Patent Publication Number: US-8115652-B2

Title: Method and apparatus for vehicle driving guide

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for vehicle driving guide, and more particularly to a method and an apparatus for vehicle driving guide with lamps. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     Vehicle accidents result in deaths, injuries and financial losses. Especially on freeways, accidents happen frequently because vehicles move quickly. When a critical safe interval between lead and following vehicles is too short, a driver of following vehicle is unable to react to brake without contacting the lead vehicle. 
     However, drivers do not always keep watch for the critical safe interval so providing a system or method to prevent vehicle crashing is urgently required. Existing systems include supersonic radar systems, infrared radar systems, video capturing and analyzing systems or the like detecting intervals between vehicles and alerting when the intervals between vehicles are too short. 
     Existing systems further include intelligent traffic system (ITS). Vehicles equipped with ITS detect intervals from other vehicles, automatically and suitably adjust running speed and keep critical safe intervals from other vehicles. However, ITS still requires many improvements and must be added to each vehicle so only improves safety for cars having ITS and not all road users. 
     To overcome the shortcomings, the present invention provides a method and an apparatus for vehicle driving guide with lamps to mitigate or obviate the aforementioned problems. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The main objective of the invention is to provide a method and an apparatus for vehicle driving guide with lamps. 
     The method and the apparatus in accordance with the present invention are applied to a target road. The apparatus comprises a traffic condition detection module, multiple indication lamps and a signal control module. The traffic condition detection module obtains a traffic condition. The indication lamps are mounted separately on the target road. The signal control module is electrically connected to the traffic condition detection module and the indication lamps and operates the indication lamps according to a control process based on different traffic conditions. The control process may be in a chase mode that sequentially pulses the indication lamps on with a regulated moving direction of the target road with a pulse interval between turning the indication lamps on to present an impression that the lights are moving at an indicator speed. The impression allows drivers in vehicles on the target road to follow to drive. 
     The method comprises steps of providing traffic condition data, obtaining a traffic condition from the traffic condition data and operating multiple indication lamps on a target road according to a control process based on the traffic condition. 
     Other objectives, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a functional block diagram of a first embodiment of an apparatus for vehicle driving guide in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a functional block diagram of a signal control module in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a functional block diagram of a sub-control module in the signal control module in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a functional block diagram of a signal control module in a second embodiment of an apparatus for vehicle driving guide in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 5  is a flow chart of a control process executed by the signal control module in  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIGS. 6A and 6B  are sequential top views of vehicles traveling in smooth flowing traffic on a target road on which the apparatus for traffic speed guide in  FIGS. 1  or  4  is applied; 
         FIG. 7  is a top view of the target road in  FIG. 6  during a crash; and 
         FIG. 8  is a top view of vehicles driving on a two-way multiple lanes road on which the apparatus for vehicle driving guide in  FIGS. 1  or  4  is applied. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     With reference to  FIG. 1 , an apparatus for vehicle driving guide in accordance with the present invention may be applied to roads such as freeways, highways or the like and comprises a traffic condition detection module ( 10 ), multiple indication lamps ( 20 ) and a signal control module ( 30 ). 
     The traffic condition detection module ( 10 ) obtains a traffic condition. Supersonic wave sensors, infrared sensors, inductive loop detectors, cameras ( 11 ) or the like may be used to capture the traffic condition and determine whether the traffic condition is smooth flowing traffic, heavy traffic, traffic jam or accident from analyzing the traffic conditions. When the traffic conditions are captured by cameras ( 11 ), the traffic condition detection module ( 10 ) may comprise multiple cameras ( 11 ) and a traffic condition determination unit ( 12 ). 
     The cameras ( 11 ) are mounted on a target road to capture traffic condition image data including vehicle images and background images. 
     The traffic condition determination unit ( 12 ) is electrically connected to the cameras ( 11 ) to receive the traffic condition image data, distinguishes the vehicle images from the background images in the traffic condition image data and determines the traffic condition by tracking the vehicle images and calculating at least one traffic speed from at least one vehicle in the vehicle images. For example, if the vehicle images show little or no net change, the traffic condition determination unit ( 12 ) determines the traffic condition to be traffic jam or accident. If the vehicle images show larger change and at least one vehicle is tracked to calculate a traffic speed, an average traffic speed is calculated from the at least one traffic speed and the traffic condition determination unit ( 12 ) determines the traffic condition to be smooth traffic when the average traffic speed is over a predetermined speed. If the average traffic speed is less than the predetermined speed, the traffic condition determination unit ( 12 ) determines the traffic condition to be heavy traffic. The predetermined speed may be selected for a portion of the target road and may be between 40 and 120 kilometers per hour. Preferably, the predetermined speed is about 80 kilometers per hour. 
