Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02927925 2016-10-21
=
SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING TRAFFIC CONGESTION RELIEF
USING DYNAMIC LIGHTED ROAD LANE MARKINGS
[0001] "This paragraph left intentionally blank"
BACKGROUND
Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention generally relates to a system and method for
providing
traffic congestion relief. More particularly, the present invention relates to
a system and
method for providing traffic congestion relief by receiving data from traffic
and speed sensing
monitors and, based on that data, operating a lighted lane markings, such as
LED in-pavement
lane markings, to change the widths and number of the traffic lanes, thus
maximizing the
number of lanes based on congestion and speed of the vehicles and increasing
road traffic
carrying capacity.
Background Information
[0003] Federal and state highway design manuals incorporate standards which
provide
operational road maximization based on optimal driving conditions. For
example, road
geometries are utilized based on maximum design speeds. Because these
geometries are
static, the geometries cannot change or adapt regardless of the real time
operations of traffic
on a road. Therefore, when the designed vehicle travel speeds are achievable,
the roads
function in acceptable fashion with specified design standards and geometries.
However, at
other times when the designed vehicle travel speeds are not achievable due to,
for example,
congestion caused by over capacity of the traditional road design parameters,
the road
functions in a much less efficient manner. Hence, traffic jams, congestion,
slower commuting
travel, increased air pollution due to stop and go traffic, traffic speeds
less than the designed
vehicle travel speeds, and other undesirable circumstances occur.
[0004] Examples of guidelines for these type of lane configurations are set
forth by the
American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHT0).
For
example, in urban areas where pedestrian crossings, right-of-way, or existing
development
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place stringent controls on lane widths, the use of 3.3-m (11-ft) lanes may be
appropriate.
Lanes that are 3.0 m (10 ft) wide are also acceptable on low-speed facilities,
and lanes 2.7
m (9 ft) wide may be appropriate on low-volume roads in rural and residential
areas.
Further information is available in the NCHRP Report 362, Roadway Widths for
Low-
Traffic Volume Roads (45). In some instances, on multilane facilities in urban
areas,
narrower inside lanes may be utilized to permit wider outside lanes for
bicycle use.
[0005] Thus, traditional roads either serve a single purpose of a higher
speed highways
or at lower speed urban arterial, but not both. Typically, neither type of
road can
effectively adapt to changes in traffic volume and so on, which can often
change several
times during a typical day. Roadways in urban areas are designed with
different standards
based on the objectives of the proposed highway operations, and transportation
public
agencies often stipulate specified design standards of the proposed road
segments. Once
constructed, either the highway or the arterial will incorporate geometries to
address the
proposed operational standards, thereby forgoing any geometric flexibility to
adapt the
road to changing needs, such as changes in traffic volume and so on.
[0006] With conventional road geometries, it is very common for roadway
operations
to change during certain times of the day due to non-controllable events such
as high
commuter volumes experienced during peak rush hours, inclement weather
conditions, or
highway incidents. During these times, optimization of traffic carrying
capacity is
generally not achievable on conventional roads, mainly because road geometries
remain
static based on the designed speed standards. For example, highway design
speeds in the
50 to 60 mph range commonly mandate lane widths of 12 feet. However, urban
arterial
roads with higher volumes of traffic can and should operate with narrower
lanes, such as
feet wide lanes. The narrower lanes are permissible for vehicles to operate
safely and
efficiently at speeds of 40 miles or less. Also, the 10 feet wide lanes may
actually
encourage maintaining the lower speeds in urban congestion areas, as is
apparent based on
studies throughout the country. Nevertheless, because the road geometries on
these
conventional roads are static, the geometries remain unchanged even if
different
geometries would be appropriate to accommodate different traffic conditions.
[0007] Accordingly, in view of the above shortcomings, a need exists for an
improved
system and method for providing traffic congestion relief.
