TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present disclosure generally relates to an alternative traffic control system. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to an energy-efficient mobile traffic control system for fail-safe traffic signaling operations.
RELATED ART
[0002] Traffic control systems are signaling devices positioned at various intersections and crossings on roads to control the flow and direction of traffic, including vehicles and pedestrians. Generally, traffic light signals are powered by a main electric supply provided by a local electricity provider. When a power failure occurs, traffic lights become inactive, resulting in unsafe conditions at the intersection as drivers and pedestrians are no longer being directed by the traffic signals.
[0003] Certain traffic control systems have attempted to mitigate this issue by inclusion of backup power sources such as batteries and solar cells to provide electric power to these traffic control systems in case of a power failure. Such backup power sources, however, are often expensive, bulky, and prone to theft. Moreover, these backup power sources are often capable of providing backup power for only a short duration of time. Provision of such backup sources, thus, are often technically and economically unviable considering the staggered arrangement of conventional traffic light signals and large amounts of electric power required to power several light sources for each traffic signal.
[0004] Therefore, it is desirable to develop a failure mitigation system for a traffic control system that requires fewer light sources and that may be powered even by a

BRIEF DESCRIPTION
[0005] It is an objective of the present disclosure to provide a lightweight and mobile traffic control system. The system includes a fixed base, and a housing rotatably coupled to the fixed base and having a plurality of faces adapted to be directed towards a corresponding plurality of paths to provide traffic signals to traffic plying on the plurality of paths. The plurality of faces include at least one main side face having a plurality of openings, and one or more other side faces, each of the other side faces having a single opening. Each of the plurality of openings in the main side face is provided with at least one light emitting device configured to emit green color light, and each opening in the other side faces is provided with at least one light emitting device configured to emit red color light. The system further includes a driver configured to rotate the housing about the fixed base and a controller operatively coupled to the driver and configured to regulate the driver to selectively rotate the housing about the fixed base based on a selected protocol. Particularly, the housing is rotated by a selected initial angle and disposed in a first position, with the main side face directed towards a first path in the plurality of paths, for a first period of time. The housing is subsequently rotated by another selected angle and disposed in a subsequent position, with the main side face directed towards a subsequent path in the plurality of paths, for a subsequent period of time.
[0006] According to certain aspects of the present disclosure, the system includes a timing circuitry configured to control at least one light emitting device in the main side face to display a countdown timer indicative of remaining time before the housing is configured to rotate to the subsequent position.
[0007] According to certain aspects of the present disclosure, the main side face comprises five openings. At least one of the five openings comprises at least one light

emitting device configured to emit yellow color light. At least one of the five openings comprises at least one filter projecting a left arrow image and at least one light emitting device configured to emit green color light, such that the light emitting device is configured to display the left arrow image in green color. At least one of the five openings comprises at least one filter projecting a straight arrow image and at least one light emitting device configured to emit green color light, such that the light emitting device is configured to display the straight arrow image in green color. At least one of the five openings comprises at least one filter projecting a right arrow image and at least one light emitting device configured to emit green color light, such that the light emitting device is configured to display the right arrow image in green color.
[0008] According to certain aspects of the present disclosure, the housing comprises the same number of faces as the number of paths intersecting at an intersection where the mobile traffic control system is to be deployed such that the housing is adapted to comprise three faces for a three-way intersection, and four faces for a four-way intersection.
[0009] According to certain aspects of the present disclosure, the controller is configured to determine the selected initial angle, the selected subsequent angle, the first period of time, and the subsequent period of time based on one or more of pre-programmed instructions and information received from a traffic estimation unit that is communicatively coupled to the mobile traffic control system. The first period of time is equal to each subsequent period of time, and the selected initial angle is equal to each selected subsequent angle.
[0010] According to certain aspects of the present disclosure, the driver is configured to rotate the housing by 90 degrees to dispose the housing in the first position, and each subsequent position when the traffic control system is to be deployed at a four-way intersection.
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[0011] According to certain aspects of the present disclosure, the system is deployed at a three-way intersection comprising the first path, a second path, and a third path, and wherein the driver is configured to rotate the housing by 90 degrees such that the main side face is directed towards the first path. The driver is configured to further rotate the housing by 90 degrees such that the main side face is subsequently directed towards the second path. The driver is configured to rotate the housing by 90 degrees such that the main side face is directed towards the third path. The driver is configured to rotate the housing by 180 degrees such that the main side face is redirected towards the first path.
[0012] According to certain aspects of the present disclosure, the system includes a power source configured to supply electric power to one or more of light emitting devices, the driver, and the controller for operation of the mobile traffic control system.
[0013] It is another objective of the present disclosure to provide the system including a fault mitigation system. The fault mitigation system includes a fault detection module configured to detect a power failure in a conventional traffic control system. The fault mitigation system also includes a first communication module, communicatively coupled with the fault detection module, and configured to generate and transmit a fault signal upon detection of the power failure in the conventional traffic control system. The fault mitigation system further includes a remote control center comprising a docking station configured to dock one or more unmanned vehicles having a backup power source. Moreover, the fault mitigation system includes a second communications module configured to receive the fault signal from the first communication module. The second communications module configures the docking station to program least one of the unmanned vehicles to travel to a location of the conventional traffic control system, determined from the fault signal, to operate as the mobile traffic control system.
[0014] According to certain aspects of the present disclosure, the fault detection

