JPH0981893A - Traffic signal display device and traffic signal - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enable drivers and walkers to easily confirm a signal color and to obtain also a publicity/advertisement function based upon traffic watchwords and advertisement in addition to the confirmation of traffic information. SOLUTION: A TS panel 20 is arranged on a position to be observed simultaneously with a traffic signal 10, plural information such as traffic information, traffic watchwords and advertisement is switchably displayed on the panel 20 and the background of the information is emitted by the same color as the signal 10. Namely the ON/OFF state of each color of the signal 10 is detected by a synchronization detector 21 without changing an electric circuit in the signal 10. Plural information data are successively switched and displayed on the panel 20 synchronously with the switching of the lighting color of the signal 10 based upon the detection output of the detector 21 and the emitting color of the background is switched so as to be turned to the same color as the signal 10. Consequently various information can be displayed on the panel 20 and the signal color can be confirmed by both of the signal lamp and the display color of the panel 20.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a traffic signal display device and a traffic signal, and more particularly to a traffic signal display device and a traffic signal device for displaying information such as traffic information, traffic slogans, and advertisements.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Traffic signals are intended to smooth the flow of vehicles and people and prevent traffic accidents. For this reason, the traffic light is designed so that three colors of green, yellow, and red are sequentially turned on by time control. Further, a display plate for displaying the name of the place where the traffic signal is installed and a display plate for displaying an advertisement are attached to the upper and lower portions or the side surface of the traffic signal.

[0003]

By the way, in the above-mentioned display panel, it is easy to confirm the display content by the external light during the daytime, but it is possible to confirm the display content when the external light is dark at night. There were problems such as difficulty. In addition, there is a problem that it is difficult for a driver or a pedestrian to check the signal light due to sunlight in the daytime only by turning on the signal only by the traffic signal.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and allows a driver or a pedestrian to easily check the signal color, and also has a function of checking traffic information, traffic slogans, and advertising by advertisement. An object of the present invention is to provide a traffic signal display device and a traffic signal.

[0005]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention is a display means for displaying traffic information, traffic slogans, advertisements, etc., which is arranged at a position visible at the same time as a traffic signal. Display means for switching and displaying a plurality of information on the display surface, and switching and displaying the background emission color of the information among three colors of green, yellow, and red, and a display unit for each lamp of each color of the traffic signal. A detection means which is provided to detect the on / off state of each lamp without changing the electric circuit of the traffic signal; and a plurality of the plurality of synchronization means which are synchronized with the switching of the lighting color of the traffic signal based on the detection output of the detection means. Information is sequentially switched to be displayed on the display means, and control means for controlling switching of the background light emission color of the display means to be the same color as the traffic signal is provided.

As a result, the confirmation of the signal color can be confirmed not only by the signal lamp but also by the background color of the display means.
Various information displayed on the display means can be confirmed at the same time. Further, since the plurality of pieces of information are switched and displayed in synchronization with the switching of the lighting color of the traffic signal, the amount of information displayed on the display means can be increased. According to another aspect of the present invention, traffic information, traffic slogans,
While displaying information such as advertisements on the display surface, the surface emitting means for emitting light by switching the background emission color of the information to green, yellow, red or green, red, and the background color of the surface emitting means are predetermined. Green, yellow, red or green in sequence
While switching between blinking green and red to emit light,
And a control means for switching the information displayed on the surface emitting means by the predetermined timing.

As a result, even in the case of a traffic signal of the same size as a conventional traffic signal, the light emitting area becomes large and the visibility is improved. Also, for example, in the case of a pedestrian-only traffic signal, "WALK""STO
P ”or a pedestrian mark or the like indicating these can be switched and displayed in accordance with the emission color of the background, and the display content of the traffic signal can be visually recognized more accurately.

[0008]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Preferred embodiments of a traffic signal display device and a traffic signal according to the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is an external view showing a state in which a Traffic Safety panel (hereinafter referred to as a TS panel) that constitutes a traffic signal display device according to the present invention is attached to a traffic signal. In the figure, 10 is a publicly known traffic signal composed of three colors, green, yellow and red, and is attached to a support rod 12 from a telephone pole (not shown) via a mounting bracket 14 below.

