signal device according to claim 1, 2, 3 or 4, wherein an abnormal operation command for blinking or extinguishing a lamp is transmitted to all signal lamps at an installed intersection. .

  According to this configuration, when the signal lamp controller cannot receive the lighting state for a certain period of time due to trouble such as disconnection of the communication line, the signal lamp in which the trouble has occurred is installed. A control signal for flashing or extinguishing the lamp is transmitted to all the signal lamps at the intersection.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, the power supply unit constantly monitors the remaining amount of the battery, and when the battery level falls below a certain amount, a power saving mode command for reducing the light amount of the lamp unit from the lamp control unit of the signal lamp unit Request to the signal lamp controller, the signal lamp controller transmits a power saving command to each signal lamp, and the power supply unit turns on the lamp when the remaining battery level decreases. The battery is charged by a charger when it is almost impossible to control, and when the remaining battery level is recovered, the power control mode of the signal lamp controller from the lamp controller of the signal lamp is saved. 6. The traffic signal device according to claim 1, wherein the signal light controller transmits a power saving mode cancel command to each signal light device. provide.

  According to this configuration, the power supply unit constantly monitors the remaining amount of the battery, and when the amount of the battery falls below a certain amount, the request signal of the power saving mode command for reducing the light quantity of the lamp is controlled by the signal lamp The signal lamp controller which has transmitted to the machine and received the request signal for the power saving mode command transmits a power saving command signal to each signal lamp.

  Further, the power supply unit performs battery charging by a charger when the battery remaining amount is about to be reduced and the lighting control of the lamp cannot be performed, and further, the battery remaining amount reaches a predetermined amount. When the signal light is restored, the signal lamp transmits a request signal for canceling the power saving mode to the signal lamp controller, and the signal lamp controller that receives the signal transmits a power saving mode release command signal to each signal lamp. Send.

  The invention according to claim 7 is characterized in that transmission / reception of information between the signal lamp controller and each of the signal lamps is performed by wired or wireless communication using a common communication line. , 4, 5 or 6 is provided.

  According to this configuration, the identification symbol for the plurality of signal lamps from the signal lamp controller and the signal transmission of the lighting operation command and the return of the lighting operation confirmation information from each signal lamp to the signal lamp controller can be wired by a common communication line or This is done by wireless transmission.

  An eighth aspect of the present invention provides the traffic signal device according to the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth or seventh aspect, wherein the wired transmission / reception is serial transmission.

  According to this configuration, when signal transmission / reception between the signal lamp controller and the signal lamp is performed by wire, the signals are sequentially transmitted as a time series via the common communication line.

  The signal lamp in the first aspect of the invention includes a unique identification symbol, a power supply unit that is shared with a unique or signal lamp controller, a communication control unit that performs communication with the signal lamp controller, and the signal lamp controller. A lighting control unit that controls lighting of the lamp corresponding to the lighting operation command is provided. On the other hand, the signal lamp controller transmits a lighting operation command including a lighting order and a lighting time to each of the signal lamps identified by the identification symbol via the communication section, which communicates with the signal lamp. And a power supply unit that is unique or shared with the signal lamp. Therefore, the lighting operation command transmitted from the control unit of the signal lamp controller using the power of the power supply unit that the self has is input to the communication control unit of the signal lamp device via the communication unit. The communication control unit that has received the command transmits the command to the lighting control unit. When the lighting control unit matches the lighting operation command from the signal lamp controller, the power supply unit of the signal lamp unit turns on the lamp corresponding to the lighting operation command. It is possible to remotely control the lighting operation individually using the electric power. Therefore, the contents of each lighting operation in the plurality of signal lamps can be arbitrarily changed. In addition, a single signal lamp controller can be shared and controlled at a plurality of intersections, and control from a control center can be performed by exchanging information with this single signal lamp controller. Smooth and appropriate control at the intersection is possible.

  Furthermore, since there is no wiring for each signal lamp 1 from the signal lamp controller, the installation work is simplified.