module is configured to detect when the main power supply is restored in the conventional traffic control system. Subsequently, the fault detection module configures the first communication module to generate and transmit a restoration signal to the second communication module in the control center. The docking station is configured to generate and send a command, via the second communication module, to the unmanned vehicle deployed in lieu of the conventional traffic control system to either travel back to the docking station. Alternatively, the docking station is configured to generate and send a command to the unmanned vehicle or travel to another traffic control system from which a faulty signal has been received by the second communication module.
[0015] According to certain aspects of the present disclosure, the unmanned vehicle comprises one or more of a drone, an unmanned aerial vehicle, an unmanned ground vehicle, an unmanned water vehicle, and an unmanned robotic vehicle.
[0016] According to certain aspects of the present disclosure, the fault detection module further comprises one or more of an independently powered current sensing unit, a voltage sensing unit, an image acquisition and processing unit, and a light dependent resistor configured to detect the power failure in the traffic control system.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
[0017] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein and constitute a part of this disclosure, illustrate exemplary embodiments, and together with the description, serve to explain the disclosed principles. The same numbers are used throughout the figures to reference like features and components, wherein:
[0018] FIG. 1 illustrates a graphical representation of an alternative mobile traffic control system that travels to a traffic intersection having a conventional traffic control system experiencing a power failure, in accordance with an embodiment of the present
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disclosure;
[0019] FIG. 2 illustrates a schematic view of the alternative mobile traffic control system of FIG. 1 for use as a failure mitigation system for the faulty conventional traffic control system of FIG. 1;
[0020] FIG. 3 illustrates another diagrammatic view of the alternative mobile traffic control system of FIG. 1 for use as a failure mitigation system for the faulty traffic control system of FIG. 1;
[0021] FIG. 4 illustrates a graphical representation of the alternative mobile traffic control system of FIG. 2 positioned at a four-way intersection in a first location having predominantly right-hand drive vehicles;
[0022] FIG. 5 illustrates a graphical representation of the alternative mobile traffic control system of FIG. 2 positioned at a four-way intersection in a second location having predominantly left-hand drive vehicles;
[0023] FIG. 6 illustrates a graphical representation depicting the alternative mobile traffic control system of FIG. 2 disposed in various positions when controlling traffic at a four-way intersection having predominantly right-hand drive vehicles;
[0024] FIG. 7 illustrates a graphical representation depicting the alternative mobile traffic control system of FIG. 2 disposed in various positions when controlling traffic at a three-way intersection having predominantly right-hand drive vehicles; and
[0025] FIG. 8 illustrates a block diagram of certain exemplary components of the alternative mobile traffic control system of FIG. 2 for mitigating faulty operation of a conventional traffic control system, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0026] The following description presents an on-demand traffic control system for use in controlling traffic at an intersection having multiple interconnecting paths in lieu of a faulty traffic control system installed at the intersection. Particularly, the embodiments presented herein describe a portable, mobile, and energy-efficient alternative traffic control system that operates in lieu of the faulty traffic control system to reduce traffic signal downtime in the event of a power failure.
[0027] The present description sets forth numerous specific details to provide a thorough understanding of the present system. However, it may be noted that these specific details are only exemplary and are not intended to be limiting. It is to be understood that various omissions or substitutions of equivalents may be made as desired to cover various applications or implementations without departing from the spirit or the scope of the present disclosure. Further, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of clarity of the description and should not be regarded as limiting.
[0028] Additionally, in the present description, references to "one embodiment" or variations thereof, denote inclusion of a particular feature, structure, or characteristic in at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. However, the appearance of the phrase "in one embodiment" in various places in the specification is not necessarily referring to the same embodiment, nor are separate or alternative embodiments mutually exclusive of other embodiments. Furthermore, it may be noted that the terms "a" and "an" used herein do not denote a limitation of quantity, but rather the presence of at least one of the referenced items for use in an embodiment of the present systems and methods.
[0029] FIG. 1 illustrates a conventional traffic control system 100, for example, installed at a four-way intersection 102. Generally, an intersection requires the same number of traffic light signals as the number of paths crossing at the intersection. For

