Monitoring and Diagnostics of Traffic Signal Preemption Controllers

• US 20110193722A1
• Filed: 02/11/2010
• Published: 08/11/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Global Traffic Technologies LLC (Vontier Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Global Traffic Technologies LLC (Vontier Corp.)
• Inventors: Johnson, David Randal
• Granted Patent: US 8,610,596 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/906
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/081 Plural intersections under common control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/087 Override of traffic control, e.g. by signal transmitted by an emergency vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/097 Supervising of traffic control systems, e.g. by giving an alarm if two crossing streets have green light simultaneously
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/13 the indicator being in the form of a map

Abstract

Management of traffic signal preemption control equipment. In one approach, logged preemption data is periodically read from each of a plurality of intersections having respective preemption controllers for preempting traffic signals at the intersections. The logged preemption data at an intersection describes operational states of the preemption controller and each vehicle control unit that submitted a preemption request at the intersection and data describing each individual preemption request. The logged preemption data read from the plurality of intersections are stored in a database. The database is monitored for data indicative of changes in operational status of the traffic signal preemption control equipment. In response to the data indicating a change in operational status, data descriptive of the change are output.

Claims

1. A method for managing geographically dispersed traffic signal preemption control equipment, the traffic signal preemption control equipment including traffic signal preemption controllers and vehicle control units, comprising:

periodically reading logged preemption data stored at each of a plurality of intersections having respective preemption controllers for preempting traffic signals at the intersections, the preempting being in response to preemption requests from the vehicle control units, wherein the logged preemption data at an intersection describes operational states of the preemption controller and each vehicle control unit that submitted a preemption request at the intersection and data describing each individual preemption request;

storing the logged preemption data read from the plurality of intersections in a database in an electronic storage device;

monitoring the database having the logged preemption data from the plurality of intersections for data indicative of changes in operational status of the traffic signal preemption control equipment; and

in response to the data indicating a change in operational status, outputting data descriptive of the change.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying a map of roadways and intersections including graphical icons indicative of the operational state of one or more of the preemption controllers.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

monitoring the database having the logged preemption data from the plurality of intersections for data indicative of an anomaly in operation of the preemption control equipment; and

outputting data indicative of the anomaly.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

wherein the logged preemption data includes vehicle control unit signal strength values for preemption requests from vehicle control units;

wherein the monitoring the database for an anomaly includes comparing a plurality of vehicle control unit signal strength values recorded in the database for a particular vehicle control unit to detect an anomaly with the particular vehicle control unit.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

wherein the logged preemption data includes vehicle control unit signal strength values for preemption requests from vehicle control units;

wherein the monitoring the database for an anomaly includes comparing a plurality of vehicle control unit signal strength values recorded in the database and associated with a particular preemption controller to detect an anomaly with the particular preemption controller.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising monitoring the database having the logged preemption data from the plurality of intersections for data indicative of misuse of the preemption control equipment by a particular vehicle control unit.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

wherein the logged preemption data includes times of preemption requests, locations of vehicle control units making the preemption requests, and vehicle identifiers of the vehicle control units making the preemption requests;

monitoring the database for logged data that matches event criteria; and

in response to logged data in the database matching the event criteria, transmitting a time of preemption request, a location of a vehicle control unit making the preemption request, and a vehicle identifier of the vehicle control unit making the preemption request.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying a map of roadways and intersections;

wherein the monitoring of the database includes monitoring for a change in operational status of any of the preemption controllers; and

in response to a change in operational status of a preemption controller, displaying an icon indicative of the change in operational status of the preemption controller at one of the intersections representing a physical intersection at which the preemption controller is located.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying a map of roadways and intersections;

wherein the monitoring of the database includes monitoring for new preemption requests; and

in response to each new preemption request, displaying an icon, that is representative of a vehicle having a vehicle control unit that made the preemption request, on the map at a position corresponding to a physical location of the vehicle.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

requesting location data from one or more vehicle control units;

storing the location data from the one or more vehicle control units in the database;

wherein the monitoring of the database includes monitoring for changed location data from the one or more vehicle control units; and

in response to changed location data of one of the one or more vehicle control units, displaying an icon, that is representative of the one of the one or more vehicle control units, on the map at a position corresponding to a physical location of the one of the one or more vehicle control units.