  In addition, it is not necessary to add signal light wiring from the signal light controller in addition work of signal light equipment, and wiring work can be completed simply by connecting the nearest signal light equipment and communication line. Can do. Of course, communication between the signal lamp controller and the signal lamp can be performed wirelessly, but in this case, the wiring work is not necessary.

  Furthermore, since the present invention is configured to be operated with direct current, when commercial power cannot be received in the event of a disaster, etc., for example, a vehicle battery or the like is directly connected to turn on the signal lamp. Can also be executed.

  In the invention according to claim 2, in addition to the effect of the invention according to claim 1, the signal lamp controller monitors the lighting state of each signal lamp, and the lighting state of the combination that causes danger in traffic flow In this case, an abnormal signal is transmitted to each signal lamp, and the lighting control unit of each signal lamp performs operation control such as blinking or extinguishing of each lamp to ensure safety of traffic flow. The

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in addition to the effects of the first and second aspects of the present invention, the lighting control unit of the signal lamp determines the voltage or current applied to the lamp, and the lighting operation command Therefore, the lighting operation of the lamp that does not correspond to the lighting operation command from the signal lamp controller is not executed, and always from the signal lamp controller. A lighting operation or the like of only the lamp corresponding to the command is executed, and therefore, smooth traffic flow can be expected without causing traffic flow disruption at an intersection or the like.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in addition to the effects of the first to third aspects of the present invention, the signal lamp can receive the lighting operation command within a certain period of time because an abnormality such as a disconnection occurs in a communication line. When there is no more light, the lighting control unit of the signal lamp can execute the blinking or extinguishing control on the lamp to prevent the danger of traffic flow.

  In the invention described in claim 5, as in the invention described in claim 4 above, each lighting control unit blinks or extinguishes the lamp for all the signal lamps at the intersection where the signal lamp where the abnormality has occurred is installed. Light operation control is performed, and traffic flow disruption at the intersection can be prevented beforehand.

  In addition to the effects of the inventions of the first to fifth aspects of the invention, the power saving unit reduces the light amount of the lamp when the power supply unit detects that the remaining battery level is below a certain level. The request signal for the mode command is transmitted to the signal lamp controller, and the signal lamp controller that receives the request signal transmits a power saving command to each signal lamp. The lamp control unit that has received the power saving mode command can execute a control to reduce the power consumption by current limiting, a pulse lighting method, or the like, thereby reducing power consumption.

  Furthermore, when the power supply unit is about to become unable to control the lighting of the lamp due to a decrease in the remaining battery power, the charger is charged with the battery, and when the remaining battery power is recovered, The signal lamp controller that transmits the power saving mode release request signal to the signal lamp controller and receives the power saving mode release request signal transmits a power saving mode release command to each signal lamp. The lighting control unit of the device executes power saving mode release control, and normal power is supplied from the power source unit to each signal lamp device, so that a smooth traffic flow is expected.

In addition to the effects of the first to sixth aspects of the present invention, the transmission / reception of information between the signal lamp controller and each of the signal lamps can be performed by either wired or wireless communication using a common communication line. Therefore, for each signal lamp from the signal lamp controller, the identification symbol of each signal lamp and the signal of the lighting operation command are individually transmitted by wire or wireless through a common communication line. Therefore, it is possible to easily add a signal lamp.

  In addition to the effects of the inventions of the first to seventh aspects, the invention according to claim 8 is executed by serial transmission when transmitting and receiving information by wire, so from the signal lamp controller, for example, an intersection, etc. Thus, the identification symbols and the lighting operation command signals for the plurality of signal lamps in FIG. 1 are sequentially transmitted as a time series via a common communication line. The lighting operation of each lamp corresponding to a traffic flow can be performed, and it is possible to contribute to traffic safety most effectively.

