[0001] The present invention relates to a pedestrian light, especially to a pedestrian light
that simultaneously displays a traffic sign and countdown information on the same
screen.
[0002] The traffic signs mainly comprise dynamic type and static type. The static traffic
signs, such as road signs, are suitable for indicating traffic rules or speed limitations.
The dynamic traffic signs are often composed of lights, for instance, the traffic
lights or pedestrian lights.
[0003] The conventional red and green traffic lights are designed not only for vehicles
but also for pedestrians. When a green light is going to turn to a red light, the
green light can warn pedestrians by flashing. However, merely based on the flashing
light, pedestrians are unable to know the remained seconds for walking through the
zebra crossing. That is a safety issue!
[0004] Therefore, a pedestrian light with an upper screen and a lower screen was developed
to assist pedestrians. During the green light, the lower screen displays a green dynamic
sign of a walking person while the upper screen shows the remaining time. When the
green light is going to turn to a red light, the green sign on the lower screen will
warn pedestrians by flashing and then eventually become a red sign of a standing person.
[0005] Although, the present pedestrian lights have provided the countdown function but
the dual screens still take twofold space and cost.
[0006] To overcome the shortcomings, the present invention provides a new pedestrian light
to mitigate or obviate the aforementioned problems.
[0007] The main objective of the present invention is to provide a pedestrian light capable
of simultaneously displaying a walk or stop sign and countdown information on the
same screen.
[0008] The pedestrian light has a base, a circuit board mounted in the base, an LED panel
mounted in the base and a protect lid mounted on the base. The LED panel has an outer
loop region and an inner rectangular region. The inner rectangular region composed
of multiple LEDs is able to display a walk or a stop sign in green and red light respectively.
The outer loop region composed of multiple LEDs is able to indicate the remained seconds.
In other words, a single display screen can show the pedestrian light with countdown
information. Furthermore, the pedestrian light with a single display screen requires
less fabricating and upkeep costs in comparison with multiple display screens of the
conventional pedestrian lights.
[0009] Another objective of the present invention is to provide a pedestrian light capable
of adjusting brightness of the LEDs. The pedestrian light uses an optical sensor to
detect the intensity of light of surroundings. Based on the detected result, the circuit
board can accordingly adjust the brightness of the LEDs on the LED panel.
[0010] Other objectives, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more
apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the
accompanying drawings.
In the drawings
Fig. 1 is an exploded cross section view of a pedestrian light in accordance with
the present invention;
Fig. 2 is a block diagram of a control circuit for the pedestrian light in accordance
with the present invention;
Fig. 3 is a plan view of the pedestrian light in accordance with the present invention;
Fig. 4 is an operational view of the pedestrian light in accordance with the present
invention showing a green dynamic sign of a walking person and a countdown indication
of 35 seconds; and
Fig. 5 is an operational view of the pedestrian light in accordance with the present
invention showing a red static sign of a standing person and a countdown indication
of 20 seconds.
[0011] With reference to Fig. 1, a single screen pedestrian light (10) in accordance with
the present invention comprises a base (11), a circuit board (12), an LED panel (13)
and a protect lid (14).
[0012] The protect lid (14) can be made of translucent or transparent material and is mounted
on the base (11) to cover the circuit board (12) and the LED panel (13).
[0013] With reference to Fig. 2, the circuit board (12) of the pedestrian light (10) comprises
a control unit (121), an output connecting interface (122), a timer (123), an input
device (124) and an optical sensor (125).
[0014] The output connecting interface (122) is connected between an output terminal of
the control unit (121) and an input terminal of the LED panel (13). Through the output
connecting interface (122), the control unit (121) can turn on or turn off each of
the LEDs and controls their color and brightness.
[0015] The timer (123) has an output terminal connected to input terminal of the control
unit (121) and an input terminal connected to output terminal of the input device
(124).
[0016] The input device (124) can be a key set or a switch set, and has output terminals
connected to the control unit (121) and timer (123) for setting operation parameters
to the control unit (121) and timer (123).
[0017] The optical sensor (125) connected to the control unit (121) detects the intensity
of the light of the surroundings. Accordingly, the detected result is transmitted
to the control unit (121) to adjust the brightness of LED panel (13).
