text:
|Numéro de publication
|Type de publication
|Numéro de demande
|Date de publication
|20 juil. 1999
|Date de dépôt
|5 mai 1995
|Date de priorité
|5 mai 1995
|État de paiement des frais
|Autre référence de publication
|Numéro de publication
|Gary V. Jones, Ronald R. Hatch, James R. Hume, Richard G. Keegan
|Cessionnaire d'origine
|L & H Company, Inc.
|Exporter la citation
|BiBTeX, EndNote, RefMan
|Citations de brevets (21), Citations hors brevets (35), Référencé par (108), Classifications (14), Événements juridiques (11)
|Liens externes: USPTO, Cession USPTO, Espacenet
This invention relates generally to control of traffic signals under emergency conditions and, more particularly, to systems for automatic control of traffic signals in such a way as to preempt normal signal operation and permit the unimpeded and safe passage of emergency vehicles, such as ambulances, police cars, fire trucks and so forth. There is a related need for preemption control systems to give priority to non-emergency vehicles, such as buses, which have to maintain a schedule in busy traffic. It has been widely accepted that, particularly in high density traffic areas, there is a vital need for such systems. Not only must an emergency vehicle be free to move through an intersection in a selected direction of travel, but the traffic flow in other directions, which could interfere with the movement of the emergency vehicle, must be stopped by an appropriate signal indication until the emergency vehicle has passed.
A number of present day systems have been utilized to accomplish this general purpose, but all have fallen short of the desired result in some respect. A common approach has been to provide apparatus on the emergency vehicle to transmit an emergency signal to a receiver associated with the traffic signal. The traffic signal controller, which has been suitably modified, is actuated to operate the signals in a predetermined emergency sequence. Some systems of this type require the installation of a receiver or sensor under the road surface, to detect where the vehicle is located with respect to the traffic signals. Obviously, systems of this type present difficulties of installation and maintenance. Various traffic preemption systems use radio signals, infrared signals, ultrasonic signals, audio signals or optical signals transmitted from the emergency vehicle and detected in some manner at the controlled intersection. A common difficulty with all systems of the prior art is that of accurately determining the time of arrival of the vehicle at the intersection. Clearly, preemption of normal traffic control should not occur too early. Apart from the obvious inefficiency this entails, there is an element of risk in that impatient drivers may try to enter a controlled intersection before the emergency vehicle arrives. Various techniques have been proposed for determining vehicle location for use in traffic preemption. For example, electronic "signposts" can be installed beside or beneath the roadway to detect the passage of vehicles. Such systems are used, for example, to determine the locations to help maintain more accurate bus schedules. For the traffic preemption problem, however, installing multiple sensors or "signposts" near each intersection would be very expensive and still would not necessarily provide the desired accuracy.
More specifically, optical preemption systems are limited by the line of sight between the vehicle and the intersection control unit. Audio preemption systems detect the sound of an approaching siren on an emergency vehicle and take appropriate action. Unfortunately, the sound can be blocked by other vehicles or buildings, and microphones must be installed at points approaching the intersection.
Radio preemption systems currently available utilize signal strength to determine distance from the intersection. However, natural variations in terrain and man-made obstructions render this approach quite inaccurate.
Beacon based systems are more accurate, but do not permit subsequent adjustment to preemption distance needed for changing traffic patterns or construction zones. Also the installation cost of a beacon system is high because long lengths of underground cable have to be installed beneath the intersection and its approaches. Sensor loops underground are used to sense the vehicle positions, but are prone to breakage in cold weather. A failed sensor can render the system inoperative while repairs are made over an extended period, possibly months.
Another common aspect of traffic signal preemption systems is that they are typically manually actuated from the emergency vehicle. When the driver actuates a button or switch in the vehicle, an emergency signal is transmitted to the controller at the intersection, to preempt normal operation and modify the controller temporarily for passage of the vehicle. Some systems allow the driver to indicate a direction of turn at the intersection, so that the traffic signals can be appropriately controlled during preemption. However, existing preemption systems are typically not optimized to disrupt normal traffic control for as short a time as possible, or to clear as much of the interfering traffic as possible from the intersection. Moreover, existing preemption systems have no provision for preempting signals at adjacent intersections to one side or the other of the vehicle direction of travel when a preemption request is made. In existing systems, some intersections may not be preempted soon enough, if the vehicle deviates from a straight path along a single street, and may be preempted unnecessarily if the vehicle turns before reaching a nearby preempted intersection. The present invention has the goal of providing safe and unobstructed passage for emergency vehicles, while at the same time minimizing disruption of normal traffic through the intersection, and eliminating many of the disadvantages of the prior art systems.
The present invention resides in a traffic signal preemption system using differential global positioning system (GPS) measurements, and a related method of operation of the system. Briefly, and in general terms, the system of the invention includes a traffic signal subsystem and a vehicle subsystem. The traffic signal subsystem includes a GPS reference receiver having an antenna installed at a known position, for receiving GPS signals and computing measurement corrections for the GPS signals, a traffic signal controller capable of operation in a normal mode, and in a preemption mode when an emergency vehicle approaches the intersection, a communication radio for receiving data from an approaching emergency or other vehicle, and an intersection computer, containing a model of the intersection and used for processing received signals indicative of vehicle position, speed and direction. The intersection computer uses the received data to determine when to switch the traffic signal controller to and from preemption mode. The vehicle subsystem includes a mobile GPS receiver for receiving GPS signals, a communication radio for transmitting data to the traffic signal subsystem radio, and a vehicle computer, for coordinating operation of the vehicle GPS receiver and the vehicle communication radio. Corrected vehicle position, speed and direction measurements are used by the intersection computer to determine when to switch the traffic signal controller to and from preemption mode in such a way as to minimize disruption of normal traffic.
In one embodiment of the system, the GPS measurement corrections computed by the intersection computer are transmitted to the vehicle, and the vehicle computer computes corrected measurements of vehicle position, speed and direction for transmission back to the traffic signal subsystem. In another embodiment, the vehicle communication radio transmits uncorrected vehicle position, speed and direction measurements to the traffic signal subsystem, and the intersection computer computes corrected vehicle position, speed and direction measurements. In yet another embodiment, the vehicle communication radio transmits raw GPS measurements to the traffic signal subsystem, and the intersection computer computes uncorrected and corrected vehicle position, speed and direction measurements. In still another embodiment, a single GPS reference receiver serves multiple controlled traffic intersections and broadcasts GPS measurement corrections to multiple vehicles in the same vicinity. The vehicle computer in each vehicle computes corrected measurements of vehicle position, speed and direction for transmission to the traffic signal subsystem.
Preferably, the vehicle subsystem includes a turn signal indicator, wherein the vehicle communication radio also transmits turn signal and vehicle identification information to the traffic signal subsystem and to other adjacent intersection subsystems. An adjacent intersection in the path of a turning vehicle can issue a preemption output earlier than if it had waited for the vehicle to approach in the normal way, thereby allowing traffic in the adjacent intersection to be cleared soon enough for the vehicle's arrival. Moreover, nearby intersections that are not on the vehicle's path can ignore preemption requests received from vehicles that are about to turn from their current path.
The traffic signal preemption system may also be operated in a "learn" mode in which a manually operated switch in the vehicle is actuated at a selected points on each approach route to the intersection; and the traffic signal subsystem includes means for operating in the learn mode, during which each approach route to the intersection is recorded for later use in a normal mode of operation.
In accordance with the method of the invention, the preemption system performs the steps of receiving global positioning system (GPS) signals at a reference GPS receiver whose location is accurately known; computing differential position corrections to be applied to the position measurements derived from the received GPS signals; receiving GPS signals at a vehicle GPS receiver; transmitting some form of the received vehicle GPS signals to a traffic signal intersection subsystem; computing corrected measurements of vehicle position, speed and direction; and computing from the vehicle position, speed and direction measurements, taken with known intersection approach data, an optimum time or position for switching to a preemption mode of traffic control.
One embodiment of the method further includes the step of transmitting position corrections to each vehicle. In this embodiment the step of computing corrected measurements is performed in the vehicle; and the step of transmitting some form of received vehicle GPS signals transmits corrected vehicle position, speed and direction measurements.
In another embodiment of the method, the step of computing corrected measurements is performed in the traffic signal intersection subsystem; and the step of transmitting some form of received vehicle GPS signals transmits uncorrected vehicle position, speed and direction measurements.
In yet another embodiment of the method, the step of computing corrected measurements is performed in the traffic signal intersection subsystem; and the step of transmitting some form of received vehicle GPS signals transmits raw GPS measurements obtained in the vehicle.
Preferably, the method also includes the step of transmitting from the vehicle to the traffic signal intersection subsystem additional data including vehicle identification information and vehicle turn signal information.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the method further comprises the step of determining in the reference GPS receiver an accurate position of the receiver, by averaging position measurements taken periodically over a long time interval. In accordance with yet another aspect of the invention, the method further comprises the step of operating the system in a "learn" mode, including switching the system to learn mode, driving the vehicle over each approach route to the intersection, mapping the approach routes to the intersection for use in normal operation, actuating a switch in the vehicle at a vehicle position in which preemption of the traffic signal is desired, and recording the desired position of preemption for later use in normal operation.
It will be appreciated from the foregoing summary that the present invention represents a significant advance in the field of traffic signal preemption systems. In particular, the invention provides extremely accurate data defining an approaching vehicle's position, speed and direction, which data can be used in a variety of preemption algorithms to minimize disruption of normal traffic. The system of the invention may also be operated in a "self-survey" mode to provide accurate position data for a reference GPS receiver used by the system, and in a "learn" mode to record parameters relating to each approach route to an intersection. Other aspects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following more detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a traffic signal preemption system in accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a flowchart depicting functions performed by the traffic signal preemption system of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a flowchart depicting the functions performed by the intersection computer in controlling switching between normal mode and preemption mode of operation of the traffic signal controller;
FIG. 4 is a plan view of an intersection, labeled to indicate various terms used to describe a vehicle route through the intersection;
FIG. 5 is a flow diagram showing the functions performed by the intersection computer in its "run" mode;
FIG. 6 is a flow diagram showing the functions performed by a vehicle subsystem in the "run" mode;
FIG. 7 is a flow diagram showing the functions performed by a base station subsystem in the "run" mode; and
FIG. 8 is a simplified plan view of four closely spaced intersections, depicting operation of the preemption system of the invention when turn signals are utilized.
