Mobile Video Traffic Monitoring

Votes: 2
Views: 3472
Transportation

As a driver in city traffic or highway traffic jams one of the most helpless feelings is not knowing what is going on up ahead that is causing the traffic problem, the feeling is very similar to sitting in an airplane on the tarmac for hours with no information as to what is causing the problem so one cannot estimate the delay and mentally prepare for it, causing undo stress and anger.

The proposed solution may help alleviate some of the stress associated with automobile traffic situations thus making commuting safer and healthier.

Commuter buses and commercial trucks are often the largest vehicles in the flow of traffic and have the potential as unique vantage points for other vehicles in the traffic flow because of their height.

With the proliferation and relative low cost of large outdoor flat screen displays with wide viewing angles and rugged outdoor digital video cameras, I propose that buses, large delivery vehicles and trucks have video panels affixed to their rear facing surfaces. The video display would be connected to a forward facing wide-angle camera so that drivers approaching from behind have a unique view of the road ahead even though it is blocked by the larger vehicle. Alternatively, a digital projector with angle compensation could be used to project the image onto a rear facing flat white or reflective surface.

For safety, a speed sensor could be incorporated that activates the display only below some preset speed, as in slow heavy traffic or a traffic jam.

Real-time video uploading capability with GPS tagging could also be incorporated into the design such that remote monitoring of traffic by location could easily be accomplished.

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  • ABOUT THE ENTRANT

  • Name:
    Douglas Kollmorgen
  • Type of entry:
    individual
  • Patent status:
    none