  The present invention remotely controls lighting operations of a plurality of signal lamps individually with a common signal lamp controller, facilitates changing the contents of the lighting operations, and changes the lighting state of each signal lamp controller to the signal lamp controller Power supply device comprising a combination of a plurality of signal lamps, a solar battery, a wind power generator and a battery for supplying power to the power supply unit of the signal lamps In the traffic signal apparatus, the signal lamp includes a unique identification symbol, a power supply unit that is unique or shared with the signal lamp controller, and a communication control unit that communicates with the signal lamp controller. The controller controls a communication unit that communicates with each of the signal lamps, and a control unit that transmits a lighting operation command including a lighting sequence and a lighting time to each of the signal lamps identified by the identification symbol via the communication unit. And the power supply unit that is shared with the power supply unit of the signal lamp device or the power supply unit of the signal lamp device, and the signal lamp device performs the lighting operation when it matches the identification symbol of its own with respect to the lighting operation command from the signal lamp device controller. Having a lighting control unit that turns on the lamp corresponding to the command, and the lighting control unit is configured to determine the lamp to be lit and supply power to the lamp of the lamp color to be lit Realized by providing a traffic signal device characterized by

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a traffic signal device. In this embodiment, a vehicle signal lamp having three lamps 11R, 11Y, and 11G is applied as the signal lamp 8, and a communication line is used as a signal transmission means between the signal lamp controller 9 and the signal lamp 8. The case where the wired transmission means using 10 is applied is described. First, the configuration of the traffic signal device according to the present embodiment will be described.

  The traffic signal device has a unique identification symbol (ID) and has a plurality of signal lamps 8 each having a power supply unit 19 for lighting the lamps, and a common for remotely controlling the lighting operation of each signal lamp 8 The signal lamp controller 9 is connected by a communication line 10 for signal transmission. FIG. 1 shows only one signal lamp 8 as a representative.

  The signal lamp 8 is equipped with three lamps of red 11R, yellow 11Y, and green 11G each composed of LED elements, and the three lamps 11R, 11Y, and 11G are lit on the signal lamp 8 itself. A power supply unit 19 is provided for this purpose. In addition to being able to clearly check the display of the lamp device composed of the LED element, for example, a lamp for a vehicle signal lamp can reduce power consumption by about 60% per lamp, thereby saving energy. Is achieved.

  The power supply unit 19 includes a combination of the solar battery 12, the wind power generator 13, and the battery 14, and is a charger 15 for charging the battery 14 so that it can cope with an environment where the solar battery 12 and the wind power generator 13 cannot generate power. Is installed. As the charger 15, a charger that does not depend on the environment such as commercial power, a fuel cell, or a motor generator is applied.

The signal lamp 8 further receives a lighting operation command from the signal lamp controller 9, and communication control for returning confirmation information of the lighting operation corresponding to the lighting operation command to the signal lamp controller 9. And a lighting controller 17 for controlling lighting of the three lamps 11R, 11Y, and 11G according to the received lighting operation command.

  The signal lamp controller 9 is provided with a power source unit 19 composed of a combination of a solar cell, a wind power generator, a battery 18 and the like which is substantially the same as the signal lamp unit 8 side, so that the power of the commercial power source can be saved. Yes. However, the power supply unit 19 may be shared with the power supply unit 19 installed on the signal lamp device 8 side. The signal lamp controller 9 stores information such as lighting sequence and lighting time of the lamps 11R, 11Y, and 11G in the signal lamp 8, and designates an identification symbol and a lamp color of the signal lamp 8. The control unit 21, the communication unit 20 that transmits a lighting operation command instructed from the control unit 21 on the communication line 10 to the signal lamp 8, and concentrated when commanded from a remote place (control center, etc.) A transmission unit 22 for performing control, a 1 / F (interface) unit 23 for performing various controls by taking in signals from input devices such as sensors and push buttons, and the like are provided.

  The signal from the input device such as the sensor or the push button can be taken into the communication control unit 16 on each signal lamp 8 side, and the signal is transmitted to the signal lamp controller 9 by communication on the communication line 10. You can also

  Next, the operation of the traffic signal device configured as described above will be described. The controller 21 in the signal lamp controller 9 stores lighting operation information including an identification symbol of each signal lamp 8 and a lighting sequence and lighting time for each signal lamp 8. On the other hand, each signal lamp 8 is provided with a power source 19 for lighting the lamp, as described above. The signal lamp controller 9 transmits a lighting operation command to the signal lamp 8 that controls the lighting operation, along with an identification symbol unique to the signal lamp 8, on the communication line 10 via the communication unit 20.