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SUMMARY
[0007.11 According
to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a system for
dynamically modifying lane configurations on a road segment, comprising: a
plurality of
dynamic lane markers disposed along the road segment that includes a-beginning
section;-a---
beginning transition section, a main section, an ending transition section,
and an ending
section, arranged in that order along a travel direction of the road segment,
the dynamic lane
markers being arranged as a plurality of first rows of the dynamic lane
markers and a
plurality of second rows of the dynamic lane markers in the beginning
transition section, the
pain section and the ending transition section, each of the plurality of first
rows of the
dynamic lane markers extending in the travel direction of the road segment and
being spaced
sequentially apart from each other in a:widthwise direction of the road
segment to represent
a first number of first lanes each having a respective lane width, each of the
plurality of
second rows of the dynamic lane markers extending in the travel direction of
the road
segment and being spaced sequentially apart from each other in the widthwise
direction of
the road segment to represent a second number of second lanes each having a
respective lane
width that is less than the respective lane width of a narrowest one of the
first lanes, the
second number of second lanes being greater than the first number of first
lanes, and the first
and second rows of the dynamic lane markers are alternately positioned in the
widthwise
direction of the road segment; a plurality of shoulder lane markers disposed
along the road
segment, the shoulder lane markers being arranged as a first shoulder marker
that separates a
first shoulder of the road segment and a travel area of the road segment, and
a second
-shoulder marker that separates a second shoulder of the road segment and the
travel area of
the road segment, with the first and second rows of the dynamic lane markers
being between
the first shoulder marker and the second shoulder marker, the first shoulder
marker and the
second shoulder marker are spaced from each other in the widthwise direction
of the road
segment to define a first travel area width at an initial portion of the
beginning section and a
second travel area width, greater than the first travel area width, at a
remaining portion of
the beginning section such that the second travel area width continues from
the remaining
portion of the beginning section, throughout the beginning transition section,
the main
section and the ending transition section and for at least a portion of the
ending section
adjacent to the ending transition section, and the first travel area width
exists at an ending
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portion of the ending section; a plurality of beginning transitional dynamic
lane markers
disposed along the beginning transition section and extending in the travel
direction of the
road segment to foim a plurality of beginning transitional rows of the
beginning transitional
-dynamic-lane markers that extend transverse with respect to the travel
direction of the road - --
segment and transverse to the first and .second lanes to represent a plurality
of beginning
transitional lanes each having a beginning transitional width that decreases
along the
direction of travel from a boundary of the beginning section and the beginning
transition
section to a boundary of the beginning transition section and the main
section; a plurality of
ending transitional dynamic lane markers disposed along the ending transition
section and
-extending in the travel direction of the road segment to form a plurality of
ending
transitional rows of the ending transitional dynamic lane markers that extend
transverse with
respect to the travel direction of the road segment and transverse to the
first and second
lanes to represent a plurality of ending transitional lanes each having an
ending transitional
width that increases along the direction of travel from a boundary of the main
section and
the ending transitional section to a boundary of the ending transition section
and the ending
section; and a controller configured to determine whether a condition
pertaining to the road
segment exists, and in response to existence of the condition, control
energization of the
beginning transitional dynamic lane markers to define the beginning
transitional lanes,
control energization of the plurality of second rows of the dynamic lane
markers to represent
the second number of second lanes, and control energization of the ending
transitional
dynamic lane makers to define the ending transitional lanes; the controller
being further
configured to, in response to the existence of the condition, control signs
disposed along the
'road segment to provide traffic directing information relating to the
beginning transitional
lanes, the second number of second lanes and the ending transitional lanes:
and
the controller being further configured to, in response to an absence of the
condition, de-
energize the beginning transitional dynamic lane markers, de-energize the
plurality of
second rows of the dynamic lane markers and control energization of the
plurality of first
rows of the dynamic lane markers to represent the first number of first lanes.
[0007.21 According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a
system for
dynamically modifying, lane configurations on a road segment, comprising: a
plurality of
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dynamic lane markers disposed along the road segment that includes a beginning
transition
section, a main section and an ending transition section, arranged in that
order along a travel
direction of the road segment, the dynamic lane markers being arranged as a
plurality of first
rows of the dynamic lane markers and a plurality of second rows of the dynamic
lane
markers in the beginning transition section, the main section and the ending
transition
section, each of the plurality of first rows of the dynamic lane markers
extending in the
travel direction of the road segment and being spaced sequentially apart from
each other in a.
widthwise direction of the road segment to represent a first number of first
lanes each having
a respective lane width, each of the plurality of second rows of the dynamic
lane markers
extending in the travel direction of the road segment and being spaced
sequentially apart
from each other in the widthwise direction of the road segment to represent a
second number
of second lanes each having a respective lane width that is less than the
respective lane
width of a narrowest one of the first lanes, the second number of second lanes
being greater
than the first number of first lanes, and the first and second rows of the
dynamic lane
markers are alternately positioned in the widthwise direction of the road
segment; a plurality
of beginning transitional dynamic lane markers disposed along the beginning
transition
section and extending in the travel direction of the road segment to foini a
plurality of
beginning transitional rows of the beginning transitional dynamic lane markers
that extend
transverse with respect to the travel direction of the road segment and
transverse to the first
and second lanes to represent a plurality of beginning transitional lanes each
having a
beginning transitional width that decreases along the direction of travel from
the beginning
transition section to a boundary of the beginning transition section and the
main section; a
plurality of ending transitional dynamic lane markers disposed along the
ending transition
section and extending in the travel direction of the road segment to form a
plurality of
ending transitional rows of the ending transitional dynamic lane markers that
extend
transverse with respect to the travel direction of the road segment and
transverse to the first
and second lanes to represent a plurality of ending transitional lanes each
having an ending
transitional width that increases along the direction of travel from a
boundary of the main
section and the ending transitional section into the ending transition
section; and
a controller configured to determine whether a condition pertaining to the
road segment
exists, and in response to existence of the condition, control energization of
the beginning
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transitional dynamic lane markers to define the beginning transitional lanes,
control
energization of the plurality of second rows of the dynamic lane markers to
represent the
second number of second lanes, and control energization of the ending
transitional dynamic
Jane makers to define the ending transitional lanes.