As shown in the drawings for purposes of illustration, the present invention is concerned with a traffic signal preemption system, which preempts normal traffic control for emergency vehicles and other vehicles, such as buses, but minimizes disruption of normal traffic. A number of embodiments of the invention are described below, but all make use of a technique known as differential GPS (differential global positioning system) to measure the position, direction and speed of an emergency vehicle relative to a controlled traffic signal.
Briefly, by way of further background, the global positioning system (GPS) is a system of multiple orbiting satellites that transmit radio signals of a known format. A GPS receiver on or near the earth's surface receives signals from multiple GPS satellites simultaneously and computes the position of the receiver in threedimensional space, using well known signal processing techniques. GPS was originally intended as a military navigation tool and permits vehicles to obtain their latitude, longitude and altitude accurately. The basis for these calculations is the measurement of the distance or range between the receiver and each of several uniquely identifiable satellites from which transmissions are received. These range values are referred to as "pseudorange" measurements. They are subject to a timing or clock bias error because the receiver is not necessarily synchronized with the satellite transmitters. From the pseudorange measurements for at least four visible satellites, and a knowledge of the orbital positions of the satellites, referred to as ephemeris data, which is also transmitted from each satellite, the position of the receiver is calculated and the clock bias error is eliminated. The accuracy of GPS for commercial purposes is deliberately limited by government control of the satellite signals. For many commercial applications, such as navigation on the open sea, position determination to an accuracy of a hundred meters or so is more than sufficient. Increased positional accuracy for other commercial purposes can be obtained using a technique known as differential GPS (DGPS). In DGPS, an additional GPS receiver, called the reference receiver, is installed at a fixed location and its position is determined to a high degree of accuracy using any available means. Since the reference receiver already "knows" its position, it can determine any error in a position as determined from currently received GPS signals. The amount of the error can then be transmitted to one or more nearby mobile GPS receivers, which can correct their GPS-determined positions. An assumption is usually made that the errors in GPS-determined position are the same for all receivers that are relatively close together. Using DGPS, positions of mobile GPS receivers can be determined to almost the same accuracy as that of the known position of the reference receiver. DGPS is used, for example, for marine navigation close to shore, with the reference receiver being located on land near the coastline.
FIG. 1 illustrates how the principle of DGPS is applied in a traffic signal preemption system. The apparatus includes a traffic signal subsystem located at a street intersection, indicated generally by reference character I, and a vehicle subsystem V. Since each of the subsystems I and V include similar components, they will be referred to by the same reference numerals, with the suffix I or V. The traffic signal subsystem has a GPS antenna 10I, a GPS receiver 12I, which is the reference receiver, a computer or central processing unit (CPU) 14I, a communication radio 16I and an associated radio antenna 18I. Similarly, the vehicle subsystem includes a GPS antenna 10V, a GPS receiver 12V (the mobile receiver), a computer CPU 14V, a communication radio 16V and a radio antenna 18V.
The traffic signal subsystem also includes a conventional traffic signal control unit 20 coupled to the CPU 14I, such that the computer can both monitor the status of the control unit and, to a limited degree, control or modify the control unit to operate in a preemption mode or various specific preemption modes. The vehicle computer 14V receives input from the vehicle turn signal, as indicated at 22, and is thus made aware of the intended direction of turn of the vehicle as it approaches an intersection.
The intersection CPU 14I performs two principal functions:
(1) The intersection CPU will use the GPS reference receiver measurements together with the known antenna location to compute an estimate of the local receiver clock time. Then, after removing any clock bias from the pseudorange code measurements, the CPU will compute a correction value which would cause each of the pseudorange measurements to represent accurately the distance between the satellite and the reference GPS antenna 10I. The pseudorange correction values are then passed on to the communication radio 16I for transmission to participating vehicles in the vicinity.
(2) The differentially corrected GPS position, together with the direction and speed of the vehicle is received back from the vehicle subsystem, through the radio communication link, and transferred to the intersection CPU 14I. Included with this information will be the status of the vehicle turn signal indicator. The received information, together with the status of the traffic signal control unit 20, is used to generate a preemption control signal to the traffic signal control unit and a command as to the desired state of the traffic signal.
The functions of the vehicle subsystem are generally complementary to those of the intersection subsystem. The GPS antenna and receiver in the vehicle supply the GPS measurements and satellite position information to the vehicle CPU 14V. The communication radio 16V and associated antenna 18V receive the measurement corrections transmitted from the reference subsystem, and transmit back the computed position, direction and speed of the vehicle, together with the status of the vehicle turn signal. The task of the vehicle CPU 14V is to use the GPS measurement and orbit information together with the measurement corrections received from the reference receiver in the intersection subsystem, to compute an accurate position and speed of the vehicle, along with its direction of travel. When the position, direction and speed data are computed, they are passed to the communication radio, together with the turn signal status, security codes and other pertinent information, for transmission to the traffic signal reference subsystem at the intersection.
As described thus far, the system of the invention utilizes a two-way communication link between the vehicle and the traffic signal subsystem. The traffic signal subsystem transmits GPS measurement corrections to the vehicle, and the vehicle transmits back to the traffic signal subsystem the corrected position, speed and direction, as well as turn signal, vehicle identification and other pertinent information. Various other configurations are possible and within the scope of the invention, as summarized in the following table.
__________________________________________________________________________ Data transmitted Data transmittedConfiguration TO vehicle FROM vehicle Remarks__________________________________________________________________________(A) Two-way GPS measurement Corrected GPS Corrections made radio link. corrections, either: position, speed & in vehicle CPU (1) GPS pseudo- direction; turn and transmitted to range corrections, signal; vehicle id., intersection CPU. (2) GPS position etc. corrections.(B) One-way None. Uncorrected GPS Corrections made radio link. position, speed in intersection and direction; turn CPU. signal; vehicle id., etc.(C) One-way None. Raw GPS mea- Corrections made radio link. surements; turn in intersection signal; vehicle id., CPU. etc.(D) Separate GPS measurement Corrected GPS Corrections made one-way corrections broad- position, speed & in vehicle CPU radio links. cast to all vehicles direction; turn and transmitted to in area; either: signal; vehicle id., intersection CPU. (1) GPS pseudo- etc. range corrections, (2) GPS position corrections.__________________________________________________________________________
Configuration (A)(1) is the one described above, using a two-way radio communication link. Configuration (A)(2) is similar except that the intersection CPU computes corrections in measured position, rather than corrections in the raw GPS pseudoranges. The vehicle CPU then uses the position corrections to compute corrected position, speed and direction data for transmission to the intersection.
In configuration (B), the vehicle computes its position, speed and direction from received GPS signals and transmits this uncorrected data to the intersection CPU over a one-way radio link. As in the other configurations, the turn signal indicator is also transmitted, together with vehicle identification, security, and other information. The intersection CPU corrects the position, speed and direction data for the vehicle and performs the necessary traffic signal control functions. Nothing is transmitted back to the vehicle.
Configuration (C) also uses a one-way radio communication link, but the vehicle CPU in this case does not compute its position, speed and direction. Instead, raw GPS measurements are transmitted to the intersection CPU, which computes the vehicle position, speed and direction, and then applies corrections based on its own GPS measurements and known position. Again, nothing is transmitted back to the vehicle.
Configuration (D) is similar to the two-way radio communication link of configuration (A), except that there is no requirement that a GPS reference receiver be located at every controlled intersection. Instead, a single reference receiver could be used for an extended geographical area, which may be as large as an entire city for some installations. The GPS measurement corrections, either pseudorange corrections (configuration (D)(1)) or position corrections (configuration (D)(2)), are broadcast to all of the vehicles in the area covered by the reference receiver. Each vehicle has a one-way radio communication link with each controlled intersection, and transmits corrected position, speed and direction measurements to the intersection.
With regard to the two options, (1) and (2), for transmitting corrections to the vehicle, the first option, transmitting pseudorange corrections, is generally preferred because then the vehicle can make use of the corrections even if the same satellites are not being tracked. The other option of transmitting position corrections requires less data to be transmitted, but requires in addition some means for ensuring that the same satellites are being tracked.
Self-Survey Mode
As discussed above, differential GPS depends on accurate knowledge of a reference GPS receiver antenna. This requirement can met by making a survey of the reference location and determining its position with respect to a local survey datum point. However, the required accuracy for the location of the reference antenna in the traffic preemption system can be met quite easily using the reference GPS receiver in a self-survey mode. Self-survey means the use of the GPS reference receiver to make an accurate determination of its own position. One way of doing this is to capture the result of GPS position determination periodically over an extended period, e.g., every five minutes over one or two days. A common source of position errors is multipath effects, whereby a signal transmitted from a satellite to a receiver takes an undesired alternate path due to reflections from geographical or man-made objects. Because each satellite is a moving transmission source, the multipath effects vary with time, but only relatively slowly. Multipath errors are said to be strongly correlated with time, and there is little benefit to averaging measurements taken at closely spaced intervals because the errors are not changing rapidly enough. Sampling position measurements every five minutes or so involves far less computation and data, and the averaged position is almost as accurate as if measurements had been taken every second. Errors due to multipath effects are virtually eliminated if the position measurements are averaged over a long observation period. In most cases, it should be possible to determine the reference antenna position to an accuracy of a few meters, which is more than adequate for the traffic signal preemption application. Another approach for averaging the position measurements over an extended period is to modify a standard GPS receiver to use a different statistical data filtering technique. GPS receivers typically employ a Kalman filter that is implemented to provide independent position measurements at each GPS time epoch. The Kalman filter can be modified to directly combine successive measurements to obtain a best average position solution. This involves changing the filter such that the position states are not propagated in time. Instead, all measurements are processed to arrive at the single best position that fits all the data. An equivalent alternative to this stationary Kalman filter implementation is a Least Squares solution which incorporates all measurement data into a single best solution.
From a cost standpoint, any of these methods is probably preferable to performing a survey to determine the location of the GPS reference antenna. Averaging measurements over a day or two costs virtually nothing, and the statistical methods that require a modified receiver can be implemented by modifying a single receiver and temporarily installing it at each reference receiver site to determine the position with accuracy.
