FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a traffic control method, and more particularly to a traffic control method for use with a distributed hearing system.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Because of dense population and frequent activities, it is necessary to collect information associated with the activities of residents and make judgments and decisions based on the collected information for good urban governance. Conventionally, video information has been collected and analyzed in a variety of urban governance applications. However, there should be audio information, in addition to video information, highly correlated to daily lives of residents. Unfortunately, only has video information been practically applied to urban governance, and it is still insufficient for creating a full-fledged system. Therefore, it is desirable to make use of audio information.

Generally, audio information may be originated from fixed audio signal sources and mobile audio signal sources. For a fixed audio signal source which periodically or constantly makes too much noise, it is not difficult to locate the audio signal source and find evidences of violating law or rules. Therefore, amelioration of noise pollution can be timely and significantly made. However, for a mobile audio signal source which makes loud noise at arbitrary places and time, for example illegally modified car, old vehicle or speeding motorcycle, it is hard to give evidence, or a lot of manpower would be required to collect evidence.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the present invention is to provide a distributed hearing system for use with traffic signals, which provides audio information feasible for urban governance, and a traffic control method for use with the distributed hearing system.

An aspect of the present invention relates to a distributed hearing system, which includes a plurality of near audio probe modules distributed at a plurality of specified locations in a specified area for recording audio information at the specified locations in the specified area, respectively; and a central data collecting/analysis/control module in communication with the plurality of near audio probe modules for collecting and analyzing the audio information from the plurality of near audio probe modules. The audio information is generated by a vehicle and includes a characteristic feature specific to the vehicle. A traffic control method is used with the distributed hearing system.

In an embodiment, the distributed hearing system is used with traffic signals.

Preferably, the near audio probe modules are installed in traffic signal devices at the specified locations, respectively.

Preferably, the central data collecting/analysis/control module further issues a decision command to one or more of the traffic signal devices to execute a specific operation according to the analyzing result of the audio information. For example, the specific operation is to force the traffic signal device to turn green, or to force the traffic signal device to turn red.

In an embodiment, the audio information is generated by an audio recognition transmitter attached onto the vehicle.

In an embodiment, the correlation of the characteristic feature to the vehicle is previously recorded in a database of the central data collecting/analysis/control module. In another embodiment, the correlation of the characteristic feature to the vehicle is dynamically recorded and inputted into the central data collecting/analysis/control module.