[0008] One aspect of the present invention provides a system and method for
providing
increased traffic carrying capacity of a road, such as a highway. The system
and method
operates to reduce traffic congestion and increase driving safety by modifying
an existing
roadway from, for example, four lanes to five lanes to create an additional
travel lane. In
particular, the system and method dynamically changes the widths and number of
travel
'lanes using dynamic indicators, such as LED embedded pavement lights in the
road surface
or other types of lighting arrangements, in lieu of traditional painted lane
lines. The system
and method utilize, for example, functionality of an intelligent
transportation system (ITS).
As traffic volumes increase and speeds decrease along the road, the ITS sends
a signal, such
as a wireless signal, to the overhead lane controls and dynamic message signs
(DMS) along
the entire segment of the road of interest. The system and method send signals
to change the
.posted speed limits and the LED in-pavement lane markings to dynamically
increase the
number of lanes in the road segment such that the road segment has more lanes
(e.g., 5 lanes
instead of 4) of narrower widths (e.g., approximately 10 feet wide each
instead of the
standard 12 feet wide lanes). The system and method maintain the increased
number of
lanes until traffic volumes reduce and vehicle are capable of operating using
the original
number of lanes of standard lane width dimensions. The system and method thus
controls
the lane markings in the road segment to transition back to the original four-
lane
configuration with norrnal speed limits.
f 0009] These and other objects, features, aspects and advantages of the
present invention
will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed
description,
which, taken in conjunction with the annexed drawings, discloses a preferred
embodiment of
the present invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
100101 Referring now to the attached drawings which form a part of this
original.
disclosure:
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100111 Figure 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a system for
providing
traffic congestion relief using dynamic lighted road lane markings according
to a disclosed
= embodiment;
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[0012] Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of a road segment illustrating an
example of
a lighting device, such as an LED device, that is embedded in the road segment
and
operates as a dynamic lighted road lane marking employed in the system shown
in Figure
1;
[0013] Figure 3 is a diagrammatic view illustrating an example of a road
segment
being controlled by the system shown in Figure 1 to illuminate four road lanes
of the road
segment under normal traffic conditions;
[0014] Figure 4 is a diagrammatic view illustrating an example of a road
segment
being controlled by the system shown in Figure 1 to illuminate four road lanes
of the road
segment in advance of a congested area;
[0015] Figure 5 is a diagrammatic view illustrating an example of a
transition between
four lanes to five lanes in the road segment;
[0016] Figure 6 is a diagrammatic view further illustrating an example of a
transition
between four lanes to five lanes in the road segment;
[0017] Figure 7 is a diagrammatic view illustrating an example of a road
segment
being controlled by the system shown in Figure 1 to illuminate five road lanes
of the road
segment under congested traffic conditions;
[00181 Figure 8 is a diagrammatic view illustrating an example of a
transition between
five lanes back to four lanes in the road segment; and
[0019] Figure 9 is a diagrammatic view illustrating an example of a
transition between
five lanes to four lanes in the road segment.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS
[00201 Selected embodiments will now be explained with reference to the
drawings. It
will be apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure that the
following
descriptions of the disclosed embodiments are provided for illustration only
and not for the
purpose of limiting the invention as defined by the appended claims and their
equivalents.
[0021] Figure 1 illustrates an example of a system and method for providing
traffic
congestion relief 10 (known as "SmartRoad") according to a disclosed
embodiment. As
shown, the system 10 includes one or more controllers 12. Each controller 12
includes at
least one communication device 14, such as a wireless communication device or
wired
communication device, for communicating information to and from external
sources. For
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example, the communication device 14 enables the controller 12 to communicate
with
dynamic indicators 16 associated with a road segment 18, such as a portion of
a highway
or any type of road that permits vehicular traffic. As discussed herein, the
dynamic
indicators 16 are grouped or configured to represent lane makers (e.g.,
dashes) M as would
typically be represented by painted markers on a conventional road segment. As
with
standard painted lane markers, each lane marker M has a length of 10 feet, and
the lane
markers M are separated from each other by 30 feet. Naturally, the length of
each lane
marker M and the separation between adjacent lane markers M can be any
suitable value
as understood in the art. Also, the dynamic indicators 16 are positioned to
represent the
left shoulder line LSL and right shoulder line RSL as would also typically be
represented
by paint on a conventional road segment. Each dynamic indicator 16 in this
example can
include a communication device 20 for communicating with, for example, the
communication device 12 of the controller 10 or any other external
communication
devices wirelessly or in a wired manner as understood in the art. Each
communication
device 20 can include a processor or type of controller for controlling
operation of the
dynamic indicator 16 as discussed herein and as understood in the art. Also,
in certain
geometric situations including sharp curves, dynamic indicators 16 placed
close to each
other, such as 3 feet apart, can be utilized as appropriate.
