Method and apparatus for determining split lane traffic conditions utilizing both multimedia data and probe data

• US 10,147,315 B2
• Filed: 07/27/2016
• Issued: 12/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HERE Global B.V. (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: HERE Global B.V. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Fowe, James
• Primary Examiner(s): ANTONUCCI, ANNE MARIE
• Application Number:
  US15/221,112
• Publication Number:
  US 20180033297A1
• Time in Patent Office: 860 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3691 Retrieval, searching and output of information related to real-time traffic, weather, or environmental conditions arrangements for giving variable traffic instructions G08G1/09
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0112 from the vehicle, e.g. floating car data [FCD]
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0116 from roadside infrastructure, e.g. beacons
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/012 from other sources than vehicle or roadside beacons, e.g. mobile networks
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0133 for classifying traffic situation
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0141 for traffic information dissemination
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/04 using optical or ultrasonic detectors
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096716 where the received information does not generate an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096741 where the source of the transmitted information selects which information to transmit to each vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096775 where the origin of the information is a central station

Abstract

A method, apparatus and computer program product are provided to improve the identification and characterization of split lane traffic and other multi-modality traffic conditions. In the context of a method, multimedia data from a camera is received that is representative of traffic conditions along a road segment upstream of a junction. The method identifies a multi-modality condition along the road segment upstream of the junction based upon an analysis of the multimedia data. The method also includes evaluating a plurality of probe points representative of travel along the road segment upstream of the junction in accordance with a detection algorithm to separately determine whether the multi-modality condition exists along the road segment upstream of the junction. The method further includes determining whether to modify one or more tuning parameters of the detection algorithm based upon the multi-modality condition identified based upon the analysis of the multimedia data.

Claims

1. A navigation system comprising:

a communication interface configured to receive multimedia data including one or more images from a camera representative of traffic conditions along a road segment upstream of a junction; and

at least one processor configured to;

identify a multi-modality condition along the road segment upstream of the junction based upon an analysis of the multimedia data including the one or more images;

evaluate a plurality of probe points representative of travel along the road segment upstream of the junction in accordance with a detection algorithm to separately determine whether the multi-modality condition exists along the road segment upstream of the junction; and

determine whether to modify one or more tuning parameters of the detection algorithm based upon the multi-modality condition identified based upon the analysis of the multimedia data including the one or more images,

wherein the communication interface is also configured to cause an alert message to be provided based upon the multi-modality condition identified based upon the analysis of the multimedia data including the one or more images.

2. A navigations system according to claim 1 wherein the one or more tuning parameters comprise a minimum probe count, a bi-modality magnitude, a congestion criteria or a persistence duration.

3. A navigation system according to claim 1 wherein the at least one processor is further configured to subsequently evaluate the plurality of probe points representative of travel along the road segment upstream of the junction in accordance with the detection algorithm and utilize the one or more tuning parameters, as modified, to determine whether the multi-modality condition exists along the road segment upstream of the junction.

4. A method implemented by a computing device, the method comprising:

receiving multimedia data including one or more images from a camera representative of traffic conditions along a road segment upstream of a junction;

identifying a multi-modality condition along the road segment upstream of the junction based upon an analysis of the multimedia data including the one or more images;

evaluating a plurality of probe points representative of travel along the road segment upstream of the junction in accordance with a detection algorithm to separately determine whether the multi-modality condition exists along the road segment upstream of the junction;

determining whether to modify one or more tuning parameters of the detection algorithm based upon the multi-modality condition identified based upon the analysis of the multimedia data including the one or more images; and

causing an alert message to be provided based upon the multi-modality condition identified based upon the analysis of the multimedia data including the one or more images.

5. A method according to claim 4 wherein the alert message comprises an image of the traffic conditions along the road segment upstream of the junction.

6. A method according to claim 4 wherein the one or more tuning parameters comprise a minimum probe count, a bi-modality magnitude, a congestion criteria or a persistence duration.

7. A method according to claim 4 wherein identifying the multi-modality condition based upon the analysis of the multimedia data comprises analyzing the one or more images to identify the multi-modality condition based upon an estimated volume of vehicles in each of a plurality of lanes of the road segment.

8. A method according to claim 7 wherein analyzing the one or more images to identify the multi-modality condition comprises identifying the multi-modality condition based upon a difference in the estimated volume of vehicles between two of the plurality of lanes of the road segment.

