Eco-Sign: a load-based traffic light control system for environmental protection with vehicular communications

The Eco-Sign system is a traffic light control system for minimizing greenhouse gases emitted by idling vehicles at intersections. Eco-Sign provides the following features: (i) it can notify vehicles to turn on/off their engines based on expected waiting time for green lights at intersections, (ii) it can dynamically adjust traffic light timing to minimize the number of vehicles stopping at an intersection based on vehicle arrival and departure rates, and (iii) it is a fully distributed system in the sense that each intersection can learn its local traffic condition and optimize its traffic sign setting to prevent congestions and thus traffic jams. Eco-Sign thus demonstrates a new traffic light control system for environmental protection.