Method and system for collecting traffic data, monitoring traffic, and automated enforcement at a centralized station

• US 20050122235A1
• Filed: 10/12/2004
• Published: 06/09/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens Mobility, Inc. (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Precision Traffic Systems Corp.
• Inventors: Sherwood, Alexander, Teffer, Dean
• Granted Patent: US 7,688,224 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/937
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/01 Detecting movement of traffic to be counted or controlled G08G1/07 - G08G1/14 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/017 identifying vehicles G08G1/015, G08G1/054 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0175 by photographing vehicles, e.g. when violating traffic rules
• 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 1/087 Override of traffic control, e.g. by signal transmitted by an emergency vehicle

Abstract

A distributed individual vehicle information capture method for capturing individual vehicle data at traffic intersections and transmitting the data to a central station for storage and processing is provided. The method includes capturing individual vehicle information at a plurality of intersections (122) and transmitting the individual vehicle information from the intersections to a central station (124). Consequently, the individual vehicle information is available to be stored and processed by a device at the central station (126). Traffic intersection equipment for capturing individual vehicle data at traffic intersections and transmitting the data to a central station for storage and processing is also disclosed. The equipment includes a traffic detection device (159) for capturing individual vehicle data at an intersection (158) and a network connection to a central station (174). The traffic detection device (159) is operably configured to transmit to the central station (174) the individual vehicle information.

Claims

1. A distributed individual vehicle information capture method for capturing individual vehicle data at traffic intersections and transmitting the data to a central station for storage and processing, comprising:

capturing individual vehicle information at a plurality of intersections;

transmitting traffic signal information and the individual vehicle information from the intersections to a central station;

whereby the traffic signal information and the individual vehicle information is available to be stored and processed by a device at the central station.

2. The distributed individual vehicle information capture method of claim 1,

wherein the capturing comprises capturing individual raw vehicle information at the plurality of intersections;

wherein the transmitting comprises transmitting raw traffic signal information and the individual raw vehicle information from the intersections to the central station.

3. The distributed individual vehicle information capture method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating, at at least one of the plurality of intersections, individual vehicle contact closure data based on the individual vehicle information by the vehicle detection processor;

wherein the transmitting comprises transmitting the traffic signal information and the individual vehicle contact closure data from the at least one of the plurality of intersections to the central station.

4. The distributed individual vehicle information capture method of claim 3,

wherein the transmitting comprises transmitting the traffic signal information and the individual vehicle contact closure data, along with additional information, from the at least one of the plurality of intersections to the central station;

wherein the additional information is selected from the group consisting of individual vehicle speed, individual vehicle classification, individual vehicle violation detection, and individual vehicle time-stamped position.

5. The distributed individual vehicle information capture method of claim 1, wherein the traffic signal information comprises state change events.

6. The distributed individual vehicle information capture method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving from the central station, by equipment at at least one of the intersections, a control signal based on the individual vehicle information.

7. The distributed individual vehicle information capture method of claim 6, wherein the receiving comprises receiving from the central station, by an image capture device at at least one of the intersections, the control signal based on the traffic signal information and the individual vehicle information, causing the image capture device to capture at least one traffic image, further comprising:

responsively to receiving the control signal, transferring the one or more traffic images from the image capture device to the central station.

8. Traffic intersection equipment for capturing individual vehicle data at traffic intersections and transmitting the data to a central station for storage and processing, comprising:

a traffic detection device for capturing individual vehicle data at an intersection;

a network connection to a central station;

wherein the traffic device is operably configured to transmit to the central station traffic signal information and the individual vehicle information.

9. The traffic intersection equipment of claim 8, wherein the traffic device is configured to transmit to a vehicle detector at the central station the traffic signal information and the individual vehicle information.

10. The traffic intersection equipment of claim 8, further comprising:

a vehicle detection processor;

wherein the traffic detection device is configured to capture individual vehicle data comprising individual raw vehicle information;

wherein the vehicle detection processor is configured to generate individual vehicle contact closure information based on the individual raw vehicle information;

wherein the traffic detection device is operably configured to transmit to the central station the traffic signal information and the individual vehicle information comprising the individual vehicle contact closure information.

11. The traffic intersection equipment of claim 8, further comprising:

an intelligent sensor;

wherein the traffic detection device is configured to capture individual vehicle data comprising individual raw vehicle information;

wherein the intelligent sensor is configured to generate individual intelligent vehicle information based on the individual raw vehicle information;

wherein the individual intelligent vehicle information comprises information selected from the group consisting of individual vehicle speed, individual vehicle classification, individual vehicle violation detection, and individual vehicle time-stamped position;

wherein the traffic detection device is operably configured to transmit to the central station the traffic signal information and the individual vehicle information comprising individual vehicle intelligent information.

12. The traffic intersection equipment of claim 8, further comprising:

an enforcement equipment configured to operate responsively to a signal received from the central station in response to earlier transmitted individual vehicle information.

13. The traffic intersection equipment of claim 12,

wherein the enforcement equipment comprises an enforcement camera for recording at least one image;

wherein the enforcement camera is operably configured to transmit the at least one image to the central station.

14. A computer programming product for capturing individual vehicle data at traffic intersections and transmitting the data to a central station for storage and processing, comprising:

a memory;

logic stored on the memory, for;

capturing individual vehicle information at a plurality of intersections;

transmitting traffic signal information and the individual vehicle information from the intersections to a central station;

whereby the traffic signal information and the individual vehicle information is available to be stored and processed by a device at the central station.

15. The product of claim 14, further comprising logic stored in the memory,

wherein the capturing comprises capturing individual raw vehicle information at the plurality of intersections;

wherein the transmitting comprises transmitting raw traffic signal information and the individual raw vehicle information from the intersections to the central station.

16. The product of claim 14, further comprising logic stored in the memory, for:

generating, at at least one of the plurality of intersections, individual vehicle contact closure data based on the individual vehicle information by the vehicle detection processor;

wherein the transmitting comprises transmitting the traffic signal information and the individual vehicle contact closure data from the at least one of the plurality of intersections to the central station.

17. The product of claim 16, further comprising logic stored in the memory,

wherein the transmitting comprises transmitting the traffic signal information and the individual vehicle contact closure data, along with additional information, from the at least one of the plurality of intersections to the central station;

wherein the additional information is selected from the group consisting of individual vehicle speed, individual vehicle classification, individual vehicle violation detection, and individual vehicle time-stamped position.

18. The product of claim 14, wherein the traffic signal information comprises state change events.

19. The product of claim 14, further comprising logic stored in the memory, for

receiving from the central station, by equipment at at least one of the intersections, a control signal based on the individual vehicle information.

20. The product of claim 14, further comprising logic stored in the memory, wherein the receiving comprises receiving from the central station, by an image capture device at at least one of the intersections, the control signal based on the traffic signal information and the individual vehicle information, causing the image capture device to capture at least one traffic image, wherein the further logic is for:

responsively to receiving the control signal, transferring the one or more traffic images from the image capture device to the central station.