example, a three-way intersection, such as a "F junction or a 'Y' junction, requires three sets of traffic light signals for each of the three paths. Similarly, a four-way intersection, such as a crossroad, requires four sets of traffic signals for each of the four paths. Furthermore, each of these four sets of traffic signals, in turn, may require seven light emitting devices (LEDs) 104 including three colored lights (RED, YELLOW and GREEN), three LEDs for indicating directions (LEFT, STRAIGHT and RIGHT) and one LED for indicating time left until a change in the signal. Thus, the typical four-way intersection 102 utilizing conventional traffic light signals would require twenty-eight LEDs 104 (four sets of seven LEDs for each direction).
[0030] As previously noted, the traffic control system 100 is typically powered by a main electric supply (not shown) provided by a local electricity provider. When a power failure occurs, the traffic control system 100 may lose power, thus causing the traffic lights to become inactive. In accordance with aspects of the present disclosure, the alternative mobile traffic control system 106 may be deployed in lieu of the traffic control system 100 to prevent subsequent unsafe conditions at the intersection or injury to drivers, vehicles, pedestrians, or infrastructure. An exemplary embodiment of the alternative mobile traffic control system 106 that may be used in lieu of a conventional faulty traffic control system is described in further detail with reference to FIGs. 2-8.
[0031] FIG. 2 illustrates a block diagrammatic view 200 of the alternative mobile traffic control system 106 of FIG. 1 for use in lieu of the faulty traffic control system 100 deployed at a particular geographical location, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. To that end, the alternative mobile traffic control system 106, for example, may include a land vehicle, a water vehicle, or an aerial vehicle. For clarity of description, an embodiment of the present alternative mobile traffic control system 106 is described herein with reference to an unmanned aerial vehicle or a drone.
[0032] As previously noted, conventional traffic control systems employ several sets of LEDs to provide the necessary traffic signals at multi-path intersections. Each
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of these LEDs and the associated circuitry add to the overall cost, weight, and power requirements associated with conventional traffic control systems. Unlike such conventional traffic control systems, the design of the present alternative mobile traffic control system 106 provides a cost effective, lighter, and power-efficient signaling means in lieu of the faulty traffic control system 100.
[0033] To that end, the alternative mobile traffic control system 106 includes a fixed base 202, and a housing 204 that is rotatably coupled to the fixed base 202. In the embodiment depicted in FIG. 2, the housing 204 has a cuboidal shape with four vertical sections or side faces 206 (only two side faces shown in FIG. 2). The side faces 206 include a first side face 206a, a second side face 206b (not shown in FIG. 1), a third side face 206c (not shown in FIG. 2), and a main side face 206d. However, in alternative embodiments, the housing 204 may have any desired shape, such as, a triangular, cylindrical, circular, or any other suitable shape. Additionally, the housing 204 may have a designated number of the side faces 206 that is selected based on a number of intersecting paths to be serviced by the alternative mobile traffic control system 106.
[0034] Furthermore, each of the side faces 206 has at least one opening 208 (exemplary six openings shown in FIG. 2) in the form of a circular or other suitably shaped cutout. For example, the embodiment depicted in FIG. 2 includes the first side face 206a having a first opening 208a, the second side face 206b having a second opening 208b (not shown in FIG. 2), and the third side face 206c having a third opening 208c (not shown in FIG. 2). Additionally, the main side face 206d includes five openings, namely, a fourth opening 208d, a fifth opening 208e, a sixth opening 208f, a seventh opening 208g, and an eighth opening 208h. According to aspects of the present disclosure, the side faces 206a, 206b, 206c and the main side face 206d may generally differ from each other in number of openings 208, with the three side faces 206a, 206b, 206c having only one opening, and the main side face 206d including more than one opening.
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[0035] Each of the openings 208 in the housing 204 encloses an LED 210. Specifically, in one embodiment, each of the openings 208a, 208b, 208c in the three side faces 206a, 206b, 206c is provided with a discrete LED 210a configured to emit RED color light. Further, the fourth opening 208d in the main side face 206d is provided with a LED 210b configured to emit YELLOW color light. Additionally, each of the fifth opening 208e, the sixth opening 208f, the seventh opening 208g and the eighth opening 208h in the main side face 206d is provided with a discrete LED 210c configured to emit GREEN color light.
[0036] In one embodiment, the alternative mobile traffic control system 106 may also include a timing circuitry 211 in the fifth opening 208e to configure the corresponding LED 210c to display a time counter indicative of time, for example in seconds, that is remaining for the housing 204 to rotate to the next position. To that end, the timing circuitry 211 may include various filters, or the like, that aid in displaying various numerals using the GREEN color light emitted by the corresponding LED 210c. Techniques for control of traffic using various colored lights, direction arrows, and time counters are well known, and thus, have not been described in further detail for brevity of the disclosure.
[0037] Additionally, in one embodiment, the sixth opening 208f may include a filter 212a configured to project a LEFT arrow image using the GREEN color light emitted by the corresponding LED 210c. Similarly, the seventh opening 208g may include a filter 212b configured to project a STRAIGHT arrow image using the GREEN color light emitted by the corresponding LED 210c. Further, the eighth opening 208h may include a filter 212c configured to project a RIGHT arrow image using the GREEN color light emitted by the corresponding LED 210c. Such filters that project an image using a light source in the background are well known, and thus, have not been described herein in further detail.
[0038] FIG. 3 depicts another view 300 of the alternative mobile traffic control

