Vehicle-traffic control device communication techniques

1. A vehicular control arrangement, comprising:

at least one traffic control device;

a communication system arranged in a vehicle and communicating with said at least one traffic control device to provide information about travel of the vehicle to said at least one traffic control device and receive information about a status of said at least one traffic control device; and

a warning system arranged in the vehicle,

said at least one traffic control device comprising a stoplight that changes between red, green and yellow lights,

said stoplight including a transmitter that transmits a communication indicating a color of said stoplight and how much time remains before said stoplight changes color,

said communication system being arranged to receive the communication transmitted by said transmitter of said stoplight,

said warning system being arranged to provide a warning to a driver of a vehicle approaching said stoplight when said communication system of the vehicle receives a communication from said stoplight and determines, based in part on a location of said stoplight obtained from a vehicle-resident map database, that the driver is not taking appropriate action.

2. The arrangement of claim 1 , wherein said stoplight is arranged to determine whether the vehicle is speeding and if so, direct the communication from said transmitter to said communication system on the vehicle indicating that the vehicle is speeding.

3. The arrangement of claim 2 , wherein said warning system provides a warning to the driver of the vehicle when said communication system receives a communication from said stoplight indicating that the vehicle is speeding.

4. The arrangement of claim 3 , further comprising a vehicle motion control system arranged in the vehicle to slow or stop motion of the vehicle if the vehicle does not slow down or stop in response to the warning provided by said warning system in response to the communication received from said stoplight.

5. The arrangement of claim 1 , wherein said communication system is arranged to transmit a signal indicating approach of the vehicle to said stoplight, said stoplight being arranged to remain or change to green when there are no vehicles detected coming from other directions to said stoplight.

6. The arrangement of claim 1 , wherein said at least one traffic control device further comprises a road sign.

7. The arrangement of claim 1 , further comprising a vehicle motion control system arranged in the vehicle to slow or stop motion of the vehicle if the vehicle does not slow down or stop in response to the warning provided by said warning system in response to the communication received from said stoplight.

8. A method for controlling vehicular traffic via traffic control devices, the method comprising:

establishing communications between the traffic control devices and vehicles approaching the traffic control devices, the traffic control devices including a stoplight that changes between red, green and yellow lights, the stoplight including a transmitter that transmits a communication indicating a color of the stoplight and how much time remains before the stoplight changes color;

providing information about travel of the vehicle to the traffic control devices to enable the traffic control devices to operate based on the provided information and providing information about a status of the traffic control devices to the vehicles to enable the vehicles to operate based on the provided information;

arranging a communication system in each vehicle to receive the communication transmitted by the transmitter of the stoplight; and

providing a warning using a warning device arranged on each vehicle to a driver of a vehicle approaching the stoplight when the communication system of the vehicle receives a communication from the stoplight and, using information about a location of the stoplight obtained from a vehicle-resident map database and vehicle location and velocity information, determines that the vehicle is speeding.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

determining at one of the traffic control devices whether an approaching vehicle is speeding and if so,

directing a communication from the transmitter of the stoplight to the vehicle indicating that the vehicle is speeding.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the communication system is arranged to cause the vehicle to change its motion when the driver of the vehicle does not respond to the warning being provided by the warning device.

11. The method of claim 9 , further comprising providing a system in the vehicle which slows or stops motion of the vehicle if the vehicle does not slow down or stop in response to the warning provided by the warning system.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein the vehicle is arranged to provide information to the stoplight indicating its approach to the stoplight, further comprising controlling the stoplight to remain or change to green when there are no vehicles detected coming from other directions to the stoplight.

13. The method of claim 8 , further comprising providing a system in the vehicle which slows or stops motion of the vehicle if the vehicle does not slow down or stop in response to the warning provided by the warning system.

14. A traffic control arrangement for managing vehicular traffic, comprising:

at least one traffic control device, said at least one traffic control device comprising a stoplight that changes between red, green and yellow lights, said stoplight including a transmitter that transmits a communication indicating a color of said stoplight and how much time remains before said stoplight changes color;

a positioning system arranged in each vehicle;

a warning system arranged in each vehicle;

a communication system arranged in each vehicle and coupled to said positioning system; and

a receiver arranged on said at least one traffic control device, said communication system of each vehicle being arranged to communicate the position of the vehicle as provided by said positioning system to said receiver, said at least one traffic control device being arranged to operate based on the presence and position of vehicles communicated with said receiver,

said communication system being arranged to receive the communication transmitted by said transmitter of said stoplight,

said warning system being arranged to provide a warning to a driver of a vehicle approaching said stoplight when said communication system of the vehicle receives a communication from said stoplight indicating the status of the traffic control device and the vehicle determines from its location and velocity and a location of the traffic control device obtained from a vehicle-resident map database that it is speeding, said communication system being arranged to cause the vehicle to change its motion when the driver of the vehicle does not respond to the warning being provided by said warning device.