Learn Mode
Another innovative feature of the invention is its ability to operate in a "learn" mode in which a vehicle equipped with a differential GPS receiver is driven over all routes that approach the controlled traffic signal. While driving these approach routes, an operator button or other indicator in the vehicle is used to indicate the appropriate distance, which can be a mean distance or a maximum and minimum distance, at which the approaching vehicle should cause preemption of the traffic signal. In the learn mode, frequent samples of the approaching vehicle position, as transmitted to the intersection receiver site, will be sampled, stored and subsequently processed to define the possible approach paths to the traffic signal. The learn mode will allow the same path to be traversed a number of times, if necessary, to smooth out errors due to either positioning noise or small variations in the path followed by the vehicle. The learn mode should only be necessary to define intersections with unusual or curved approach paths. Most intersections can be defined by standard intersection models. The data obtained during learn mode is processed to provide a mathematical description of each approach path. For curved paths, a mathematical approximation may be required to match the observed approach path data.
Basic sequence of operations
FIG. 2 shows the basic functions performed by the traffic signal subsystem and the vehicle subsystem. The traffic signal subsystem receives GPS signals from multiple satellites and first computes uncorrected position measurements indicative of the uncorrected position of the GPS reference receiver antenna. This function is indicated in block 30. It will be understood that, although the flowchart of FIG. 2 implies a sequence of operations, some of the described functions may be performed on a continuous basis in parallel with other functions. As indicated in block 32, the position measurement corrections are computed from the uncorrected measurements and a knowledge of the actual position of the reference receiver antenna.
As shown in block 34, the position measurement corrections are transmitted to the vehicle, or all vehicles in the vicinity. FIG. 2 depicts the two-way radio communication embodiment of the invention, referred to earlier as configuration A. It will be understood, of course, that the corrections may not necessarily be transmitted to the vehicles, but may be applied to uncorrected data transmitted from the vehicle. It will also be understood that the modifications to FIG. 2 to operate as configurations B, C or D may be easily made.
As shown in block 36, the traffic signal subsystem next receives corrected data back from the vehicle, indicative of vehicle position, speed and direction. Using this received data, together with previously stored data defining the approach routes to the intersection, the traffic signal subsystem determines when to switch the traffic controller to preemption mode and back into normal mode, as indicated in block 38 and further defined in FIG. 3. The functions described above are performed repeatedly while the vehicle is approaching and passing through the intersection. Once the vehicle is safely through the intersection and the controller is back in normal mode, the traffic signal subsystem has competed its task, which is repeated for other vehicles approaching the intersection, as indicated in block 40.
The vehicle subsystem, as also shown in FIG. 2, receives GPS signals in its own mobile GPS receiver and computes uncorrected position data, as indicated in block 42. The vehicle then receives position measurement corrections from the traffic signal subsystem, as indicated in block 44, and computes corrected measures of position, speed and direction, as indicated in block 46. These corrected values are then transmitted back to the traffic signal subsystem, as indicated in block 48. The vehicle subsystem functions are performed repeatedly until the vehicle is through the intersection, and repeated again for other intersections, as indicated in block 50.
Basic traffic control functions
The function described broadly in block 38 of FIG. 2 is shown in more detail in FIG. 3. It will be understood, however, that the invention is not limited to a specific traffic signal preemption algorithm and any of a number of different approaches may be used to determine when and how to preempt the traffic signals based on the information derived from the approaching emergency vehicle. The first broad step, shown in block 52, is to determine from the vehicle position and direction data the specific preemption mode that will be used. The vehicle turn signal is also used in this determination. From these data components, the vehicle's intended path through the intersection is determined and appropriate steps are taken to prepare for a switch to the preemption mode. In a simple case, normal operation may continue until the switch is made. In a more complex preemption technique, the vehicle approach time may be used to clear the intersection in an appropriate manner. When the vehicle is signaling an intended direction of turn at the intersection, preemption may involve multiple intersections, as discussed in a separate descriptive section below.
As shown in block 54, the next step is to compute an estimated position (on the vehicle approach route) at which switching to preemption mode should most desirably take place. Basically, the selection is made as a function of the measured vehicle speed, and the known distance to the intersection, allowance being made for an appropriate time of operation in preemption mode before the vehicle enters the intersection. Next, as indicated in decision block 56, the vehicle's current position is compared with the estimated "preemption point" on the approach route. If the preemption point has not yet been reached, the preemption point is recomputed, in block 54, based on more current position and speed data, and the vehicle's position is again compared with the preemption point position. When the preemption point is reached, the traffic controller is switched to preemption mode, as indicated in block 58. Then the vehicle position is monitored to determine when the vehicle has passed through the intersection, as indicated in decision block 60. When this occurs, the traffic controller is switched back to normal operation mode, as indicated in block 62, and the preemption task is complete.
More Detailed Example of Preemption Control
To understand how the traffic signal subsystem operates requires the introduction of some terminology defining the geometry of an intersection, as shown in FIG. 4 for a simple right-angle intersection. Each approach route to the intersection may be unique, but the four routes will be practically identical in the symmetrical intersection illustrated in FIG. 4. The elements of each include:
The "route baseline" 60 comprises a number of GPS coordinates sufficient to define the basic route of travel required to traverse the intersection in a given direction.
The "left lateral band" 62 is a band running parallel to the route baseline on its left side, as viewed from a vehicle following the route baseline, and defining the left boundary of the route.
The "right lateral band" 64 serves the same purpose as the left lateral band, but on the opposite side of the route baseline.
The "maximum preempt point" 66 is a line defining the furthest distance from the intersection at which a preemption output will be allowed to be activated.
The "minimum preempt point" 68 is a line defining the nearest distance from the intersection at which a preemption output must be activated.
The "termination band" 70 is a band defining the outer edges of the preemptive route through the intersection, along the left, right and front edges. Any vehicle that has been granted a preemption output based on passage through either or both "preemption windows" (defined below), shall have its preemption output terminated upon passage through the termination band.
The "discretionary preemption window" 72 is that portion of the route extending from the maximum preempt point line at the rear to the minimum preempt point line at the front, and from the left lateral band to the right lateral band. A vehicle entering this window and requesting a preempt shall be granted the request provided there are no other requests of equal or higher priority being serviced. The exact point within the window where the preemption is granted is determined by a calculation of the time required by the vehicle to reach the intersection at its current speed and the time required by the traffic signal controller to clear the intersection.
The "mandatory preemption window" 74 is that portion of the route extending from the minimum preempt point line at the rear to the termination band at the front, left and right sides. Any vehicle entering this window and requesting a preempt shall be granted an immediate preempt output provide that no other requests of equal of higher priority are already being serviced.
In the description that follows, it should be understood that preemption of the normal traffic signal operation may be requested from two types of sources, which are designated priority-1 requests and priority-2 requests. Priority-1 requests are from emergency vehicles, such as fire trucks, ambulances and police vehicles. Priority-1 requests may also be received from base stations, such as fire or police stations located near an intersection. As will be explained, these two types of priority-1 requests are treated differently in some respects. Priority-2 requests come from public service vehicles, such as buses or garbage trucks, which must maintain schedules as closely as possible, but which do not have priority over emergency vehicles. Another aspect of handling priority-2 requests from buses is that a bus may also request "queue jumping," wherein the bus gets an early green signal when stopped in a bus lane at the intersection.
Operation of the intersection CPU 14I in its "run" mode can best be understood from the functional flow diagram of FIG. 5. In run mode, the intersection unit "listens" for signals from approaching vehicles, as indicated at 80. Upon detection of an approaching vehicle, the unit checks the incoming packet of data for validity, as indicated at 82. The validity of the system id., the agency id., the vehicle id. and the GPS data are all checked at this point. If the data is invalid in some respect, the logic flow returns to the listening mode of block 80. If valid data is received, the unit next checks to determine whether the data received is from a vehicle or from a base station, as indicated at 84. If from a base station, such as a nearby fire station, there is no need to determine GPS position and the ensuing few steps bypassed, as indicated by line 86. As indicated in block 88, the next step is to determine the vehicle position. As already discussed earlier in this specification, position determination involves a use of an intersection GPS module 90, and correction of position measurement either in the vehicle or at the intersection unit, depending on the technique selected for implementation.
The next step is to match the GPS vehicle position with a predefined template of the route baseline through the intersection, as indicated at 92. Then a comparison is made to determine whether the vehicle position is within the discretionary preempt window or the mandatory preempt window, as indicated at 94. If not, the position is recalculated, by returning to block 88 in the flow diagram. At this point the logic determines whether the vehicle is an emergency vehicle or a bus, as indicated at 96. The functions performed in the case of an emergency vehicle will be described first.
For emergency vehicle processing, the intersection unit first determines, as indicated at 98, whether other preempt outputs are active, i.e. whether other vehicles have already triggered a preempt output signal. If other preempts are already active, the unit next determines, as shown at 100, the priority of the other preempt. If the existing preempt is for bus (priority 2), the unit ends the bus's preempt output, as indicated at 102. If the existing preempt is for another emergency, the unit next determines, as indicated at 104, whether the other emergency is from a vehicle or a base station. If the other emergency was also from a vehicle, the current preempt request is ignored and the unit resumes it listening mode. (The two vehicles compete on a first-com-first-served basis.) If the other emergency was from a base station, the unit next determines whether vehicles can override base emergencies, as indicated at 106. (This is a programmable option for the intersection.) If vehicles do not override base stations at this intersection, the unit resumes its listening mode and ignores the current preempt request. If vehicles can override base station emergencies, the base station preempt is terminated, as indicated in block 108. At this point, having addressed the question of prior existing preempt outputs and distinguished between vehicle and base station emergencies, the intersection unit is now ready to issue a priority-1 (emergency vehicle or base station) preempt output, as indicated at 110.
After issuing the preempt output, the unit next checks to see if the vehicle is still on the route, as indicated in block 112. As the vehicle approaches the intersection, its position is tracked by the intersection unit to determine if it is still within the preempt windows. If the vehicle is still on the route, a further check is made to see if the vehicle is still in motion, as indicated in block 114. If a vehicle stops for some reason, this condition will be detected by the intersection unit an the preempt output will be terminated. Blocks 116 and 118 indicate that a timer is used to time the how long the vehicle has been stopped. When a time limit is exceeded, the priority-1 preempt output is ended, as indicated at 120. The preempt output is also terminated when the vehicle exits the route by crossing the termination band, as determined in block 112.