[0018] The LED panel (13) is mounted in the base (11) and electrically connects to the circuit
board (12). The LED panel (13) composed of multiple LEDs with different colors can
display different colors and signs based on driving signals from the control unit
(121). As shown in Fig. 3, the LED panel (13) has two display regions. The first display
region is an outer loop region (131). The second display region is an inner rectangular
region (132) within the outer loop region (131).
[0019] Furthermore, the outer loop region (131) of LED panel (13) provides a function of
showing countdown information. For example, the entire outer loop region (131) can
be divided into sixty sections corresponding to sixty seconds of a clock. When the
inner rectangular region (132) displays the walk or stop sign, the originally activated
sixty sections of LEDs on the outer loop region (131) can be either sequentially turned
off in a counterclockwise direction to show the remaining seconds or sequentially
turned off for one second in a counterclockwise direction to generate a visual effect
of a moving dot as a second hand pointing to the countdown seconds. Alternatively,
the sixty sections of LEDs on the outer loop region (131) are sequentially turned
on for one second in a counterclockwise direction to generate a visual effect of a
moving light dot. The countdown of remained time may be less than 60 seconds or longer
than 1 minute subjected to the traffic load at crossroad but the countdown indications
above are activated well while the setting of countdown is less than 61 seconds.
[0020] Therefore, pedestrians can easily recognize the pedestrian light from the inner rectangular
region (132) and the remaining seconds from the out loop region (131). Accordingly,
the dual screens of conventional pedestrian lights can be integrated as a single pedestrian
light.
[0021] Even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present invention have
been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure
and features of the invention, the disclosure is illustrative only. Changes may be
made in the details, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts
within the principles of the invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general
meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.
1. A single screen pedestrian light (10) comprising:
a base (11);
a circuit board (12) mounted in the base (11);
a light emitting diode (LED) panel (13) mounted in the base (11) and having
an outer loop region (131) composed of multiple light emitting diodes (LEDs) controlled
by the circuit board (12) to show countdown information about remaining seconds; and
an inner rectangular region (132) within the outer loop region (131), composed of
multiple light emitting diodes (LEDs), and controlled by the circuit board (12) to
show a traffic symbol for pedestrians; and
a protect lid (14) mounted on the base to cover the circuit board (12) and the LED
panel (13) in the base (11).
2. The pedestrian light as claimed in claim 1, the circuit board (12) comprising:
a control unit (121);
an output connecting interface (122) connected between the control unit (121) and
the LED panel (13), wherein the control unit (121) controls the LEDs of the LED panel
(13) through the output connecting interface (122);
a timer (123) having an output terminal connected to the control unit (121) and an
input terminal connected to an input device (124); and
the input device (124) connected to the control unit (121) and the timer (123) for
setting control parameters to the control unit (121) and the timer (123);
an optical sensor (125) connected to the control unit (121) to detect intensity of
light of surroundings and then transmitting a sensed signal to the control unit (121)
so that the control unit (121) adjusts brightness of the LEDs on the LED panel (13)
based on the detected signal.
3. The pedestrian light as claimed in claim 1, wherein all LEDs of the outer loop region
(131) are divided into sixty sections corresponding to sixty seconds of a clock.
4. The pedestrian light as claimed in claim 3, wherein sixty sections of LEDs in the
outer loop region (131) are initially turned on then sequentially turned off in a
counterclockwise direction to show the countdown information.
5. The pedestrian light as claimed in claim 3, wherein sixty sections of LEDs in the
outer loop region (131) are initially turned on then sequentially turned off for one
second in a counterclockwise direction to generate a moving dot as a second hand.
6. The pedestrian light as claimed in claim 3, wherein sixty sections of LEDs in the
outer loop region (131) are sequentially turned on for one second in a counterclockwise
direction to generate a moving light dot to indicate the remaining seconds.
7. The pedestrian light as claimed in claim 1, wherein a traffic sign displayed on the
inner rectangular region (132) is either a green walk sign or a red stop sign.
8. The pedestrian light as claimed in claim 2, wherein the optical sensor (125) detects
the intensity of light of surroundings to adjust brightness of the LED panel (13)
through the control unit (121).
9. The pedestrian light as claimed in claim 1, wherein the protect lid (14) is a translucent
or transparent lid.