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Connected automated vehicle highway systems and methods

  • US 10,380,886 B2
  • Filed: 06/20/2017
  • Issued: 08/13/2019
  • Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2017
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A transportation management system that provides full vehicle operations and control for connected and automated vehicle and highway systems by sending individual vehicles with detailed and time-sensitive control instructions for vehicle following, lane changing, route guidance, and related information, said transportation management system comprising:

  • a) a hierarchy of traffic control centers/traffic control units (TCCs/TCUs) that process information and give traffic operations instructions, wherein said TCCs and TCUs are automatic or semi-automated computational modules that focus on data gathering, information processing, network optimization, and traffic control; and

    wherein said hierarchy of TCCs/TCUs comprises one or more of macroscopic TCCs, regional TCCs, corridor TCCs, segment TCUs, point TCUs, and/or RSUs, wherein said;

    1) macroscopic TCCs process information from the regional TCCs and provide control targets to the regional TCCs;

    2) regional TCCs process information from the corridor TCCs and provide control targets to the corridor TCCs;

    3) corridor TCCs process information from the macroscopic TCUs and the segment TCUs and provide control targets to the segment TCUs;

    4) segment TCUs process information from the corridor TCCs and the point TCUs and provide control targets to the point TCUs; and

    5) point TCUs process information from the segment TCUs and the RSUs and provide vehicle-based control instructions to one or more RSU;

    b) a network of roadside units (RSUs) that receive data flow from connected vehicles, detect traffic conditions, and send targeted instructions to vehicles, wherein said RSU network focuses on data sensing, data processing, control signal delivery, and information distribution, and wherein an RSU of the RSU network can be combined or integrated with a TCU;

    c) a vehicle sub-system, comprising a mixed traffic flow of vehicles at different levels of connectivity and automation; and

    d) communications systems that provide wired and wireless communication services to all the entities in the transportation management system.

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