Processing of preempt requests from buses are slightly different, as indicated in the lower-right portion of the flow diagram. First it is determined whether the bus is requesting a priority-2 preempt, as indicated at 122. If so, the next test, at block 124, is to determine whether the intersection is operating in a free-running or coordinated mode. "Coordinate" means that operation of the intersection is coordinated with other intersections. If the intersection is coordinated, some agencies may not allow priority-2 preemptions. If preempt has not been requested (block 122) or if the intersection is coordinated (block 124), issuing the priority-2 preempt output is bypassed, as indicated by the line 126. Immediately before issuing the request, the unit check for the existence of other priority-2 requests, as indicated at 128. If there are any, the current request is ignored, as indicated at 130 and the unit continues in the listening mode.
If all the foregoing tests are passed for the bus preemption request, a priority-2 preempt output is issued, as indicated at 132. The remaining portion of the logic diagram pertains to "queue jumps" by buses. At some intersections, buses may be provided with a queue jump lane at the right-hand edge of the route. A signal given to that lane only allows the bus to enter the intersection a few seconds before the rest of the traffic. The unit logic first checks a queue jump flag, as indicated at 134, to determine whether queue jumping is permitted at this intersection. If not, the queue jumping logic is bypassed. If the queue jump flag is set, the next test made is to determine whether a queue jump has been requested by the bus, as indicated at 136. If not, the remaining queue jump logic is bypassed. If the request has been made, a final check is made of the bus's position, to see that it is in the bus lane that will get the queue jump signal, as indicated at 138. If so, the queue jump output is issues, as indicated at 140. If not, the output is not issued.
Regardless of whether queue jumping is implemented, if a priority-2 preempt output has been issued, the unit continues to check, as shown at 142, whether the bus position is still on the route. If so, the logic continues looping as shown. When the bus leaves the route, by crossing the termination band, the priority-2 output and any queue jump output will be terminated, as indicated at block 144.
For completeness, FIG. 6 shows a similar flow diagram for operation of the vehicle subsystem, primarily the vehicle transmitter, in the "run" mode. The vehicle subsystem spends much of its time in an idle mode, as indicated at 150, checking for actuation of a transmit button, as indicated at 152, and checking whether an idle input is active, as indicted in block 154. An idle input is generated by some selected aspect of vehicle operation that would render the vehicle incapable of entering the intersection. For example, an idle input signal may be generated if the driver-side door of the vehicle is open. If the transmit button has not been pressed or if an active idle input is detected, the subsystem remains in the idle mode. Otherwise, GPS data are received from the GPS module, as indicated at 156. The GPS module collects GPS position data, is indicated generally at 158, but the flowchart has been simplified in the sense that it does not show the correction of GPS data based on information received from the intersection subsystem. If the turn signals are on, as indicated at block 160, a direction code is added to the data to be transmitted, as indicated at 162. Then a data packet is encoded and transmitted, as indicated at 164. The data packet from the vehicle includes the following elements:
System ID Code,
Agency ID Code,
Vehicle ID Code,
Priority (1 or 2),
GPS Data,
Anticipated turn direction code.
Operation of a base station transmitter is shown in FIG. 7. When a base station, such as a fire station located near a controlled intersection, is ready to request preemption, a manual key is pressed, as indicated at 170; then a direction change information is obtained, as indicated at 172. If a left or right turn is proposed, an appropriate bit is added to the data packet being prepared for transmission, as indicated at 174 and 176. Then a delay timer is started, as indicated at 178, and the data packet is encoded and transmitted, as indicated at 180. The delay timer is decremented, as indicated at 182, and checked for zero value in block 184. The packet is transmitted repeatedly until the delay timer has expired; then a return is made to the idle mode, as indicated at 186.
The data packet from the base station includes:
System ID Code,
Agency ID Code,
Anticip ID Code,
Base unit identifier,
Priority (1 or 2),
Anticipated turn direction code.
Preemption Utilizing Turn Signals
Preemption systems prior to the present invention could only preempt intersections directly in front of the approaching vehicle. In areas where the intersections are located close to each other, false preemptions of intersections were common, and intersections to the left or right of vehicles path were not preempted in sufficient time to allow unimpeded passage of a turning emergency vehicle. An important aspect of the present invention is its ability to allow emergency vehicles to preempt an adjacent intersection to the left or right of the vehicle's direction of travel when preemption is first requested. This feature allows the vehicle to preempt a nearby adjacent intersection before arrival at the current intersection, thereby improving safety by clearing traffic in the path of the vehicle at the adjacent intersection. A related benefit is that adjacent intersections, in directions that the vehicle will not be travelling along, do not have their signals preempted unnecessarily. By preempting only those intersections that the vehicle will cross, the system reduces disruption of normal traffic at non-preempted intersections.
More specifically, operation of the system utilizing turn signal data is shown diagrammatically in FIG. 8, which depicts four closely spaced intersections A, B, C and D. An eastbound vehicle is approaching intersection A, as indicated at vehicle position #1. At vehicle position #2, intersection subsystem A issues an eastbound preempt output to the intersection controller. At vehicle position #3, the driver of the vehicle turns on his left-hand turn signal. The vehicle subsystem adds a left-turn bit to the transmitted data packet and this information becomes immediately available at the intersection subsystem.
At intersection B, which is located to the left of the vehicle as it approaches intersection A, the intersection subsystem (B) would normally ignore signals from the approaching vehicle because it direction of travel is eastbound and the vehicle is not within any of intersections B's preempt windows. However, because the data packet contains a left-turn but, intersection subsystem B issues an early northbound preempt request when the vehicle is at position #4, i.e. just as it is making a left turn at intersection A. This preempt request would not normally occur until the vehicle reached positions #5 or #6 and only for a vehicle travelling in a northbound direction.
In addition, if the eastbound preempt route for intersection D (located east of intersection A) were to extend beyond position #4a in the figure, and overlap the mandatory preempt window of intersection A, then intersection D might issue an eastbound preempt output unnecessarily, since the vehicle would not reach intersection D. In the system of the invention, the left-turn bit transmitted by the vehicle would also be received by the intersection subsystem at D, alerting it to the fact that the vehicle is turning and does not need preemption at intersection D.
Similarly, a right-turn bit would be added to the transmitted data if the driver turned on the right-hand turn signal when approaching intersection B. This would cause the intersection subsystem at C (east of B) to issue an early eastbound preempt output.
Another important aspect of the invention is that because each intersection subsystem receives data pertaining to the vehicle's direction of travel, as contrasted with its intended direction of travel indicated by the turn signal, each intersection can provide preemption for an appropriate direction of travel. For example, when the vehicle reaches position #10 in intersection C, it will have crossed the termination band for the eastbound preempt route but will be within the mandatory preempt window for the northbound route. However, the intersection subsystem is aware that the vehicle is travelling east and not travelling north, so the intersection will not issue a northbound preempt for the vehicle.
It will be appreciated from the foregoing that the present invention represents a significant advance in the field of traffic signal preemption for emergency vehicles. In particular, the invention uses accurate position, speed and direction measurements to preempt normal traffic control at an intersection without unnecessary disruption of traffic. It will also be appreciated that, although a number of related embodiments of the invention have been described in detail for purposes of illustration, other modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention should not be limited except as by the appended claims.
|Brevet cité
|Date de dépôt
|Date de publication
|29 déc. 1969
|22 févr. 1972
|Motorola Inc
|Automatic vehicle monitoring identification location alarm and voice communications system
|8 sept. 1975
|12 avr. 1977
|Pichey Paul J
|Intersection emergency warning system
|7 mars 1977
|16 janv. 1979
|David L. Kirk
|Traffic light radio control system
|3 juin 1977
|24 juil. 1979
|Minnesota Mining And Manufacturing Company
|Remote control system for traffic signal control system
|23 sept. 1980
|16 nov. 1982
|Neill Gerard K O
|Satellite-based vehicle position determining system
|1 déc. 1981
|15 mai 1984
|Gulf & Western Manufacturing Company
|Actuated digital pretimed traffic controller
|21 avr. 1983
|25 févr. 1986
|Bourse Trading Company, Ltd.
|Traffic signal light control for emergency vehicles
|16 mai 1988
|28 nov. 1989
|Equipment Tracking Network, Inc.
|System for continuously establishing and indicating the location of a movable object
|13 juin 1988
|3 avr. 1990
|Morgan Rodney K
|Traffic signal preemption system
|4 nov. 1988
|7 mai 1991
|Bourse Trading Company, Ltd.
|Traffic signal control for emergency vehicles
|29 juin 1990
|21 janv. 1992
|Emergency Signal Systems, Inc.
|Emergency traffic signal preempt system
|19 juil. 1990
|2 juin 1992
|Motorola, Inc.
|Position aided subscriber unit for a satellite cellular system
|29 nov. 1991
|3 janv. 1995
|Navsys Corporation
|GPS tracking system
|17 aoűt 1993
|19 sept. 1995
|Aisin Aw Co., Ltd.
|Navigation system for vehicle
|24 févr. 1993
|12 déc. 1995
|Amsc Subsidiary Corporation
|System for mapping occurrences of predetermined conditions in a transport route
|21 févr. 1995
|5 mars 1996
|Fast; Ray
|Global security system
|16 aoűt 1995
|23 juil. 1996
|Minnesota Mining And Manufacturing Company
|GPS-based traffic control preemption system
|20 févr. 1991
|4 sept. 1991
|Philips Electronics Uk Limited
|Vehicle location system
|Titre non disponible
|30 avr. 1987
|5 nov. 1987
|Magnavox Co
|Method and apparatus for precision dynamic differential positioning
|18 févr. 1994
|1 sept. 1994
|Intromed Ltd
|Protein conjugates, compositions containing them and their applications as medicament
|"The Zurich Model", light transit to combat congestion, Ernst Joos; Zurich--Pioneer Approach to Traffic Control; and BON--Computerized operating control system for public transportation.
|ACSM Bulletin, one page being Jul./Aug. 1992, p. 55.
|Aircraft Automatic Landing Systems Using GPS, Journal of Navigation v.42, No. 1 (Jan. 1989) pp. 47 59.
|Aircraft Automatic Landing Systems Using GPS, Journal of Navigation v.42, No. 1 (Jan. 1989) pp. 47-59.
|Article Entitled "Overview of Differential GPS Methods", Earl G. Blackwell, SRI International, Menlo Park, California 1985.
|Article Entitled Overview of Differential GPS Methods , Earl G. Blackwell, SRI International, Menlo Park, California 1985.
|Automatic Vehicle Location/Control and Traffic Signal Preemption Lessons from Europe, Chicago Transit Authority, Sep. 1992. pp. 3, 4, 7, 9, 17, 18, 19, 22, 23, 30, 31; and the following articles as Appendices.
