Localized traffic data collection

• US 10,565,864 B2
• Filed: 09/19/2017
• Issued: 02/18/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: FLIR Commercial Systems Incorporated (Teledyne Technologies Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: FLIR Commercial Systems Incorporated (Teledyne Technologies Incorporated)
• Inventors: Benhammou, Daniel, Birgen, Tyler, Christiansen, Gary
• Primary Examiner(s): Wiltey, Nicholas K
• Application Number:
  US15/708,676
• Publication Number:
  US 20180158324A1
• Time in Patent Office: 882 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/00 Arrangement or adaptation of signal devices not provided for in one of main groups B60Q1/00 - B60Q7/00 , e.g. haptic signalling
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2201/022 Collision avoidance systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2210/30 Environment conditions or position therewithin
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2210/36 Global Positioning System [GPS]
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 7/12 for automatic initiation; for initiation not subject to will of driver or passenger limiting speed of vehicles other than rail vehicles B60K31/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 7/18 operated by wayside apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0088 characterized by the autonomous decision making process, e.g. artificial intelligence, predefined behaviours using knowledge based models G06N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0265 Vehicular advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0116 from roadside infrastructure, e.g. beacons
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0125 Traffic data processing
• 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 1/04 using optical or ultrasonic detectors
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/042 using inductive or magnetic detectors
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/065 by counting the vehicles in a section of the road or in a parking area, i.e. comparing incoming count with outgoing count
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/07 Controlling traffic signals
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/08 according to detected number or speed of vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096 provided with indicators in which a mark progresses showing the time elapsed, e.g. of green phase
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0962 having an indicator mounted inside the vehicle, e.g. giving voice messages
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0967 Systems involving transmission of highway information, e.g. weather, speed limits transmission of navigation instructions to the vehicle G08G1/0968
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096716 : where the received information does not generate an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096725 : where the received information generates an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096775 : where the origin of the information is a central station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096783 : where the origin of the information is a roadside individual element
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/097 : Supervising of traffic control systems, e.g. by giving an alarm if two crossing streets have green light simultaneously
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/80 : Wireless network architectures or network communication protocols for wireless network security H04W12/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/84 : Vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1097 : for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 : specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 : Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/083 : involving central third party, e.g. key distribution center [KDC] or trusted third party [TTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0894 : Escrow, recovery or storing of secret information, e.g. secret key escrow or cryptographic key storage
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/12 : Transmitting and receiving encryption devices synchronised or initially set up in a particular manner
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/14 : using a plurality of keys or algorithms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/30 : Public key, i.e. encryption algorithm being computationally infeasible to invert or user's encryption keys not requiring secrecy
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 : with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72463 : to restrict the functionality of the device

Abstract

A system and method for collecting, processing, storing, or transmitting traffic data. A localized data collection module may retrieve, receive, or intercept traffic data through or from hardware installed in a traffic control cabinet adjacent an intersection or other roadway feature of interest. Data which may have previously been confined to a closed loop traffic control system may be remotely accessible for traffic operations control or monitoring via a network connected server and/or cloud architecture.

Claims

1. A localized data collection module comprising:

at least one input port;

an output port;

a time synchronization unit operable to maintain timing of a locally-maintained clock based on signals associated with a remote clock;

a power unit operable to receive electrical power from an external power source and distribute the electrical power to components of the localized data collection module;

a multi-band antenna;

a data storage unit; and

a processor;

wherein the localized data collection module is installable in a traffic control cabinet and operable to;

transmit an inquiry to the at least one traffic hardware device;

receive, in response to the inquiry, traffic data from at least one traffic hardware device via the at least one input port;

store at least a first portion of the traffic data locally in the data storage unit;

process, using the processor, a second portion of the traffic data, wherein the second portion is a duplicate of the first portion, and wherein the processing includes at least validating the second portion; and

transmit the second portion of the traffic data to a remote facility via the at least one output port.

2. The localized data collection module of claim 1, wherein the at least one traffic hardware device comprises one of a traffic camera, a loop detector, a crosswalk pedestrian push button, a traffic signal, a traffic controller, a thermal sensor, and a conflict monitor.

3. The localized data collection module of claim 1, wherein the second portion of the traffic data transmitted to the remote facility is configured to cause the remote facility to generate an alert which provides a remotely disposed client an indication of a status of a device in operative communication with the localized data collection module.

4. The localized data collection module of claim 1, wherein the localized data collection module is configured to transmit an alert to a remote server to cause the remote server to transmit an email message to a remotely disposed client.

5. The localized data collection module of claim 1, wherein the processing the second portion of the traffic data further includes implementing at least one rule stored on the data storage unit and accessible by the processor to generate an alert, and wherein said alert is transmitted from the localized data collection module via the at least one output port.