  The signal lamp 8 that has received the identification symbol of the signal lamp 8 and the lighting operation command in the communication control unit 16 operates the lighting control unit 17 to turn on the lamps 11R, 11Y, and 11G corresponding to the lighting operation command. The operation is executed using the power supply unit 19 owned by itself. When the lighting devices 11R, 11Y, and 11G are turned on, the lighting control unit 17 monitors the voltage applied to each of the lighting devices 11R, 11Y, and 11G made of LED elements or the value of the flowing current, and compares it with the lighting operation command. After turning on, turn it on. Then, the signal lamp 8 returns the confirmation information of the lighting operation to the signal lamp controller 9 via the communication control unit 16 and the communication line 10.

  Further, as the power supply unit 19 owned by the self, the power generated by the solar battery 12 and the wind power generator 13 using natural energy is used as a stable DC power source by a DC-DC converter (not shown). . When there is a margin in the power generated by the solar cell 12 and the wind power generator 13, the surplus power is charged in the battery 14, and the power generation capacity of the solar cell 12 or the wind power generator 13 is at night or when there is no wind. Used when low.

  In addition, the signal lamp controller 9 constantly monitors the remaining amount of the battery 14, and when the battery 14 is below a certain capacity, each lamp unit including the LED elements is set in a power saving mode according to a command from the signal lamp controller 9. Control is performed to reduce the amount of light of 11R, 11Y, and 11G. This control for reducing the amount of light is performed by reducing the amount of current consumed by each of the lamps 11R, 11Y, 11G made of LED elements, or by reducing the power consumption, such as a lighting operation by a pulse.

  Further, when the capacity of the battery 14 is reduced and the lighting devices 11R, 11Y, and 11G cannot be turned on, the power source 19 charges the battery 14 with the charger 15 and charges the battery 14. Is completed and the remaining battery level is restored, the operation of the charger 15 is stopped and control is performed so that external power is not used as much as possible.

  Next, for each specific example of "detection of abnormal indication and transition to abnormal mode", "connection and operation of signal lamp controller and signal lamp at intersection" and "change control of traffic flow at multiple intersections", signal lamp The connection between the controller and the signal lamp and the operation thereof will be described in order with reference to the drawings.

[Detection of abnormal display and transition to abnormal mode]
This will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 2 is a connection diagram for explaining an example of abnormality display detection. A plurality of signal lamps 8,... Are connected to a common signal lamp controller 9 via a communication line 10. Each signal lamp 8 performs the lighting operation of the lamp corresponding to the lighting operation command when the identification symbol sent together with the lighting operation command from the signal lamp controller 9 coincides with its own identification symbol.

  As described above, the lamp lighting state in the signal lamp 8 is confirmed by monitoring the voltage applied to each lamp or the flowing current by the lighting control unit 17, and determining the voltage or current value when the lamp is lit. If detected, it is determined that the lamp is lit, and lighting confirmation information is returned to the signal lamp controller 9 through the communication control unit 16. The signal lamp controller 9 receives lighting confirmation information from all the connected signal lamps 8, and monitors whether or not the combination is in danger when it is turned on at the same time.

  When a plurality of signal lamps are lit at the same time, if the combination of the plurality of signal lamps that are lit matches a combination that may cause danger in traffic flow, all the signal lamps 8, Command to shift to abnormal display operation mode so that no accident occurs. The abnormal display operation mode includes a flash operation, a red lighting operation or a light extinguishing operation of all signal lamps.

  In addition, the signal lamp controller 9 and each signal lamp 8 regularly instruct and check from the signal lamp controller 9, and the communication line 10 is abnormal due to a trouble such as disconnection, and a certain period of time. If the command or confirmation signal cannot be received during this time, the operation proceeds to the abnormal operation. At this time, the signal lamp controller 9 transmits an abnormal operation command signal such as blinking operation or extinguishing operation to all the lamps, and the lamp that has not received the command is in response to a command from the lighting control unit 17. The abnormal operation is executed after a predetermined time has elapsed.

