Title of Invention	SOLAR TRAFFIC SIGNALLING SYSTEM
Abstract	ABSTRACT Disclosed herein is the Design and implementation of SOLAR TRAFFIC SIGNALLING SYSTEM, which uses Solar Energy, Energy efficient LED based Signal heads/Signal faces and does not entire depend on Grid connected (Mains) Power supply.

Full Text

The present invention relates to Solar Traffic Signalling System. The prior-art Signal, hereinafter referred to, as Conventional Traffic Signal is an Electrically operated System used for regulation, warning and direction of Road Traffic including Vehicles and Pedestrians. The Conventional Traffic signal comprises of Signal heads, Controller, and the necessary mechanical hardware for mounting and fixing Signal heads. The said Signal uses a Grid (Mains) connected Electrical Power Supply. The normal voltages of these Grid connected Electrical power supply are 230V AC/120V AC, 50/60 Hertz (cps) frequency. The operation of the Conventional Traffic Signal entirely depends on the Grid connected Electrical power supply for its operation. The Conventional Traffic Signal Heads consists of one or more Signal faces. Controlling Traffic like STOP, MOVE, TURN is done by illuminating the appropriate Signal face. The said Signal face consists of Incandescent or Halogen Lamp, Lamp Holder, Parabolic reflector Lens, appropriately shaped colored filter, which on illumination provides the correct signal (color. Direction, Shape). These Signal faces consume enormous amount of energy. The power consumption of these Signal faces is as below: => Signal face with Incandescent Lamp -100 watts => Signal face with Halogen Lamp - 50 watts The nominal life of Lamps used in Conventional Traffic Signal faces is 2000 hrs continuous burning and is significantly less when used in Conventional Traffic Signal, due to frequent switching ON/OFF of these lamps. Most of the Conventional Traffic Signal Incandescent Lamps in their Signal faces. The Controller used in the Conventional Traffic Signal is a Microprocessor based one, which controls and regulates the traffic by automatically switching ON and OFF the appropriate Signal faces. The Conventional Traffic Signal consumes enormous amount of Electrical energy. A typical such System for a Four Road Intersection based on Incandescent Lamps consumes 3000 Watts Electrical power. The shortcomings of the prior-art (conventional Traffic Signal) are:- ► Requires Grid (Mains) connected power supply ► Operates on Hazardous 230V/110V AC voltages ► Traffic chaos during power failure ► High Power Consumption ► Frequent burnout of Lamps due to their short life ► Reduces Road Safety because of Blanking of Signals due to frequent lamp burnout. ► Poor Visibility ► Prone to Sun Phantom due to out dated Optics. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a Solar Traffic Signalling System, which can also be operated electrically. The Solar Traffic Signalling System of the present invention is used for regulation, warning and direction of Road Traffic including Vehicles and pedestrians. This invention thus provides a Solar Traffic Signalling System for regulation, warning and direction of Road traffic including vehicles and pedestrians, which comprises. a) A Solar Power Pack consisting of solar photovoltaic (SPV) Array, Solar Charge Controller and maintenance free batteries. b) Signal heads consisting of one or more signal faces having energy efficient Ultra Bright LED arrays housed in a box incorporating special optical design; c) At least one Solar Traffic Logic controller having an in-built clock and calendar to automatically switch ON & OFF signals, change the timings during peak hours and holidays, and d) Mechanical means for mounting and fixing signal heads. The Solar Traffic Signalling System of the present invention comprises of Solar Power pack, Signal Heads, Controller, and the necessary mechanical hardware for moimting and fixing Signal Heads. The Signal heads used in the Solar Traffic Signalling System consists of one or more Signal faces. Controlling Traffic like STOP, MOVE, TURN is done by illuminating the appropriate Signal face. The present art (Solar Traffic Signal) Signal face consists of highly energy efficient Ultra bright LED arrays housed in a sealed box incorporating special optical design. These Signal faces consume far less as energy as compared to prior-art (Conventional Traffic Signal) Signal face. The power consumption of these Signal faces are typically 15% of that of an Incandescent lamp based Signal face of that of prior-art (Conventional Traffic Signal). The Signal faces in the present Solar