[0022] The communication device 20 can also communicate with other
communication devices 20 in other dynamic indicators 16 such that the dynamic
indicators
16 can communicate with each other. Each dynamic indicator 16 in this example
further
includes an indicator device 22. An indictor device 22 can be a lighting
device, such as
LED lights, fiber optic strips, light pipes, shifting colored plates, and so
on, that is, for
example, embedded into the surface of the road segment 18, or fixed to or
associated with
the road 18 in any suitable manner as discussed herein and understood in the
art.
100231 The indicator device 22 also can be any of the other type of active
or passive
indicator devices discussed herein, or a combination of such indicator
devices. For
instance, an indicator device 22 can be a surface of a dynamic indicator 16
that is
illuminated by a lighting device, such as a laser, that is positioned above
the road segment
18 or at any other appropriate location. An indicator device 22 can be an
imprinted or
painted surface that is activated or illuminated by a lighting device or
energy emitting
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device positioned above the road segment 18 or at any other appropriate
location. Also, in
a smart vehicle technology application, an indicator device 22 can include an
interface that
provides an invisible track along which a smart vehicle (e.g., a "driverless
vehicle") is
controlled to travel, thus creating a virtual lane for the vehicle. Naturally,
any indicator
device 22 can include a combination of these types of technologies as desired.
Furthermore, each dynamic indicator 16 can illuminate a certain color. For
example, the
dynamic indicators 16 positioned as lane markers M can illuminate white, or a
different
color such as yellow or amber. Likewise, dynamic indicators 16 positioned to
represent
the left shoulder line LSL and right shoulder line RSL can illuminate white,
or a different
color such as yellow or amber. In this example, the left shoulder lane LSL
illuminates in
yellow or amber, in particular. Other dynamic indicators 16 positioned as the
taper lines
discussed below can illuminate white, or any other suitable color such as
yellow or amber.
[00241 As can be appreciated from the description herein, the dynamic
indicators 16
can include embedded durable LED lights, such as the LED light 24 shown in
Figure 2, as
the indicator devices 22. Each LED light 24 in this example is embedded in the
surface 26
of the road segment 18. As discussed herein, these LED lights 24 replace the
traditional
painted white lines or any other types of traditional fixed or movable types
of barriers,
such as cones, pylons and so on. The LED lights 24 are very durable, self-
cleaning, and
have been approved for use throughout the world for traffic related
applications.
100251 The dynamic indicators 16, such as those including the LED lights
24, in this
example can also include illumination controls which will automatically adjust
based on
the time of the day and during inclement weather conditions. The LED in
embedded
pavement lights can in this example be clearly visible during bright sunlight,
but will not
be overwhelming for night time driving. The brightness will be controlled
automatically
through the technology operational sensor system of the system 10 as
understood in the art.
[00261 The LED lights 24 are embedded slightly above the elevation of the
surface 26
of the pavement of the road section 18 to allow for normal plowing operations.
The LED
lights 24 have a design life of over 10 years, therefore maintenance is
minimal. A non-
connected energy source, such as an inductive power transfer source 28, can be
used to
power the LED lights 24. Thus, there need not be direct wire connections to
the LED
lights 24, which are typically the cause of maintenance issues due to
corrosion. However,
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the dynamic indicators 16, such as those including the LEDs lights 24 as the
indicator
devices 22, can be powered in any other suitable manner, including wired
power, solar
power, and so on. Moreover, since the LED lights 24 can be one-way
directional, the
emitted light will not interfere with opposing traffic motorist. The in-
pavement LED
lights 24 could be installed using a coring drill device or any other suitable
equipment as
understood in the art. Also, power cabling for operation of the in-pavement
LED
markings can be saw cut into the pavement and sealed with high-strength epoxy,
or in any
other suitable manner, followed up with an asphalt topping coat or other
pavement type to
complete the installation.
[0027] As further shown in Figure 1, the communication device 14 associated
with the
controller 12 also enables the controller 12 to communicate with any suitable
type of
communication device 30 on vehicles 32, to exchange information between the
controller
12 and the vehicles 32. Furthermore, the communication devices 20 of the
dynamic
indicators 16 can communicate with the communication devices 30 on the
vehicles 32 as
understood in the art. For instance, the controller 12 and the dynamic
indicators 16 can
communicate with GPS devices, mapping devices and other devices on the
vehicles 32 so
that the UPS and mapping devices can display a representation of the virtual
lanes created
by the dynamic indicators 16 along the road segment 18. Also, by linking the
controller
12 to databases such as weather radar, the roadway can make adjustments to the
road
geometries in a manner described below during inclement weather thereby
slowing speeds
on the road, adding an additional travel lane and minimizing the potential for
accidents.
Thus, the system 10 could follow a storm and make real time adjustments to the
roadway
in order to increase capacity, but also slow down speeds in a manner described
below.
The system 10 can also control the dynamic indicators 16 as described below to
change
the road configuration due to special conditions or events, even in cases of
national
emergency.