system 106 depicted in FIG. 2. As depicted in FIG. 3, the alternative mobile traffic control system 106 may further include a driver 302 (shown in FIG. 3 via dotted lines) configured to rotate the housing 204 about the fixed base 202, as needed. To that end, in one embodiment, the driver 302 may be a direct control (DC) motor, with or without gears. In certain implementations, the alternative mobile traffic control system 106 is configured to rotate the housing 204 in discrete steps, with each step corresponding to a predefined angular rotation. In such implementations, the driver 302 may be a stepper motor, which may rotate the housing 204 with respect to the fixed base 202 by predefined degrees of rotation, as per requirements. To that end, in one embodiment, the driver 302 may be positioned between the fixed base 202 and the housing 204, substantially about central axes thereof, to allow for desired rotation of the housing 204 with respect to the fixed base 202.
[0039] In one embodiment, the alternative mobile traffic control system 106 may include a controller 304 (shown via dotted lines) that is located inside the housing 204 or the fixed base 202 and is configured to regulate the driver 302 to selectively rotate the housing 204 about the fixed base 202. Specifically, the controller 304 may be configured to define the angle of rotation by which the housing 204 may rotate for each step with respect to the fixed base 202. Further, the controller 304 may define a time period for which the housing 204 may remain stationary at one position and then rotate to a next position. In one example, the controller 304 may define predefined angles of rotation of the housing 204 between each position or one or more time periods for moving between different positions. In other examples, the controller 304 may define the angles of rotation of the housing 204 and the time periods between rotations for moving between different positions based on communications received from a traffic command center 306 over a wired and/or wireless communications network 308.
[0040] To that end, the controller 304 may generally be implemented as a combination of a processor (not shown) and a memory (not shown) operatively

coupled with each other. The memory may be capable of storing machine executable instructions, and the processor may be capable of executing the stored machine executable instructions for performing tasks such as parsing the set of traffic signaling instructions, and other functions associated with the traffic control system 100. The processor may be embodied as one or more of various processing devices, such as a multi-core processor, a single core processor, a coprocessor, a microprocessor, a controller, a digital signal processor (DSP), a processing circuitry with or without an accompanying DSP, or various other processing devices. The processing devices may include integrated circuits such as, for example, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), a micro-controller unit (MCU), a hardware accelerator, a special-purpose computer chip, or the like. Moreover, the processor may be a distributed or a unified system, without any limitations. Additionally, examples of memory devices for use in the controller 304 include, but are not limited to, volatile memory devices such as registers, cache, RAM, and/or non-volatile memory devices such as ROM, EEPROM, and flash memory.
[0041] According to aspects of the present disclosure, the processor and memory may be configured to provide suitable instructions to the driver 302, and in turn, the alternative mobile traffic control system 106 to provide appropriate traffic signals to manage traffic in different types of traffic conditions. In one embodiment, the controller 304 may identify the traffic conditions, for example, based on information received from an associated traffic estimation unit 310. The traffic estimation unit 310 may include one or more devices such as a camera or weight sensors that capture image and other ambient information for use in estimating the traffic along different paths crossing at an intersection. Use of the traffic estimation unit 310 including different subunits for traffic estimation for use by a traffic control system is well-known, and hence, has not been described herein in further detail. An exemplary environment for deploying the alternative mobile traffic control system 106 for managing traffic conditions at various types of geographical locations is described in greater detail with
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reference to FIGS. 4-5.
[0042] FIG. 4 illustrates a simplified representation 402 of a four-way intersection 404 where the alternative mobile traffic control system 106 of FIG. 2 may be deployed in the vicinity of the faulty traffic control system 100 of FIG. 1. It may be noted that the representation 402 depicts an embodiment of the alternative mobile traffic control system 106 that may be deployed in a location having predominantly right-hand-drive vehicles. As depicted in the representation 402, the intersection 404 includes four paths, namely, a first path 406, a second path 408, a third path 410 and a fourth path 412. In one embodiment, the alternative mobile traffic control system 106 is positioned at a central point where the four paths 406, 408, 410, and 412 cross each other.
[0043] FIG. 5 illustrates a simplified representation 502 of a four-way intersection 504 where the alternative mobile traffic control system 106 of FIG. 2 may be deployed in the vicinity of the faulty traffic control system 100 of FIG. 1. It may be noted that the representation 502 depicts an embodiment of the alternative mobile traffic control system 106 that may be deployed in a location having predominantly left-hand-drive vehicles. Particularly, in the representation 502, the intersection 504 includes four paths, namely, a first path 506, a second path 508, a third path 510, and a fourth path 512. Here again, the alternative mobile traffic control system 106 is positioned at a central point where the four paths 506, 508, 510, and 512 cross each other.
[0044] It may be noted that the position of the alternative mobile traffic control system 106 as shown with respect to the intersections 404 and 504 of FIGS. 4-5 is only exemplary and shall not be construed as limiting to the disclosure in any manner. For example, the alternative mobile traffic control system 106 may be positioned away from an intersection at any suitable location that provides vehicles and commuters traveling on each of the intersecting roads with desired visibility of traffic signals generated by the alternative mobile traffic control system 106.