|Automatic Vehicle Location/Control and Traffic Signal Preemption--Lessons from Europe, Chicago Transit Authority, Sep. 1992. pp. 3, 4, 7, 9, 17, 18, 19, 22, 23, 30, 31; and the following articles as Appendices.
|Continuous Various Discrete Bus Location; Factors and Costs; pp. 265, 266, 269, 270, 271, 278.
|Differential GPS Explained; Jeff Hurn for Trimble Navigation 1993.
|Digital Road Mapping with GPS and GIS, GPS World, May 1991; pp. 33 37, 57.
|Digital Road Mapping with GPS and GIS, GPS World, May 1991; pp. 33-37, 57.
|Experience on S.I.S. Torino s Public Transport Operation Aid System; pp. 59, 60, 64, 66, 67, 70.
|Experience on S.I.S. Torino's Public Transport Operation Aid System; pp. 59, 60, 64, 66, 67, 70.
|Fleet Management in Public Transport, 1992 conference; Anderson. pp. 312, 314, 316.
|GPS Van System; MapCam System; Imaging Systems; Post Processing; Training, Support and Maintenance; Columbus Ohio Real Time Mapping Systems Center, The Ohio State University; prior to 1993.
|Integrated Traffic Control On Urban Arterials, 1992; p. 538.
|Integration of AVL and Transit Priority Systems in The Federal Republic of Germany; pp. 283, 284, 286, 290, 291, 294, 295, 297.
|Literature, GPS World, Sep./Oct. 1990.
|Mapping Finnish Roads With Differential GPS and Dead Reckoning, GPS World, Feb. 1991.
|Products, GPS World, Jan./Feb. 1990.
|Radionavigation/Location Requirements For Surface Users in Canada (Part I), Thompson Hicking Aviation Inc., 1988; pp. 49, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 73, 77, 79, Fig. 3 1, C 2, C 3, C 4.
|Radionavigation/Location Requirements For Surface Users in Canada (Part I), Thompson-Hicking Aviation Inc., 1988; pp. 49, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 73, 77, 79, Fig. 3-1, C-2, C-3, C-4.
|Request for Proposal G23002U, vol. III, Chicago Transit Authority, 1992; pp. 16, 17, 18, 54.
|S.I.S., An Operation IAD System The Experience in A.T.M. Torino; International Conference Computer Aided Operating Systems and Traffic in the Cities , Nov. 30 Dec. 2, 1992; pp. 3,5,6,10.
|S.I.S., An Operation IAD System--The Experience in A.T.M. Torino; International Conference "Computer--Aided Operating Systems and Traffic in the Cities", Nov. 30-Dec. 2, 1992; pp. 3,5,6,10.
|The "BON" Standardized Management System, Dr. Gerhard Heunemann; The New SSB Control Center, 1990; Green on Request, 1991.
|The BON Standardized Management System, Dr. Gerhard Heunemann; The New SSB Control Center, 1990; Green on Request, 1991.
|The Cermak Road Bus Preemption Study, Illinois Department of Transportation, 1993.
|The French Experience with Automatic Vehicle Location in Urban Transportation Systems; pp. 18, 19, 20, 21, 24, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30.
|The International Conference on Automatic Vehicle Location in Urban Tansit Systems, Sep. 19 21, 1988, Gilles David; including the following articles.
|The International Conference on Automatic Vehicle Location in Urban Tansit Systems, Sep. 19-21, 1988, Gilles David; including the following articles.
|The Why and Wherefores of Location Accuracy in French AVL Systems; pp. 308, 313, 314, 320, 321.
|The Zurich Model , light transit to combat congestion, Ernst Joos; Zurich Pioneer Approach to Traffic Control; and BON Computerized operating control system for public transportation.
|Vehicle Navigation & Information Systems, 1992, conference; A. Bolelli, M. Chifari, A. Margaria, R&D Department, Mizar Automazione S.P.A. Torino, Italy; p. 134.
|Brevet citant
|Date de dépôt
|Date de publication
|14 juil. 1998
|17 oct. 2000
|Motorola, Inc.
|Satellite supported traffic signal controller
|3 nov. 1999
|5 juin 2001
|3M Innovative Properties Company
|Automatic determination of traffic signal preemption using GPS, apparatus and method
|4 aoűt 1997
|27 nov. 2001
|Trimble Navigation Limited
|Method and apparatus for collecting, processing and distributing differential global positioning system information using the internet
|26 janv. 2000
|4 déc. 2001
|Dave Gross
|Emergency vehicle traffic signal pre-emption and collision avoidance system
|29 déc. 2000
|28 mai 2002
|Hyundai Motor Company
|System for assisting drivers to negotiate intersections
|14 avr. 2000
|15 oct. 2002
|Bruce DeKock
|System for providing traffic information
|4 nov. 1999
|4 févr. 2003
|Veridian Engineering, Inc.
|Method and apparatus for determination and warning of potential violation of intersection traffic control devices
|26 avr. 2001
|4 mars 2003
|Trimble Navigation Ltd.
|Method and system for providing wide area augmentation systems (WAAS) like corrections using a server and processor on the internet
|31 juil. 2001
|8 avr. 2003
|Sony Corporation
|Car navigation apparatus, traffic information providing apparatus, program recording medium for car navigation apparatus, and program recording medium for traffic information providing apparatus
|3 janv. 2002
|29 avr. 2003
|Christ G. Ellis
|Emergency flashing light mechanism
|27 sept. 2001
|3 juin 2003
|International Business Machines Corporation
|Use of vehicle permissions to control individual operator parameters in a hierarchical traffic control system
|27 sept. 2001
|17 juin 2003
|International Business Machines Corporation
|Hierarchical traffic control system which includes vehicle roles and permissions
|27 sept. 2001
|19 aoűt 2003
|International Business Machines Corporation
|Method and system for allowing vehicles to negotiate roles and permission sets in a hierarchical traffic control system
|27 sept. 2001
|26 aoűt 2003
|International Business Machines Corporation
|Hierarchical traffic control system
|29 nov. 2001
|16 sept. 2003
|Siavash Poursartip
|Device and method for integrated wireless transit and emergency vehicle management
|27 sept. 2001
|11 nov. 2003
|International Business Machines Corporation
|System and method for automated parking
|10 janv. 2003
|20 janv. 2004
|International Business Machines Corporation
|Hierarchical traffic control system which includes vehicle roles and permissions
|21 déc. 2001
|17 févr. 2004
|The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc.
|Geographical navigation using multipath wireless navigation signals
|1 nov. 2000
|2 mars 2004
|Navigation Technologies Corp.
|Method and system for safe emergency vehicle operation using route calculation
|9 juil. 2001
|20 avr. 2004
|International Business Machines Corporation
|System and method for controlling a traffic light
|16 janv. 2003
|25 mai 2004
|Trimble Navigation Ltd.
|Method and system for providing wide area augmentation system (WAAS) like corrections using a server and processor on the internet
|13 févr. 2003
|31 aoűt 2004
|Dekock Bruce W.
|System for providing traffic information
|25 oct. 2002
|15 févr. 2005
|Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
|Vehicle recognition support system
|23 janv. 2003
|26 avr. 2005
|International Business Machines Corporation
|Use of vehicle permissions to control individual operator parameters in a hierarchical traffic control system
|4 avr. 2003
|21 juin 2005
|Lockheed Martin Corporation
|Centralized traffic signal preemption system and method of use
|29 aoűt 2002
|10 janv. 2006
|Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
|Method and arrangement for controlling a system of multiple traffic signals
|23 déc. 2003
|24 janv. 2006
|International Business Machines Corporation
|Smart traffic signal system
|12 oct. 2004
|29 aoűt 2006
|California Institute Of Technology
|Traffic preemption system
|8 avr. 2003
|26 sept. 2006
|California Institute Of Technology
|Emergency vehicle control system traffic loop preemption
|7 nov. 2003
|3 oct. 2006
|California Institute Of Technology
|Method and system for beacon/heading emergency vehicle intersection preemption
|29 mai 2003
|3 oct. 2006
|Traffic.Com, Inc.
|Method of displaying traffic flow data representing traffic conditions
|6 oct. 2004
|24 juil. 2007
|California Institute Of Technology
|Detection and enforcement of failure-to-yield in an emergency vehicle preemption system
|18 aoűt 2005
|4 sept. 2007
|California Institute Of Technology
|Roadside-based communication system and method
|1 juin 2005
|11 déc. 2007
|Global Traffic Technologies, Llc
|Traffic preemption system signal validation method
|24 mars 2004
|5 févr. 2008
|California Institute Of Technology
|Emergency vehicle traffic signal preemption system
|1 juin 2005
|19 févr. 2008
|Global Traffic Technologies, Llc
|Traffic preemption system communication method
|1 juin 2005
|26 aoűt 2008
|Global Traffic Technologies, Llc
|Multimode traffic priority/preemption intersection arrangement
|16 juin 2005
|7 oct. 2008
|Global Traffic Technologies, Llc
|Traffic preemption system with headway management
|31 mars 2006
|13 janv. 2009
|Federal Signal Corporation
|Light bar and method for making
|16 juin 2005
|7 avr. 2009
|Global Traffic Technologies, Llc
|Remote activation of a vehicle priority system
|28 sept. 2006
|19 mai 2009
|Traffic.Com, Inc.
|Article of manufacture for displaying traffic flow data representing traffic conditions
|1 juin 2005
|11 aoűt 2009
|Global Traffic Technologies, Llc
|Multimode traffic priority/preemption vehicle arrangement
|23 déc. 2004
|17 nov. 2009
|Tomar Electronics, Inc.
|System for authenticating remotely generated optical control signals
|2 sept. 2004
|15 déc. 2009
|Navteq North America, Llc
|Method of displaying traffic flow conditions using a 3D system
|19 janv. 2006
|16 mars 2010
|The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc.
|Systems and methods for positioning using multipath signals
|17 aoűt 2006
|29 juin 2010
|Federal Signal Corporation
|Integrated municipal management console
|20 juin 2005
|29 juin 2010
|Gm Global Technology Operations, Inc.
|Vehicle state determination integrity
|25 mai 2007
|10 aoűt 2010
|Spot Devices, Inc.
|Alert and warning system and method
|15 févr. 2007
|9 nov. 2010
|Lear Corporation
|Roadside signage control from vehicle operating data
|30 juin 2003
|16 nov. 2010
|Traffic.Com, Inc.