9. A method according to claim 4 further comprising subsequently evaluating the plurality of probe points representative of travel along the road segment upstream of the junction in accordance with the detection algorithm and utilizing the one or more tuning parameters, as modified, to determine whether the multi-modality condition exists along the road segment upstream of the junction.

10. A method according to claim 4 wherein the one or more tuning parameters of the detection algorithm comprise predefined conditions utilized by the detection algorithm.

11. An apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program instructions, the at least one memory and the computer program instructions, with the at least one processor, causing the apparatus at least to:

receive multimedia data including one or more images from a camera representative of traffic conditions along a road segment upstream of a junction;

identify a multi-modality condition along the road segment upstream of the junction based upon an analysis of the multimedia data including the one or more images;

evaluate a plurality of probe points representative of travel along the road segment upstream of the junction in accordance with a detection algorithm to separately determine whether the multi-modality condition exists along the road segment upstream of the junction;

determine whether to modify one or more tuning parameters of the detection algorithm based upon the multi-modality condition identified based upon the analysis of the multimedia data including the one or more images; and

cause an alert message to be provided based upon the multi-modality condition identified based upon the analysis of the multimedia data including the one or more images.

12. An apparatus according to claim 11 wherein the alert message comprises an image of the traffic conditions along the road segment upstream of the junction.

13. An apparatus according to claim 11 wherein the one or more tuning parameters comprise a minimum probe count, a bi-modality magnitude, a congestion criteria or a persistence duration.

14. An apparatus according to claim 11 wherein the at least one memory and the computer program instructions, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to identify the multi-modality condition based upon the analysis of the multimedia data by analyzing the one or more images to identify the multi-modality condition based upon an estimated volume of vehicles in each of a plurality of lanes of the road segment.

15. An apparatus according to claim 14 wherein the at least one memory and the computer program instructions, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to analyze the one or more images to identify the multi-modality condition by identifying the multi-modality condition based upon a difference in the estimated volume of vehicles between two of the plurality of lanes of the road segment.

16. An apparatus according to claim 11 wherein the at least one memory and the computer program instructions, with the at least one processor, further cause the apparatus to subsequently evaluate the plurality of probe points representative of travel along the road segment upstream of the junction in accordance with the detection algorithm and utilize the one or more tuning parameters, as modified, to determine whether the multi-modality condition exists along the road segment upstream of the junction.

17. An apparatus according to claim 11 wherein the one or more tuning parameters of the detection algorithm comprise predefined conditions utilized by the detection algorithm.

18. A computer program product comprising at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium bearing computer program instructions embodied therein for use with a computer, the computer program instructions comprising program instructions which, when executed, cause the computer at least to:

receive multimedia data including one or more images from a camera representative of traffic conditions along a road segment upstream of a junction;

identify a multi-modality condition along the road segment upstream of the junction based upon an analysis of the multimedia data including the one or more images;

evaluate a plurality of probe points representative of travel along the road segment upstream of the junction in accordance with a detection algorithm to separately determine whether the multi-modality condition exists along the road segment upstream of the junction;

determine whether to modify one or more tuning parameters of the detection algorithm based upon the multi-modality condition identified based upon the analysis of the multimedia data including the one or more images; and

cause an alert message to be provided based upon the multi-modality condition identified based upon the analysis of the multimedia data including the one or more images.

19. A computer program product according to claim 18 wherein the one or more tuning parameters comprise a minimum probe count, a bi-modality magnitude, a congestion criteria or a persistence duration.

20. A computer program product according to claim 18 wherein the program instructions configured to identify the multi-modality condition based upon the analysis of the multimedia data comprise program instructions configured to analyze the one or more images to identify the multi-modality condition based upon an estimated volume of vehicles in each of a plurality of lanes of the road segment.

21. A computer program product according to claim 20 wherein the program instructions configured to analyze the one or more images to identify the multi-modality condition comprise program instructions configured to identify the multi-modality condition based upon a difference in the estimated volume of vehicles between two of the plurality of lanes of the road segment.

22. A computer program product according to claim 18 wherein the computer program instructions further comprise program instructions configured to subsequently evaluate the plurality of probe points representative of travel along the road segment upstream of the junction in accordance with the detection algorithm and to utilize the one or more tuning parameters, as modified, to determine whether the multi-modality condition exists along the road segment upstream of the junction.

23. A computer program product according to claim 18 wherein the one or more tuning parameters of the detection algorithm comprise predefined conditions utilized by the detection algorithm.