RU2325704C2 - Method of three-section road traffic light operation - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: physics.

SUBSTANCE: method of operation of a traffic light with red, yellow, and green panels installed, made of light-emitting elements, consists in switching on of the panels to perform the warning function in a sequence determined by the traffic light controller signals. The panels are switched on to perform the warning function in the following sequence: red → red plus yellow → yellow plus green → yellow; after that, the cycle is repeated. When both yellow and green panels are on, the yellow panel is also used as an information panel, to indicate the time remaining since the green light activation and until its switching off. The remaining time is counted down in the descending order, and information may be displayed on the yellow traffic light panel either in the direct form, with illuminated symbols on a dark background, or in the inverse form, with dark symbols on an illuminated background.

EFFECT: enhanced functionality.

7 cl, 2 dwg

Description

The invention relates to technical means of organizing traffic with the help of light signals, as well as to methods for their operation and can be used in traffic lights.

Closest to the claimed is a device protected by RF patent No. 2224294 "Traffic light and the way of the traffic light" from 07/27/2000

Signal panels of red, yellow and green colors are installed in the traffic light, made of light-emitting elements, which alternately include red, yellow, green and yellow panels again, according to the invention, the yellow panel includes a full color part of the cycle, and the remaining part of the cycle includes display of service information in yellow.

The yellow signal panel is equipped with a character generator that allows you to display the necessary symbols and signs, and a digital information display system.

The displayed digits of the remaining seconds of the cycle are counted down, starting from the ninth second until the signal panels switch.

Service information is presented as an indication of the number of seconds remaining until the end of the cycle.

The disadvantages of the described traffic light include the absence of:

- monitoring the health of the light-emitting elements of the red signal;

- adjust the brightness of the traffic light depending on the general illumination (time of day);

- indication of the time from the moment of switching on until the end of the green traffic signal.

The purpose of the invention is the expansion of the functionality of a traffic light.

A three-section traffic light (hereinafter referred to as a traffic light) consists of indication modules - information panels made on LEDs (hereinafter - panels) and their control circuit.

The traffic light is controlled by an external device - traffic light controller 1.

The block diagram of the traffic light is shown in figure 1

The signals from the traffic light controller 1 are fed to:

- controlled load 2;

- power supply 3;

- meter 4.

Controlled load 2 is an included resistor. The power supply 3 converts the incoming signals into a constant voltage, which is necessary to power the meter 4, control unit 5, panels 6, 7, 8 and interface 9.

The meter 4 processes the time parameters of the input signals coming from the traffic light controller 1, and transmits information to the control unit 5, which monitors and remembers the state of the input parameters, and if they change, corrects the indication of the panels 6, 7 or 8.

If up to 20% of the LEDs in the panels 6,7 or 8 fail, the control unit 5 turns off the load 2. The traffic light controller 1 determines the state of the panels 6, 7 or 8 (lit - not lit) by changing the current in the circuit or through interface 9.

Interface 9 communicates with the control unit 5 of the traffic light with external devices and serves to receive and transmit information in order to change the algorithm of the traffic light, monitor the health of panels 6, 7 and 8, as well as change the brightness of the glow of the latter.

The traffic light works as follows

At the traffic light, with the panels installed on it, for the time specified by the program of the traffic light controller 1, the panels are sequentially turned on: red 6 → red 6 plus yellow 7 → yellow 7 plus green 8 → yellow 8 and then the cycle is repeated (see figure 2) .

Yellow panel 7 is included as:

- warning (lit, if there is a yellow signal from the traffic light controller 1);

- information (displays on a yellow background the countdown of the time remaining until the burning of the green panel 8, in the presence of a green signal from the traffic light controller 1).

In this case, the yellow panel 7 part of the cycle is turned on in full color, and the rest of the cycle is turned on to display service information in yellow (the necessary numbers, as well as mnemonic characters or signs).

Service information is presented in the form of an indication of the time remaining until the end of the cycle. The displayed numbers and signs are displayed in direct form - with luminous symbols in a dark field or in inverse form - with dark symbols in a luminous field.

Panels 6 and (or) 8 are also able to perform an information function (countdown), depending on the task.

Claims (7)

1. The method of operation of a traffic light with panels of red, yellow and green colors made of light-emitting elements installed on it, comprising turning on the panels as warning in the sequence determined by the signals of the traffic light controller, characterized in that the panels as warning include in the following sequence: red → red plus yellow → yellow plus green → yellow and then the cycle is repeated, while with the yellow plus green panels on, the yellow panel is additional о use as information and display on it the time change from the moment the green signal is turned on until it is completed, and the time count is reproduced in the reverse order, and the information is displayed on the yellow panel of the traffic light in direct form, with luminous symbols in a dark field or in inverse form, with dark symbols on a luminous field. 2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the panels of red and green colors are additionally used as information. 3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that on the traffic light panels display additional (mnemonic) information. 4. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that an interface is used to provide traffic light communication with an external device in the form of a traffic light controller. 5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that when transmitting information via the interface from the traffic light controller, the health of the light-emitting elements of the traffic light panels is monitored. 6. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that when transmitting information via the interface from the traffic light controller, the red and green panels are additionally used as information and / or panels to display additional (mnemonic) information. 7. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that when transmitting information via an interface from a traffic light controller, the brightness of the light emitting elements of the traffic light panels is changed.

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