100281 As discussed in more detail below, the controller 12 includes
hardware and
software for controlling the system 10, and can also allow a form manual
control of at
least some of the features of the system 10. The controller 12 preferably
includes a
microcomputer with a control program that controls components of the system
10, such as
the communication device 14, dynamic indicators 16 and other components as
discussed
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herein. The controller 12 includes other conventional components such as an
input
interface circuit, an output interface circuit, and storage devices such as a
ROM (Read
Only Memory) device and a RAM (Random Access Memory) device. It will be
apparent
to those skilled in the art from this disclosure that the precise structure
and algorithms for
the controller 12 can be any combination of hardware and software that will
carry out the
functions of the present invention. Also, a processor of a communication
device 20 of
each a dynamic indicator 16 can include similar features for controlling the
communication device 20 and operating the dynamic indicator 16. Furthermore,
the
controller 12 can communicate with the other components of the system 10
discussed
herein in any suitable manner as understood in the art. In addition, the
controller 12 can
employ software monitoring to detect any malfunctions of, for example, the in-
pavement
LED lights 24, the overhead gantry signs 40 and so on. Hence, monitoring and
maintenance operations can be constantly monitored, and maintenance messages
can be
sent automatically to the road operations center by the controller 12. The
controller 12 can
also provide real-time information on energy usage due associated with the in-
pavement
LED lights 24 and so on.
[00291 That is, the controller 12 communicates with traffic monitoring and
sensing
equipment 34 as known in the art, such as an intelligent transportation system
(ITS) as
discussed above, which detects vehicle speeds on the road segment 18, such as
slower
vehicle speeds. Each unit of the traffic and monitoring sensing equipment 34
can be
positioned at certain distances along the road segment 18, such as every half
mile or at any
other suitable distances. The traffic monitoring and sensing equipment 34
typically
operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The traffic monitoring and sensing
equipment 34
also can include equipment as known in the art for monitoring, for example,
weather
conditions or other conditions affecting the road segment 18. Naturally, such
weather
monitoring equipment and other monitoring equipment can be disposed at any
suitable
locations with respect to the road segment 18, and can communicate directly
with the
controller 12, the dynamic indicators 16, the vehicles 32 and so on. Thus, the
traffic
monitoring and sensing equipment 34 includes a communication device 36 that
communicates information pertaining to such vehicle speeds to the controller
12 wirelessly
or in a wired manner as understood in the art. The traffic monitoring and
sensing
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equipment 34 is also capable of communicating via the communication device
with the
dynamic indicators 16, the vehicles 32 and any other external devices as
understood in the
art and described herein. For instance, the traffic monitoring and sensing
equipment 34
can communicate with overhead gantry signage signal 40 as discussed herein.
The
overhead gantry signs 40 can be programmable and have, for example, a life
cycle of 10
years or more.
[00301 Examples of functionality of the system 10 will now be described.
Although
the examples below mainly discuss the use of LED lights 24 as the types of
indicator
devices 22, any configuration of the indicator devices 22 as discussed herein
(e.g., laser
activated, smart vehicle technology and so on) can be used in the examples
described
herein. The system 10 thus allows for road segments 18 to change and adapt to
different
traffic volume needs of a road as necessary for purposes of optimizing traffic
capacity.
The road segment 18 can change its geometries as needed in real time to
provide duel
service of a higher speed highway versus an urban arterial. Thus, the system
10 is
operable to increase, in a safe and environmentally sensitive approach,
traffic capacity in
traditional roads. Also, in a smart vehicle technology application, the
dynamic indicators
16 provide an invisible track along which a smart vehicle (e.g., a "driverless
vehicle") is
controlled to travel.
[00311 Figures 3 through 8 illustrate a road segment 18 employing features
of the
system 10 as discussed above. The road segment 18 can be, for example, a
portion of a
highway that commonly experiences congestion during morning and evening
commuting
times, For instance, a road segment 18 can be a segment of 1-270 near
Washington, DC
that commonly experiences congestion during morning and evening commuting
times.
The road segment 18 can be several miles long, such as 10 miles or any
suitable length as
is necessary for the road at issue. Also, prior to and after the road segment
18, the road
markers and shoulder lines are represented by conventional painted lines.
[00321 As discussed above, the controller 12 receives information from the
traffic
monitoring and sensing equipment 34 (e.g., the ITS) pertaining to monitored
vehicle
speeds, monitored traffic volume and so on. As indicated in Figure 3, during
normal
vehicle traffic conditions in the road segment 18, the controller 12 controls
the dynamic
indicators 16 to illuminate markers M to represent four lanes L I, L2, L3 and
L4 as would
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be represented on a typical four lane highway by painted markings. The dynamic
indicators 16 begin where the conventional painted lines end along the road at
the
beginning of the road segment 18, and extend throughout the entire road
segment 18 as
will now be described.
[0033] For example, each of the four lanes Li through L4 of a standard
highway
having painted markers has a standard width of 12 feet, and each of the left
and right
shoulders LS and RS of a standard highway having standard painted shoulder
lines have a
standard width of 11 feet. In this exemplary configuration, the beginning of
the road
segment 18 begins at the point on the road where the painted shoulder lines
and the
painted markers end. Thus, at the beginning of the road segment 18, the
dynamic
indicators 16 are positioned to represent the lane markers M (e.g., white
dashes), the left
shoulder line LSL and the right shoulder line RSL. As with standard painted
lane markers,
each lane marker (dash) M has a length of 10 feet, and the lane markers
(dashes) Ms are
separated from each other by 30 feet intervals. Also, the dynamic indicators
16 identify
the left shoulder line LSL of the left shoulder LS and the right shoulder line
RSL of the
right shoulder RS of the road segment 18.