11. A system for managing geographically dispersed traffic signal preemption control equipment, the traffic signal preemption control equipment including traffic signal preemption controllers and vehicle control units, comprising:

a processor;

a memory arrangement coupled to the processor, wherein the memory arrangement is configured with instructions for execution by the processor, wherein the instructions include;

a first module for periodically reading logged preemption data stored at each of a plurality of intersections having respective preemption controllers for preempting traffic signals at the intersections, the preempting being in response to preemption requests from the vehicle control units, and storing the logged preemption data read from the plurality of intersections in a database in the memory arrangement, wherein the logged preemption data at an intersection describes operational characteristics of the preemption controller and each vehicle control unit that submitted a preemption request at the intersection and data describing each individual preemption request;

a second module for monitoring the database having the logged preemption data from the plurality of intersections for data indicative of changes in operational status of the traffic signal preemption control equipment; and

a third module, responsive to the data indicating a change in operational status, for outputting data for graphical display on a map of roadways and intersections, the data for graphical display including graphical icons indicative of the operational status of the preemption control equipment at map locations corresponding to geographic locations of the preemption control equipment.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein:

the second module is further configured to monitor the database having the logged preemption data from the plurality of intersections for data indicative of an anomaly in operation of the preemption control equipment; and

the third module is further configured to output data indicative of the anomaly.

13. The system of claim 12, further comprising:

wherein the logged preemption data includes vehicle control unit signal strength values for preemption requests from vehicle control units;

wherein the second module is further configured to monitor the database for an anomaly includes comparing a plurality of vehicle control unit signal strength values recorded in the database for a particular vehicle control unit to detect an anomaly with the particular vehicle control unit.

14. The system of claim 12, further comprising:

wherein the logged preemption data includes vehicle control unit signal strength values for preemption requests from vehicle control units;

wherein the second module is further configured to monitor the database for an anomaly includes comparing a plurality of vehicle control unit signal strength values recorded in the database and associated with a particular preemption controller to detect an anomaly with the particular preemption controller.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the second module is further configured to monitor the database having the logged preemption data from the plurality of intersections for data indicative of misuse of the preemption control equipment by a particular vehicle control unit.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein:

the logged preemption data includes times of preemption requests, locations of vehicle control units making the preemption requests, and vehicle identifiers of the vehicle control units making the preemption requests;

the second module is further configured to monitor the database for logged data that matches event criteria, and in response to logged data in the database matching the event criteria, transmit a time of preemption request, a location of a vehicle control unit making the preemption request, and a vehicle identifier of the vehicle control unit making the preemption request.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein:

the second module is further configured to monitor the database for a change in operational status of any of the preemption controllers; and

the third module is further configured to, in response to a change in operational status of a preemption controller, display an icon indicative of the change in operational status of the preemption controller at one of the intersections representing a physical intersection at which the preemption controller is located.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein:

the second module is further configured to monitor the database for new preemption requests; and

the third module is further configured to, in response to each new preemption request, display an icon, that is representative of a vehicle having a vehicle control unit that made the preemption request, on the map at a position corresponding to a physical location of the vehicle.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein:

the first module is further configured to request location data from one or more vehicle control units and store the location data from the one or more vehicle control units in the database;

the second module is further configured to monitor the database for changed location data from the one or more vehicle control units; and

the third module is further configured to, in response to changed location data of one of the one or more vehicle control units, display an icon, that is representative of the one of the one or more vehicle control units, on the map at a position corresponding to a physical location of the one of the one or more vehicle control units.

20. An article of manufacture, comprising:

a processor-readable storage device configured with instructions for managing geographically dispersed traffic signal preemption control equipment, the traffic signal preemption control equipment including traffic signal preemption controllers and vehicle control units, wherein in executing the instructions by one or more processors causes the one or more processors to perform the operations including;

periodically reading logged preemption data stored at each of a plurality of intersections having respective preemption controllers for preempting traffic signals at the intersections, the preempting being in response to preemption requests from the vehicle control units, wherein the logged preemption data at an intersection describes operational states of the preemption controller and each vehicle control unit that submitted a preemption request at the intersection and data describing each individual preemption request;

storing the logged preemption data read from the plurality of intersections in a database in an electronic storage device;

monitoring the database having the logged preemption data from the plurality of intersections for data indicative of changes in operational status of the traffic signal preemption control equipment; and

in response to the data indicating a change in operational status, outputting data descriptive of the change.