[0045] It may also be noted that FIGS. 4-5 depict the present alternative mobile traffic control system 106, for a four-way intersection such as the intersections 404 and 504, as including four side faces, with one of the side faces facing towards one of the four paths at any instant of time. In the embodiments presented herein, the controller 304 regulates the driver 302 to rotate the housing 204 in a manner such that the side face pertinent for controlling the traffic for any applicable path may face that particular path for a required period of time. Although FIGS. 4-5 depicts four-way intersections 404 and 504, the alternative mobile traffic control system 106 may be similarly configured to generate traffic signals to manage traffic at an intersection having greater than or lesser than four intersecting roads.
[0046] Further, FIG. 6 depicts a graphical representation 600 depicting the alternative mobile traffic control system 106 of FIG. 2 disposed in various positions when controlling traffic at a four-way intersection, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As depicted in FIG. 6, at Step I, the housing 204 is disposed in a first position, with the main side face 206d facing towards the first path 406 (as illustrated in FIG. 4) for a first period of time. Thereafter, at STEP II, the housing 204 is rotated so as to dispose the housing 204 in a second position with the main side face 206d facing towards the second path 408 for a second period of time, as depicted in Step III.
[0047] Subsequently, at STEP IV, the housing 204 is again rotated to a third position, with the main side face 206d facing towards the third path 410 for a third period of time. Further, at STEP V, the housing 204 is again rotated to a fourth position, as depicted in Step VI of FIG. 6, with the main side face 206d facing towards the fourth path 412 for a fourth period of time. Thereafter, at step VII, the housing 204 may again be rotated back to the first position and the cycle may be repeated to provide suitable traffic signaling at the four-way intersection 404.
[0048] As noted previously, in one embodiment, the main side face 206d provides

GREEN color light and YELLOW color light, whereas the other three side faces 206a, 206b and 206c provide RED color light only. Therefore, at the intersection 404 (shown in FIG. 4), traffic on the path facing the main side face 206d may be allowed to move, while traffic on the other paths facing any of the other three side faces 206a, 206b and 206c may need to wait. Referring back to FIG. 4, when the alternative mobile traffic control system 106 is disposed such that housing 204 is in the first position, the traffic including the motorized vehicles plying on the first path 406 may be allowed to travel to other paths or may be asked to wait depending on whether the YELLOW color light is illuminated in the fourth opening 208d of the main side face 206d.
[0049] Furthermore, a flow of traffic from the first path 406 towards the second path 408, the third path 410, and the fourth path 412 depends on which one of the LEFT arrow image, the STRAIGHT arrow image, and the RIGHT arrow image is illuminated. For example, when the LEFT arrow image is illuminated, the traffic from the first path 406 is permitted to flow to the fourth path 412, and vice-versa. Similarly, when the STRAIGHT arrow image is illuminated, the traffic from the first path 406 is permitted to flow to the third path 410 and vice-versa; and when the RIGHT arrow image is illuminated, the traffic from the first path 406 is permitted to flow to the second path 408, and vice-versa.
[0050] In an embodiment where the alternative mobile traffic control system 106 is positioned at a four-way intersection 404, the housing 204 is configured to undergo 360 degrees rotation with respect to the fixed base 202. The 360 degrees rotation allows the main side face 206d to be rotated towards any of the four paths 406, 408, 410, and 412 corresponding to the intersection 404, as required. Accordingly, in one embodiment, the housing is rotated by 90 degrees during each rotation, that is, when rotating the main side face 206d from first position facing the first path 406 to the next position facing a subsequent path.