Traffic Signalling System do not use Parabolic reflector Lens, appropriately shaped colored filter etc., as in the prior-art (Conventional Traffic Signal) Signal face. The required colors Red, Amber, Green are produced by LEDs by emitting parallel beam of light of the appropriate wavelength in the visible spectrum. This eliminates the Sun Phantom effect formd in the Signal face of that of the Conventional Traffic Signal. The required color is obtained by using LEDs, which emits light of wavelength corresponding to wavelength of the required color. The Signal faces in the Solar Traffic Signalling System of the present invention produce monochromatic light since they are LED based. These saturated colors are easier seen by eye than de-saturated colors produced in the prior-art (Conventional Traffic Signal) Signal faces. Better visibility ensures better safety. LED, being a semiconductor device does not exhibit bum out characteristics typical of incandescent or halogen lamp and have long life. Since the Signal faces in the present art (Solar Traffic Signalling System) use Ultra bright LED array as light source. These Signal faces have the same long life as that of LEDs in them. These LED based Signal faces have a typical life of 100,000 hours of operation and are maintenance free. LED array is a combination of series/parallel strings of LEDs. Sufficient light output is maintained even if there is a failure of few strings of LEDs. Since the Solar Traffic Signal face used LED array, and not a single lamp as light source Multiple indications (signals or aspects) can be built and shown selectively or simultaneously on a single Signal face unlike in the prior-art (Conventional Traffic Signal) multiple indications color can be shown only simultaneously and not selectively. In the Solar Traffic Signalling System of the present in invention, the following Signal faces have been designed and produced: 1. ROUND SIGNAL 2. SINGLE ARROW SIGNAL 3. COMPOSITE PEDESTRIAN SIGNAL 4. UNIVERSAL ARROW SIGNAL of the above Composite Pedestrian Signal and Universal arrow signal are multiple indication (Aspects) Signal faces. This invention will now be describe with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Fig 1 shows the Universal Arrow Signal. Fig 2 shows the schematic functions of the Universal Arrow Signal. Fig 3 shows the block diagram of the Solar Traffic Signalling System of the present invention. Fig 4 show the Composite Pedestrian Signal. Fig 5 shows the Single Arrow Signal; Fig 6 shows the Universal Arrow Signal. Fig 6 shows the Round Signal. ROUND SIGNAL : In the Solar Traffic Signalling System the Round Signal has a built in LAMP-ON SENSE CIRCUIT which gives a feed back on the status of the signal. This can be used by the controller for fail safe operation (See Fig-7). UNIVERSAL ARROW SIGNAL: The Signal face is capable of showing indications in three directions LEFT, RIGHT, STRAIGHT simultaneously or selectively. Different types of Universal Arrow Signal are Two-way Universal Arrow Left/Right, Two-way Universal Arrow Left/Straight, Two-way Universal Arrow Straight/Right, Three-way Universal Arrow Lefl/Right/Straight (See Fig-6). The Universal Arrow Signal consists of: => Left Arrow head LED array => Straight Arrow head LED array => Right Arrow head LED array => Tail LED array => Selector Logic Circuit The respective Arrow heads array along with Tail LED array is switched on by Selector Logic depending on the Control Signal status (LEFT, STRAIGHT, RIGHT). Refer Fig 1, Fig 2 and Fig 6 of the drawings. COMPOSITE PEDESTRIAN SIGNAL: This signal face is capable of showing Pedestrian RED and Pedestrian GREEN symbol. The Signal face consists of:- => Red LED array - arranged so as to get the required STANDING PEDESTRIAN Shape. => Green LED array - arranged so as to get the required WALKING PEDESTRIAN Shape. The RED or the GREEN shape is turned on by the appropriate Control Signal RED CONTROL or GREEN CONTROL. Refer Fig 4 of the drawings. The Controller (SOLAR LOGIC CONTROLLER) used m the Solar Traffic SignaUing System is based on Industrial grade highly reliable Programmable Logic Controller. This Controller uses an in-built Clock and Calendar to automatically switch ON and OFF Signal, change the timings during peak hours and holidays. These are field programmable or set up through a remote computer. The Solar Traffic Signal controller also monitors and controls charging of batteries, and operates on low DC voltage (11.5V to 28V DC). The Solar Traffic Signal controllers of the present invention can be connected to remote computer through Modems and