U.S. patent application number 15/232086 was filed with the patent office on 2017-12-07 for road lamp control method.
The applicant listed for this patent is China Jiliang University. Invention is credited to Songyuan Cen, Liang Chen, Huaizhou Jin, Shangzhong Jin, Kaiyuan Liu, Kun Yuan.
Application Number | 20170354009 15/232086 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 56710020 |
Filed Date | 2017-12-07 |
United States Patent
Application |
20170354009 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Jin; Huaizhou ; et
al. |
December 7, 2017 |
ROAD LAMP CONTROL METHOD
Abstract
A road lamp control method is disclosed, comprising steps of
determining whether a road lamp lighting condition is satisfied,
and controlling the road lamp lighting time period. The method can
control ON and OFF and the brightness of the road lamps in real
time based on the real traffic flow at night, and thereby ensuring
safety of pedestrians and vehicles and saving electrical
energy.
Inventors: |
Jin; Huaizhou; (Hangzhou,
CN) ; Liu; Kaiyuan; (Hangzhou, CN) ; Jin;
Shangzhong; (Hangzhou, CN) ; Chen; Liang;
(Hangzhou, CN) ; Yuan; Kun; (Hangzhou, CN)
; Cen; Songyuan; (Hangzhou, CN) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
China Jiliang University |
Hangzhou |
|
CN |
|
|
Family ID: |
56710020 |
Appl. No.: |
15/232086 |
Filed: |
August 9, 2016 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04W 4/029 20180201;
Y02B 20/42 20130101; H04W 4/02 20130101; H05B 47/105 20200101; Y02B
20/40 20130101; F21S 8/086 20130101; Y02D 70/10 20180101; H05B
47/16 20200101; Y02D 30/70 20200801; G08G 1/0137 20130101; Y02D
70/164 20180101; H05B 45/10 20200101; F21W 2131/103 20130101; F21Y
2115/10 20160801; H05B 47/19 20200101 |
International
Class: |
H05B 33/08 20060101
H05B033/08; G08G 1/056 20060101 G08G001/056; G08G 1/01 20060101
G08G001/01; H05B 37/02 20060101 H05B037/02; F21S 8/08 20060101
F21S008/08 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jun 6, 2016 |
CN |
201610397995.9 |
Claims
1. A road lamp control method, a system implementing the method
comprising a location tracking detection unit, a LED road lamp, a
road-lamp control unit, a road-lamp brightness control unit, an
information transmitting unit and a road-lamp drive unit; wherein,
the road-lamp control unit is equipped with a location tracking
receiver, and after the location tracking receiver detects a
location, a moving direction and a moving speed of the location
tracking detection unit, the brightness control unit controls ON
and OFF and brightness of the LED road lamp via the road-lamp
control unit, the information transmitting unit and the road-lamp
drive unit; the method comprising: determining whether a road lamp
lighting condition is satisfied: if a current location tracking
receiver or adjacent location tracking receiver detects the
location tracking detection unit, the road lamp is turned on,
otherwise the road lamp is turned off and next determination is
made; and controlling a road lamp lighting time period: if the
current location tracking receiver or adjacent location tracking
receiver detects no location tracking detection unit, the road lamp
is delayed to be turned off, wherein the location tracking receiver
can distinguish between a vehicle model and a pedestrian model on
the basis of the moving speed of the location tracking detection
unit: it is the vehicle model if the speed is greater than 15 km/h,
and it is the pedestrian model if the speed is less than or equal
to 15 km/h.
2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the location tracking
detection unit includes at least one of a GPS device and a
satellite sensor carried by pedestrians or vehicles, and the
location tracking receiver can detect, within 15 meters near it,
the location, the moving direction and the speed of the location
tracking detection unit, and would not be triggered by any other
object to cause a misjudgment.
3. (canceled)
4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the road-lamp control
unit transmits information acquired by the current location
tracking receiver with which the current road lamp is equipped to
adjacent road lamps via an information transmitting circuit, and
detects brightness information recorded in the road-lamp control
units of the adjacent road lamps.
5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the road-lamp
brightness control unit, on the basis of brightness information
acquired by the current location tracking receiver and other
location tracking receivers of adjacent road lamps, determines the
brightness of the current and adjacent road lamps, sends out
brightness control information of the current and adjacent road
lamps, and thus drives the current and adjacent road lamps to be on
or off and adjusts their brightness.