[Connection and operation of signal lamp controller and signal lamp at the intersection]
This will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example in which this embodiment is applied to an intersection, (a) is a diagram showing an example of arrangement of a plurality of signal lamps at an intersection, and (b) is a signal lamp controller, a plurality of signal lamps, It is a connection diagram which shows these connection relationships.

  Four signal lamps 8a, 8b, 8c and 8d at the intersection are connected to a common signal lamp controller 9 by a single communication line 10 for serial communication. When connecting the plurality of signal lamps 8a, 8b, 8c, 8d and the signal lamp controller 9 at the intersection, the signal lamp controller 9 side for lighting the lamp is connected to each signal lamp 8a, 8b, 8c, 8d. Since it is not necessary to supply electric power, it is possible to connect without considering the signal lamp and the lamp color that are turned on at the same time. In this specific example, connection is made by a single communication line 10 for serial communication.

  When the lamps of the signal lamps 8a, 8b, 8c, and 8d are turned on, the signal lamp controller 9 serially transmits a unique identification symbol and a lighting operation command signal possessed by each of the signal lamps 8a, 8b, 8c, and 8d. It transmits sequentially as a time series through the communication line 10 for communication.

For example, when lighting the lamp 1G in the signal lamp 8a, for example, by transmitting an identification symbol such as “ID: 01 / G: 0N” and a lighting operation command from the signal lamp controller 9 to the communication line 10, The lamp 1G in the signal lamp 8a is turned on.

[Change control of traffic flow at multiple intersections]
This will be described with reference to FIG. 4A and 4B are diagrams for explaining an example of traffic flow change control at a plurality of intersections. FIG. 4A is a diagram showing an example of traffic flow before change control, and FIG. 4B is an example of traffic flow after change control. FIG.

  A plurality of signal lamps (not shown) are installed at the plurality of intersections 24,. The plurality of signal lamps are connected to a common signal lamp controller via a communication line. When the traffic flow as shown in FIG. (A) is changed to the traffic flow as shown in FIG. (B), the traffic flow change control can be handled by the following work. That is, since a plurality of signal lamps at each intersection can be controlled by a common signal lamp controller, the traffic flow of the traffic flow can be simply changed by changing the lighting order and lighting time of each signal lamp stored in the signal lamp controller. It is possible to deal with change control.

  In addition, by storing the lighting order and lighting time pattern of each signal lamp in advance in the signal lamp controller, it is possible to simply call a pattern corresponding to the necessary traffic flow control when necessary. It is possible to easily cope with the change control.

  As described above, in the traffic signal device according to the present embodiment, the signal lamp controller 9 can remotely control each lighting operation in the plurality of signal lamps 8.

  The signal lamp controller 9 can easily change the contents of each lighting operation in the plurality of signal lamps 8.

  The signal lamp controller 9 monitors the lighting state of each signal lamp 8, and when it is turned on at the same time, when it is matched with a combination that is judged to cause danger in traffic flow, all the signal lamps 8,. Can be controlled so as not to cause an accident by shifting to the abnormal display operation control.

  Since the signal lamp controller 9 transmits the signal of the identification symbol of each signal lamp 8 and the lighting operation command signal to the plurality of signal lamps 8 through the common communication line 10, the signal lamp 8 can be easily added. Can do.

  The signal lamp controller 9 can cause each of the plurality of signal lamps 8 at the intersection 24 and the like to perform a lighting operation corresponding to a complicated traffic flow accurately.

  In the present embodiment, transmission / reception of information between the signal lamp controller and the plurality of signal lamps is wired by a communication line, but may be wireless transmission / reception. When wireless transmission is used, addition of signal lamps and the like can be performed more easily.

  The signal lamp 8 is a vehicle signal lamp provided with three lamps, but can also be applied to a pedestrian signal lamp provided with two lamps.

  The present invention can be variously modified without departing from the spirit of the present invention, and the present invention naturally extends to the modified ones.

