Traffic light prediction system

[0001] There are many traffic lights in a city. When a vehicle run into a red light, it must stop and wait until the light changes to green before it is allowed to go. This wastes fuel and causes more pollution. It wastes travel time also. That is why the hybrid vehicles are hot now, but hybrid vehicles are expensive. Hybrid vehicles lose energy in both conversion of kinetic energy to chemical energy and conversion of chemical energy to kinetic energy. Hybrid vehicles can not convert kinetic energy to chemical if the battery is fully charged.

• • [0002] a. Berezovsky (U.S. Pat. No. 6,552,668) “Attachment to traffic light apparatus for visual indication of traffic light duration”
  • [0003] b. Seguin et al. (U.S. 2005/0102872) “Traffic-signaling system”
  • [0004] c. Berezovsky (U.S. Pat. No. 6,175,313) “Attachment to traffic light apparatus for visual indication of traffic light duration”
  • [0005] d. Safronov et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 6,310,562) “Method of indicating time remaining until traffic lights change”
  • [0006] e. Peorowicz et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 6,516,273) “Method and apparatus for determination and warning of potential violation of intersection traffic control devices”

[0007] The primary objective of the present invention is to save fuel for vehicles and travel time. Other objectives are to reduce pollution from vehicles, to maximize the usage of the streets, and to reduce traffic accidents and traffic jams.

[0008] The forgoing objectives are accomplished by defining moving sections on a street, moving towards the traffic light. Usually each kind of moving section represents one future color from the traffic light. Green sections will result in arriving to a green light. Red section will result in arriving to a red light. There are Indicators informing the drivers about the locations and colors of the moving sections. Some small lights, may act as Indicators. The drivers will know how to change the speed in order to shift from a red section to a green section.

[0013] The present invention defines three kinds of moving section on streets before a traffic light: red sections, green sections, and yellow sections, representing three future colors of the traffic light. There is a control zone along the length of the traffic light, comprised by moving sections. Every moving section starts from the far end of the control zone, moving towards the traffic light, and ends at the traffic light. The length of the control zone (total length of moving sections) is fixed and is made long enough, if possible, to give vehicles long enough time to shift from a red section to a green section before they reach the traffic light. It is not necessary, though to make the control zone that long. Usually the speed of moving sections is lower than the speed limit on the street. Length of every moving section increases from zero since it starts at the far end of the control zone. The full length of a moving section is approximately equal to speed of moving sections multiplied by the period of the color that the moving section represents. Let's say the speed is 30 mile per hour. The green light lasts 0.5 minute. The full length of a green section should be 0.25 mile. The movement of the moving sections is synchronized with the periods of the traffic light as follows: When a green section reaches the traffic light, it is about the time for the traffic light to change the color to green. When a yellow section reaches the traffic light, it is about the time for the traffic light to change the color to yellow. When a red section reaches the traffic light it is about the time for the traffic light to change the color to red. As the result of the synchronization, the moving section close to the traffic light always represents the same color as the traffic light.

[0014] There are Indicators to inform drivers about the positions and colors of the moving sections. The Indicators may be small lights on the street. The small lights at both ends of each moving section keep changing color to show the moving of the section.

[0015] There will be a tendency of filling the green section with vehicles. Drivers at the front edge of a green section would not increase speed to get into the red section. Vehicles in side a green section would move towards the front part of the green section because most of the drivers have a tendency to drive fast. As a result, this will concentrate vehicles in the front part of green sections, empty space at the rear part of green sections. Vehicles at front edge of a red section may accelerate to the yellow section or green section. This is allowed because speed of the moving sections is under speed limit. Most of the vehicles in a red section will reduce speed to save gasoline. A vehicle reducing speed may force vehicles behind it to reduce speed. As a result, this will concentrate vehicles to the rear part of a red section or force some vehicles to shift to the green section behind it, which is good for them. The fact that vehicles concentrate to green sections means saving travel time and increase usage of streets. The fact that there are less vehicles in red sections means less traffic jams, and less traffic accidents.

[0016] There are many streets that are not long enough for vehicles to change from one moving section to another. Some of them may not be longer than one moving section. In this case, the system is still applicable. The system will benefit the drivers as follows. If the vehicles are already moving in a green section, the system will help the driver to keep moving inside the green section. If it is impossible for the vehicles to shift from a red section to a green section, decelerate as much as possible by removing foot off gasoline pedal (not by braking) before the red light. This will save on gasoline. Let's say, canceling velocity of 50 miles per hour by braking before a red light loses 4 cents of gasoline. Then canceling velocity of 25 miles per hour by braking will lose only 1 cent of gasoline, because the kinetic energy is proportional to square of velocity. The formula is E=0.5*M*V², where E is kinetic energy, M is mass, V is velocity. Decreasing fuel consumption will reduce pollution.

[0017] There is a control sub-system to control the length and movement of the moving sections. The control sub-system is synchronized with the traffic light so that the movements of moving sections are synchronized with the periods of colors at the traffic light. All the indicators are controlled by the control sub-system.