1. A traffic signal state detector, comprising:
a lens;
a color sensor configured to identify a plurality of colors of light directed to the color sensor by the lens, and restricted to a field of view based on dimensions of a traffic signal; and
a processor coupled to the color sensor, the processor configured to determine a color of light emitted by the traffic signal based on the colors of light identified by the color sensor.
2. The traffic signal state detector of claim 1, wherein the lens is configured to focus gathered light at an aperture disposed between the lens and the color sensor.
3. The traffic signal state detector of claim 2, wherein the field of view of the color sensor is restricted by the aperture to a field approximately four times the area of the traffic signal.
4. The traffic signal state detector of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to identify a state change of the monitored traffic signal within a maximum of approximately one millisecond after the state change.
5. The traffic signal state detector of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to determine the color of light emitted by the traffic signal based on a relative luminosity of different light colors emitted by the monitored traffic signal and detected by the color sensor.
6. The traffic signal detector of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to track modulation of intensity of light emitted by the monitored traffic signal, wherein the modulation is due to instantaneous phase of voltage of the power line powering the traffic signal.
7. A method for determining a state of a monitored traffic signal, comprising:
directing, via a lens, a plurality of colors of light to a color sensor;
limiting a field of view of the color sensor to an area defined by a location and dimensions of the monitored traffic signal; and
determining a state of the monitored traffic signal based on relative luminosity of light colors emitted by the monitored traffic signal and detected by the color sensor of the plurality of colors of light directed to the color sensor.
8. The method of claim 7, further comprising focusing gathered light at an aperture disposed between the lens and the color sensor.
9. The method of claim 7, further comprising providing traffic light state information updates at a rate of at least one update per millisecond.
10. The method of claim 7, wherein determining the state of the traffic signal comprises determining a hue, saturation, and lightness of a light color emitted by the monitored traffic signal and detected by the color sensor.
11. The method of claim 7, further comprising tracking modulation of intensity of light emitted by the monitored traffic signal, wherein the modulation is due to instantaneous phase of voltage of the power line powering the traffic signal.
12. The method of claim 7, further comprising anticipating a change in state of the monitored traffic signal based on a determined timing of previous state changes of the monitored traffic signal.
13. A traffic management system, comprising:
a first traffic signal;
a traffic signal state detection system configured to optically monitor the first traffic signal and to determine a state of the first traffic signal; and
a traffic control system coupled to the traffic signal state detection system;
wherein the traffic signal state detection system comprises an aperture plate configured to restrict color detection to light gathered from a predetermined area based at the first traffic signal;
wherein the predetermined area is based on a size and predicted motion of the traffic signal.
14. The traffic management system of claim 13, wherein the traffic control system is configured to control a second traffic signal based on a state of the first traffic signal determined by the traffic signal state detection system.
15. The traffic management system of claim 13, wherein the traffic control system is configured to control an image capture system based on a state of the first traffic signal determined by the traffic signal state detection system.
16. The traffic management system of claim 13, wherein the traffic signal state detection system is configured to provide light intensity modulation information to the traffic control system; wherein the modulation is due to instantaneous phase of voltage of the power line powering the first traffic signal.
17. The traffic management system of claim 13, wherein the traffic signal state detection system is configured to determine the state of the first traffic signal based on a relative luminosity of different light colors emitted by the first traffic signal and detected by the traffic signal state detection system.
18. An apparatus, comprising:
a lens;
an aperture plate disposed so that light from the lens passes through an aperture in the aperture plate;
a color sensor configured to detect colors of light passing through the aperture and to generate a signal indicating an intensity of each of the detected colors of light; and
a processor coupled to the color sensor for processing the signal.
19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the aperture is shaped in correspondence with a traffic signal from which the lens gathers light.
20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein, the aperture is sized to be a multiple of the size of an image of a traffic signal provided by the lens at a predetermined distance from the traffic signal.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A method, comprising:
receiving, by a source set-top box comprising a processor, a first request to add a destination set-top box to a contact list of a first user, the source set-top box being managed by a first user;
transmitting, by the source set-top box, a second request to the destination set-top box managed by a second user to validate the first request to add the destination set-top box to the contact list;
receiving, by the source set-top box, a first response from the destination set-top box, the first response comprising a denial message or an acceptance message;
adding, by the source set-top box, the destination set-top box to the contact list when the first response is the acceptance message;
receiving, by the source set-top box, a third request to provide a media file and an identification of the destination set-top box when the response is the acceptance message;
determining, by the source set-top box, if the destination set-top box has sufficient memory space available to receive the media file in response to the third request;
requesting a conditional delivery, wherein the delivery is conditional upon the destination set-top box obtaining an indication that the media file is ready be observed responsive to determining that the destination set-top box has the sufficient memory; and
maintaining, by the source set-top box, the contact list at the source set-top box without change when the first response is the denial message.
