ELECTRONIC DEVICE AND METHOD FOR MANAGING TRAFFIC FLOW

• US 20130287261A1
• Filed: 04/01/2013
• Published: 10/31/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: LEE, HOU-HSIEN, LEE, CHANG-JUNG, LO, CHIH-PING
• Application Number:
  US13/854,168
• Publication Number:
  US 20130287261A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/104
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/54 of traffic, e.g. cars on the road, trains or boats
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/012 from other sources than vehicle or roadside beacons, e.g. mobile networks
• 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 1/04 using optical or ultrasonic detectors
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/08 according to detected number or speed of vehicles

Abstract

A system for managing traffic flow is used in an electronic device in communication with an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and traffic signals. The UAV captures a real-time image of each road, and detects position and direction of the real-time image when the UAV captures the real-time image. The UAV transmits the real-time image of each road, the position, and the direction to the electronic device. The system analyzes the real-time image to gather a number of the vehicles and a number of people in the real-time image. The electronic device marks the number of the vehicles and the number of people on the position of an electronic map corresponding to the position and the direction of the real-time image, and dynamically manages statuses of traffic signals according to the number of the vehicles and the number of people marked on the electronic map.

Claims

1. An electronic device, comprising:

a storage device;

at least one processor; and

one or more modules stored in the storage device and executed by the at least one processor, the one or more modules comprising;

a network module that receives a real-time image of a road captured by an image capture unit of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that is in communication with the electronic device, detects coordinate data of the real-time image by a global positioning system (GPS) of the UAV, and detects a direction of the image capture unit using an electronic compass of the UAV;

an analyzing module that analyzes the real-time image to acquire image data of vehicles and people using a detection technique of vehicles and people;

a marking module that gathers statistics of a number of the vehicles and a number of people in the real-time image, and marks the number of the vehicles and the number of people on a position of an electronic map corresponding to the coordinate data and the direction of the image capture unit; and

a managing module that dynamically manages statuses of traffic signals according to the number of the vehicles and the number of people marked on the electronic map.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the traffic signals are light signals alternately changed, the traffic signals are set at an intersection and a special location, and the traffic signals are traffic controlling facilities for allocating the right of the road to drivers and pedestrians.

3. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the detection technique of people comprises a statistical method for detecting features of people and a template matching method.

4. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the statuses of the traffic signals are dynamically managed according to the number of the vehicles and the number of people marked on the electronic map by producing a controlling command for extending passing time of a way of the vehicles and people passing through when a large number of the vehicles and people of the way needs to pass through.

5. A method for managing traffic flow using in an electronic device to control states of traffic signals, the method comprising:

receiving a real-time image of a road captured by an image capture unit of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that is in communication with the electronic device, detecting coordinate data of the real-time image by a global positioning system (GPS) of the UAV, and detecting direction of the image capture unit using an electronic compass of the UAV;

analyzing the real-time image to acquire image data of vehicles and people by a detection technique of vehicles and people;

gathering statistics of a number of the vehicles and a number of people in the real-time image, and marking the number of the vehicles and the number of people on a position of an electronic map corresponding to the coordinate data and the direction of the image capture unit; and

dynamically managing statuses of traffic signals according to the number of the vehicles and the number of people marked on the electronic map.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the traffic signals are light signals alternately changed, the traffic signals are set at an intersection and a special location, and the traffic signals are traffic controlling facilities for allocating the right of the road to drivers and pedestrians.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the detection technique of people comprises a statistical method for detecting features of people and a template matching method.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the statuses of the traffic signals are dynamically managed according to the number of the vehicles and the number of people marked on the electronic map by producing a controlling command for extending passing time of a way of the vehicles and people passing through when a large number of the vehicles and people of the way needs to pass through.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by at least one processor of an electronic device, causes the processor to perform a method for managing traffic flow using the electronic device, the method comprising:

receiving a real-time image of a road captured by an image capture unit of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that is in communication with the electronic device, detecting coordinate data of the real-time image by a global positioning system (GPS), and detecting direction of the image capture unit using an electronic compass of the UAV;

analyzing the real-time image to acquire image data of vehicles and people by a detection technique of vehicles and people;

gathering statistics of a number of the vehicles and a number of people in the real-time image, and marking the number of the vehicles and the number of people on a position of an electronic map corresponding to the coordinate data and the direction of the image capture unit; and

dynamically managing statuses of traffic signals according to the number of the vehicles and the number of people marked on the electronic map.

10. The storage medium of claim 9, wherein the traffic signals are light signals alternately changed, the traffic signals are set at an intersection and a special location, and the traffic signals are traffic controlling facilities for allocating the right of the road to drivers and pedestrians.

11. The storage medium of claim 9, wherein the detection technique of people comprises a statistical method for detecting features of people and a template matching method.

12. The storage medium of claim 9, wherein the statuses of the traffic signals are dynamically managed according to the number of the vehicles and the number of people marked on the electronic map by producing a controlling command for extending passing time of a way of the vehicles and people passing through when a large number of the vehicles and people of the way needs to pass through.