Apparatus and method for controlling traffic signals using identification information having hierarchical structure

1. A traffic light control device that controls signal light change of a management-target traffic light, comprising:

a broadcast signal receiving unit that receives a broadcast signal emitted from a traffic control center via a broadcast network, wherein the broadcast signal includes identification information having a layered structure and a control command; and

a traffic light control unit that determines whether the management-target traffic light belongs to a target of the control command on the basis of the identification information having a layered structure and that outputs the control signal for performing the signal light change based on the control command only when the management-target traffic light belongs to the target of the control command.

2. The traffic light control device according to claim 1 , wherein when an entire area taken charge of by the traffic control center is divided into sub areas corresponding to a plurality of exclusive layers in which traffic lights are installed, the identification information having a layered structure is information for identifying one or more sub areas on which batch signal light change based on the control command will be performed.

3. The traffic light control device according to claim 2 , wherein the identification information having a layered structure has a structure in which a bit number of data increases with a shift to a lower layer.

4. The traffic light control device according to claim 3 , wherein layer information for distinguishing layers of sub areas which are the target of the control command is extracted from the bit number of the identification information having a layered structure.

5. The traffic light control device according to claim 2 , wherein the identification information having a layered structure includes a layer code indicating the layer of a sub area which is the target of the control command and a detailed code for distinguishing the sub area from the other sub areas in the same layer.

6. The traffic light control device according to claim 2 , wherein the identification information having a layered structure includes a street code corresponding to a street address or a postal code corresponding to a lot number address.

7. The traffic light control device according to claim 1 , wherein the traffic light control unit includes:

a broadcast signal analyzing unit that analyzes the broadcast signal;

a time synchronizing unit that synchronizes a system time of the management-target traffic light with a system time of a reference traffic light using time-synchronization time data extracted from the broadcast signal or a GPS time estimated through the use of a GPS unit;

an offset setting unit that sets an offset time using an offset parameter extracted from the broadcast signal; and

a signal light change control unit that outputs a control signal for starting signal light display of the management-target traffic light at a time point which lags by the offset time from a signal light display start time point of the reference traffic light.

8. A traffic light control method which is performed by a traffic light control device that controls signal light change of a management-target traffic light, comprising the steps of:

receiving a broadcast signal emitted from a traffic control center via a broadcast network, wherein the broadcast signal includes identification information having a layered structure and a control command;

analyzing the broadcast signal and extracting layer information of the identification information having a layered structure;

extracting distinction data corresponding to the layer information from the identification information of the management-target traffic signal;

comparing the distinction data with the identification information of the broadcast signal and determining whether the management-target traffic light belongs to a target of the control command; and

performing signal light change based on the control command when it is determined that the management-target traffic light belongs to the target of the control command.

9. The traffic light control method according to claim 8 , wherein when an entire area taken charge of by the traffic control center is divided into sub areas corresponding to a plurality of exclusive layers in which traffic lights are installed, the identification information having a layered structure is information for identifying one or more sub areas on which batch signal light change based on the control command will be performed.

10. The traffic light control method according to claim 9 , wherein the identification information having a layered structure has a structure in which a bit number of data increases with a shift to a lower layer.

11. The traffic light control method according to claim 10 , wherein the layer information for distinguishing layers of sub areas which are the target of the control command is extracted from the bit number of the identification information having a layered structure.

12. The traffic light control method according to claim 11 , wherein upper bit data corresponding to the bit number corresponding to the layer information in the identification information of the management-target traffic light is extracted from the distinction data.

13. The traffic light control method according to claim 9 , wherein the identification information having a layered structure includes a layer code indicating the layer of a sub area which is the target of the control command and a detailed code for distinguishing the sub area from the other sub areas in the same layer.

14. The traffic light control method according to claim 13 , wherein an identification code having the same layer code as the layer code in the identification information of the management-target traffic light is extracted as the distinction data.

15. The traffic light control method according to claim 9 , wherein the identification information having a layered structure includes a street code corresponding to a street address or a postal code corresponding to a lot number address.

16. The traffic light control method according to claim 8 , wherein the step of performing signal light change based on the control command includes the steps of:

determining an offset time from a reference traffic light on the basis of an analysis result of the broadcast signal; and

outputting the control signal for controlling the signal light change of the management-target traffic light so that a time point which lags by the offset time from a reference time is matched with a signal light display start time point of the management-target traffic light.