[0034] Furthermore, at the beginning of the road segment 18, the dynamic
indicators
16 are positioned along the portion of the road segment to provide a 140 feet
long taper of
the left shoulder line LSL and the right shoulder line RSL to decrease the
width of the left
shoulder LS and the width of the right shoulder RS from 11 feet to 9 feet.
This causes the
width of the leftmost lane Li and the width of the rightmost lane L4 to
increase to 14 feet
each. Thus, during normal non-peak traffic times, the dynamic indicators 16
making up
the left shoulder line LSL, the right shoulder line RSL and the markers M
outline the
leftmost lane Li having a width of 14 feet wide, the two middle lanes L2 and
L3 each
having a width of 12 feet, and the rightmost lane L4 having a width of 14 feet
as shown in
Figure 3. This arrangement of the wider leftmost lane LI and rightmost lane RI
decreases
the likelihood that vehicles 32 transitioning from the four lane configuration
to the five
lane configuration discussed below will overrun dynamic indicators 16 making
up the
markers M between the lanes. Naturally, the tapered portion of the road
segment 18 need
not extend for 140 feet along a portion of the road segment 18, but can be any
suitable
length. Also, the tapered portion of the road segment 18 need not begin
exactly where the
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CA 02927925 2016-04-26
=
conventional painted lines on the road segment 18 end, but rather, the dynamic
indicators
16 may be positioned for a short distance after the painted lines end without
tapering the
left shoulder line LSL and the right shoulder line RSL, and then the tapered
portions of the
left shoulder line LSL and the right shoulder line RSL can begin. Moreover,
the widths of
the left shoulder LS and right shoulder RS can be decreased to any suitable
value in a
manner consistent with the description herein.
[0035] The ITS or the controller 12 also controls the overhead gantry sign
40 to
indicate that all four lanes Li through L4 are open and speed is normal (e.g.,
65 mph).
Therefore, while the controller 12 receives information from the traffic
monitoring and
sensing equipment 34 indicating that travel conditions are normal (e.g., no
congestion
conditions exist), the controller 12 continues to control the dynamic
indicators 16 to
represent the four lanes Ll through L4, the left shoulder line LSL and the
right shoulder
line RSL as shown in Figure 3 for the entire road segment 18. In addition, the
controller
12, the ITS or both can wirelessly communicate information pertaining to the
road lane
configuration to the communication devices 30 on the vehicles 32 so that the
vehicles 32
can, for example, provide this information to their drivers via visual and/or
audio
representations, such as on a UPS map display, via audible warnings and so on.
[0036] When the traffic monitoring and sensing equipment 34 determines
that, for
example, the traffic pattern on the road segment 18 indicates that there is
congestion in the
road segment 18, the controller 12 receives information from the traffic
monitoring and
sensing equipment 34 indicating that a congestion condition is being detected.
Thus, as
shown in Figure 4, the ITS or the controller 12 can control the overhead
gantry sign 40 to
indicate to motorist that there is congestion ahead and that the lane
configuration will be
changing. The initial signage information can appear on overhead gantry signs
40
upstream of the congestion area of the road segment 18 by approximately 2
miles, for
example, or any suitable distance. As with a conventional highway, overhead
gantry signs
40 are positioned along the road segment 18 at certain distances, such as
every 1,100 feet
apart or at any suitable spacing.
[0037] As the motorist continues to travels closer to the congestion area,
the overhead
gantry sign 40 along the road segment 18 at a location closer to the congested
area will
inform the motorist to follow the illuminated dynamic indicators 16. The
overhead gantry
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CA 02927925 2016-04-26
signs 40 also provide an indication to inform the driver that the lanes on the
road segment
18 will narrow and speeds will decrease (e.g., to 45 mph or any appropriate
speed as
understood in the art). This provides the motorist adequate time to adjust
driving patterns
before entering the congested area. Such information, along with the increased
awareness
of the different lane patterns provided by the dynamic indicators 16, improve
operating
safety of the vehicles 32 in the congested area along the road segment 18.
[0038] As shown in Figure 5, the dynamic indicators 16 are positioned along
a portion
of the road segment 18 to provide a taper which directs drivers of the
vehicles 32 toward
the lanes of the new lane pattern. In this example, dynamic indicators 16 are
positioned to
create taper lines TL1, TL2, TL3 and TL4 which provide an illuminated path for
the
drivers of the vehicles 32 toward the lanes of the five lane road pattern
which is shown in
Figure 6. The taper lines TL1 through TL4 can illuminate in any suitable
color, such as
white, yellow or amber. In this example, the middle taper lines TL2 and TL3,
in particular,
illuminate in yellow or amber. Also in this example, taper lines TL1, TL2, TL3
and TL4
begin at the end of the 140 feet long tapered section of the left shoulder
line LSL and the
right shoulder line RSL and extend for 500 feet along the road segment 18 to
transition the
four lanes Li through L4 into five lanes L1-1 through L1-5.