     The indication lamps ( 20 ) are mounted separately, maybe equidistantly on the target road, such as on the roadside, in inner walls of a tunnel, underground maybe under lane markings or the like. Each indication lamp ( 20 ) may emit lights with various colors, such as green light, red light, yellow light or the like. Furthermore, the indication lamps ( 20 ) may be arranged into multiple lamp blocks ( 21 ). 
     The signal control module ( 30 ) is electrically connected to the traffic condition detection module ( 10 ) and the indication lamps ( 20 ) and operates the indication lamps ( 20 ) according to a control process based on different traffic conditions to indicate the traffic condition to drivers. The control process may comprise a warning mode and a chase mode. The warning mode may be an all turn on mode or an intermittent mode respectively being all the indication lamps ( 20 ) on and all the indication lamps ( 20 ) pulsing. The chase mode sequentially pulses the indication lamps ( 20 ) on with a regulated moving direction of the target road with a pulse interval between turning the indication lamps ( 20 ) on. The pulse interval between pulsing the indication lamps ( 20 ) on is controlled by the signal module control ( 30 ) and may be pre-set, changed depending on traffic conditions or calculated from the average traffic speed. With further reference to  FIGS. 2 and 4 , the signal control module ( 30 ) comprises multiple sub-control modules ( 31 ), a main controller ( 32 ) and an optional interval setting terminal ( 35 ). 
     The sub-control modules ( 31 ) correspond respectively to the lamp blocks ( 21 ) and are electrically connected to the traffic condition detection module ( 10 ). Each sub-control module ( 31 ) is electrically connected to the indication lamps ( 20 ) in a corresponding lamp block ( 21 ), receives the traffic condition from the traffic condition detection module ( 10 ) and transmits a coordination signal based on the traffic condition. 
     The main controller ( 32 ) is connected to the sub-control modules ( 31 ) through a multiplexer ( 33 ) and a de-multiplexer ( 34 ). Because the vehicles move forward on the roads, when the control process is in the chase mode, exact operations of the indication lamps ( 20 ) in accordance with the control process is important. Therefore, after the main controller ( 32 ) receives the coordination signals from the sub-control modules ( 31 ) and arbitrates conflicts between the sub-control modules ( 31 ), the main controller ( 32 ) transmits enable signals respectively and differentially to the sub-control modules ( 31 ) to coordinately operate the sub-control modules ( 31 ). 
     The interval setting terminal ( 35 ) is electrically connected to the sub-control modules ( 31 ). The interval setting terminal ( 35 ) allows the pulse interval to be input or changed either continuously based on the average traffic speed or the traffic condition or set by a user. 
     With further reference to  FIG. 3 , each sub-control module ( 31 ) may further comprise a time counter ( 311 ), a signal controller ( 312 ) and a processor ( 313 ). 
     The signal controller ( 312 ) connects to the time counter ( 311 ) and the indication lamps ( 20 ) in a corresponding lamp block ( 21 ). 
     The processor ( 313 ) is electrically connected to the traffic condition detection module ( 10 ), the multiplexer ( 33 ), the de-multiplexer ( 34 ) and the signal controller ( 312 ). After receiving the traffic condition from the traffic condition detection module ( 10 ), the processor ( 313 ) transmits the coordination signal based on the traffic condition to the main controller ( 32 ) through the multiplexer ( 33 ). When receiving a corresponding enable signal from the main controller ( 32 ), the processor ( 313 ) transmits a driving signal to the signal controller ( 312 ) in a corresponding sub-control module ( 31 ). The signal controller ( 312 ) controls the indication lamps ( 20 ) in the corresponding lamp block ( 21 ) according to the control process. 