[0051] However, in an alternative embodiment where the alternative mobile traffic control system 106 is positioned at a three-way intersection, the housing 204 may need to be rotated from the third position directly back to the first position. In such a scenario, the controller 304 may configure the driver 302 to rotate the housing 204 by 180 degrees for that one particular rotation, as depicted in FIG. 7.
[0052] In certain exemplary implementations, the time period between each rotation of the housing 204 may be predetermined and/or programmed into the controller 304 based on a selected signal protocol and/or user-defined instructions. In one embodiment, the time periods between rotations of the housing 204 are substantially equal. Specifically, the first period of time, the second period of time, the third period of time, and the fourth period of time are substantially equal. In other examples, the traffic control system 100 may use data received from the traffic estimation unit 310 to estimate a state of traffic along the first path 406, the second path 408, the third path 410, and the fourth path 412. In these examples, the controller 304 configures the driver 302 to rotate the housing 204 such that the first period of time, the second period of time, the third period of time and the fourth period of time are based at least in part on the estimated traffic for the corresponding path. The estimated traffic conditions may then be used by the alternative mobile traffic control system 106 to provide traffic signals at intersections that are most suited to alleviate traffic obstructions and aid in free flow of traffic along the intersecting paths. Methods for providing traffic signals suited to alleviate traffic obstructions and aid in free flow of traffic along the intersecting paths are well known, and therefore, have not been described herein in further detail.
[0053] With returning reference to FIG. 3, the alternative mobile traffic control system 106 includes a power source 312, for example a battery, that supplies electric power to the LEDs 210, the driver 302, the controller 304 and other components, for operation of the traffic control system 100. In certain scenarios, the main supply line may fail or develop a fault, curtailing power supply to a conventional traffic control

system. As a result, the conventional traffic control system is unable to provide traffic signals, which may lead to unsafe traffic conditions. The alternative mobile traffic control system 106, therefore, further includes a fault mitigation system (see FIG. 8) that continually monitors an operational state of a conventional traffic control system, and provides backup in the event of a power failure.
[0054] FIG. 8 depicts a block diagram 800 of certain exemplary components of alternative mobile traffic control system 106 of FIG. 2 to be used in place of the faulty traffic control system 100 of FIG. 1. In one embodiment, alternative mobile traffic control system 106 includes a fault detection module 802 configured to detect a power failure in a conventional traffic control system. In one example, the fault detection module 802 may include a light sensor, which may be positioned in front the traffic control system 100. In the event of a power failure, the traffic lights fail to provide any illumination for an extended period of time. This lack of illumination for more than a designated period of time may be determined by the light sensor to be indicative of a power failure in the traffic control system 100. In other examples, the fault detection module 802 may include a power sensor connected to an associated power source (not shown) of the traffic control system 100 and configured to detect electric current. The power sensor detects power failure upon determining absence of electric current flow through the power source for more than a designated period of time.
[0055] Furthermore, the alternative mobile traffic control system 106 may also include a first communication module 804, communicatively coupled with the fault detection module 802, and configured to generate and transmit a fault signal'S' upon detection of the power failure in the traffic control system 100. The fault signal 'S' may be sent using any suitable communications means, such as, but not limited to, SMS, GSM, etc. In some examples, the fault signal may also include information indicative of an identifier, and/or a location of the faulty traffic control system 100, for example determined by a GPS, or the like. In the present embodiment, the fault detection module 802 and the first communication module 804 are powered

independently of the traffic control system 100, such as by using a small battery so as to be able to operate even during power failure in the traffic control system 100.
[0056] Moreover, the alternative mobile traffic control system 106 may be in communication with a remote control center 806 such as the remote command center 306 of FIG. 3, for example, located centrally in a city within a predefined distance range of the traffic control system 100. The control center 806 may include a second communication module 808 in signal communication with the first communication module 804 to receive the fault signal 'S.' The control center 806 may further include a docking station 810 which allows docking and/or charging, for example, of one or more unmanned vehicles such as the alternative mobile traffic control system 106 of FIG. 2. In one embodiment, the unmanned vehicles include one or more aerial, ground, or water drones 812. In the present embodiment, each drone 812 may include a backup power source 814 such as a battery.
[0057] Upon receipt of the fault signal 'S,' by the control center 806 configures the docking station 810 to program at least one of the suitable drones 812 to travel to the location of the failed traffic control system. As previously noted, the location information may be determined from the fault signal'S.' According to aspects of the present disclosure, the drone 812 may be configured to replace the failed traffic control system 100.
[0058] Accordingly, the drone 812 may travel from the control center 806 to the failed traffic control system 100. In one embodiment, the fault detection module 802 is further configured to detect when power is restored in the traffic control system 100. The fault detection module 802 subsequently configures the first communication module 804 to generate and send a restoration signal to the second communication module 808 in the control center 806 upon detecting the restored power supply. Upon receipt of the restoration signal, the docking station 810 is configured to generate and send a command, via the second communication module 808, to the drone 812 to either