6. The localized data collection module of claim 5, wherein said alert provides a remotely disposed client an indication of a status of a device in operative communication with the localized data collection module.

7. The localized data collection module of claim 5, wherein said alert provides a remotely disposed client an indication of a condition present at an intersection and detected by the at least one traffic hardware device.

8. The localized data collection module of claim 6, wherein the alert comprises an indication that a traffic hardware device has malfunctioned.

9. The localized data collection module of claim 1, wherein the traffic data comprises at least one of traffic signal phase timings, cycle times, a traffic count, camera imagery, radar signal data, a loop detector response, a conflict monitor alert, and an intersection traverse time.

10. The localized data collection module of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to access the locally-maintained clock, assign a time stamp to each instance of data of the first portion of the traffic data, and record the time stamp in association with each respective instance in the data storage unit.

11. The localized data collection module of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive a confirmation signal from the remote facility indicating that the second portion of the traffic data is stored by the remote facility; and

delete, in response to the receipt of the confirmation signal, the first portion of the traffic data from the data storage unit.

12. The localized data collection module of claim 11, wherein the remote clock is in operative communication with the remote facility, and wherein the confirmation signal comprises a period of time associated with the second portion of the traffic data received at the remote facility and each instance of data of the first portion of the traffic data is deleted as a function of each respective time stamp indicating a time that is within the period of time.

13. The localized data collection module of claim 1, wherein the localized data collection module is further operable to:

receive, at the processor, a control signal from the remote facility generated in response to processing of the second portion of the traffic data at the remote facility, wherein at least one setting associated with the at least one traffic hardware device is altered in response to receipt of the control signal at the localized data collection module.

14. The localized data collection module of claim 13, wherein the at least one traffic hardware device comprises a video camera, and the at least one setting comprises a detection window defined within a viewing frame.

15. The localized data collection module of claim 13, wherein the at least one traffic hardware device comprises a loop detector, and the at least one setting comprises a sensitivity threshold associated with activation of the loop detector.

16. The localized data collection module of claim 13, wherein the at least one traffic hardware device comprises a signal controller, and the at least one setting comprises a timing plan associated with control of signal lights.

17. A localized data collection module comprising:

an output port and at least one input port;

a data storage unit; and

a processor;

wherein the localized data collection module is installable in a traffic control cabinet and operable to;

receive traffic data from at least one traffic hardware device via the at least one input port;

store at least a first portion of the traffic data locally in the data storage unit;

process, using the processor, a second portion of the traffic data, wherein the second portion is a duplicate of the first portion, and wherein the processing includes at least validating the second portion;

transmit the second portion of the traffic data to a remote facility via the at least one output port; and

receive, at the processor, a control signal from the remote facility generated in response to processing of remote traffic data at the remote facility, wherein the remote traffic data is received at the remote facility from a second localized data collection module operated by a municipality different than a municipality that operates the localized data collection module, and wherein at least one setting associated with the at least one traffic hardware device is altered in response to receipt of the control signal at the localized data collection module.

18. An apparatus for monitoring and controlling a traffic network, comprising:

a first localized data collection module;

a second localized data collection module; and

a cloud platform in operative communication with the first and second localized data collection modules;

wherein each of the first and second localized data collection modules comprises;

at least one input port;

an output port;

a time synchronization unit operable to maintain timing of a locally-maintained clock based on signals associated with a remote clock;

a power unit operable to receive electrical power from an external power source and distribute the electrical power to components of the localized data collection module;

a multi-band antenna;

a data storage unit; and

a processor;

wherein the first localized data collection module is installable in a traffic control cabinet operated by a first municipality and is operable to;

receive first traffic data from a first traffic hardware device associated with the first traffic control cabinet via the at least one input port of the first localized data collection module;

process, using the processor of the first localized data collection module, the first traffic data, wherein the processing includes at least validating the first traffic data; and

transmit the first traffic data to the cloud platform via the at least one output port of the first localized data collection module; and

wherein the second localized data collection module is installable in a second traffic control cabinet operated by a second municipality and is operable to;

receive second traffic data from a second traffic hardware device associated with the second traffic control cabinet via the at least one input port of the second localized data collection module;

process, using the processor of the second localized data collection module, the second traffic data, wherein the processing includes at least validating the second traffic data; and

transmit the second traffic data to the cloud platform via the at least one output port of the second localized data collection module.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein a data formatting structure of the first traffic data is different than a data formatting structure of the second traffic data, wherein the cloud platform stores the first and second traffic data at a high level of resolution and is operable to homogenize the first and second traffic data into a standard data formatting structure, wherein the cloud platform is associated with a first application programming interface (“

API”

) accessible by a client operated by the first municipality, and wherein the first API is operable to transmit the first traffic data and the second traffic data to the client.