6. The method according to claim 2, wherein, when the location
tracking receiver detects a moving object of the pedestrian model,
the current road-lamp brightness control unit makes the current
road lamp to be completely lighted up via the road-lamp control
unit and the road-lamp drive unit.
7. The method according to claim 1, wherein, when the location
tracking receiver detects a moving object of the pedestrian model,
the current road-lamp brightness control unit makes the current
road lamp to be completely lighted up via the road-lamp control
unit and the road-lamp drive unit.
8. The method according to claim 7, wherein, if the current
location tracking receiver detects the pedestrian model and detects
that adjacent location tracking receivers ahead or behind have
detected a moving object, the current road lamp is completely
lighted up; and if the current location tracking receiver detects
that adjacent location tracking receivers behind have detected no
moving object, but detects that the nth location tracking receiver
behind has detected a moving object, the brightness of the current
road lamp is set to be (100-(n-1)q)% of that of the road lamp
corresponding to the nth location tracking receiver, wherein
q=15-25.
9. The method according to claim 2, wherein, if the location
tracking receiver detects a moving object of the vehicle model, the
current road-lamp brightness control unit makes the current LED
road lamp to be completely lighted up via the road-lamp control
unit and the road-lamp drive unit.
10. The method according to claim 1, wherein, if the location
tracking receiver detects a moving object of the vehicle model, the
current road-lamp brightness control unit makes the current LED
road lamp to be completely lighted up via the road-lamp control
unit and the road-lamp drive unit.
11. The method according to claim 10, wherein, if the current
location tracking receiver detects no moving object but detects
that adjacent location tracking receivers behind or ahead have
detected a moving object, the current road lamp is completely
lighted up; and if the current location tracking receiver detects
that adjacent location tracking receivers behind have detected no
moving object, but detects that the m.sup.th location tracking
receiver behind has detected a moving object, the current road lamp
is completely lighted up, otherwise the current road lamp is off,
wherein m.ltoreq.3.
12. The method according to claim 11, wherein if the location
tracking receiver detects no moving object, the current road lamp
will be off after a delay time t, wherein 30 s.ltoreq.t.ltoreq.3
min; and a response time from receiving a control signal to turning
on the road lamp is less than 0.001 s, such that a moving distance
of the moving object during the period when the brightness of the
road lamp is adjusted is less than 5 cm.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Application No.
201610397995.9, which was filed Jun. 6, 2016. This prior
application is incorporated herein by reference, in its
entirety.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] The present invention relates to a field of road lamp
control, especially to a road lamp control method.
BACKGROUND
[0003] At present, usage of urban roads at night is low, especially
during a period from midnight to dawn. If all road lamps on the
roads are on all through the night, it would bring about energy
waste and inefficiencies, and pollution from power plants would not
be ignored either. However, if none or only certain road lamps are
on in a certain period of time at night, it would seriously
influence normal walking of pedestrians and driving safety of
vehicles. Targets of energy-efficiency and emission reduction are
also needed to be realized while the safety of pedestrians and
vehicles can be ensured.
[0004] Some simple road lamp control methods have been disclosed.
They, for example, choose to turn off all the lamps on the roads
with low traffic flow during a period from midnight to dawn, or to
control ON and OFF of all the lamps according to the time of sunset
and sunrise or ambient lighting conditions detected by
photoelectric devices. These methods can save 20-40% power compared
with the method that all lamps are on all through the night, and
can prolong service life of road lamps effectively. However, these
methods are unable to ensure road safety at night.
SUMMARY
[0005] An objective of the present invention is to provide a road
lamp control method, which could solve the energy waste problem of
the prior art, and can control ON and OFF and the brightness of
road lamps in real-time on the basis of the flow of pedestrians,
non-motor and motor vehicles at night, thereby ensuring safety of
the pedestrians and the vehicles and saving electrical energy.