travel back to the docking station 810 or travel to another traffic control system from which a faulty signal has been received by the second communication module 808. In certain embodiments, upon restoration of the power supply, the drone 812 may be configured to recharge its backup power using the restored power supply using recharging ports (not shown) associated with the traffic control system 100. Alternatively, the drone 812 may include a solar battery charging system, incorporated therein, or recharge itself upon returning to the docking station 810.
[0059] Thus, embodiments of the present traffic control system not only provide the same functioning as conventional traffic light signals with lesser number of lighting components, but also allow for fault tolerant operation. It may be noted that the LEDs employed for traffic signaling typically consume large amounts of electric power because of a need for high brightness for better visibility in open daylight conditions. Therefore, reducing the number of required LEDs in the present alternative mobile traffic control system 106, for example from 28 to 8, while providing the same functionality allows for significant cost and power savings. Considering a total number of active lights required at any instant at an intersection, the alternative mobile traffic control system 106 provides substantial power savings over conventional traffic light signals.
[0060] Furthermore, it may also be noted that typical weight of a conventional traffic light signal is about 72 kilograms (kgs). This includes the weight of LEDs employed for traffic signaling purposes, which is about 56 kgs for twenty-eight LEDs (about 2 kgs per LED) deployed at a four-way intersection, and the weight of enclosure and circuitry which is about 16 kgs. In comparison, the present alternative mobile traffic control system 106 employing a total of eight LEDs only weighs approximately 14 KG (2 KG for each of eight number of conventional LEDs). This weight may be further reduced by use of lightweight LED systems. The lighter weight allows for portability and easier installation and/or use of the present alternative mobile traffic control system 106 at different locations.

[0061] Thus, use of the alternative mobile traffic control system 106 allows for fault tolerant operation traffic control operation, thereby preventing unsafe traffic conditions that may otherwise lead to a fatal mishap. Particularly, the significantly lesser number of LEDs allows use of devices such as portable backup batteries 814 carried by the drone 812 to easily power the LEDs needed to provide requisite traffic signals, thereby significantly reducing the downtime of a traffic control system.
[0062] Although specific features of various embodiments of the present systems and methods may be shown in and/or described with respect to some drawings and not in others, this is for convenience only. It is to be understood that the described features, structures, and/or characteristics may be combined and/or used interchangeably in any suitable manner in the various embodiments shown in the different figures.
[0063] While only certain features of the present systems and methods have been illustrated and described herein, many modifications and changes will occur to those skilled in the art. It is, therefore, to be understood that the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications and changes as fall within the true spirit of the claimed invention.

We claim:
1. A mobile traffic control system (106), comprising:
a fixed base (202);
a housing (204) rotatably coupled to the fixed base (202) and having a plurality of faces (206) adapted to be directed towards a corresponding plurality of paths to provide traffic signals to traffic plying on the plurality of paths, the plurality of faces (206) comprising at least one main side face (206d) having a plurality of openings (208), and one or more other side faces (206a, 206b, 206c), each of the other side faces (206a, 206b, 206c) having a single opening (208a, 208b, 208c), wherein each of the plurality of openings (208) in the main side face (206d) is provided with at least one light emitting device (210c) configured to emit green color light, and wherein each opening in the other side faces (206a, 206b, 206c) is provided with at least one light emitting device (210a) configured to emit red color light;
a driver (302) configured to rotate the housing (204) about the fixed base (202); and
a controller (304) operatively coupled to the driver (302) and configured to regulate the driver (302) to selectively rotate the housing (204) about the fixed base (202) based on a selected protocol such that the housing (204) is rotated by a selected initial angle and disposed in a first position, with the main side face (206d) directed towards a first path in the plurality of paths, for a first period of time, and the housing (204) is rotated by another selected angle and disposed in a subsequent position, with the main side face (206d) directed towards a subsequent path in the plurality of paths, for a subsequent period of time.
2. The mobile traffic control system (106) as claimed in claim 1, further
comprising a timing circuitry (211) configured to control at least one light emitting

