Traffic intersection distance anayltics system

1. A traffic intersection distance signaling method, comprising:

using data from a first sensor positioned on a first light pole on a first side of a specified traffic intersection to determine a distance between a first vehicle travelling in a first direction on the first side of the traffic intersection and a near edge of the traffic intersection;

using data from a second sensor positioned on a second light pole on a second side of the intersection, opposite the first side of the intersection, to measure a length of a second vehicle travelling in the first direction on the second side of the intersection;

using said determined distance and the measured length of the second vehicle to determine if space is available for the second vehicle on the first side of the intersection, behind the first vehicle, for the second vehicle to enter and exit the intersection in said first direction behind the first vehicle; and

when said space is available for the second vehicle, behind the first vehicle, signaling to the second vehicle that space is available for the second vehicle, behind the first vehicle on the first side of the intersection for the second vehicle to enter and exit the intersection travelling in the first direction.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first sensor is a first video device providing image data, and the using data from a first sensor to determine the distance between the first vehicle and the near edge of the traffic intersection includes processing the image data provided by the first video device to determine said distance.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the second sensor is a second video device providing image data, and the using data from the second sensor to measure the length of the second vehicle includes processing the image data provided by the second video device to measure said length.

4. The method according to claim 3 , wherein the processing the image data provided by the first and second video devices includes a controller receiving the image data from the first and second video devices and processing the image data from the first and second video devices to determine the distance between the first vehicle and the near edge of the traffic intersection and the length of the second vehicle.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the signaling to the second vehicle that space is available for the second vehicle on the first side of the intersection includes using a electronic display unit to a display a signal to the second vehicle that space is available for the second vehicle on the first side of the intersection.

6. The method according to claim 4 , wherein the electronic display unit is positioned on the first side of the intersection.

7. The method according to claim 5 , wherein the electronic display unit is mounted on the first light pole.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the using said determined distance and the measured length of the second vehicle to determine if space is available for the second vehicle, behind the first vehicle, for the second vehicle to enter and exit the intersection behind the first vehicle includes determining that said space is available for the second vehicle when the determined distance between the first vehicle and the near edge of the traffic intersection is equal to or greater than the measured length of the second vehicle.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the using data from the first sensor to determine the distance between the first vehicle and the near edge of the traffic intersection includes monitoring said distance between the first vehicle and the near edge of the traffic intersection over a period of time.

10. The method according to claim 5 , wherein the using said determined distance and the measured length of the second vehicle to determine if space is available for the second vehicle, behind the first vehicle, for the second vehicle to enter and exit the intersection behind the first vehicle includes comparing said determined distance and the measured length of the vehicle one or more times over the period of time.

11. A traffic intersection distance signaling system, comprising:

a first sensor positioned on a first light pole on a first side of a specified traffic intersection to obtain data for determining a distance between a first vehicle travelling in a first direction on the first side of the traffic intersection and a near edge of the traffic intersection;

a second sensor positioned on a second light pole on a second side of the intersection, opposite the first side of the intersection, to obtain data for measuring a length of a second vehicle travelling in the first direction on the second side of the intersection;

a display unit for producing signaling messages: and

a sub-system for using the data from the first sensor to determine a distance between a first vehicle on the first side of the traffic intersection and the near edge of the traffic intersection, for using the data from the second sensor to measure the length of the second vehicle, for using said determined distance and the measured length of the second vehicle to determine if space is available for the second vehicle on the first side of the intersection, behind the first vehicle, for the second vehicle to enter and exit the intersection in said first direction behind the first vehicle, when said space is available for the second vehicle, behind the first vehicle, and for transmitting a control signal to the display unit to display a signal to the second vehicle, behind the first vehicle, that space is available for the second vehicle on the first side of the traffic intersection for the second vehicle to enter and exit the intersection travelling in the first direction.

12. The traffic intersection distance signaling system, according to claim 11 , wherein the first sensor is a first video device for providing image data, and the sub-system includes a controller for processing the image data provided by the first video device to determine the distance between the first vehicle and the near edge of the traffic intersection.

13. The traffic intersection distance signaling system according to claim 12 , wherein the second sensor is a second video device for providing image data, and the controller processes the image data provided by the second video device to measure the length of the second vehicle.

14. The traffic intersection distance signaling system according to claim 13 , wherein, the electronic display unit is mounted on the first light pole, on the first side of the intersection.

15. The traffic intersection distance signaling system according to claim 12 , wherein the using said determined distance and the measured length of the second vehicle to determine if space is available for the second vehicle, behind the first vehicle, for the second vehicle to enter and exit the intersection behind the first vehicle includes determining that said space is available for the second vehicle when the determined distance between the first vehicle and the near edge of the traffic intersection is equal to or greater than the measured length of the second vehicle.

16. A computer readable program product for traffic intersection distance signaling, the computer readable program product comprising:

a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therein, the program instructions executable by a computer to cause the computer to perform the method of:

using data from a first sensor positioned on a first light pole on a first side of a specified traffic intersection to determine a distance between a first vehicle travelling in a first direction on the first side of the traffic intersection and a near edge of the traffic intersection;

using data from a second sensor positioned on a second light pole on a second side of the intersection, opposite the first side of the intersection, to measure a length of a second vehicle travelling in the first direction on the second side of the intersection;

using said determined distance and the measured length of the second vehicle to determine if space is available for the second vehicle on the first side of the intersection, behind the first vehicle, for the second vehicle to enter and exit the intersection in said first direction behind the first vehicle; and

when said space is available for the second vehicle, behind the first vehicle, signaling to the second vehicle that space is available for the second vehicle, behind the first vehicle, on the first side of the intersection for the second vehicle to enter and exit the intersection travelling in the first direction.

17. The computer readable program product according to claim 16 , wherein the first sensor is a first video device providing image data, and the using data from a first sensor to determine the distance between the first vehicle and the near edge of the traffic intersection includes processing the image data provided by the first video device to determine said distance.

18. The computer readable program product according to claim 17 , wherein the second sensor is a second video device providing image data, and the using data from the second sensor to measure the length of the second vehicle includes processing the image data provided by the second video device to measure said length.

19. The computer readable program product according to claim 18 , wherein the processing the image data provided by the first and second video devices includes a controller receiving the image data from the first and second video devices and processing the image data from the first and second video devices to determine the distance between the first vehicle and the near edge of the traffic intersection and the length of the second vehicle.

20. The computer readable program product according to claim 16 , wherein the signaling to the second vehicle that space is available for the second vehicle on the first side of the intersection includes using a electronic display unit to a display a signal to the second vehicle that space is available for the second vehicle on the first side of the intersection.