The block diagram of the traffic signal apparatus which concerns on the Example of this invention. The connection diagram for demonstrating the example of an abnormality display detection in the said Example. It is a figure which shows the example which applied the said Example to the intersection, (a) is a figure which shows the example of arrangement | positioning of several signal lamps to an intersection, (b) is a connection relation of a signal lamp controller and a several signal lamp. The connection diagram which shows. It is a figure for demonstrating the example of a change control of the traffic flow in multiple intersections in the said Example, (a) is a figure which shows the example of the traffic flow before change control, (b) is an example of the traffic flow after change control. FIG. The block diagram of the conventional traffic signal apparatus. It is a figure for demonstrating the connection relation of the signal lamp controller at the intersection and a plurality of signal lamps in the above-mentioned conventional example, (a) is a diagram showing the arrangement of a plurality of signal lamps at the intersection, (b) is a signal lamp The connection diagram which shows the connection relation of a device controller and a some signal lamp device.

Explanation of symbols

8 Signal lamp 9 Signal lamp controller 10 Communication line 11R, 11Y, 11G Lamp 12 Solar battery 13 Wind power generator 14, 18 Battery 15 Charger 16 Communication control unit 17 Lighting control unit 19 Electric wire unit 20 Communication unit 21 Control unit 22 Transmitter 23 1 / F 24 Intersection

Claims (8)

  In a traffic signal apparatus comprising a plurality of signal lamps and a power supply device comprising a combination of a solar battery, a wind power generator and a battery for supplying power to the power supply unit of the signal lamp apparatus, each of the signal lamps has a unique identification symbol and A power supply unit that is unique or shared with the signal lamp controller and a communication control unit that communicates with the signal lamp controller, the signal lamp controller includes a communication unit that communicates with each of the signal lamps, A control unit that transmits a lighting operation command including a lighting sequence and a lighting time to each signal lamp identified by the identification symbol via a communication unit, and a power unit that is used independently or shared with the power unit of the signal lamp The signal lamp has a lighting control unit that turns on the lamp corresponding to the lighting operation command when the lighting operation command from the signal lamp controller coincides with its own identification symbol. Control unit , Traffic signal devices, characterized by being configured to be turned by supplying power to 該灯 color lighting device to determine the lighting device to light.   The signal lamp controller monitors the lighting state of each of the signal lamps, and transmits an abnormal signal to each of the signal lamps in the case of a combination lighting state that causes danger in traffic flow, the lighting control unit, 2. The traffic signal device according to claim 1, wherein when an abnormal signal is received, the lamp is blinked or extinguished.   The lighting control unit determines a voltage or a current value applied to the lamp, makes a lighting state after collating with the lighting operation command, and further transmits a current lighting state to the signal lamp controller. The traffic signal device according to claim 1, wherein the traffic signal device is configured as described above.   The said signal lamp device blinks or extinguishes the lamp device when an abnormality occurs in a communication line and the lighting operation command cannot be received for a predetermined time. Traffic signal device.   When the signal lamp controller has an abnormality in the communication line and cannot receive the lighting state from the signal lamp for a certain period of time, all of the intersections where the signal lamp where the abnormality has occurred are installed. The traffic signal device according to claim 1, 2, 3, or 4, wherein an abnormal operation command for blinking or extinguishing the lamp is transmitted to the signal lamp.   The power supply unit constantly monitors the remaining amount of the battery, and when the battery level falls below a certain level, the signal lamp controller controls the request for a power saving mode command to reduce the light amount of the lamp from the lamp controller of the signal lamp unit. The signal lamp controller transmits a power saving command to each signal lamp, and the power supply unit is on the verge of being unable to control the lighting of the lamp due to a decrease in the remaining battery level. The battery is charged by a charger, and when the remaining battery level is recovered, a power saving mode release request signal is transmitted from the lamp control unit of the signal lamp to the signal lamp controller, The traffic signal device according to claim 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5, wherein the signal lamp controller transmits a power saving mode release command to each signal lamp.   The transmission / reception of information between the signal lamp controller and each signal lamp is performed by either wired or wireless communication using a common communication line. Traffic signal device. 8. The traffic signal device according to claim 1, wherein the wired transmission / reception is serial transmission.

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