Not Applicable
The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:
With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to
As best illustrated in
A plurality of light detection and ranging sensors 26 is provided and each of the light detection and ranging sensors 26 is mounted to a respective one of the mounting poles 12. In this way each of the light detection and ranging sensors 26 can be elevated over traffic in the roadway intersection 17. Each of the light detection and ranging sensors 26 is directed to face across the roadway intersection 17. In this way each of the light detection and ranging sensors 26 can direct a laser beam across the roadway intersection 17 thereby sensing the number of vehicles 27 that are stopped at an opposing traffic signal 16.
Each of the light detection and ranging sensors 26 is in electrical communication with a remote data unit 28 thereby facilitating the remote data unit 28 to analyze data gathered by each of the light detection and ranging sensors 26 with respect to the number of vehicles 27. Furthermore, the remote data unit 28 is in electrical communication with each of the traffic signals16. In this way the remote data unit 28 can adjust timing of the traffic signals 16 to most efficiently direct traffic through the roadway intersection 17 with respect to the number of vehicles 27 that are approaching the roadway intersection 17.
Each of the light detection and ranging sensors 26 comprises a housing 30 that has a bottom side 32 and a forward side 34. The bottom side 32 of each housing 30 is coupled to the upper end 20 of a respective one of the mounting poles 12. The housing 30 is oriented such that the forward side 34 is directed toward an opposing traffic signal 16 with respect to the traffic signal 16 upon which the housing 30 is mounted. Each of the light detection and ranging sensors 26 includes an emitter 36 that is integrated into the forward side 34 of the housing 30 to emit a laser beam across the roadway intersection 17 toward the opposing traffic signal 16. Additionally, the emitter 36 has a 20.0 percent vertical field of view and the emitter 36 is electrically coupled to the remote data unit 28.
The plurality of light detection and ranging sensors 26 includes a set of front view light detection and ranging sensors 38 and a set of rear view light detection and ranging sensors 40. As is most clearly shown in
As is most clearly shown in
In use, each of the front view light detection and ranging sensors 38 senses the front side 42 of the vehicles 27 that are either stopped at the opposing traffic signal 16 or vehicles 27 that are approaching the opposing traffic signal 16. Each of the rear view light detection and ranging sensors 40 senses the rear side 48 of the vehicles 27 that are either stopped at the traffic signal 16 or that are approaching the traffic signal 16. The remote data unit 28 analyzes the data collected from each of the front view light detection and ranging sensors 38 and each of the rear view light detection and ranging sensors 40. Additionally, the remote data unit 28 adjusts the timing and sequencing of the traffic signals 16 to most efficiently manage the traffic at the roadway intersection 17. In this way the roadway intersection 17 can efficiently handle light traffic or heavy traffic without employing pre-determined timing and sequencing as is the common practice with existing traffic signals. Thus, the traffic signals 16 can be operated with a variety of timings and sequences, determined in real time based upon the rate of traffic passing through the roadway intersection 17.
With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.
Not Applicable Not Applicable Not Applicable Not Applicable