VEHICLE SPEED INDICATION USING VEHICLE-INFRASTRUCTURE WIRELESS COMMUNICATION

• US 20120059574A1
• Filed: 09/08/2010
• Published: 03/08/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Motor Corporation
• Original Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America Incorporated (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Hada, Hideki
• Granted Patent: US 8,494,759 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/119
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0112 from the vehicle, e.g. floating car data [FCD]
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0133 for classifying traffic situation
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0145 for active traffic flow control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/052 with provision for determining speed or overspeed speed measuring in general G01P
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/095 Traffic lights
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096716 where the received information does not generate an automatic action on the vehicle control
• 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

Abstract

An example traffic control system includes a vehicle unit associated with a vehicle on a highway, one or more roadside units proximate the highway, and a traffic controller. The vehicle unit transmits a vehicle speed to the roadside unit, when in wireless communication range. The roadside unit transmits the vehicle speed to the traffic controller. The traffic controller receives vehicle speed data from a plurality of vehicles, and determines a suggested speed for each vehicle. The suggested speed may be correlated with an average speed of vehicles on a portion of the highway, for example the same highway portion on which vehicle is located, or a highway portion towards which the vehicle is heading.

Claims

1. An apparatus for assisting traffic control, the apparatus comprising:

a vehicle unit, the vehicle unit including a transceiver, and being configured to be supported by a vehicle;

a roadside unit, located proximate a highway portion, the roadside unit being in communication with the vehicle unit when the vehicle unit is located on the highway portion; and

a traffic controller, in communication with the roadside unit,

the traffic controller receiving vehicle speed data from the roadside unit, and operable to determining a suggested speed for the vehicle,

the suggested speed being transmitted from the roadside unit to the vehicle unit,

the vehicle unit being operable to convey the suggested speed to the driver.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, the suggested speed being an average speed of vehicles on the highway portion.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, the suggested speed being an average speed of vehicles on a traffic lane of the highway portion, the vehicle being located in the traffic lane.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, the apparatus including a plurality of roadside units, the traffic controller receiving vehicle speed data from each roadside unit.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, the suggested speed being less than the vehicle speed, the suggested speed being calculated so as to allow the vehicle to avoid encountering traffic congestion on the portion of highway ahead of the vehicle.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, the suggested speed being determined using an average speed of vehicles located on the highway ahead of the highway portion.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, the transceiver being a DSRC (dedicated short range communications) transceiver.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, the suggested speed being conveyed to the driver using a visual signal.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, the suggested speed being conveyed to the driver using a visual signal.

10. A method of improving traffic flow on a highway, the traffic flow including a vehicle having a driver, the method comprising:

determining the vehicle speed;

transmitting the vehicle speed to a traffic controller, using a roadside unit in communication with a vehicle unit associated with the vehicle;

determining an average speed for a plurality of vehicles within a portion of the highway;

determining a suggested speed for the vehicle, the suggested speed being a function of the average speed;

transmitting the suggested speed to the vehicle; and

conveying the suggested speed to the driver, so as to assist the driver achieve a vehicle speed that improves traffic flow.

11. The method of claim 10, further including:

transmitting the vehicle speed from the vehicle to the roadside unit using a DSRC (dedicated short range communications) wireless communication link, and

receiving the suggested speed from the roadside unit using the DSRC wireless communication link.

12. The method of claim 10, the portion of the highway including the vehicle, the suggested speed being equal to the average speed of the plurality of vehicles within the portion of the highway.

13. The method of claim 10, the portion of the highway being a highway portion ahead of the vehicle.

14. The method of claim 13, the suggested speed being a function of the average speed for the plurality of vehicles, and the distance between the vehicle and the highway portion ahead of the vehicle.

15. The method of claim 10, the vehicle being located within a traffic lane, the plurality of vehicles being located within the traffic lane.

16. An apparatus for improving traffic flow on a highway, the apparatus being associated with a road vehicle having a driver, the apparatus comprising:

an electronic circuit, operable to receive a speed signal from vehicle electronics and determine a vehicle speed;

a transceiver, operable to transmit the vehicle speed to a traffic controller through a roadside unit proximate the highway portion when the vehicle is located on the highway portion,

the transceiver being further operable to receive a suggested speed from the traffic controller, the suggested speed being an average speed of a plurality of vehicles on the highway; and

a user interface, operable to convey the suggested speed to the driver.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, the transceiver being a DSRC transceiver.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, the user interface including a visual display.

19. The apparatus of claim 16, the user interface providing an audible signal correlated with the suggested speed.