[0039I As further shown in Figure 6, during, shortly after and/or shortly
before the
portion of the road segment 18 at which the taper lines TL1, TL2, TL3 and TL4
are
present, the controller 12 can control the dynamic indicators 16 representing
the lane
markers M for the four lanes to fade in illumination while the controller
controls the
dynamic indicators representing the lane markers M-1 for the five lanes to
increase in
intensity. Naturally, the taper lines TL1, TL2, TL3 and TL4 need not extend
for 500 feet
along the road segment 18, but can extend for any suitable length in a manner
consistent
with the description herein. Also, the taper lines TL1, TL2, TL3 and TL4 need
not begin
at the end of the 140 feet long tapered segment, but can begin at a location
within the 140
feet long tapered segment, or after a suitable distance from the end of the
140 feet segment.
In this example, the dynamic indicators 16 are positioned to illuminate a five
lane pattern
with the leftmost lane L1-1 having a width of 10.5 feet, the left of center
lane L2-1 having
a width of 10 feet, the center lane L3-1 having a width of 11 feet, the right
of center lane
L4-1 having a width of 10 feet, and the rightmost lane L5-1 having a width of
10.5 feet.
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CA 02927925 2016-04-26
The left shoulder LS and right shoulder RS each will still have a width of 9
feet which
does not change throughout the five lane portion of the road segment 18. Also,
during the
500 feet long transition portion, an overhead gantry sign 40 can display a
signal, such as a
flashing or solid red "X," above the center lane L3-1 to indicate to drivers
of the vehicles
32 that the center lane L3-1 should not yet be used. Thus, after the after the
500 feet long
transition portion of the road segment 18, another overhead gantry sign 40 can
display a
signal, such as a green arrow, indicating that vehicles 32 can begin to use
the center lane
L3-1 (the 51h lane) that is 11 feet wide.
[0040] The dynamic
indicators 16 representing the five lane configuration extend from
a location beginning within the 500 feet long transition portion at the
beginning of the road
segment 18, and along the entire road segment 18 to a location ending within
the 500 feet
long transition portion at the end of the road segment 18 as discussed below.
Accordingly,
the addition of the center lane L3-1 increases traffic capacity by 25 percent
over the four
lane configuration, and thus relieves traffic congestion without expanding the
highway
footprint. Moreover, by occupying a slight portion of the left shoulder LS and
the right
shoulder RS (e.g., 2 feet of each shoulder), the five lane configuration
section easily fits
within the existing pavement areas of roads such highways. The narrower lanes
are also
more optimal for the slower speeds and discourage higher speeds during these
times of
congestion, near an accident site, or during inclement weather. Thus, the
narrower lanes
L1-1 through L5-1 also provide speed "calming" to encourage safer operation
due to
congestion or other incidents, or adverse weather conditions. Also, the system
10 need not
be limited changing between four and five lanes, but can be configured to
change between
any suitable number of lanes. For instance, the system 10 can be configured to
change
between three lanes and four lanes, five lanes and six lanes, and so on,
depending on the
number of lanes on the paved road. Also, if the width of the paved road
changes in the
road segment 18, the system 10 can employ an additional transition portion
and, if
necessary or desirable, an additional tapered portion, to further change the
number of lanes
within the road segment. For example, if the width of the paved road changes
in the road
segment 18 to be wide enough to accommodate five lanes, the system 10 can
employ an
additional transition portion and, if necessary or desirable, an additional
tapered portion, of
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CA 02927925 2016-04-26
the types shown in Figures 3 through 5, with dynamic indicators 16 arranged to
enable a
transition from five to six lanes.
[0041] As shown in Figure 7, the controller 12 can continue to control the
dynamic
indicators 16 representing the lane markers M-1 to represent the five lanes L1-
I through
L5-1. At a position near the end of the road segment 18, the controller 12 can
control the
dynamic indicators 16 to transition back to the original four lane
configuration with four
lanes Li through L4. For instance, as shown in Figure 8, during a 500 feet
transition
portion near the end of the road segment 18, the controller 12 can control the
dynamic
indicators 16 to illuminate the lane markers M, the left shoulder line LSL and
the right
shoulder line RSL to represent the width of the left shoulder LS and the width
of the right
shoulder RS at 9 feet each, with the leftmost lane Li having a width of 14
feet wide, the
two middle lanes L2 and L3 each having a width of 12 feet, and the rightmost
lane L4
having a width of 14 feet.