Reference numeral 20 is a TS panel, specifically, a color plasma display panel. The TS panel 20 is mounted above the traffic signal 10 via a mounting bracket 14 so that it can be viewed at the same time as the traffic signal 10. At the intersection of the crossroads as shown in Figure 2,
For example, four Ts attached to a traffic signal for a roadway
A total of 12 S panels 20A and 8 TS panels 20B attached to traffic signals for sidewalks are installed. And these 12 TS panels 20A, 20
In B, the display pattern on each panel surface is simultaneously controlled from the controller 30 via the optical communication cable 35.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the internal structure of the TS panel and controller. As shown in the figure, the TS panel 20 is mainly composed of a synchronization detector 21, a central processing unit (CPU) 23, a memory 24, a video signal generator 25, a display control circuit 26, and a light emitting panel 27. The controller 30 mainly includes a 16-channel multiplexer 31 and an RS for performing optical communication.
232C circuit 32, a memory card unit 33, and a power supply unit 34.

The controller 30 is operated when changing the display pattern of traffic information, traffic slogans, advertisements, etc. displayed on the TS panel 20, and by replacing the memory card in the memory card unit 33, the memory card The display pattern data recorded in advance corresponding to the lighting color of the traffic signal is read,
Each TS panel 20 through the S-232C circuit 32, the 16-channel multiplexer 31 and the optical communication cable 35.
Display pattern data is transferred to.

The display pattern data transferred from the controller 30 is stored in the memory 24 via the optical communication interface (not shown) of the TS panel 20 and the CPU 23. A sync signal is applied to the CPU 23 of the TS panel 20 from the sync detector 21 via the traffic light interface 22. The sync detector 21 is provided for each lamp of each color of the traffic signal 10, and outputs a sync signal indicating the lighting / extinguishing state of each lamp in synchronization with signal switching. It is a detector that is not electrically connected.

For example, as a synchronization detector 21 of this type, as shown in FIG. 4, a coil 21A is wound around each conductor 10B for lighting each lamp 10A of a traffic signal, and is generated by a current flowing when the lamp is lit. A device that converts a magnetic field into an electric signal, a photosensor 21B that is provided so as to face each lamp 10A of a traffic signal as shown in FIG. 5, and that converts light when the lamp is lit into an electric signal can be considered. In FIG. 5, 10B is a shade cover for the lamp.

In FIG. 3, the CPU 23, based on the sync signal indicating the color of the currently lit lamp applied through the traffic light interface 22, of the display pattern data stored in the memory 24, the lamp lit color. Read the display pattern data stored corresponding to
Advertising characters displayed by the display pattern data,
Information such as a pattern is emitted in white, and a video signal is output to the display control circuit 26 via the video signal generator 25 so that the background color is emitted in the same color as the traffic light.
Reference numeral 6 causes the light emitting panel 27 to emit light based on the input video signal.

That is, when the green lamp 10G of the traffic signal 10 is turned on as shown in FIG. 6A, the information corresponding to green is displayed on the TS panel 20, and the background color is green. Color it so that it becomes. Similarly, when the yellow lamp 10Y of the traffic signal 10 is turned on as shown in FIG. 6 (B), the information corresponding to yellow is displayed on the TS panel 20 and the background color is changed to yellow. When the red lamp 10R of the traffic signal 10 is turned on as shown in FIG. 6C, the information corresponding to the red color is displayed on the TS panel 20, and the background color is changed. Make the color red. The operating temperature range of the TS panel 20 is 0 ° C to
The power source 28 controls the thermo-heater so that the temperature becomes 45 ° C.
The fan heater 29 is driven. In addition, the power source 28 is TS
Power is supplied to each circuit of the panel 20.

According to the above-mentioned structure, information such as advertising characters and patterns is emitted in white on the panel surface of the TS panel 20, and the background color is switched in synchronization with the switching of the traffic signal so as to be the same emission color as the traffic signal. To be As described above, the TS panel 20 can provide various information to the driver and the pedestrian, and the large panel surface can be switched so that the emission color of the same color as that of the traffic light can be obtained. It can have a function as a visible auxiliary signal. Further, since the information displayed on the TS panel 20 is switched according to the lighting color of the traffic light, a large amount of information can be displayed. Further, since the TS panel 20 is provided completely separated from the electric system of the traffic signal, it does not impair the reliability of the traffic signal.

In this embodiment, the information displayed on the TS panel 20 is switched according to the lighting color of the traffic light. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, more than three types of information are stored in the memory 24. Information may be stored and sequentially displayed in a switching manner in synchronization with the switching of traffic signals. Further, although the color plasma display panel is used as the TS panel, the TS panel is not limited to this, and may be a light emitting diode panel or a liquid crystal display, for example.