[0006] To achieve the aforementioned objective, the present
invention provides a road lamp control method. A system
implementing the method comprises a location tracking detection
unit, a LED road lamp, a road-lamp control unit, a road-lamp
brightness control unit, a information transmitting unit and a
road-lamp drive unit, wherein, the road-lamp control unit is
equipped with a location tracking receiver. After the location
tracking receiver detects a location, a moving direction and a
speed of the location tracking detection unit, the brightness
control unit controls ON and OFF and brightness of the LED road
lamp via the road-lamp control unit, the information transmitting
unit and the road-lamp drive unit. The method comprises steps as
follows: [0007] determining whether a road lamp lighting condition
is satisfied: if a current location tracking receiver or adjacent
location tracking receiver detects the location tracking detection
unit, the road lamp is turned on, otherwise the road lamp is turned
off and next determination is made; and [0008] controlling the road
lamp lighting time period: if the current location tracking
receiver or adjacent location tracking receiver detects no location
tracking detection unit, the road lamp is delayed to be turned
off.
[0009] In one embodiment, the location tracking detection unit is a
GPS device or a Big Dobber sensor carried by pedestrians or
vehicles, and the location tracking receiver can detect, within 15
meters near it, the location, the moving direction and the speed of
the location tracking detection unit, and distinguish among
pedestrians, non-motor and motor vehicles on the basis of the speed
and the displacement, and would not be triggered by any other
object to cause a misjudgment.
[0010] In one embodiment, the location tracking receiver can
distinguish between a vehicle model and a pedestrian model on the
basis of the moving speed: it is the vehicle model if the speed is
greater than 15 km/h, and it is the pedestrian model if the speed
is less than or equal to 15 km/h.
[0011] In one embodiment, the road-lamp control unit transmits
information acquired by the current location tracking receiver with
which the current road lamp is equipped to adjacent road lamps via
the information transmitting circuit, and detects brightness
information recorded in the road-lamp control units of the adjacent
road lamps.
[0012] In one embodiment, the road-lamp brightness control unit, on
the basis of brightness information acquired by the current
location tracking receiver and other location tracking receivers of
adjacent road lamps, determines the brightness of the current and
adjacent road lamps, sends out brightness control information of
the current and adjacent road lamps, and thus drives the current
and adjacent road lamps to be on or off and adjusts their
brightness.
[0013] In one embodiment, when the location tracking receiver
detects a moving object of the pedestrian mold, the current
road-lamp brightness control program makes the current road lamp to
be completely lighted up via the road-lamp control unit and the
road-lamp drive unit.
[0014] In one embodiment, if the current location tracking receiver
detects the pedestrian mold and detects that adjacent location
tracking receivers ahead or behind have detected a moving object,
the current road lamp is completely lighted up; and if the current
location tracking receiver detects that adjacent location tracking
receivers behind have detected no moving object, but detects that
the nth location tracking receiver behind has detected a moving
object, the brightness of the current road lamp is set to be
(100-(n-1)q) % of that of the road lamp corresponding to the nth
location tracking receiver, wherein q=15-25.
[0015] In one embodiment, if the location tracking receiver detects
a moving object of the vehicle model, the current road-lamp
brightness control unit makes the current LED road lamp to be
completely lighted up via the road-lamp control unit and the
road-lamp drive unit.
[0016] In one embodiment, if the current location tracking receiver
detects no moving object but detects that adjacent location
tracking receivers behind or ahead have detected a moving object,
the current road lamp is completely lighted up; and if the current
location tracking receiver detects that adjacent location tracking
receivers behind have detected no moving object, but detects that
the m.sup.th location tracking receiver behind has detected a
moving object, the current road lamp is completely lighted up,
otherwise the current road lamp is off, wherein m.ltoreq.3.
[0017] In one embodiment, if the location tracking receiver detects
no moving object, the current road lamp will be off after a delay
time t, wherein 30 s t 3 min; and a response time from receiving a
control signal to turning on the road lamp is less than 0.001 s,
such that a moving distance of the moving object during the period
when the brightness of the road lamp is adjusted is less than 5
cm.
[0018] The method of the invention can control ON and OFF and the
brightness of road lamps in real time based on the real traffic
flow at night, and thereby ensuring safety of pedestrians and
vehicles and saving electrical energy.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0019] FIG. 1 is a schematic view of an exemplary system
implementing the present invention;
[0020] FIG. 2 is a flow chart of the total program of the present
invention;
[0021] FIG. 3 is a schematic view of road lamps when a pedestrian
is detected according to the present invention;
[0022] FIG. 4 is a flow chart of the road lamp lighting program of
the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0023] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be
described below in detail with reference to the accompanying
drawings.