Telephone line, which acts as Area Traffic Controller (ATC) and the traffic signals can be synchronized. The Controller can also be interfaced to an Out door Message Display. In effect, an efficient Integrated Traffic Management System can be formed. The present art's (Solar Traffic Signalling System) consumes very less amount of Electrical energy. A typical such System for a Four Road Intersection Consumes 300 Watts Electrical power. The Solar Traffic Signalling System of the present invention converts solar energy to Electrical energy and uses the same for its operation and the same does not depend on Grid connected Electrical power supply but can also operate along with a Grid connected Electrical power supply as a Hybrid System. In the present Solar Traffic Signalling System the required Electrical energy is obtained by converting the Solar Energy to Electrical Energy. This is done by the Solar Power Pack. The Solar pack consists of Solar Photovoltaic (SPV) array and Maintenance free Batteries. The Sunlight falling on the SPV array is converted to Electrical Energy at the required Voltage level (24V/12V DC) and is used for operation in the Solar Traffic Signalling System described herein and the excess energy converted but not used by the System is stored in the batteries. This stored energy is utilized during when there is no Sunlight. The System voltages for the present art Solar Traffic Signalling System are 24V/12V DC. These voltages are electrically safe and not hazardous unlike 230V/110V AC. The advantages of the present inventions are as follows: ► Operates on environment friendly Solar Energy and does not require Grid (Mains) connected power supply, but can be worked with a grid connected Power supply also. ► Operates on less Hazardous low voltage DC supply. ► No traffic chaos during power failure. ► Low power consumption. => No frequent burnout of Lamps since highly reliable LED based Signal faces are used => Increased Road Safety because of better visibility and maintenance free Signal heads => No Sun Phantom due to better Optics => Uninterrupted Operation => Good Connectivity to remote computers for better Traffic Management. WE CLAIM: 1) A Solar Traffic Signalling System for regulation, warning and direction of Road traffic including vehicles and pedestrians, which comprises: a) A Solar Power Pack consisting of Solar Photovoltaic (SPV) Array, Solar Charge Controller and maintenance free batteries; b) Signal heads consisting of one or more Signal faces having energy efficient Ultra Bright LED arrays housed in a box incorporating special optical design; c) At least one Solar Traffic Logic controller having an in-built clock and calendar to automatically switch ON & OFF signals, change the timings during peak hours and holidays; and d) Mechanical means for mounting and fixing signal heads. 2) A Solar Traffic Signalling System as claimed in Claim 1, wherein multiple numbers of Solar Traffic Logic Controllers are being networked to a Central Computer through Modem/telephone lines or GSM, for coordinated traffic control. 3) A Solar Traffic Signalling System as claimed in any one of the claims 1 or 2, wherein the Controller is interfaced with outdoor message display. 4) A Solar Traffic Signalling System as claimed in any one of the claims 1 to 3, wherein the signal head is selected from: a. RED/AMBER full face round aspects; b. GREEN universal arrow signal aspect having a single phase comprising of three independent arrowheads (Left, Right & Straight) which can be programmed for simultaneous or selective display; and c. Composite Pedestrian Signal aspect combining both RED and GREEN human shapes in one signal face which can be programmed for selective display of either of RED or GREEN human figures. 5) A Solar Traffic Signalling System as claimed in Claim 4, wherein the Universal arrow signal face comprises of either two or three arrowheads in one Signal face. 6) A Solar Traffic Signalling System substantially as herein before described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

Documents:

879-mas-1999 abstract-duplicate.pdf

879-mas-1999 abstract.pdf

879-mas-1999 claims-duplicate.pdf

879-mas-1999 claims.pdf

879-mas-1999 correspondence-others.pdf

879-mas-1999 correspondence-po.pdf

879-mas-1999 description (complete)-duplicate.pdf

879-mas-1999 description (complete).pdf

879-mas-1999 description (provisional)-duplicate.pdf

879-mas-1999 description (provisional).pdf

879-mas-1999 drawings-duplicate.pdf

879-mas-1999 drawings.pdf

879-mas-1999 form-1.pdf

879-mas-1999 form-26.pdf

879-mas-1999 form-5.pdf