[0042] After this 500 feet transition portion, another 140 feet taper
portion exists in
which the dynamic indicators 16 representing the left shoulder line LSL and
the right
shoulder line RSL are configured to increase the width of the left shoulder LS
and the
width of the right shoulder RS to 11 feet each where the painted shoulder
lines and painted
lane markers begin again on the road. Naturally, this 140 taper portion can
begin at a
location within the 500 feet transition portion, or at a position shortly
after the 500 feet
transition portion. Also, the lengths of the taper portion and the transition
portion need not
be 140 feet and 500 feet, respectively, but can be any suitable length in a
manner
consistent with the description herein. Furthermore, the transition portion
can include
dynamic indicators 16 which are positioned to represent taper lines TLI, TL2,
T1,3 and
TL4 that taper in a direction opposite to that described above to transition
from five lanes
LI-1 through L5-1 to four lanes Li through L4. In this example, the middle
taper lines
TL2 and TL3, in particular, illuminate in yellow or amber, but the taper lines
TL1 through
TL4 can illuminate in any suitable color such as white, yellow or amber. Also,
during the
500 feet long transition portion, an overhead gantry sign 40 can display a
signal, such as a
flashing or solid red "X," above the center lane L3-1 to indicate to drivers
of the vehicles
32 that the center lane L3-1 should no longer be used. Furthermore, if the
width of the
paved road in the road segment 18 accommodates additional lanes (e.g., six
lanes) as
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discussed above, the system 10 can employ an additional transition portion
and, if
necessary or desirable, an additional tapered portion, to enable a transition
from six lanes
to five lanes as the width of the paved road decreases, before decreasing from
five lanes to
four lanes.
[0043] In addition, as shown in Figure 9, the controller 12 can control the
dynamic
indicators 16 representing the lane markers M-1 for the five lanes to fade in
illumination
while the controller controls the dynamic indicators representing the lane
markers M for
the four lanes to increase in intensity. At this time, the overhead gantry
sign 40 can
display, for example, green arrows indicating that four lanes Li through L4
are open. At
the end of the road segment 18, the dynamic indicators 16 end, and the road
markers and
shoulder lines are represented by conventional painted lines.
[0044] As can be appreciated from the above, the system 10 described herein
saves
significant costs when compared to construction costs for physically adding a
lane to a
road segment. The system 10 also avoids the costs and time required to acquire
additional
right-of-way and environmental impact studies associated with increasing the
physical size
of a roadway to add a lane. For instance, the system 10 can be implemented in
months.
The system 10 also avoids traffic disruptions commonly associated with
physically
widening a road, as well as changes in storm runoff, noise to surrounding
areas and so on.
Moreover, the decreased lane widths in the congested areas results in slower
speeds which
can increase driving safety.
[0045] In addition, the illuminated markers and lines as discussed above
are more
visible at night and during adverse weather conditions such as rainstorms,
fog, ice and
snow events. The system 10 can use white lighting in the dynamic indicators 16
for all
interior lane markings, but utilize yellow in dynamic indicators 16 along
perimeter
conditions of lanes. Also, the overhead gantry signs 40 can display additional
road
information can be clearly and regularly provided to motorists. The gantry
signs 40 can
convey information on approaching backups, accidents, and other occurrences
that impact
the operations of the traditionally designed speed road. Additionally, the
system 10 can
control the dynamic indicators 16 to allows for the creation of a "fare" lanes
(e.g., as
designed by illumination color) to enable vehicles to travel in less congested
lanes but pay
for such usage.
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GENERAL INTERPRETATION OF TERMS
[0046] In understanding the scope of the present invention, the term
"comprising" and
its derivatives, as used herein, are intended to be open ended terms that
specify the
presence of the stated features, elements, components, groups, integers,
and/or steps, but
do not exclude the presence of other unstated features, elements, components,
groups,
integers and/or steps. The foregoing also applies to words having similar
meanings such
as the terms, "including," "having" and their derivatives. Also, the terms
"part,"
"section," "portion," "member" or "element" when used in the singular can have
the dual
meaning of a single part or a plurality of parts. The term "detect" as used
herein to
describe an operation or function carried out by a component, a section, a
device or the
like includes a component, a section, a device or the like that does not
require physical
detection, but rather includes determining, measuring, modeling, predicting or
computing
or the like to carry out the operation or function. The term "configured" as
used herein to
describe a component, section or part of a device includes hardware and/or
software that is
constructed and/or programmed to carry out the desired function.
[0047] While only selected embodiments have been chosen to illustrate the
present
invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art from this
disclosure that various
changes and modifications can be made herein without departing from the scope
of the
invention as defined in the appended claims. For example, the size, shape,
location or
orientation of the various components can be changed as needed and/or desired.
Components that are shown directly connected or contacting each other can have
intermediate structures disposed between them. The functions of one element
can be
performed by two, and vice versa. The structures and functions of one
embodiment can be
adopted in another embodiment. It is not necessary for all advantages to be
present in a
particular embodiment at the same time. Every feature which is unique from the
prior art,
alone or in combination with other features, also should be considered a
separate
description of further inventions by the applicant, including the structural
and/or
functional concepts embodied by such feature(s). Thus, the foregoing
descriptions of the
embodiments according to the present invention are provided for illustration
only, and not
for the purpose of limiting the invention as defined by the appended claims
and their
equivalents.
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