[0024] With reference to FIG. 1, an exemplary system implementing
the road lamp control method of the present invention comprises a
location tracking detection unit 1, a LED road lamp 2, a road-lamp
control unit 3, a road-lamp brightness control unit 5, a
information transmitting unit 6 and a road-lamp drive unit 7. The
road-lamp control unit 3 is equipped with a location tracking
receiver 4. After the location tracking receiver 4 detects a
location, a moving direction and a speed of the location tracking
detection unit 1, the road-lamp brightness control unit 5 controls
ON and OFF and the brightness of the LED road lamp 2 via the
road-lamp drive unit 7, the road-lamp control unit 3 and the
information transmitting unit 6. This system can dynamically
control ON and OFF and the brightness of road lamps on the basis of
information from displacement detectors of current road lamps where
pedestrians or vehicles are at and of adjacent road lamps.
[0025] Controlling ON and OFF of road lamps does not mean that,
when a detector detects a pedestrian or a vehicle passing by, only
the road lamp which is equipped with this detector needs to be
turned on. For pedestrians and vehicles passing by, usually, only a
plurality of lighting road lamps would ensure their safety. A
distance between adjacent road lamps on the road is generally 30
meters. When pedestrians are passing by, not only a sufficient
number of lighting road lamps ahead can ensure walking safety, but
the soft and long-distance diminishing brightness can give the
pedestrians a sense of security.
[0026] However, for vehicle drivers, requirements for light are
different. The vehicle's top speed (which is generally the speed
limit of the viaduct in China) is about 80 km/h (The present
invention does not take into account conditions of serious speeding
and illegal act.). When vehicles are passing by quickly, a
sufficient number of road lamps ahead need to be turned on, such
that there is always sufficient light ahead when the vehicles are
moving forward quickly. According to that the object detected by
the detector of claim 2 is a pedestrian or a vehicle, the local
control system program of the present invention controls the on-off
state of the road lamp which is equipped with the detector, as
shown in FIG. 2.
[0027] In the flow chart of FIG. 2, there are three most importance
steps. The first step is to determine whether a road lamp lighting
condition is satisfied. The road lamp lighting condition has two
aspects: if the current detector in which the control program is
located detects a pedestrian or a vehicle, or the control program
receives signals from an adjacent detector that a pedestrian or a
vehicle is passing by, the road lamp lighting condition will be
satisfied. When the road lamp lighting condition is satisfied, the
program will proceed to the next step, i.e., to execute a road lamp
lighting program. This state will last until the pedestrian or the
vehicle leaves, or any other adjacent detector sends signals that
the pedestrian or the vehicle enters or leaves (which is expressed
as "signal changed" in FIG. 2). In these cases, the program will
re-determine whether a road lamp lighting condition is
satisfied.
[0028] The step of executing the road lamp lighting program also
comprises two aspects: turning on road lamps and adjusting the
brightness of the road lamps on the basis of signals from the
detector in which the program is located or from any adjacent
detector.
[0029] If a detector detects a pedestrian passing by, and detects
the moving direction of the pedestrian via a speed detector of
claim 3, the detector will transmit the information of presence of
the pedestrian and his or her moving direction to the control
program, and then the control program will control the road lamp
which is equipped with the detector and each one road lamp before
and after the pedestrian to be on. For pedestrians, road lamps
farther away do not need to be completely lighted up. The
brightness of road lamps beginning with the second one before the
pedestrian diminishes by q % per road lamp, which means that the
brightness of the second road lamp is (1-q) % of that of the road
lamp where the pedestrian is at, the brightness of the third one is
(1-2q) %, and so on, as shown in FIG. 3.
[0030] With reference to FIG. 3, the detector of the second road
lamp from the left detects a pedestrian, so the second road lamp
and each one road lamp before and after it are completely lighted
up, and the brightness of the third one begins to diminish. If a
speed detector is unable to determine the moving direction of the
pedestrian, the brightness of road lamps beginning with each second
road lamp before and after the pedestrian follows a diminution of q
% per road lamp. Based on this principle, if q=25, the brightness
of the fifth road lamp before the pedestrian will be diminished to
be zero, i.e., road lamps beginning with the fifth one do not need
to be lighted up.