|Method of creating a virtual traffic network
|22 avr. 2009
|28 déc. 2010
|Traffic.Com, Inc.
|Displaying traffic flow data representing traffic conditions
|4 févr. 2008
|4 janv. 2011
|California Institute Of Technology
|Emergency vehicle traffic signal preemption system
|8 janv. 2009
|15 mars 2011
|Federal Signal Corporation
|Light bar and method for making
|31 déc. 2004
|15 mars 2011
|Google Inc.
|Transportation routing
|17 sept. 2008
|5 juil. 2011
|The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc.
|Systems and methods for transparency mapping using multipath signals
|14 juin 2010
|6 sept. 2011
|Traffic.Com, Inc.
|Method of creating a virtual traffic network
|5 aoűt 2010
|5 juin 2012
|Spot Devices, Inc.
|Alert and warning system and method
|17 sept. 2008
|2 oct. 2012
|The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc.
|Systems and methods for transparency mapping using multipath signals
|24 mars 2005
|5 févr. 2013
|Google Inc.
|User location driven identification of service vehicles
|2 avr. 2009
|12 févr. 2013
|Tomar Electronics, Inc.
|Wireless head for a traffic preemption system
|13 avr. 2011
|24 sept. 2013
|Jingle Technologies Llc
|Systems and methods for transmitting information, alerts, and/or comments to participants based on location information
|23 avr. 2013
|10 déc. 2013
|Google Inc.
|Transportation routing
|4 mars 2011
|28 janv. 2014
|Federal Signal Corporation
|Light bar and method for making
|25 juin 2012
|27 mai 2014
|National Tsing Hua University
|Control method of traffic sign by utilizing vehicular network
|18 mars 2008
|3 juin 2014
|Ab Tryggit
|Method for controlling traffic signals to give signal priority to a vehicle
|13 avr. 2011
|10 juin 2014
|Jingle Technologies Llc
|Systems and methods for transmitting information, alerts, and/or comments to participants based on location information
|27 juin 2012
|8 juil. 2014
|Stc, Inc.
|Signal light priority system utilizing estimated time of arrival
|9 aoűt 2013
|5 aoűt 2014
|Google Inc.
|Transportation routing
|14 mars 2013
|5 aoűt 2014
|Jingle Technologies Llc
|Systems and methods for transmitting information, alerts, and/or comments to participants based on location information
|27 juin 2012
|4 nov. 2014
|Stc, Inc.
|Signal light priority system utilizing estimated time of arrival
|7 mai 2012
|11 nov. 2014
|Cirrus Systems, Llc
|Alert and warning system and method
|10 oct. 2006
|7 avr. 2015
|Federal Signal Corporation
|Fully integrated light bar
|22 nov. 2011
|14 juil. 2015
|Sara Elyse Raubvogel
|Automatic activation of turn signals in a vehicle
|29 aoűt 2003
|22 avr. 2004
|Ronald Lauber
|Modular analog wireless data telemetry system adapted for use with web based location information distribution method and method for developing and disseminating information for use therewith
|22 sept. 2003
|13 mai 2004
|Ronald Lauber
|Wireless digital/analog data telemetry system adapted for use with web based location information distribution method and method for developing and disseminating information for use therewith
|30 juin 2003
|22 juil. 2004
|Mobility Technologies
|Method of creating a virtual traffic network
|4 avr. 2003
|7 oct. 2004
|Brooke O'neil
|Centralized traffic signal preemption system and method of use
|28 juin 2004
|30 déc. 2004
|Dekock Bruce W
|System for providing traffic information
|3 nov. 2003
|5 mai 2005
|Simske Steven J.
|Navigation routing system and method
|24 mars 2004
|19 mai 2005
|Bachelder Aaron D.
|Emergency vehicle traffic signal preemption system
|6 oct. 2004
|2 juin 2005
|Aaron Bachelder
|Detection and enforcement of failure-to-yield in an emergency vehicle preemption system
|12 oct. 2004
|16 juin 2005
|Bachelder Aaron D.
|Traffic preemption system
|23 déc. 2003
|23 juin 2005
|International Business Machines Corporation
|Smart traffic signal system
|2 sept. 2004
|30 juin 2005
|Soulchin Robert M.
|Method of displaying traffic flow conditions using a 3D system
|28 juin 2005
|10 nov. 2005
|Dekock Bruce W
|System for providing traffic information
|15 sept. 2004
|1 déc. 2005
|Bachelder Aaron D
|Forwarding system for long-range preemption and corridor clearance for emergency response
|20 juil. 2005
|26 janv. 2006
|Bachelder Aaron D
|Distributed, roadside-based real-time ID recognition system and method
|18 aoűt 2005
|16 mars 2006
|Bachelder Aaron D
|Roadside-based communication system and method
|28 oct. 2005
|6 avr. 2006
|Dekock Bruce W
|System for providing traffic information
|23 déc. 2004
|29 juin 2006
|Sikora Scott T
|System for authenticating remotely generated optical control signals
|31 déc. 2004
|6 juil. 2006
|Henry Rowley
|Transportation routing
|22 mars 2006
|23 nov. 2006
|Bachelder Aaron D
|Traffic preemption system
|1 juin 2005
|7 déc. 2006
|3M Innovative Properties Company
|Multimode traffic priority/preemption intersection arrangement
|1 juin 2005
|7 déc. 2006
|3M Innovative Properties Company
|Traffic preemption system signal validation method
|1 juin 2005
|7 déc. 2006
|Schwartz Mark A
|Traffic preemption system communication method
|1 juin 2005
|7 déc. 2006
|3M Innovative Properties Company
|Multimode traffic priority/preemption vehicle arrangement
|20 juin 2005
|21 déc. 2006
|Katrak Kerfegar K
|Vehicle state determination integrity
|16 juin 2005
|11 janv. 2007
|Schwartz Mark A
|Traffic preemption system with headway management
|16 juin 2005
|11 janv. 2007
|Schwartz Mark A
|Remote activation of a vehicle priority system
|28 sept. 2006
|1 févr. 2007
|Traffic.Com, Inc.
|Article of manufacture for displaying traffic flow data representing traffic conditions
|21 juil. 2009
|17 juin 2010
|Electronics And Telecommunications Research Institute
|Route guidance system and method for emergency vehicle using telematics
|12 sept. 2010
|4 aoűt 2011
|Craig David Applebaum
|Emergency Vehicle Warning Device and System
|7 juin 2011
|16 févr. 2012
|Publicover Mark W
|Traffic management device and system
|27 déc. 2012
|Brad Cross
|Signal Light Priority System Utilizing Estimated Time of Arrival
|2 juil. 2012
|22 mai 2014
|Heung Soo LEE
|Apparatus and method for controlling traffic signals using identification information having hierarchical structure
|29 déc. 2000
|12 déc. 2001
|Hyundai Motor Company
|System for assisting drivers to negotiate intersections
|29 aoűt 2001
|5 mars 2003
|Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
|Method and apparatus for controlling a system of several traffic signals
|1 oct. 2001
|28 juil. 2004
|Dave Gross
|Emergency vehicle traffic signal pre-emption and collision avoidance system
|Classification aux États-Unis
|340/906, 340/988, 340/907, 701/533
|Classification internationale
|Classification coopérative
|Classification européenne
|1 sept. 1995
Owner name: TRAFFIC CONTROL CORPORATION, ILLINOIS
Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:JONES, GARY V.;HATCH, RONALD R.;HUME, JAMES R.;AND OTHERS;REEL/FRAME:007624/0208;SIGNING DATES FROM 19950719 TO 19950825
|8 avr. 1996
Owner name: L & H COMPANY, INC., ILLINOIS
Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:TRAFFIC CONTROL CORPORATION;REEL/FRAME:007885/0330
Effective date: 19960401
|13 déc. 1999
|14 déc. 1999
|17 janv. 2003
|Fee payment
Year of fee payment: 4
|22 janv. 2007
|Fee payment
Year of fee payment: 8
|2 juil. 2007
Owner name: FREEPORT FINANCIAL LLC, AS AGENT, ILLINOIS
Free format text: SECURITY AGREEMENT;ASSIGNOR:GLOBAL TRAFFIC TECHNOLOGIES, LLC;REEL/FRAME:019501/0730
Effective date: 20070628
|23 aoűt 2007
Owner name: GLOBAL TRAFFIC TECHNOLOGIES, LLC, MINNESOTA
Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:3M INNOVATIVE PROPERTIES COMPANY;REEL/FRAME:019744/0210
Effective date: 20070626
|2 déc. 2008
Owner name: TORQUEST MANAGEMENT SERVICES LIMITED PARTNERSHIP,
Free format text: SECURITY AGREEMENT;ASSIGNOR:GLOBAL TRAFFIC TECHNOLOGIES, LLC;REEL/FRAME:021912/0163
Effective date: 20081201
|20 janv. 2011
|Fee payment
Year of fee payment: 12
|28 juin 2013
Owner name: GARRISON LOAN AGENCY SERVICES LLC, NEW YORK
Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT;ASSIGNOR:FREEPORT FINANCIAL LLC;REEL/FRAME:030713/0134
Effective date: 20130627


text:
10/4/2015 | AL Wild Card position-by-position: Astros-Yanks
It took every out of all 162 games, but we finally have a matchup and a venue for the American League Wild Card Game presented by Budweiser.
10/4/2015 | Altuve reaches 200-hits mark
Astros second baseman Jose Altuve singled to right field in the ninth inning on Sunday against the D-backs to become the first Astros player in history to have multiple 200-hit seasons. He finished with a .313 average, third in the AL batting race while leading the league in hits.
10/4/2015 | 5 things that changed the season for Astros
The Astros crashed baseball's postseason party, winning 86 games and clinching the second American League Wild Card berth on the final day of the regular season Sunday. No one expected them to contend for a playoff spot, much less reach the postseason for the first time in 10 years.
10/4/2015 | Astros, Yanks turn to aces in Wild Card Game
Postseason baseball returns to the Bronx after a two-year absence Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET when the Yankees host the Astros in the American League Wild Card Game presented by Budweiser on ESPN.
10/4/2015 | Keuchel, Altuve key to Astros' postseason return
Though the results of the Astros' storybook 2015 season were unforeseen, the production the postseason-bound bunch got from its two leaders, Dallas Keuchel and Jose Altuve, was not.
