Method for equalizing traffic flows and for avoiding and resolving congestion

• US 20090037086A1
• Filed: 07/07/2006
• Published: 02/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens AG
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Kolb, Dieter
• Granted Patent: US 8,116,969 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/117
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3492 employing speed data or traffic data, e.g. real-time or historical traffic control systems for road vehicles involving transmission of navigation instructions to the vehicle G08G1/0968
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/047 Optimisation of routes or paths, e.g. travelling salesman problem
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0104 Measuring and analyzing of parameters relative to traffic conditions
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096741 where the source of the transmitted information selects which information to transmit to each vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096775 where the origin of the information is a central station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096811 where the route is computed offboard
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/20 Monitoring the location of vehicles belonging to a group, e.g. fleet of vehicles, countable or determined number of vehicles

Abstract

In accordance with 37 C.F.R. §1.125, a substitute specification has been included in lieu of substitute paragraphs in connection with the present Preliminary Amendment. The substitute specification is submitted in clean form, attached hereto, and is accompanied by a marked-up version showing the changes made to the original specification. The changes have been made in an effort to place the specification in better form for U.S. practice. No new matter has been added by these changes to the specification. Further, the substitute specification includes paragraph numbers to facilitate amendment practice as requested by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

sending, when a plurality of alternatively possible routes to a respective destination are available, individual route recommendations to respective traffic participants;

using, via at least one traffic control computer, both reports from traffic participants and route segment parameters to determine, for each route branch point, at specific time intervals a new respective distribution ratio for a statistical frequency of the respective route recommendations at a respective route branch point, with a route being assigned a relatively higher frequency in the case of relatively more favorable traffic conditions; and

sending, ahead of a respective route branch point, a respective traffic participant a random route recommendation from a set of alternatively possible routes in accordance with the statistical frequency of the respective route recommendations.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, from the traffic participants, travel destinations, at the traffic control computer, in the reports, wherein the traffic control computer takes account of the respective traffic participant while an individual route recommendation is being allocated only if the respective travel destination of the route recommendation matches the traffic participant'"'"'s respective travel destination.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1,

wherein the respective distribution ratio is conveyed to the traffic participants via radio-based traffic message channels, and

wherein the individual route recommendations are formed with the aid of a vehicle navigation system from the received respective distribution ratio of the routes.

4. The method as claimed in claim 3,

wherein, ahead of a respective route branch point, a respective route r_i is selected for a respective participant in accordance with the respective distribution ratio k₁:

k₂;

. . . ;

k_n randomly from n alternatively possible routes in such a way that the route r_i is selected if a respectively generated random number z between 0 and less than 1 lies within the interval S_i-1<

=z<

S_i belonging to the respective route, with the respective interval limits being determined by the relationships S₀=0 and S_i=(k₁+k₂+ . . . +k_i)/(k₁+k₂+ . . . +kn).

5. The method as claimed in claim 1,

wherein the respective route recommendation is transmitted by briefly setting up a connection between a system mounted by the road and the respective participant'"'"'s vehicle via a wireless communication link ahead of a respective route branch point.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1,

wherein the respective route recommendation is transmitted by setting up an individual wireless communication link between the traffic control computer and the individual traffic participant.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1,

wherein the individual route recommendations are effected with the aid of change signs, with the display times of the individual alternative signs being selected in accordance with the distribution ratio.

8. The method as claimed in claim 7,

wherein traffic participants not adhering to the route recommendation will be registered and reported to the traffic control computer, wherein they will be taken into account when the distribution ratios at the route branch points along the affected routes are determined.

9. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the respective distribution ratio is conveyed to the traffic participants via radio-based traffic message channels, and wherein the individual route recommendations are formed with the aid of a vehicle navigation system from the received respective distribution ratio of the routes.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein, ahead of a respective route branch point, a respective route r_i is selected for a respective participant in accordance with the respective distribution ratio k₁:

k₂;

. . . ;

k_n randomly from n alternatively possible routes in such a way that the route r_i is selected if a respectively generated random number z between 0 and less than 1 lies within the interval S_i-1<

=z<

S_i belonging to the respective route, with the respective interval limits being determined by the relationships S₀=0 and S_i=(k₁+k₂+ . . . +k_i)/(k₁+k₂+ . . . +kn).

11. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the respective route recommendation is transmitted by briefly setting up a connection between a system mounted by the road and the respective participant'"'"'s vehicle via a wireless communication link ahead of a respective route branch point.

12. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the respective route recommendation is transmitted by setting up an individual wireless communication link between the traffic control computer and the individual traffic participant.

13. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the individual route recommendations are effected with the aid of change signs, with the display times of the individual alternative signs being selected in accordance with the distribution ratio.

14. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein traffic participants not adhering to the route recommendation will be registered and reported to the traffic control computer, wherein they will be taken into account when the distribution ratios at the route branch points along the affected routes are determined.

15. A system, comprising:

means for sending, when a plurality of alternatively possible routes to a respective destination are available, individual route recommendations to respective traffic participants;

means for using, via at least one traffic control computer, both reports from traffic participants and route segment parameters to determine, for each route branch point, at specific time intervals a new respective distribution ratio for a statistical frequency of the respective route recommendations at a respective route branch point, with a route being assigned a relatively higher frequency in the case of relatively more favorable traffic conditions; and

means for sending, ahead of a respective route branch point, a respective traffic participant a random route recommendation from a set of alternatively possible routes in accordance with the statistical frequency of the respective route recommendations.

16. The system as claimed in claim 15, further comprising:

means for receiving, from the traffic participants, travel destinations, at the traffic control computer, in the reports, wherein the traffic control computer takes account of the respective traffic participant while an individual route recommendation is being allocated only if the respective travel destination of the route recommendation matches the traffic participant'"'"'s respective travel destination.