[0031] If a detector detects a vehicle passing by, three road lamps
before the vehicle and one road lamp after the vehicle are lighted
up (even if there is no vehicle coming behind, it is better to turn
on one road lamp after the vehicle, such that the driver will feel
secure when he or she looks in the rear-view mirror, because of the
light behind the vehicle). Road lamps beginning with the fourth one
do not need to be lighted up.
[0032] For the execution of the road lamp lighting program, among
the priority levels of executing the program after a signal is
received, the first is the detector of the road lamp where the
pedestrian or the vehicle is at, the second is the detector of
adjacent three road lamps which detects a vehicle, and the last is
the detector of adjacent four road lamps which detects a
pedestrian.
[0033] When the detector of the road lamp where a pedestrian or a
vehicle is at or the detector of the adjacent road lamps sends
signals that the pedestrian or the vehicle is entering or leaving,
the total program as shown in FIG. 2 will re-determine whether the
road lamp lighting condition is satisfied. If the condition is
satisfied, the road lamp lighting program will be executed, and
then road lamps will be lighted up, or the brightness of road lamps
will be adjusted, according to the flow chart of FIG. 3. The road
lamp lighting program will not trigger itself to run in order to
avoid an entrance of an endless loop.
[0034] If a control program of a road lamp which is on receives a
signal that the road lamp lighting condition is not satisfied, a
third step, i.e., delaying turning off the road lamp, will be
started. This step is relatively simple. Every time when a signal
is triggered as a pedestrian leaves a detector, the detector will
make a record and maintain this for 30 seconds. If the program
finds this record while the step of delaying turning off the road
lamp is started, the program will be lasted for 30 seconds. If the
road lamp lighting condition does not change during the 30 seconds
(i.e., the road lamp lighting condition has not been satisfied
during the 30 seconds), the road lamp will be turned off. If there
is no such a record, i.e., all the objects passing by are vehicles,
the program will only be lasted for 10 seconds. If the road lamp
lighting condition has not been satisfied during the 10 seconds,
the road lamp will be turned off. One reason why the program is
designed like this is that vehicles leave quickly and do not need
road lamps to be on for a long delay time, but the speed of
pedestrians is lower and therefore they need a longer delay time.
If both vehicles and pedestrians are on the road at the same time,
it should assure the pedestrians of sufficient light.
[0035] Detectors of road lamps at a crossroads execute a control
program that all these road lamps are completely lighted up. The
traffic state of the crossroads is complex and accidents are more
likely to happen. So, these lamps need to be always completely
lighted up all through the night. However, detectors of adjacent
lamps still require signals from the detectors of the road lamps at
the crossroads to control ON and OFF of the lamps far away from the
crossroads.
[0036] At last, in accordance with the latitude and date of the
place where road lamps are located, the program is started as the
road lamps are turned on from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm, and continues to
run until 5:00 am-7:00 am the next morning. The program is
terminated as all the road lamps are turned off.
[0037] According to a result of computer simulation, compared with
that all road lamps are completely lighted up, for the roads with
lower traffic flow (less than 1500 vehicles a day), the method of
the present invention can improve the energy efficiency by over
75%, while, for the roads with higher traffic flow (6000-8000
vehicles a day), the method of the present invention can improve
the energy efficiency by 40% - 50%. When being simulated, the
method of the present invention can satisfy the requirements of
pedestrians and vehicles for light, dynamically control on-off of
road lamps based on the actual conditions of traffic on roads, and
achieve energy-efficiency targets while meeting the requirements of
pedestrians and vehicles at night.
[0038] The above described is merely preferred embodiments of the
present invention, and not exemplified to intend to limit the
present invention. Any modifications and changes without departing
from the scope of the spirit of the present invention are deemed as
within the scope of the present invention.
[0039] While the present invention has been illustrated by a
description of exemplary embodiments and while these embodiments
have been described in some detail, it is not the intention of the
Applicant to restrict or in any way limit the scope of the appended
claims to such detail. Additional advantages and modifications will
readily appear to those skilled in the art. The various features of
the invention may be used alone or in any combination depending on
the needs and preferences of the user. This has been a description
of the preferred methods of practicing embodiments of the invention
as currently known. However, the invention itself should only be
defined by the appended claims.
* * * * *