System and method of adaptive controlling of traffic using zone based occupancy

• US 10,559,198 B1
• Filed: 08/08/2018
• Issued: 02/11/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cubic Corporation
• Original Assignee: Cubic Corporation
• Inventors: Price, Jeffery R., Gee, Timothy F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lieu, Julie B
• Application Number:
  US16/058,343
• Publication Number:
  US 20200051429A1
• Time in Patent Office: 552 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0116 from roadside infrastructure, e.g. beacons
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0145 for active traffic flow control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/04 using optical or ultrasonic detectors
• 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

Abstract

Systems and methods for triggering changes to traffic signals based on the number and/or types of vehicles occupying a detection zone are disclosed. One aspect of the present disclosure includes a device with memory having computer-readable instructions stored therein and one or more processors. The one or more processors are configured to execute the computer-readable instructions to receive identification of zones and corresponding traffic light rules for a traffic intersection; and for each identified zone, detect a number of objects in the zone; based at least in part on the number of objects detected in the zone, determine if a corresponding condition is met; and upon determining that the corresponding condition is met for the zone, send a corresponding output signal to a traffic signal controller to change a traffic signal for the zone.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

memory having computer-readable instructions stored therein; and

one or more processors configured to execute the computer-readable instructions to;

receive identification of zones and corresponding rules for a signalized roadway intersection, wherein a perimeter of at least one zone is based on user input at a graphical user interface of a traffic control system that is communicatively coupled to the device; and

for each identified zone;

receive traffic data from one or more sensors at the signalized roadway intersection;

detect a number of objects in the zone by performing one or more of image processing or video processing on the received traffic data;

based at least in part on the number of objects detected in the zone, determine if a corresponding condition is met; and

upon determining that the corresponding condition is met for the zone, send a corresponding signal to a traffic signal controller to change a traffic signal for the zone.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the corresponding condition is a threshold number of objects detected in the zone.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the corresponding condition further includes a type of objects detected in the zone.

4. The device of claim 2, wherein the corresponding condition is further based on a traffic light condition of at least one other zone at the signalized roadway intersection.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the objects are vehicles.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein the vehicles are one or more of a car, a truck, a bicycle or a motor cycle.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein a size of each zone varies based on a time of day.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the zones and the corresponding rules are specified via the graphical user interface.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the device is the traffic signal controller configured to be communicatively coupled to traffic lights at the signalized roadway intersection.

10. One or more computer-readable medium having computer-readable instructions stored thereon, which when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:

receive identification of zones and corresponding rules for a traffic intersection, wherein;

a perimeter of at least one zone is based on user input at a graphical user interface of a traffic control system that is communicatively coupled to the one or more processors; and

for each identified zone;

receive traffic data from one or more sensors at the traffic intersection;

detect a number of objects in the zone by performing one or more of image processing or video processing on the received traffic data;

based at least in part on the number of objects detected in the zone, determine if a corresponding condition is met; and

upon determining that the corresponding condition is met for the zone, send a corresponding signal to a traffic signal controller to change a traffic signal for the zone.

11. The one or more computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the corresponding condition includes one or more of a threshold number of objects detected in the zone, a type of objects detected in the zone, and a traffic light condition of at least one other zone at the traffic intersection.

12. The one or more computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein a size of each zone varies based on a time of day.

13. A method of zone-based traffic controlling, comprising:

receiving identification of zones and corresponding rules for a traffic intersection, wherein;

a perimeter of at least one zone is based on user input at a graphical user interface of a traffic control system; and

for each identified zone;

receiving traffic data from one or more sensors at the traffic intersection;

detecting a number of objects in the zone by performing one or more of image processing or video processing on the received traffic data;

based at least in part on the number of objects detected in the zone, determining if a corresponding condition is met; and

upon determining that the corresponding condition is met for the zone, sending a corresponding signal to a traffic signal controller to change a traffic signal for the zone.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the corresponding condition includes one or more of a threshold number of objects detected in the zone, a type of objects detected in the zone, and a traffic light condition of at least one other zone at the traffic intersection.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein a size of each zone varies based on a time of day.