10/4/2015 | Astros celebrate return to postseason
The Astros are back in the postseason for the first time in a decade. Despite losing their season finale against the D-backs, 5-3, on Sunday at Chase Field, the Astros secured a Wild Card berth after the Rangers beat the Angels to win the AL West crown. That eliminated the Angels, who finished one game behind Houston.
10/4/2015 | Astros headed to Bronx for Wild Card Game
By the time the Astros' regular season ended with a 5-3 loss to the D-backs, they had already been assured of a Wild Card spot by way of the Rangers' division-clinching 9-2 win over the Angels.
10/4/2015 | Astros' success begins at the top
Jim Crane had a vision of what the Houston Astros could be from the moment he purchased the franchise almost four years ago. He entrusted that vision to general manager Jeff Luhnow. So this celebration of the franchise's first postseason appearance in 10 years begins with them.
10/4/2015 | Potential Monday tiebreaker would start at 3:35 ET
Major League Baseball on Sunday announced the start time for a potential tiebreaker game that would be played on Monday. Following Sunday's scheduled close to the regular season, a potential tiebreaker game would be broadcast by ESPN at 3:35 p.m. ET.
10/4/2015 | Keuchel to face Tanaka on short rest in Bronx
Shortly after the Astros clinched a postseason berth on Sunday afternoon, manager A.J. Hinch named ace lefty Dallas Keuchel his starter against the Yankees in Tuesday's 7 p.m. CT American League Wild Card Game presented by Budweiser, which will air on ESPN. The Yankees will counter with right-hander Masahiro Tanaka.
10/4/2015 | What's at stake in #Game162
Today we get a season finale like no other, and it is anything but regular. In a first-of-its-kind simultaneous set of cliffhangers, every team with uncertain postseason possibilities began playing at 3 p.m. ET, leading up to a flurry of dramatic walk-offs or precious final outs.
10/4/2015 | McHugh reaches 19 wins
One day after Dallas Keuchel became the only 20-game winner in the American League, Astros teammate Collin McHugh nestled up behind him on the leaderboard by notching his 19th victory.
10/4/2015 | Rasmus takes pride in 25-homer mark
Not much gets to Astros outfielder Colby Rasmus. He never seems to feel pressure, never seems to be fazed. That's suited him rather well as the regular season comes to close.
10/4/2015 | Astros can lock up postseason spot with win
The Astros head into Sunday's season finale focused on the one thing they can control -- beating the D-backs. With a one-game lead over the Angels, all the Astros need to do is win and they're in the postseason.
10/4/2015 | 3-team tiebreaker still in play for Astros, Rangers, Yanks
With one day left in the regular season, there's still a possibility of a three-team tie among the Yankees, Astros and Rangers. And if that happens, a tiebreaker game on Monday would determine all of their fates.
10/3/2015 | Astros have West title, Wild Card both in play
The Astros' season will not end on Sunday. They enter the final day one game behind the American League West-leading Rangers and one game ahead of the Angels in the race for the AL's last available Wild Card spot.
10/3/2015 | Astros' win sets up wild final day
Houston beat Arizona, 6-2, on Saturday night behind two home runs from Colby Rasmus and a solid pitching performance by Collin McHugh. The Astros enter the final day of the season trailing the Rangers by one game in the American League West and leading the Angels by one game for the AL's final Wild Card spot.
10/3/2015 | McHugh hopes to punch Astros' postseason ticket
The Astros enter Saturday night's game against the D-backs with a chance to clinch their first postseason berth in 10 years. Collin McHugh will try to do his part to make it happen, while picking up his 19th win along the way.
10/3/2015 | Astros can clinch tie for second AL Wild Card
The Astros will have to wait another day at least to clinch a spot in the postseason, even with a win tonight over the D-backs, thanks to a dramatic victory by the Angels on Saturday afternoon. They're still in the hunt for the division crown, however.
10/3/2015 | Keuchel joins elite with 20th win
Dallas Keuchel started the All-Star Game for the American League, he was three times named the AL Pitcher of the Month, and on Friday night at Chase Field he became the seventh Astros pitcher -- and second lefty -- to win 20 games. Is the Cy Young Award next?
10/3/2015 | Astros plate 21, stay in Wild Card driver's seat
The Astros hit four home runs in support of left-hander Dallas Keuchel, who recorded his 20th win, as Houston moved a step closer to its first postseason berth in 10 years with a 21-5 rout of the D-backs on Friday night at Chase Field.
10/2/2015 | Astros, Correa enjoy record-setting night
The Astros set a franchise record with 21 runs scored on Friday night against the D-backs, thanks in part to Carlos Correa, who set the club rookie record with his 22nd home run, one of four big flies by playoff-hungry Houston.
10/2/2015 | Sore Gomez out of Astros' lineup again
Astros center fielder Carlos Gomez was out of the starting lineup Friday after aggravating the left intercostal injury that kept him out for more than two weeks at the end of September on his game-ending throw Wednesday in Seattle.
10/2/2015 | With 3 games left, Astros up 1 for WC spot
The Astros enter the final three games of the regular season beginning Friday against the D-backs at Chase Field controlling their own destiny in the race for the second Wild Card spot in the American League.
10/2/2015 | Astros aim to come through in the end
The Astros have come so far and surprised so many in this amazing season. So much youth and energy. Such a great ride. In the end, though, this final weekend of the regular season will define the previous six months. Will the Astros be remembered as a team that defied every expectation in a magical run back to the postseason? Or will they be the group that hit a wall in September (11-16) and blinked when the lights were brightest?
More Results >

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Posted: 12:13 a.m. Sunday, Jan. 27, 2013
By Aleese Kopf
Daily News Staff Writer
Confusion about disabled parking permits is one of the most common traffic issues for local police.
Laws pertaining to disabled parking spaces are self-explanatory — if you have a valid disabled placard or license plate you can park there; if you don't, you can't. But rules about time-limited parking spaces and parking meters/kiosks are more confusing.
Barbara Brizel said she was surprised and frustrated when she got a $35 ticket for going over the one-hour time limit on South County Road.
"The sticker was in my car," she said. "There were no disabled spots so I parked in a normal spot. I came back five minutes after the time expired and found a ticket."
Brizel said because she had a disabled sticker, she thought she could park in the time-limit spot and not be penalized.
"West Palm honors it," she said. "I've parked on Clematis Street and it has always been accepted."
In fact, state law does not protect those with disabled parking permits from getting penalized for going over the limit in timed spaces.
The statute says the driver of a vehicle with a disabled parking permit cannot be penalized for parking on public streets or in any metered space, "except in clearly defined bus loading zones, fire zones … or for parking in excess of the posted time limits."
The statute goes on to state a municipality "may charge for parking in a facility or lot that provides timed parking spaces any vehicle that displays a disabled parking permit."
Fred Hess, police public information officer, said drivers with a disabled permit can park in any legal spot without restriction but still have to follow town ordinances. He said people frequently confuse state laws about parking in time-limit zones with laws about parking at meters and kiosks.
The state statute reads, "when an on-street parking meter restricts the duration of time that a vehicle may be parked, a vehicle properly displaying a disabled parking permit is allowed a maximum of 4 hours at no charge."
It also says, however, that "local governments may extend such time by local ordinance."
Hess said the town used to be more liberal but decided to strictly follow the four-hour limit when the department began to receive complaints in 2007.
"If someone had a disabled parking permit, they could park in a one- or two-hour space all night long with no limit," he said. "Complaints came in regarding employees parking all day along on Worth Avenue, and we were told to enforce the law the way it's written."
People get confused because other municipalities allow more time.
Elliot Cohen, director of communications for West Palm Beach, said the city follows the four-hour limit and does not enforce time zones.
"For instance, if a disabled person parks on Clematis in a two hour time zone, we will allow them to park for four hours before a citation is issued and not enforce the two hour time zone," he said in an email.
Hess said the issue is people not paying attention to the rules. "Some people think they can do anything they want because they have the handicap placard," he said.
Brizel said she thinks the town should be more lenient toward people with disabled parking permits, especially since there are not many disability spots.
"With a median age of 73.5 for Palm Beach, you would think they would be a bit more sensitive, but budgets are built on penalizing," said Laurel Baker, executive director of the Chamber of Commerce.
Hess said there are seven public handicapped spots in town. He said the town is required to have handicapped spots outside government buildings but not on public streets. However, state and federal laws do require commercial businesses to have a set ratio of handicapped spaces to normal spaces, depending on the size of the lot.
"People believe we have to have spots, but the town could take all the signs down on public streets if we wanted to," Hess said.
And while residents with disabled parking permits argue for more handicapped spots, Hess said he does not think there is a need for more. "People can park in other spots. There are normal spots available," he said.
If residents do not agree, Hess said, they should complain to the state — not the town.
"We've done a brochure and other outreach to explain the laws," he said. "If you don't like the law, talk to your state representatives."
Disabled Parking Regulations
Time-Limited Parking Spaces
* Vehicles parking at time-limited spaces, such as "One-Hour Limit" or "Two-Hour Limit," may not exceed the posted limit — even if displaying a valid disabled placard or license plate.
* Fines are $50 in commercial areas and $60 in residential areas.
Parking Meters/Kiosks
* Vehicles displaying valid disabled placards or license plates may park for up to four hours at a parking meter or kiosk without charge.
* After four hours, payment is required.
Illegal Parking
* Vehicles parked illegally, such as in loading zones, at yellow curbs, or in areas where a resident parking decal is required, are subject to parking tickets, even if displaying a valid disabled placard or license plate.
If a Ticket is Issued
* If a vehicle is ticketed because the driver is not familiar with the law, the proper venue to contest the ticket is traffic court.
* To plead "not guilty," notify the court in person or in writing at The County Courthouse, Clerk of the Circuit Court, P.O. Box 3544, West Palm Beach, FL 33402.
General Information
Advertisers & Sponsors
© 2015 Cox Media Group. By using this website,
you accept the terms of our Visitor Agreement and Privacy Policy, and understand your options regarding Ad Choices.
Learn about careers at Cox Media Group
Need a Profile? Register Now.{* #userInformationForm *}
Need a Profile? Register Now.{* #userInformationForm *}
Need a Profile? Register Now.{* #userInformationForm *}
We have sent you a verification email. Please check your email and click on the link to activate your profile.
If you do not receive the verification message within a few minutes of signing up, please check your Spam or Junk folder.Close
We look forward to seeing you on [website] frequently. Visit us and sign in to update your profile, receive the latest news and keep up to date with mobile alerts.
