System and method implementing virtual pedestrian traffic lights

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11842630-B2
Application number	US-202217752952-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 25, 2022
Priority date	Mar 3, 2020
Publication date	Dec 12, 2023
Grant date	Dec 12, 2023

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a virtual pedestrian traffic light (VPTL) system and method that provides an infrastructure-free way to provide the right-of-way to pedestrians at intersections. The invention is most effective when integrated with existing virtual traffic light (VTL) systems to provide complete infrastructure-free control of traffic at intersections.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method executed by a lead vehicle at or approaching a traffic intersection comprising:
receiving, from a mobile device carried by a pedestrian at the intersection, a broadcast message indicating a request for right-of-way to cross the intersection;
broadcasting, to other vehicles at or approaching the intersection, a signal indicating that the other vehicles should yield the right-of-way;
sending a signal to the pedestrian from whom the request was received granting the right-of-way; and
sending a signal granting the right-of-way to one or more vehicles after the pedestrian has crossed the intersection.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
tracking the pedestrian as the pedestrian crosses the intersection.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the lead vehicle is selected by one or more vehicles at or approaching the intersection to control the right of way at the intersection.

4. The method of claim 2 further comprising:
displaying a red indication on a display in the lead vehicle.

5. The method of claim 2 further comprising:
sending a signal to the pedestrian from whom the request was received indicating that the pedestrian's right-of-way has been yielded.

6. The method of claim 2 wherein multiple pedestrians are crossing the intersection and further wherein the step of tracking the pedestrians includes tracking all pedestrians having a mobile computing device in communication with the lead vehicle who are crossing the intersection.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the step of sending a signal to the pedestrian from whom the request was received granting the right-of-way is sent to all pedestrians having a mobile computing device in communication with the lead vehicle who are crossing the intersection.

8. The method of claim 2 wherein the pedestrian is tracked using a GPS component of the mobile computing device.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the location of the mobile computing device as it crosses the intersection is tracked using a UWB-based system, further comprising:
calculating a location of the mobile computing device by comparing a time of flight for a communication between a UWB tag and two or more UWB anchors.

10. The method of claim 2 wherein the received request includes a location of the mobile computing device.

11. A system in by a lead vehicle at or approaching a traffic intersection comprising:
a processor;
a display; and
software that, when executed by the processor, causes the system to:
receive, from a mobile device carried by a pedestrian at the intersection, a broadcast message indicating a request for right-of-way to cross the intersection;
broadcast, to other vehicles at or approaching the intersection, a signal indicating that the other vehicles should yield the right-of-way;
send a signal to the pedestrian from whom the request was received granting the right-of-way; and
send a signal granting the right-of-way to one or more vehicles after the pedestrian has crossed the intersection.

12. The system of claim 11 , the software further causing the system to:
track the pedestrian as the pedestrian crosses the intersection.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the lead vehicle is selected by one or more vehicles at or approaching the intersection to control the right of way at the intersection.

14. The system of claim 12 the software further causing the system to:
display a red indication on the display.

15. The system of claim 12 , the software further causing the system to:
send a signal to the pedestrian from whom the request was received indicating that the pedestrian's right-of-way has been yielded.

16. The system of claim 12 wherein multiple pedestrians are crossing the intersection and further wherein the step of tracking the pedestrian includes tracking all pedestrians having a mobile computing device in communication with the lead vehicle who are crossing the intersection.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the step of sending a signal to the pedestrian from whom the request was received granting the right-of-way is sent to all pedestrians having a mobile computing device in communication with the lead vehicle who are crossing the intersection.

18. The system of claim 12 wherein the pedestrian is tracked using a GPS component of the mobile computing device.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the location of the mobile computing device as it crosses the intersection is tracked using a UWB-based system, the software further causing the system to:
calculate a location of the mobile computing device by comparing a time of flight for a communication between a UWB tag and two or more UWB anchors.

20. The system of claim 12 wherein the received request includes a location of the mobile computing device.

Assignees

• Univ Carnegie Mellon

Inventors

• Tonguz Ozan
• Zhang Rusheng
• Song Lin
• Jaiprakash Adhishree

Classifications

• G08G1/005 Primary

  including pedestrian guidance indicator · CPC title

• G08G1/0955

  transportable · CPC title