Assessing road traffic flow conditions using data obtained from mobile data sources
First Claim
1. A computer-implemented method for determining estimated traffic flow information for roads based on data samples that are reported by vehicles traveling on the roads and that include information regarding the travel of the vehicles, the method comprising:
- receiving indications of multiple road segments of one or more roads;
generating probability distributions that indicate, for each of multiple distinct observed quantities of vehicles on a road segment during a period of time, probabilities for arrival rate volumes of vehicles at the road segment given the observed quantity of vehicles; and
for each of multiple periods of time, receiving information related to current traffic conditions of the multiple road segments during the period of time, the received information including a plurality of data samples for the period of time that each are reported from one of multiple vehicles and reflect a reported speed of the one vehicle at a reported location on one of the road segments at a reported time during the period of time, the multiple vehicles being a subset of all vehicles traveling on the road segments during the period of time, the received information further including a plurality of additional data samples for the period of time that each are reported from one of multiple traffic sensors monitoring the multiple road segments and reflect a reported speed based on one or more speed readings for one or more vehicles at a location on one of the road segments for one or more reported times during the period of time;
for each of the multiple road segments, automatically estimating traffic flow information of all vehicles traveling on the road segment during the period of time by, identifying a group of multiple data samples for the road segment for the period of time, the multiple data samples being from at least one of the plurality of data samples and the plurality of additional data samples;
determining a quantity of vehicles to which the data samples of the group correspond, the corresponding vehicles being a subset of all the vehicles traveling on the road segment during the period of time;
determining a most probable traffic arrival rate volume at the road segment of all the vehicles traveling on the road segment during the period of time, the determining of the traffic arrival rate volume being based at least in part on the generated probability distribution for the determined quantity of vehicles that reported the data samples of the group;
determining a most probable traffic density for the road segment so as to represent a total quantity per unit of distance of all the vehicles traveling on the road segment during the period of time, the determining of the traffic density being based at least in part on the determined traffic arrival rate volume for the road segment during the period of time; and
determining a most probable percentage traffic occupancy of at least one point on the road segment by all the vehicles traveling on the road segment during the period of time, the determining of the percentage traffic occupancy being based at least in part on the determined traffic density; and
using at least some of the determined traffic arrival rate volumes, traffic densities, and percentage traffic occupancies for the period of time to facilitate future travel on the one or more roads, so that estimated traffic flow information is determined for road segments based on data samples reflecting actual vehicle travel on the road segments.
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Abstract
Techniques are described for assessing road traffic conditions in various ways based on obtained traffic-related data, such as data samples from vehicles and other mobile data sources traveling on the roads, as well as in some situations data from one or more other sources (such as physical sensors near to or embedded in the roads). The assessment of road traffic conditions based on obtained data samples may include various filtering and/or conditioning of the data samples, and various inferences and probabilistic determinations of traffic-related characteristics from the data samples. In some situations, the inferences based on the data samples includes repeatedly determining traffic flow characteristics for road segments of interest during periods of time, such as to determine traffic volume and/or average occupancy of the road.
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Citations
52 Claims
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1. A computer-implemented method for determining estimated traffic flow information for roads based on data samples that are reported by vehicles traveling on the roads and that include information regarding the travel of the vehicles, the method comprising:
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receiving indications of multiple road segments of one or more roads;
generating probability distributions that indicate, for each of multiple distinct observed quantities of vehicles on a road segment during a period of time, probabilities for arrival rate volumes of vehicles at the road segment given the observed quantity of vehicles; and
for each of multiple periods of time, receiving information related to current traffic conditions of the multiple road segments during the period of time, the received information including a plurality of data samples for the period of time that each are reported from one of multiple vehicles and reflect a reported speed of the one vehicle at a reported location on one of the road segments at a reported time during the period of time, the multiple vehicles being a subset of all vehicles traveling on the road segments during the period of time, the received information further including a plurality of additional data samples for the period of time that each are reported from one of multiple traffic sensors monitoring the multiple road segments and reflect a reported speed based on one or more speed readings for one or more vehicles at a location on one of the road segments for one or more reported times during the period of time;
for each of the multiple road segments, automatically estimating traffic flow information of all vehicles traveling on the road segment during the period of time by, identifying a group of multiple data samples for the road segment for the period of time, the multiple data samples being from at least one of the plurality of data samples and the plurality of additional data samples;
determining a quantity of vehicles to which the data samples of the group correspond, the corresponding vehicles being a subset of all the vehicles traveling on the road segment during the period of time;
determining a most probable traffic arrival rate volume at the road segment of all the vehicles traveling on the road segment during the period of time, the determining of the traffic arrival rate volume being based at least in part on the generated probability distribution for the determined quantity of vehicles that reported the data samples of the group;
determining a most probable traffic density for the road segment so as to represent a total quantity per unit of distance of all the vehicles traveling on the road segment during the period of time, the determining of the traffic density being based at least in part on the determined traffic arrival rate volume for the road segment during the period of time; and
determining a most probable percentage traffic occupancy of at least one point on the road segment by all the vehicles traveling on the road segment during the period of time, the determining of the percentage traffic occupancy being based at least in part on the determined traffic density; and
using at least some of the determined traffic arrival rate volumes, traffic densities, and percentage traffic occupancies for the period of time to facilitate future travel on the one or more roads, so that estimated traffic flow information is determined for road segments based on data samples reflecting actual vehicle travel on the road segments. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A computer-implemented method for determining estimated traffic flow information for vehicles traveling on roads based on data samples that reflect travel on those roads, the method comprising:
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receiving indications of one or more segments of one or more roads, each road segment having multiple associated data samples that each are reported by one of multiple vehicles to reflect travel on the road segment by the one vehicle at a reported time;
for each of at least one of the road segments, automatically estimating traffic flow of vehicles traveling on the road segment during a period of time by, identifying a group of the multiple data samples associated with the road segment whose reported times occur during the period of time;
determining a quantity of vehicles that reported the data samples of the group, the vehicles that reported the data samples of the group being a subset of all vehicles that traveled on the road segment during the period of time; and
probabilistically assessing an estimated total quantity of all the vehicles that traveled on the road segment during the period of time based at least in part on the determined quantity of the vehicles that reported the data samples; and
using one or more of the estimated total quantities of vehicles to facilitate travel on the one or more roads. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41)
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42. A computer-readable medium whose contents enable a computing device to estimate traffic flow information for traveling vehicles, by performing a method comprising:
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receiving an indication of multiple data samples that each reflect travel of one of multiple vehicles on a road;
probabilistically estimating traffic flow of all vehicles traveling on the road during a period of time based at least in part on a quantity of vehicles whose travel is reflected by the data samples; and
providing an indication of the estimated traffic flow for use in facilitating travel on the road. - View Dependent Claims (43, 44, 45, 46, 47)
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48. A computing system configured to estimate traffic flow information for traveling vehicles, comprising:
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a first component that is configured to, for each of multiple roads, receive an indication of multiple data samples associated with the road that each include information representing travel of a vehicle on the road; and
a data sample flow assessor component that is configured to, for each of the multiple roads, determine a quantity of vehicles whose travel is represented by the information of the data samples associated with the road;
generate a probabilistic estimate of traffic flow of all vehicles traveling on the road during a period of time based at least in part on the determined quantity of vehicles; and
provide an indication of the estimated traffic flow for use in facilitating travel on the road. - View Dependent Claims (49, 50, 51, 52)
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Specification