2. The method of claim 1, comprising converting, by the source set-top box, the media file to a format suitable for the destination set-top box to generate a converted media file, wherein the converted media file is sent in an interactive television multimedia format.
3. The method of claim 1, comprising converting, by the source set-top box, the media file to a format suitable for the destination set-top box to generate a converted media file, wherein the converted media file comprises a reformatted media file.
4. The method of claim 3, comprising sending the converted media file to the destination set-top box.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein the third request further comprises a request to provide the media file to another destination set-top box from the contact list.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the request to add the destination set-top box to the contact list further comprises receiving, by the source set-top box, the identification of the destination set-top box.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the media file further comprises storing, by the source set-top box, the media file in a memory of the source set-top box.
8. The method of claim 1, further comprising converting, by the source set-top box, the media file to a format suitable for the destination set-top box when the destination set-top box is determined to have sufficient memory based on actions taken by the second user.
9. A method, comprising:
receiving, by a system comprising a processor, from a source set-top box managed by a first user a first request to provide an identified media file to a destination set-top box managed by a second user;
receiving, by the system, from the source set-top box a second request to add the destination set-top box to a contact list of the first user;
transmitting, by a network, a third request to the destination set-top box to validate the second request to add the destination set-top box to the contact list;
receiving, by the system, a response from the destination set-top box, the response comprising a denial message or an acceptance message;
adding, by the system, the destination set-top box to the contact list when the response is the acceptance message;
receiving, by the system, from the source set-top box a third request to provide the identified media file and an identification of the destination set-top box when the response is the acceptance message;
determining, by the network, if the destination set-top box has sufficient memory space available to receive the media file in response to the third request;
requesting a conditional delivery, where the delivery is conditional upon the destination set-top box obtaining an indication that the media file is ready be observed;
converting, by the system, the identified media file to a format suitable for the destination set-top box to generate a converted media file when the destination set-top box is determined to have sufficient memory and the indication is received;
transmitting, by the system, according to the identification, the converted media file to a server for transmission of the converted media file to the destination set-top box when the destination set-top box is determined to have sufficient memory and the indication is received; and
maintaining, by the source set-top box, the contact list at the source set-top box without change when the response is the denial message.
10. The method of claim 9, wherein the format comprises an interactive television multimedia format.
11. The method of claim 10, wherein converting the identified media file comprises converting the identified media file to the interactive television multimedia format.
12. The method of claim 9, further comprising:
transmitting, by the network, an authorization request to the destination set-top box when the response is the acceptance message; and
receiving, by the network, a second response to the authorization request, the second response comprising an authorization message to transmit the identified media file to the destination set-top box,
wherein transmitting the identified media file further comprises transmitting the identified media file based on the second response.
13. The method of claim 12, wherein transmitting the identified media file based on the second response to the authorization request further comprises:
requesting that the destination set-top box increase memory capacity when it is determined that the destination set-top box does not have sufficient memory space available to receive the identified media file.
14. The method of claim 12, wherein the identified media file is received from equipment used by a user and wherein receiving the second response to the authorization request further comprises submitting, by the network, a notification that indicates the identified media file has not been provided to the destination set-top box when the second response indicates transmitting the media file to the destination set-top box is not authorized.
15. The method of claim 9, comprising submitting a notice indicating that the identified media file has not been provided to the destination set-top box when the response is the denial message.
16. A computer-readable storage device comprising instructions, which when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:
identifying a media file;
receiving a first request to add a destination set-top box managed by a first user to a contact list of a second user;
transmitting a second request to the destination set-top box to validate the first request to add the destination set-top box to the contact list;
receiving a response from the destination set-top box, the response comprising a denial message or an acceptance message;
adding the destination set-top box to the contact list when the response is the acceptance message;
receiving the media file and an identification of the destination set-top box when the response is the acceptance message;
determining if the destination set-top box has sufficient memory space available to receive the media file when the response is the acceptance message;
requesting a conditional delivery, where the delivery is conditional upon the destination set-top box obtaining an indication that the media file is ready be observed;
converting the media file to a format suitable for the destination set-top box to generate a converted media file when the destination set-top box is determined to have sufficient memory when the indication that the media file is ready to be observed is obtained; and
sending the converted media file and the identification of the destination set-top box to a server for transmission of the converted media file to the destination set-top box when the destination set-top box is determined to have sufficient memory based on actions taken by the first user.
17. The computer-readable storage device of claim 16, wherein identifying the media file further comprises receiving a third request to provide the media file to another destination set-top box from the contact list.
18. The computer-readable storage device of claim 16, wherein receiving the first request to add the destination set-top box to the contact list further comprises receiving the identification of the destination set-top box.
19. The computer-readable storage device of claim 16, wherein the converted media file comprises a reformatted media file, wherein sending the converted media file comprises sending the reformatted media file to the destination set-top box.
20. The computer-readable storage device of claim 16, wherein the operations further comprise maintaining the contact list without change when the response is the denial message.