Methods And Software For Managing Vehicle Priority In A Self-Organizing Traffic Control System

• US 20140278029A1
• Filed: 03/15/2014
• Published: 09/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Carnegie Mellon University
• Original Assignee: Carnegie Mellon University
• Inventors: Tonguz, Ozan, Viriyasitavat, Wantanee
• Granted Patent: US 9,536,427 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/117
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/087 Override of traffic control, e.g. by signal transmitted by an emergency vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/161 Decentralised systems, e.g. inter-vehicle communication

Abstract

Methods and software for managing vehicle priority proximate to a potential travel-priority conflict zone, such as a roadway intersection, where travel conflicts, such as crossing traffic, can arise. Coordination involves forming an ad-hoc network in a region containing the conflict zone using, for example, vehicle-to-vehicle communications and developing a dynamic traffic control plan based on information about vehicles approaching the conflict zone. Instructions based on the dynamic traffic control plan are communicated to devices aboard vehicles in the ad-hoc network, which display one or more virtual traffic signals to the operators of the vehicles and/or control the vehicles (for example, in autonomous vehicles) in accordance with the dynamic traffic control plan, which may account for a priority level associated with one or more of the vehicles.

Claims

1. A method of managing vehicle priority proximate to a potential travel-priority conflict zone, the method being executed in a dynamic traffic control system and comprising:

communicating with a first component of the dynamic traffic control system located on-board a vehicle proximate to the potential travel-priority conflict zone so as to establish a dynamic traffic control plan for avoiding a travel-priority conflict in the potential travel-priority conflict zone;

coordinating with the first component of the dynamic traffic control system via said communicating to elect a dynamic traffic controller as a temporary coordinator vehicle responsible for temporarily coordinating the dynamic traffic control plan;

receiving a priority-request message from a priority vehicle; and

transmitting a priority-granted message to the priority vehicle.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein said receiving a priority-request message includes receiving a priority-request message from an emergency vehicle.

3. A method according to claim 1, further comprising receiving a priority-clear message from the priority vehicle.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of said communicating is performed via vehicle-to-vehicle communication.

5. A method according to claim 1, further comprising periodically broadcasting the dynamic traffic control plan.

6. A method according to claim 1, further comprising revoking priority for the priority vehicle if no transmissions are received from the priority vehicle for a predetermined period of time.

7. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether the vehicle proximate to the potential travel-priority conflict zone is a closest non-priority vehicle to the conflict zone; and

transmitting the priority-granted message to the priority vehicle if the vehicle proximate to the potential travel-priority conflict zone is the closest non-priority vehicle to the conflict zone.

8. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

determining a travel direction of the priority vehicle;

analyzing the travel direction of the priority vehicle relative to a travel direction of one or more non-priority vehicles proximate to the potential travel-priority conflict zone; and

determining whether to transmit the priority-granted message to the priority vehicle as a function of said analyzing.

9. A method according to claim 8, wherein said determining a travel direction further comprises:

receiving at least one beaconing signal from the priority vehicle; and

determining the travel direction of the priority vehicle as a function of said beaconing signal.

10. A method according to claim 8, further comprising electing a new dynamic traffic controller as a function of said analyzing.

11. A machine-readable storage medium containing machine-executable instructions for performing a method of managing vehicle priority proximate to a potential travel-priority conflict zone, the method being executed in a dynamic traffic control system, said machine-executable instructions comprising:

a first set of machine-executable instructions for communicating with a first component of the dynamic traffic control system located on-board a vehicle proximate to the potential travel-priority conflict zone so as to establish a dynamic traffic control plan for avoiding a travel-priority conflict in the potential travel-priority conflict zone;

a second set of machine-executable instructions for coordinating with the first component of the dynamic traffic control system via said communicating to elect a dynamic traffic controller as a temporary coordinator vehicle responsible for temporarily coordinating the dynamic traffic control plan;

a third set of machine-executable instructions for receiving a priority-request message from a priority vehicle; and

a fourth set of machine-executable instructions for transmitting a priority-granted message to the priority vehicle.

12. A machine-readable storage medium according to claim 11, wherein said third set of machine-executable instructions includes machine-executable instructions for receiving a priority-request message from an emergency vehicle.

13. A machine-readable storage medium according to claim 11, further comprising machine-executable instructions for receiving a priority-clear message from the priority vehicle.

14. A machine-readable storage medium according to claim 11, further comprising machine-executable instructions for implementing vehicle-to-vehicle communication.

15. A machine-readable storage medium according to claim 11, further comprising machine-executable instructions for periodically broadcasting the dynamic traffic control plan.

16. A machine-readable storage medium according to claim 11, further comprising machine-executable instructions for revoking priority for the priority vehicle if no transmissions are received from the priority vehicle for a predetermined period of time.

17. A machine-readable storage medium according to claim 11, further comprising:

a fifth set of machine-executable instructions for determining whether the vehicle proximate to the potential travel-priority conflict zone is a closest non-priority vehicle to the conflict zone; and

a sixth set of machine-executable instructions for transmitting the priority-granted message to the priority vehicle if the vehicle proximate to the potential travel-priority conflict zone is the closest non-priority vehicle to the conflict zone.

18. A machine-readable storage medium according to claim 11, further comprising:

a fifth set of machine-executable instructions for determining a travel direction of the priority vehicle;

a sixth set of machine-executable instructions for analyzing the travel direction of the priority vehicle relative to a travel direction of one or more non-priority vehicles proximate to the potential travel-priority conflict zone; and

a seventh set of machine-executable instructions for determining whether to transmit the priority-granted message to the priority vehicle as a function of said analyzing.

19. A machine-readable storage medium according to claim 18, wherein said sixth set of machine-executable instructions further comprises:

machine-executable instructions for receiving at least one beaconing signal from the priority vehicle; and

machine-executable instructions for determining the travel direction of the priority vehicle as a function of said beaconing signal.

20. A machine-readable storage medium according to claim 18, further comprising an eighth set of machine-executable instructions for electing a new dynamic traffic controller as a function of said analyzing.