System and method for controlling vehicular traffic flow

• US 20070135989A1
• Filed: 12/08/2005
• Published: 06/14/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Hengst, Timothy
• Application Number:
  US11/297,270
• Publication Number:
  US 20070135989A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/117
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/04 Traffic conditions
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/163 involving continuous checking

Abstract

A system and method for controlling vehicular traffic flow is disclosed, which creates a communication system between vehicles that allows the vehicles to share their respective velocities and acceleration or deceleration rates. Thus, each vehicle within the system can respond immediately to any acceleration or deceleration rate changes of the surrounding vehicles (e.g., the vehicle directly in front, directly in back, and in the adjacent lane). Essentially, the system functions similar to a wireless vehicular train, with a queue of cars linked together by a stiff, wireless communications “chain”. Notably, the term “vehicle” is not limited only to land-based vehicles (e.g., motor vehicles), and the system can include airborne vehicles (e.g., multiple aircraft flying in close formation, military aircraft flying in drone formation, etc.). For example, a system for controlling vehicular traffic flow is disclosed, which includes in each vehicle of a plurality of vehicles, a wireless or infrared (IR) modem for inter-vehicular communications, a range finder for determining the distance and closing rate between vehicles, a processing unit for retrieving vehicular operational data (e.g., velocity, angular velocity, acceleration rate, deceleration rate, braking pressure, weight, pointing vector, etc.) and executing flow control system software instructions, and a vehicular flow control communications protocol that enables the communication of various flow control parameters between vehicles via the wireless or IR modem. Thus, each vehicle in the system “knows” what the surrounding vehicles are doing and can respond immediately to changes in the traffic flow. As such, the system minimizes the distribution of vehicles'"'"' velocities in the queue, and increases traffic throughput and safety as a result.

Claims

1. A system for controlling vehicular traffic flow, comprising:

a plurality of data communication links; and

a plurality of vehicles, each vehicle of said plurality of vehicles coupled to at least one other vehicle of said plurality of vehicles by at least one data communication link of said plurality of data communication links, each vehicle of said plurality of vehicles including;

a modem unit;

an autopilot software unit coupled to said modem unit; and

means, coupled to said autopilot software unit, for deriving operational data for said vehicle.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one vehicle of said plurality of vehicles further includes means, coupled to said autopilot software unit, for determining a distance to a second vehicle of said plurality of vehicles.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said modem unit comprises a wireless transceiver.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said modem unit comprises a wireless transceiver operable to transmit and receive data in accordance with an IEEE 802.11b/g data communication protocol.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said modem unit is operable to transmit and receive vehicle operational data via said at least one data communication link.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said means for deriving operational data includes at least one of a vehicle central computer unit, a GPS receiver unit, and a 6DOF Inertial Measurement Unit.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein said modem unit comprises an IR transmitter and receiver.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein said operational data comprises at least one of a velocity, acceleration rate, deceleration rate, weight, pointing vector, angular velocity, roll, pitch, yaw, latitude and longitude measurement value for said vehicle.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one vehicle of said plurality of vehicles further includes an infrared laser range finder operable to determine a distance to a second vehicle of said plurality of vehicles.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein said modem unit is operable to transmit and receive said operational data in an xml format.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein said plurality of vehicles comprises a plurality of aircraft.

12. An autopilot system for a vehicle, comprising:

means for transmitting operational data associated with said vehicle and receiving operational data associated with a second vehicle;

means for deriving said operational data associated with said vehicle;

means for determining a distance to said second vehicle; and

means for processing and responding to said received operational data associated with said second vehicle, coupled to said means for transmitting and receiving, said means for deriving, and said means for determining.

13. The autopilot system of claim 12, wherein said means for transmitting and receiving comprises a wireless transceiver.

14. The autopilot system of claim 12, wherein said means for transmitting and receiving comprises an infrared data communications modem.

15. The autopilot system of claim 12, further comprising:

means for displaying an autopilot event message to an operator of said first vehicle.

16. The autopilot system of claim 12, wherein said means for determining a distance comprises an infrared laser range finder.

17. The autopilot system of claim 12, wherein said means for deriving comprises at least one of a DME, ECU, gyroscope system, and central computer.

18. The autopilot system of claim 12, wherein said vehicle and said second vehicle comprise aircraft.

19. A method for controlling vehicle traffic flow, comprising the steps of:

retrieving vehicle operational data;

creating a first message including said retrieved vehicle operational data;

transmitting said first message;

receiving a second message;

determining if said second message includes a merge request;

if said second message includes a merge request, calculating a go to position point, creating a merge event message and go to position point instructions, and displaying said merge event message and said go to position point instructions;

if said second message does not include a merge request, determining if said second message includes a position update; and

if said second message includes a position update, updating a positional map and an intersecting path map associated with at least one neighbor vehicle, creating a warning message associated with said position update, and displaying said warning message and data associated with said positional map and intersecting path map update.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein said first message and said second message are created in an xml format.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein said first message comprises a 6DOF Update message.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein said position update comprises a 6DOF Update message.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein said second message comprises an event message.

24. The method of claim 19, wherein the vehicle traffic flow comprises aircraft traffic flow.

25. A computer program product, comprising:

a computer-usable medium having computer-readable code embodied therein for configuring a computer processor, the computer program product comprising;

a first executable computer-readable code configured to cause a computer processor to retrieve vehicle operational data;

a second executable computer-readable code configured to cause a computer processor to create a first message including said retrieved vehicle operational data;

a third executable computer-readable code configured to cause a computer processor to transmit said first message;

a fourth executable computer-readable code configured to cause a computer processor to receive a second message;

a fifth executable computer-readable code configured to cause a computer processor to determine if said second message includes a merge request;

a sixth executable computer-readable code configured to cause a computer processor to calculate a go to position point, create a merge event message and go to position point instructions, and display said merge event message and said go to position point instructions, if said second message includes a merge request;

a seventh executable computer-readable code configured to cause a computer processor to determine if said second message includes a position update, if said second message does not include a merge request; and

an eighth executable computer-readable code configured to cause a computer processor to update a positional map and an intersecting path map associated with at least one neighbor vehicle, create a warning message associated with said position update, and display said warning message and data associated with said positional map and intersecting path map update, if said second message includes a position update.

26. The computer program product of claim 25, wherein said vehicle operational data comprises aircraft operational data, and said at least one neighbor vehicle comprises at least one neighbor aircraft.