US 11,887,475 B1
Systems and methods for controlling a programmable traffic light
Timothy S. Riggs, Latrobe, PA (US); and Thomas D. McMenamin, Jr., Oakmont, PA (US)
Assigned to Ford Global Technologies, LLC, Dearborn, MI (US)
Filed by FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC, Dearborn, MI (US)
Filed on Dec. 13, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/549,229.
Int. Cl. G08G 1/095 (2006.01); G08G 1/07 (2006.01)
CPC G08G 1/095 (2013.01) [G08G 1/07 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A traffic light control system configured to provide instructions to at least one traffic light for testing performance of an autonomous vehicle as it approaches the at least one traffic light, the system comprising:
at least one controller comprising a transceiver in communication with the at least one traffic light and a computer-readable memory comprising a plurality of operation routines for the at least one traffic light; and
a manually operable remote control device in electronic communication with the at least one controller for controlling operation of the at least one traffic light,
wherein the at least one controller is configured to:
receive an instruction signal from the remote control device generated in response to a user input;
select at least one operation routine of the plurality of operation routines on the computer-readable memory based on the received instruction signal; and
provide a control signal via the transceiver to the at least one traffic light to control operation of the at least one traffic light according to the selected at least one operation routine based on the instruction signal received from the remote control device,
wherein controlling operation of the at least one traffic light comprises turning on or off at least one of a plurality of light emitters of the at least one traffic light and/or changing a brightness, frequency, or intensity of at least one of the plurality of light emitters of the at least one traffic light.