device (210c) in the main side face (206a) to display a countdown timer indicative of remaining time before the housing (204) is configured to rotate to the subsequent position.
3. The mobile traffic control system (106) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the main
side face (206d) comprises five openings (208), and wherein:
at least one of the five openings (208) comprises at least one light emitting device (210b) configured to emit yellow color light,
at least one of the five openings (208) comprises at least one filter (212a) projecting a left arrow image and at least one light emitting device (210c) configured to emit green color light, such that the light emitting device (210c) is configured to display the left arrow image in green color;
at least one of the five openings (208) comprises at least one filter (212b) projecting a straight arrow image and at least one light emitting device (210c) configured to emit green color light, such that the light emitting device (210c) is configured to display the straight arrow image in green color; and
at least one of the five openings (208) comprises at least one filter (212c) projecting a right arrow image and at least one light emitting device (210c) configured to emit green color light, such that the light emitting device (210c) is configured to display the right arrow image in green color.
4. The mobile traffic control system (106) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the
housing (204) comprises the same number of faces (206) as the number of paths
intersecting at an intersection where the mobile traffic control system (106) is to be
deployed such that the housing (204) is adapted to comprise three faces (206b, 206c,

206d) for a three-way intersection, and four faces (206a, 206b, 206c, 206d) for a four-way intersection.
5. The mobile traffic control system (106) as claimed in claim 4, wherein the controller (304) is configured to determine the selected initial angle, the selected subsequent angle, the first period of time, and the subsequent period of time based on one or more of pre-programmed instructions and information received from a traffic estimation unit (310) that is communicatively coupled to the mobile traffic control system (106).
6. The mobile traffic control system (106) as claimed in claim 4, wherein the first period of time is equal to each subsequent period of time, and the selected initial angle is equal to each selected subsequent angle.
7. The mobile traffic control system (106) as claimed in claim 4, wherein the driver (302) is configured to rotate the housing (204) by 90 degrees to dispose the housing (204) in the first position, and each subsequent position when the traffic control system is to be deployed at a four-way intersection.
8. The mobile traffic control system (106) as claimed in claim 5, wherein the mobile traffic control system (106) is deployed at a three-way intersection comprising the first path, a second path, and a third path, and wherein the driver (302) is configured to rotate the housing (204) by 90 degrees such that the main side face (206d) is directed towards the first path, wherein the driver (302) is configured to further rotate the housing (204) by 90 degrees such that the main side face (206d) is subsequently directed towards the second path, wherein the driver (302) is configured to rotate the housing (204) by 90 degrees such that the main side face (206d) is directed towards

the third path, and wherein the driver (302) is configured to rotate the housing (204) by 180 degrees such that the main side face (206d) is redirected towards the first path.
9. The mobile traffic control system (106) as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a power source (312) configured to supply electric power to one or more of light emitting devices (210a, 210b, 210c), the driver (302), and the controller (304) for operation of the mobile traffic control system (106).
10. The mobile traffic control system (106) as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a fault mitigation system (800), wherein the fault mitigation system (800) comprises:
a fault detection module (802) configured to detect a power failure in a conventional traffic control system (100);
a first communication module (804), communicatively coupled with the fault detection module (802), and configured to generate and transmit a fault signal upon detection of the power failure in the conventional traffic control system (100);
a remote control center (306, 806) comprising a docking station (810) configured to dock one or more unmanned vehicles (812) having a backup power source (814), and a second communications module (808) configured to receive the fault signal from the first communication module (804), and configure the docking station (810) to program least one of the unmanned vehicles (812) to travel to a location of the conventional traffic control system (100), determined from the fault signal, to operate as the mobile traffic control system (106).
11. The mobile traffic control system (106) as claimed in claim 10, wherein the
fault detection module (802) is configured to detect when the main power supply is

restored in the conventional traffic control system (100), and subsequently configure the first communication module (802) to generate and transmit a restoration signal to the second communication module (808) in the control center (806), wherein the docking station (810) is configured to generate and send a command, via the second communication module (808), to the unmanned vehicle (812) deployed in lieu of the conventional traffic control system (100) to either travel back to the docking station (810) or travel to another traffic control system from which a faulty signal has been received by the second communication module (808).
12. The mobile traffic control system (106) as claimed in claim 10, wherein the unmanned vehicle (812) comprises one or more of a drone, an unmanned aerial vehicle, an unmanned ground vehicle, an unmanned water vehicle, and an unmanned robotic vehicle.
13. The mobile traffic control system (106) as claimed in claim 10, wherein the fault detection module (802) further comprises one or more of an independently powered current sensing unit, a voltage sensing unit, an image acquisition and processing unit, and a light dependent resistor configured to detect the power failure in the traffic control system.