Configuring traffic control device switch timing intervals using mobile wireless device-provided traffic information

• US 10,043,385 B2
• Filed: 06/06/2016
• Issued: 08/07/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: United States Cellular Corporation (Telephone & Data Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: United States Cellular Corporation (Telephone & Data Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Thalanany, Sebastian, Saxena, Narothum, Irizarry, Michael S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Antonucci, Anne M
• Assistant Examiner(s): TAVERAS, KENNY ABEL
• Application Number:
  US15/174,635
• Publication Number:
  US 20170352264A1
• Time in Patent Office: 792 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0112 from the vehicle, e.g. floating car data [FCD]
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0129 for creating historical data or processing based on historical data
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0133 for classifying traffic situation
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0145 for active traffic flow control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/08 according to detected number or speed of vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/081 Plural intersections under common control
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/10 including a GPS signal receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data

Abstract

A traffic control device (TCD) is described for managing control of multiple right of way passages at a traffic intersection. The TCD includes a mobile wireless interface for communicating with an in-vehicle mobile wireless device (IV-MWD) to receive a commuter profile (CP) containing a subscribed switch time interval (SSTI). The TCD determines a set of passage priority values for respective ones of a set of controlled right of way passages. The TCD selects, based upon the set of passage priority values, a highest priority one of the set of controlled right of way passages as a next controlled right of way passage granted passage. The TCD resets a timer duration value associated with a next controlled right of way passage period, executes a right of way passage switch. Thereafter, the TCD maintains a current switch status of the traffic control device for a period corresponding to the timer duration value.

Claims

1. A method for managing control of multiple right of way passages at an intersection, by a traffic control device including a wireless communication interface for communicating with an in-vehicle mobile wireless device (IV-MWD) to receive a commuter profile (CP containing a subscribed switch time interval (SSTI) and a storage for maintaining right of way passage-specific CP sets, the method comprising:

determining a set of passage priority values for respective ones of each of a set of controlled right of way passages at the intersection, where each one of the set of passage priority values is based upon SSTI values for IV-MWDs currently waiting to pass through a same respective one of the set of controlled right of way passages at the intersection;

selecting, based upon the set of passage priority values, a highest priority one of the set of controlled right of way passages at the intersection as a next controlled right of way passage granted passage through the intersection;

resetting a timer duration value associated with a next controlled right of way passage period;

executing a right of way passage switch in accordance with the selecting; and

maintaining, after the executing, a current switch status of the traffic control device at the intersection for a period corresponding to the tinier duration value,

wherein a particular SSTI value for a particular IV-MWD comprises at least a value indicative of a relative wait priority for the particular IV-MWD in relation to other IV-MWDs approaching the intersection and providing SSTI values.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

acquiring from approaching IV-MWDs, by the traffic control device via localized wireless communications with approaching IV-MWDs, commuter profile (CP) information including the SSTI information.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising propagating the CP information from a particular IV-MWD to a neighboring traffic control device along a projected route to a destination specified in the CP for the particular IV-MWD.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

detecting an excessive wait time for one of the set of controlled right of way passages; and

by-passing, in response to the detecting, the selecting based upon the set of passage priority values, the highest priority one of the set of controlled right of way passages.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the timer duration value is based, in part, upon estimated trip duration values for IV-MWDs associated with controlled right of way passages that are not granted passage during the period corresponding to the timer duration value.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein each of the passage priority values is based, in part, upon SSTI values for IV-MWDs associated with the corresponding one of the set of controlled right of way passages.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the timer duration value is based, in part, upon estimated trip duration values for IV-MWDs associated with controlled right of way passages that are not granted passage during the period corresponding to the timer duration value.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the executing is performed in accordance with a duration of a switching time for transitioning from a current right of way passage to the selected one of the controlled right of way passages, wherein the duration is determined in accordance with a driving conditions parameter.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

detecting passage of a particular IV-MWD through an intersection under control of the traffic control device; and

removing, in response to the detecting, a commuter profile corresponding to the particular IV-MWD from a corresponding one of the right of way passage-specific CP sets.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable medium including computer executable instructions facilitating managing control of multiple right of way passages at an intersection, by a traffic control device including a wireless communication interface for communicating with an in-vehicle mobile wireless device (IV-MWD) to receive a commuter profile (CP) containing a subscribed switch time interval (SSTI) and a storage for maintaining right of way passage-specific CP sets, the computer-executable instructions, when facilitating performing a method comprising:

determining a set of passage priority values for respective ones of each of a set of controlled right of way passages at the intersection, where each one of the set of passage priority values is based upon SSTI values for IV-MWDs currently waiting to pass through a same respective one of the set of controlled right of way passages at the intersection;

selecting, based upon the set of passage priority values, a highest priority one of the set of controlled right of way passages at the intersection as a next controlled right of way passage granted passage through the intersection;

resetting a timer duration value associated with a next controlled right of way passage period;

executing a right of way passage switch in accordance with the selecting; and

maintaining, after the executing, a current switch status of the traffic control device at the intersection for a period corresponding to the timer duration value,