Click here to return to the page you were visiting.
Don't worry, it happens. We'll send you a link to create a new password.{* #forgotPasswordForm *} {* forgotPassword_emailAddress *} {* forgotPassword_sendButton *} {* /forgotPasswordForm *}
We have sent you an email with a link to change your password.Close
Click submit to receive another verification email{* #resendVerificationForm *} {* traditionalSignIn_emailAddress *} {* /resendVerificationForm *}
Check your email for a verification link


text:
On The Border Mexican Grill & CantinaMarch 22, 2014Mexican • Allentown, United States
Bad Hostess, waited at door for 5 minutes without being acknowledged but then went over to the bar and was quickly served.
Bad Hostess, waited at door for 5 minutes without being acknowledged but then went over to the bar and was quickly served.
Just awful! Bad service, inedible food, and with a fully stocked bar, you would think they would have a drink menu. Nope. Waste of money, don't bother!
I recommend EVERYTHING! So good!
Enjoy, the owner is awesome and they make it easy to play!
Great hike, beautiful view!
Loved it! Talked to the owner, soooo nice! Worth another trip!
So sad it's closed. Must have been amazing! See Foamhenge down the road!
Just good fun! Llamas are organized and work in large groups! Loved the kangaroos!
Just drove by and had to stop. Kids never saw the speak stands before
Pool was refreshing and delived pizza was good. Small but adequate breakfast.
Unfortunately we could only find the one but it was AMAZING and worth the 10 hour drive!
Can't beat the creepy Johnny Appleseed statue!
Loved the grits! DIGGITY SAUCE rules! Thanks Ladies for a great breakfast!
Had so much fun with the family here!
Amazing! The first stop on a four day road trip! Hit this right at sunrise!


text:
Community > Community
Booking of School Facilities
The school has a number of facilities that can be hired out such as:
- Main Sports Hall
- Dance Studio
- School Hall
- Swimming Pool
For enquiries please contact Mrs Audrey Stewart on 01948 830291 Mon to Wed 9am - 3.30pm.
The School in the Community
Sixth Formers take part in some form of community service as part of the Welsh Baccalearate / P.S.E. programme and there is a further community commitment from Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme participants.
Each year a number of Year 11 pupils choose to make items which will be of use to local primary schools or hospitals as part of their G.C.S.E. coursework. The school band plays at a variety of venues in the local community which has included church functions, village fetes, primary school fairs and at Maelor Music Society events; The band was especially honoured to play before the Queen at Overton's 700th Charter Anniversary Celebrations.
Developing and improving links with the community is an important part of the ethos of the school and every opportunity is made to open up the school and its facilities to the public.
Community Use of School Facilities
The Maelor Music Society use the school for their concerts and a number of local groups hold regular meetings and events at the school. Football Penley AFC train at the school and use the sports field for their regular matches.
Swimming for the Over 50's. The Penley Rainbow Centre and the school have joined forces to offer swimming for the over 50's. A FREE session can be booked at the Rainbow Centre on 01948 830730. The new start date is Thursday 17 September 2015 at a new time of 2.30pm to 3.30pm.
Badminton is available in the Sports Hall to the local community on Thursday evenings 7pm to 8pm at a cost of £3.00 per person. First come, first served basis. Appropriate, non marking footwear must be worn and Under 18's must be accompanied by an adult. Re-start date Thursday 10 September 2015.
Community Clubs: there are two community clubs available to both Maelor School pupils and primary school pupils from age 8.
Drama is held in the Main School Hall after school on a Friday 3.45pm to 5.45pm and costs £3.50/session. It is led by Mrs Clare-Louise Rhys-Jones who has vast experience in theatre productions. Re-start date Friday 4September 2015.
Athletics Club takes place in the Maelor School Sports Hall. 3.30pm to 4.30pm for Maelor School pupils and 4.45pm to 5.45pm for Primary School pupils (age 7+). ONLY £1 PER SESSION. Sports kit required for indoor training until Easter. All welcome! Re-start date Thursday 10 September 2015.
Hockey Club takes place in the Maelor School Sports Hall. 3.30pm to 4.30pm for Yr 7 Maelor School pupils and Primary School pupils. ONLY £1.50 PER SESSION. Sports kit required for indoor training and games. All welcome! Re-start date Monday 14 September 2015.
Our PE department with assistance from our Sixth Formers regularly run after school clubs including, Netball, Hockey, Football, athletics and dance.
The sports hall is available to hire out to sporting clubs during term time only. For more details please contact Audrey Stewart at the school.
Swimming Pool
The School is fortunate enough to have its own swimming pool that we open to the public on a regular basis.
Following the completion of the rebuilding and refurbishment work, the community use of the pool has increased.
This year's programme includes:
- Monday 4.30pmto 6.00pm Making Waves Swim School
- Over 50's swimming sessions Thursday 2.30pm to 3.30pm
- Wednesday Penguins Swimming Club 6.30pm onwards
- Thursday Penguin's Swimming Club 6.30pm onwards
- Friday swimming lessons run by Bubbles Swim School 5.00pm onwards
- Saturday swimming lessons run by Bubbles Swim School 9.00am onwards
- Primary School swimming lessons take place Mon to Frid during term time.
Maelor Music Society 2015/16 Programme
Programme to be confirmed September 2015.
Contact details
- 01948 830291
- Send email


text:
Username or Email Address
(forgot?) Register
Related posts slider creates a very attractive slider of the related content from the same WordPress site or blog.
Download Version 2.1.1
Since Update it is not working any more. Support ticked was ignored. I have to use old version.
RSS link for this plugin's reviews.
You must log in to submit a review. You can also log in or register using the form near the top of this page.


text:
Janna Conner
Geode Drop Earrings
$65 Gilt
- Color:
- black geode
Qty: 1
- 1
- 2
- 3
Please select an available size.
Please select a size.
Description: 18K yellow gold-plated brass drop earrings with black or white geode details
- Fishhook closure
Measurements: Approximately 1¼" long, approximately 0.6" wide
Material: 18K yellow gold-plated brass and geode
Brand: Janna Conner
Origin: United States


text:
Jonathan Taylor has not received any gifts yet
Give a Gift
Join friends.mavs.com
Happy Birthday Jonathan!! Hope you have a MAVelous day!! =D
Welcome tofriends.mavs.com
Sign Upor Sign In
Or sign in with:
The Official Social Network of the Dallas Mavericks
Get Badge
Courtney Sutherlin
Give a Gift
Gerrie Yamaoka
Give a Gift
Keith Mays
Give a Gift
Give a Gift
Give a Gift
© 2015 Created by hoopmaster.
Badges |
Report an Issue |
Terms of Service
Please check your browser settings or contact your system administrator.


text:
Mahindra Reva Electric Vehicles is on a mission of bringing about an electric mobility revolution in the country in a bid to cut down pollution and global warming while also fighting against the rising cost of fossil fuels. Mahindra being a leader of the SUV segment of India is confident about the success of the electric vehicles (EV) in India, as it rightly believes that a country like India is in dire need to have considerable EVs running on its roads in order to conserve its eco-system.
As Mahindra believes in the true potential of the electric vehicles, it is investing heavily on the development, promotion and charge station network for EVs all across India. The first step of the company has been taken as the Mahindra Reva e2o was successfully launched in Delhi followed by Bangalore on Wednesday. The company plans to launch an aggressive promotional campaign to drive up the popularity of the e2o.
The Mahindra Reva e2o is rolled out in eight Indian cities and is soon to be available across the country. Currently, 24 among the 200 Mahindra dealers are given the responsibility to sell the car. The electric car maker Reva which was taken over by Mahindra and is now known as Mahindra Reva is India's only electric vehicle company. The Bangalore based company had put in around Rs 100 crore towards the development of the e2o concept and the set up of a world class new production facility near Bangalore with a production capacity of 30,000 units.
The e2o concept was first introduced as the Reva NXR and the name was changed to e2o to join the league of all the other Mahindra cars that end with 'o'. The name e2o stands for energy to oxygen, as it promotes the green agenda.
Mahindra Reva's primary challenge is to educate the Indian car consumer's about the vast importance of the electric vehicles. The Indian consumers are particularly reserve about electric cars because of the high price factor as well as charging inconvenience. Mahindra is working hard to promote the e2o's true potential that will immensely help the consumers economically as it gives absolute freedom from fuel price hikes. Besides being economical it is fully emission free and can be very easily charged at home or office in just 5 hours just like any other electric gadgets. Mahindra is also building an immense charging network throughout the country.
In a bid to lower pollution and as a solution to fuel over consumption the National Electric Mobility Mission Plan 2020 was recently launched by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to encourage the electric vehicle industry expansion.
Mahindra Reva has big plans for the coming months as after the launch e2o there's a slew of other electric vehicles in the pipeline that the company plans to develop and launch. In the mean time, Mahindra has already announced the electric variants of its models Verito, Maxximo and Gio to be ready for launch once the company gets a positive feedback about its passenger car e2o from the Indian consumers.


text:
Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Oregon ReviewsRegence BlueCross BlueShield of Oregon 49
"Appeals "
Doesn't RecommendNeutral Outlook
- Work/Life Balance
- Culture & Values
- Career Opportunities
- Comp & Benefits
- Senior Management
Immediate management is great to work for
Upper management is not employee focused Terrible benefits
Advice to Management
Focus on employees
Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Oregon Interviews
Interview Experience
Interview Experience
Getting an Interview
Getting an Interview
Interview Difficulty
- Accepted OfferNeutral ExperienceDifficult Interview
I applied online. The process took 4+ months. I interviewed at Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Oregon.
Dealt primarily with HR/Recruiter throughout the process. The process was so long that I started with one recruiter and ended with another. Interviewed with each team member in the group and did 1:1 interviews, panel interviews, telephonic interviews. Buy-in from the entire team seemed important.
Interview Questions
- Asked me to do a presentation to the team Answer Question
Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Oregon Awards & Accolades
Let us know if we're missing any workplace or industry recognition – Add an award
Additional InfoUnlock Profile
Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Oregon provides health insurance products and other managed care services to some 1 million members in Oregon and Washington's Clark county. A subsidiary of Cambia Health Solutions (formerly Regence Group) and Oregon's largest health plan provider, the company offers both group and individual health policies, including PPO plans and high-deductible plans paired with health savings accounts. It also provides dental and prescription coverage, as well as Medicare Advantage and Medicare supplement plans for seniors. Life policies are ... More