Intersection Beacons

Everyone has a Smartphone now, and the Smartphone is actually starting to supplant the dedicated GPS. Not completely, but starting. A dedicated GPS has certain advantages, like large amounts of data stored on-board, with no network connection needed. Smartphones need cell service, at a minimum a 2G network. With the number of G's increasing rapidly, soon we will be looking at 6G networks, but now everyone is at about 3G or 4G, with many people starting to make the move to 5G. This is all well and good, as long as you stay within the bounds of the network signal. As soon as you go beyond, the Smartphone becomes as useful as a brick with apps. This is not to denigrate Smartphones, actually, but a suggestion for improving the functions of dedicated GPS devices.

These days, pretty much every intersection is controlled by a computer. They are probably even networked, which gives this idea even greater value. I would like to see every computer-controlled intersection equipped with a beacon that would constantly broadcast the state of the intersection. It would be implemented using antennae that are directional in nature, pointing and broadcasting their status towards oncoming traffic. They would send a time signal and the color of the light to approaching traffic, plus the remaining time until the light is expected to change.

Each packet would contain the current time as a reference, plus the state of every light in the intersection, such as straight, left turn lanes, right turn and crosswalks. The current GPS databases would need to be extended to include the configuration of known intersections as to what signals were present, and the state of the intersection could be decoded on the GPS screen. It would tell you that the light ahead is green, but will turn red in 8 seconds. Given your then-current speed, it could warn you if you were going too slow to make the light, maybe advise you to slow down or to continue at the current speed, or accelerate if safe to the posted speed limit.

Already, GPS manufacturers have traffic service, where they broadcast traffic alerts constantly. Databases are showing where all the red-light cameras are, and it is only a matter of time before GPS databases will include posted speed limits and the location of every single stop sign on the planet. Making intersections broadcast their state to oncoming traffic could add a dimension of safety by warning drivers of the red light they might not be aware of, and lives could be saved.

This idea is not intended to make it easy to avoid red-light violations, and any suggestion of that might work to delay implementation of this fantastic idea. Probably anyone who is opposed to this idea works for the county or city government, and would not like to see people have this information available. They also might not want to spend public funds on something so frivolous, but if only one life were to be saved, it would be worth millions, right? Right? So who could object?

Also, the data could be put on the internet, and Smartphone owners could access the data from Google Maps, as they are being voice-guided on the way to work. "The light ahead at 6th and High Streets is red, and will turn green in fifteen seconds." "The light ahead at Main Street and Wall Street is red and the crosswalk is active." "The light ahead at First Street and Sunset Blvd. is green but will turn red in 7 seconds." These are just some off-the-cuff examples of what your GPS might someday tell you. And if you are the one to turn this idea into gold, can you please remember me? I only want 10%!