Patent ID: 8130119

Claim:
A traffic congestion easing system including a traffic signal control apparatus that controls traffic signals disposed on both ends of a construction section and a construction detector disposed in a vehicle, comprising: a traffic signal control apparatus having: a communicator configured to transmit position information of a construction section to a vehicle in a proximity of the construction section; a vehicle information acquisition unit for acquiring, from the vehicle in the proximity of the construction section, information regarding a vehicle position and a travel condition of the vehicle through wireless communication; a determination unit for determining a congestion condition at the position indicated in the information regarding the vehicle position that is acquired by the vehicle information acquisition unit based on the information regarding the travel condition of the vehicle that is acquired by the vehicle information acquisition unit; and a control unit for controlling a signaling condition of the traffic signals based on a determination result of the determination unit so as to ease a traffic congestion around the construction section, wherein the travel condition of the vehicle acquired by the vehicle information acquisition unit includes approach direction information indicating whether the vehicle approaches straight to the construction section or by turning towards the construction section, the determination unit determines the congestion condition around the construction section based on the approach direction information, the construction detector generates the approach direction information based on the position information transmitted from the signal control apparatus, and transmits, to the vehicle, information including the generated approach direction information as well as the information regarding,the vehicle position and travel condition of the vehicle.