Next, an embodiment of the traffic signal according to the present invention will be described. In FIG. 7, reference numeral 110 is a light emitting panel showing a display portion of the traffic signal according to the present invention, and more specifically, a color plasma display panel. This light emitting panel 110 is a support rod 1 from a utility pole (not shown).
It is a traffic signal for pedestrians attached to No. 12.

In the light emitting panel 110, as shown in FIG. 8, the controller 114 and the panel driving circuit 116 control light emission and display contents. That is, the controller 114 includes a timer, and a control signal for causing the light emitting panel 110 to sequentially switch between green, green blinking, and red light at predetermined time intervals, and in the case of green, the characters "WALK".
A white pattern signal indicating (see FIG. 7A) is output to the panel drive circuit 116, and a white pattern signal indicating the character “STOP” (see FIG. 7B) in the case of red is output to the panel drive circuit 116.
The panel driving circuit 116 causes the entire light emitting surface of the light emitting panel 110 to emit light in the emission color specified by the control signal based on the input control signal and the pattern signal, and displays the character specified by the pattern signal.

The information displayed on the traffic signal dedicated to the pedestrian is shown in FIG.
As shown in (A) and (B), a pedestrian mark indicating the state where the pedestrian is walking and the information that the pedestrian is stopped may be displayed. According to the above configuration, since the entire light emitting surface of the light emitting panel 110 emits light of one color, the light emitting area can be increased when compared with the traffic signal of the same size as the conventional traffic signal.
Information such as characters can be displayed, and the visibility is improved. Although the color plasma display panel is used as the light emitting panel, the light emitting panel is not limited to this, and a light emitting diode panel or a liquid crystal display may be used.

[0021]

As described above, according to the traffic signal display device of the present invention, the display means for displaying information such as traffic information, traffic slogans, advertisements, etc. is switched and emitted so as to have the same color as the traffic signal. Therefore, it is possible to function as an auxiliary traffic light that allows a driver or a pedestrian to easily visually recognize the signal color. Further, since it is arranged at a position visible at the same time as the traffic signal, it is possible to provide a display device having a high advertisement function when transmitting various information to a driver or a pedestrian. Since a plurality of pieces of information are sequentially displayed in synchronization with the switching, a large amount of information can be displayed.

Further, according to the traffic signal according to the present invention,
Since the entire light emitting surface of the surface light emitting means is switched in sequence at a predetermined timing, the light emitting area is increased even in the case of a traffic signal of the same size as a conventional traffic signal, and the signal color of the driver or pedestrian is increased. Can be easily confirmed,
Further, since the information such as characters is switched in synchronization with the switching of the emission color, more attention can be called.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an external view showing a state in which a traffic signal display device according to the present invention is attached to a traffic signal.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an arrangement example of a TS panel and a controller at a crossroad intersection.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a TS panel and a controller.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the synchronization detector shown in FIG.

5 is a diagram showing another example of the synchronization detector shown in FIG.

6A to 6C are diagrams showing a lighting color of a traffic signal and display information on a TS panel, respectively.

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

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

9 (A) and 9 (B) are external views showing other display examples of the traffic signal according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 ... Traffic signal 10A ... Lamp 20, 20A, 20B ... TS panel 21 ... Synchronous detector 21A ... Coil 21B ... Photo sensor 23 ... CPU 24 ... Memory 25 ... Video signal generator 26 ... Display control circuit 27, 110 ... Light emitting panel 30, 114 ... Controller 116 ... Panel drive circuit

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A display means for displaying information such as traffic information, traffic slogans, advertisements, etc., which is arranged at a position visible at the same time as a traffic signal, and a plurality of pieces of information are switched and displayed on a display surface. The emission color of the background of the information is green, yellow,
Display means for switching to and displaying red three colors; detecting means provided for each lamp of each color of the traffic signal and detecting a lighting / extinguishing state of each lamp without changing an electric circuit of the traffic signal; The plurality of pieces of information are sequentially switched in synchronism with the switching of the lighting color of the traffic signal on the basis of the detection output of the detection means and displayed on the display means, and the background emission color of the display means is the same color as the traffic signal. A display device for a traffic signal, comprising: 2. Surface emitting means for displaying information such as traffic information, traffic slogans, advertisements, etc. on a display surface, and emitting light by switching the emission color of the background of the information to green, yellow, red or green, red. Control for sequentially switching the background color of the surface emitting means to green, yellow, red or green, blinking green and red at predetermined timing to emit light, and switching the information displayed on the surface emitting means by the predetermined timing. A traffic signal, comprising: