METHOD AND APPARATUS MATCHING INCOMING TO OUTGOING VEHICLE SIGNATURES TO ESTIMATE ARTERIAL VEHICULAR MOVEMENT

• US 20100017104A1
• Filed: 07/20/2009
• Published: 01/21/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sensys Networks Inc. (Tagmaster AB)
• Original Assignee: Sensys Networks Inc. (Tagmaster AB)
• Inventors: Varaiya, Pravin, Rajagopal, Ram, Kwong, Karric, Kavaler, Robert
• Granted Patent: US 8,428,857 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/117
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/00 Traffic control systems for road vehicles arrangement of road signs or traffic signals E01F9/00 ; automatic vehicle control B62D
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0104 Measuring and analyzing of parameters relative to traffic conditions
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/042 using inductive or magnetic detectors

Abstract

A roadway information system is disclosed with components generating and using vehicle signatures for vehicles passing near sensor pods located on or near lanes. Means and/or processors for matching incoming and outgoing vehicle signatures are disclosed creating an in-out vehicle match table used to generate a vehicle movement estimate or its components including a travel time and/or vehicle count.

Claims

1. Apparatus, comprising at least one instance of a member of a generating group consisting of:

a means for matching (110) configured to access

at least one list (25) of incoming vehicle signatures (26) based upon sensor readings (22) of a first sensor pod (20) of incoming vehicles (6),

at least one list of outgoing vehicle signatures based upon said sensor readings of a second sensor pod of outgoing vehicles

to create an in-out vehicle match table 32 to estimate

a travel time (82) between said first and said second sensor pod and

a vehicle count (84) of said vehicles passing between said first and said second sensor pod; and

a processor (60) configured to access said at least one list of said incoming vehicle signatures and said at least one of said outgoing vehicle signatures to create said in-out vehicle match table.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising at least one instance of a member of a generating group consisting of:

a means for generating (100) at least one vehicle movement estimate including said travel time and said vehicle count; and

a processor configured to generate said vehicle movement estimate.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said at least one instance of said member of said generating group coupled with said instance of said member of said matching group to access said list of said incoming vehicle signatures and said list of said outgoing vehicle signatures to create said in-out vehicle match table.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said at least one instance of said member of said generating group includes said said instance of said member of said matching group.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one member of said matching group includes at least one instance of at least one member of the group consisting of:

a finite state machine,

a configuration module configured to initialize a programmable logic device to create said finite state machine,

a computer accessibly coupled to a computer readable memory including a program system comprising at least one program step for instructing said computer,

an inferential engine directed by a rule system including at least one member of an inference group consisting of at least one fact and at least one inference rule;

wherein said apparatus further includes at least one member of the group consisting of

a server containing an installation package for at least one member of the group consisting of said configuration module, said program system and said rule system, with said server configured to communicate said installation package to at least one member of the group consisting of said finite state machine, said computer and said inferential engine; and

said computer readable memory including at least one member of the group consisting of configuration module, said program system, said rule system, and said installation package.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said program system includes at least one member of the group consisting of the program steps of:

matching said incoming vehicle signatures to said outgoing vehicle signatures to create said in-out vehicle match table;

matching said outgoing vehicle signatures to said incoming vehicle signatures to create said in-out vehicle match table; and

matching all of said incoming vehicle signatures and said outgoing vehicle signatures to create said in-out vehicle match table.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said program system includes the program step of:

matching based upon a scorecard of said incoming vehicle signature to said outgoing vehicle signature, for said incoming vehicle signature in said list of incoming vehicle signatures and for said outgoing vehicle signature in said list of said outgoing vehicle signatures.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said program system includes at least one member of the group consisting of:

matching using a Euclidean metric criterion based upon a raw score included in said scorecard; and

matching using a quality estimate criterion based upon a quality estimate included in said scorecard.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein said program system includes at least one member of the group consisting of:

discarding a match if said raw score of said incoming vehicle signature to said outgoing vehicle signature is outside an acceptable range; and

discarding said match if said quality estimate of said incoming vehicle signature to said outgoing vehicle signature is outside an acceptable quality range.

10. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said program system includes at least one member of the group consisting of:

matching said incoming vehicle signature to a null outgoing vehicle signature if said incoming vehicle signature does not match any of said outgoing vehicle signatures; and

matching said outgoing vehicle signature to a null incoming vehicle signature if said outgoing vehicle signature does not match any of said incoming vehicle signatures.

11. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said program system includes at least one member of the group consisting of:

matching a first incoming vehicle signature to a first outgoing vehicle signature with a later time stamp;

matching a later than said first incoming vehicle signature to a later than said first outgoing vehicle signature.

12. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said program system further comprises the program steps of:

calculating a quality estimate of said incoming vehicle signature matching said outgoing vehicle signature based upon removing said incoming vehicle signature and said outgoing vehicle signature from other potential matches; and

determining remaining matches based upon said other potential matches.

13. A method of operating at least one member of the matching group of claim 1, comprising at least one member of the group consisting of the steps of:

matching said incoming vehicle signatures to said outgoing vehicle signatures to create said in-out vehicle match table;

matching said outgoing vehicle signatures to said incoming vehicle signatures to create said in-out vehicle match table; and

matching all of said incoming vehicle signatures and said outgoing vehicle signatures to create said in-out vehicle match table.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said system includes the step of:

matching based upon a scorecard of said incoming vehicle signature to said outgoing vehicle signature, for said incoming vehicle signature in said list of incoming vehicle signatures and for said outgoing vehicle signature in said list of said outgoing vehicle signatures.

15. The method of claim 14, includes at least one member of the group consisting of:

matching using a Euclidean metric criterion based upon a raw score included in said scorecard; and

matching using a quality estimate criterion based upon a quality estimate included in said scorecard.

16. The method of claim 15, includes at least one member of the group consisting of the steps of:

discarding a match if said raw score of said incoming vehicle signature to said outgoing vehicle signature is outside an acceptable range; and

discarding said match if said quality estimate of said incoming vehicle signature to said outgoing vehicle signature is outside an acceptable quality range.

17. The method of claim 13, further includes at least one member of the group consisting of the steps of:

matching said incoming vehicle signature to a null outgoing vehicle signature if said incoming vehicle signature does not match any of said outgoing vehicle signatures; and

matching said outgoing vehicle signature to a null incoming vehicle signature if said outgoing vehicle signature does not match any of said incoming vehicle signatures.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein said system includes at least one member of the group consisting of the steps of:

matching a first incoming vehicle signature to a first outgoing vehicle signature with a later time stamp;

matching a later than said first incoming vehicle signature to a later than said first outgoing vehicle signature.

19. The method of claim 13, further comprising the steps of:

calculating a quality estimate of said incoming vehicle signature matching said outgoing vehicle signature based upon removing said incoming vehicle signature and said outgoing vehicle signature from other potential matches; and

determining remaining matches based upon said other potential matches.