     When the control process is in the chase mode, the indication lamps ( 20 ) present an impression that the lights are moving at an indicator speed. The time counters ( 311 ) assist the signal controllers ( 312 ) of the sub-control modules ( 31 ) in the signal control module ( 30 ) in controlling and changing the pulse interval to change the indicator speed. Therefore, drivers can follow the indication lamps ( 20 ) to drive at the indicator speed safely. Decreasing the pulse interval increases the indicator speed and vice versa. 
     With further reference to  FIG. 5 , a method for vehicle driving guide in accordance with the present invention comprises steps of providing traffic condition data ( 501 ), obtaining a traffic condition ( 502 ) and operating multiple indication lamps on a target road according to a control process based on the traffic condition ( 503 ). 
     In the step of providing traffic condition data ( 501 ), traffic condition data are detected, maybe by multiple supersonic wave sensors, infrared sensors, inductive loop detectors, multiple cameras ( 11 ) or the like mounted on a target road. Preferably, cameras ( 11 ) are used to capture traffic condition image data including vehicle images and background images. 
     In the step of obtaining a traffic condition ( 502 ), traffic condition data are analyzed, and a traffic condition is obtained from the analyzed traffic condition data. The step of obtaining a traffic condition ( 502 ) may further comprise sub-steps of distinguishing the vehicle images from the background images in the traffic condition image data ( 502   a ), positioning the vehicle images ( 502   b ), tracking the vehicle images and calculating an average traffic speed ( 502   c ) and determining a traffic condition ( 502   d ). 
     In the sub-step of tracking the vehicle images and calculating an average traffic speed ( 502   c ), each of the at least one vehicle in the vehicle images is tracked through multiple frames, and the traffic speed of each at least one vehicle is calculated. An average traffic speed is further calculated from the at lease one traffic speed. 
     In the sub-step of determining a traffic condition ( 502   d ), a preferred embodiment is to allocate a predetermined speed. When the tracked vehicle images show little or not change, the traffic condition is determined to be traffic jam or accident. When the tracked vehicle images show larger change and the average traffic speed is greater than the predetermined speed, the traffic condition is determined to be smooth traffic. Otherwise, the traffic condition is determined to be heavy traffic. The predetermined speed may be 80 km/h. 
     The step of operating multiple indication lamps on a target road according to a control process based on the traffic condition ( 503 ) may further comprise sub-steps of controlling the indication lamps to emit green light and follow the control process in the chase mode ( 503   a ) when the traffic condition is smooth traffic, controlling the indication lamps to emit yellow light and follow the control process in the chase mode ( 503   b ) when the traffic condition is heavy traffic and controlling the indication lamps to emit red light and follow the warning mode ( 503   c ) when the traffic condition is traffic jam or accident. 
     With further reference to  FIGS. 6A and 6B , in the sub-step ( 503   a ), the indicator speed is equivalent to the average traffic speed and at least one indication lamp ( 20 ) separates two the illuminated indication lamps ( 20 ). Therefore, the sub-step ( 503   a ) allows drivers to follow the green light from the indicator lamps ( 20 ) at the indicator speed and follow each other at a critical safe interval. 
     In the sub-step ( 503   b ), the indicator speed is equivalent to the average traffic speed and at least one indication lamp ( 20 ) separates two illuminated indication lamps ( 20 ). The yellow light warn the drivers that the traffic is heavy so they should slow down. 
     With further reference to  FIG. 7 , in the sub-step ( 503   c ), the red indication lamps ( 20 ) in warning mode warn the drivers that traffic jam or accident may occur ahead. 
     The present invention can be either applied to one-way or two-way roads that have multiple lanes. Multiple apparatuses of the present invention can be applied respectively to different lanes on the roads to guide vehicles in different directions or in different lanes. With further reference to  FIG. 8 , if an accident occurs on one of the lanes on a two-way road, the indication lamps ( 20 ) in the apparatus of the present invention applied to the lane with accident will emit red light ( 203 ). The indication lamps ( 20 ) in the apparatus of the present invention applied to the lane next to the lane with accident will emit yellow light ( 202 ) to warn the drivers to slow down. The indication lamps ( 20 ) in the apparatus of the present invention applied to the road with opposite direction to the lane with accident continue to emit green light ( 201 ). 
     Even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present invention have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the invention, the disclosure is illustrative only. Changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of arrangement of parts within the principles of the invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.