wherein a particular SSTI value for a particular IV-MWD comprises at least a value indicative of a relative wait priority for the particular IV-MWD in relation to other IV-MWDs approaching the intersection and providing SSTI values.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10 wherein the computer-executable instructions facilitate performing the method further comprising:

acquiring from approaching IV-MWDs, by the traffic control device via localized wireless communications with approaching IV-MWDs, commuter profile (CP) information including the SSTI information.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11 wherein the computer-executable instructions facilitate performing the method further comprising:

propagating the CP information from a particular IV-MWD to a neighboring traffic control device along a projected route to a destination specified in the CP for the particular IV-MWD.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10 wherein the computer-executable instructions facilitate performing the method further comprising:

detecting an excessive wait time for one of the set of controlled right of way passages; and

by-passing, in response to the detecting, the selecting based upon the set of passage priority values, the highest priority one of the set of controlled right of way passages.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10 wherein the timer duration value is based, in part, upon estimated trip duration values for IV-MWDs associated with controlled right of way passages that are not granted passage during the period corresponding to the timer duration value.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10 wherein each of the passage priority values is based, in part, upon SSTI values for IV-MWDs associated with the corresponding one of the set of controlled right of way passages.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10 wherein the timer duration value is based, in part, upon estimated trip duration values for IV-MWDs associated with controlled right of way passages that are not granted passage during the period corresponding to the timer duration value.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10 wherein the executing is performed in accordance with a duration of a switching time for transitioning from a current right of way passage to the selected one of the controlled right of way passages, wherein the duration is determined in accordance with a driving conditions parameter.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10 wherein the computer-executable instructions facilitate performing the method further comprising:

detecting passage of a particular IV-MWD through an intersection under control of the traffic control device; and

removing, in response to the detecting, a commuter profile corresponding to the particular IV-MWD from a corresponding one of the right of way passage-specific CP sets.

19. A traffic control device (TCD) node for managing control of multiple right of way passages at an intersection, the TCD node comprising:

a mobile wireless interface for communicating with an in-vehicle mobile wireless device (IV-MWD) to receive a commuter profile (CP) containing a subscribed switch time interval (SSTI);

a processor; and

a non-transitory computer-readable medium configured to store right of way passage-specific CP sets and to store computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, facilitate performing, by the TCD, a method comprising;

determining a set of passage priority values for respective ones of each of a set of controlled right of way passages at the intersection, where each one of the set of passage priority values is based upon SSTI values for IV-MWDs currently waiting to pass through a same respective one of the set of controlled right of way passages at the intersection;

selecting, based upon the set of passage priority values, a highest priority one of the set of controlled right of way passages at the intersection as a next controlled right of way passage granted passage through the intersection;

resetting a timer duration value associated with a next controlled right of way passage period;

executing a right of way passage switch in accordance with the selecting; and

maintaining, after the executing, a current switch status of the traffic control device at the intersection for a period corresponding to the timer duration value,

wherein a particular SSTI value for a particular IV-MWD comprises at least a value indicative of a relative wait priority for the particular IV-MWD in relation to other IV-MWDs approaching the intersection and providing SSTI values.

20. The TCD of claim 19 wherein the computer-executable instructions facilitate performing the method further comprising:

acquiring from approaching IV-MWDs, by the traffic control device via localized wireless communications with approaching IV-MWDs, commuter profile (CP) information including the SSTI information.

21. The TCD of claim 20 wherein the computer-executable instructions facilitate performing the method further comprising:

propagating the CP information from a particular IV-MWD to a neighboring traffic control device along a projected route to a destination specified in the CP for the particular IV-MWD.

22. The TCD of claim 19 wherein the computer-executable instructions facilitate performing the method further comprising:

detecting an excessive wait time for one of the set of controlled right of way passages; and

by-passing, in response to the detecting, the selecting based upon the set of passage priority values, the highest priority one of the set of controlled right of way passages.

23. The TCD of claim 19 wherein the timer duration value is based, in part, upon estimated trip duration values for IV-MWDs associated with controlled right of way passages that are not granted passage during the period corresponding to the timer duration value.

24. The TCD of claim 19 wherein each of the passage priority values is based, in part, upon SSTI values for IV-MWDs associated with the corresponding one of the set of controlled right of way passages.

25. The TCD of claim 19 wherein the timer duration value is based, in part, upon estimated trip duration values for IV-MWDs associated with controlled right of way passages that are not granted passage during the period corresponding to the timer duration value.

26. The TCD of claim 19 wherein the executing is performed in accordance with a duration of a switching time for transitioning from a current right of way passage to the selected one of the controlled right of way passages, wherein the duration is determined in accordance with a driving conditions parameter.

27. The TCD of claim 19 wherein the computer-executable instructions facilitate performing the method further comprising:

detecting passage of a particular IV-MWD through an intersection under control of the traffic control device; and

removing, in response to the detecting, a commuter profile corresponding to the particular IV-MWD from a corresponding one of the right of way passage-specific CP sets.