TRAFFIC FLOW MODEL TO PROVIDE TRAFFIC FLOW INFORMATION

• US 20140350842A1
• Filed: 08/12/2014
• Published: 11/27/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Typhoon IP LLC (IP Edge LLC)
• Original Assignee: Empire Technology Development LLC (Allied Inventors Management, LLC)
• Inventors: Wolfe, Andrew
• Granted Patent: US 9,927,254 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/414
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3658 Lane guidance
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/01 Detecting movement of traffic to be counted or controlled G08G1/07 - G08G1/14 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096811 where the route is computed offboard
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096838 where the user preferences are taken into account or the user selects one route out of a plurality

Abstract

Examples of maintaining or querying a traffic database to generate a traffic flow model to provide traffic flow information and determine a per-lane route for a vehicle to travel are disclosed.

Claims

1. A system to provide a per-lane route for a vehicle to travel, the system comprising:

a logical control module configured to respond to a query, the query to include;

a start location and a destination location for the vehicle to travel between; and

an indication of at least one of;

if the vehicle contains or will contain;

one or more passengers;

a vehicle type;

a capability of the vehicle; and

a special allowance for the vehicle;

the logical control module further configured to include traffic lane characteristics for one or more road segments, the traffic lane characteristics to include;

substantially fixed information, the substantially fixed information to include an indication of at least one of;

a number of traffic lanes for a given direction of movement, or traffic lane restriction information for one or more traffic lanes; and

periodically updated or real-time information, the periodically updated or real-time information to include an indication of at least one of;

road sensor data;

accident or construction reports; and

traffic flow data;

the logical control module further configured to generate a traffic flow model based on the query and the traffic lane characteristics;

the logical control module further configured to provide traffic flow information for the route between the start location and the end location; and

the logical control module further configured to determine a per-lane route for the vehicle to travel in response to the traffic flow information.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the route between the start location and the end location comprises at least a portion of a road segment, the road segment including one or more traffic lanes.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the traffic flow model is generated by a database manager logical control module configured for implementing a traffic flow algorithm for each of the one or more traffic lanes, inputs for the traffic flow algorithm to include traffic lane characteristics and at least a portion of information gathered from the query.

4. The system according to claim 3, wherein logic to determine the per-lane route for the given vehicle to travel comprises logic configured to determine the per-lane route based, at least in part, on a fastest travel time over the one or more traffic lanes.

5. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a query manager for sending the query to a traffic database.

6. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a per-lane route manager configured to present the per-lane route for the vehicle to travel.

7. The system according to claim 6, wherein presenting the per-lane route comprises turn-by-turn verbal guidance via an audio output located with the vehicle.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein the substantially fixed information includes traffic lane restriction data.

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein the traffic lane restriction data comprises at least one of a high occupancy vehicle (HOV) traffic lane, a speed limit, a height limit, a weight limit, a hazardous cargo prohibition, a seasonal closure, a noise limit or a tire-traction requirement.

10. The system according to claim 8, wherein the periodically updated information includes data from at least one road sensor.

11. A method for presenting a per-lane route for a vehicle to travel comprising:

entering a start location and an end location of the per-lane route for the vehicle;

identifying a vehicle type for the vehicle;

querying a traffic database for the per-lane route for the vehicle between the start location and the end location, the traffic database including traffic lane characteristics for the per-lane route between the start location and the end location;

generating traffic flow information from the traffic database responsive to the database query using a traffic flow model and the traffic lanes characteristics to provide the traffic flow information;

receiving traffic flow information from the traffic database;

determining a per-lane route for the vehicle to travel in response to receiving the traffic flow information; and

presenting the per-lane route for the vehicle to travel.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the start location and the end location for the vehicle to travel comprises at least a portion of a road segment, the road segment including one or more traffic lanes.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein the traffic lane characteristics comprise one or more of a speed limit, a time restriction, a height limit, a weight limit, a low emission limit, a vehicle action limit and a passing restriction.

14. The method according to claim 11, wherein the traffic database comprises one or more of periodically updated information and substantially fixed information, the substantially fixed information and the periodically updated information maintained for the one or more traffic lanes included in the road segment.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the substantially fixed information includes traffic lane restriction information.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the traffic lane restriction information for the one or more traffic lanes includes at least one of a high occupancy vehicle (HOV) traffic lane, a speed limit, a height limit, a weight limit, a hazardous cargo prohibition, a seasonal closure, a noise limit or a tire-traction requirement.

17. The method according to claim 14, wherein the periodically updated information includes information from at least one of a road sensor, a traffic lane alert report, traffic flow data reported from a vehicle that has traveled over the one or more traffic lanes, traffic flow data reported from a vehicle that is traveling over the one or more traffic lanes or a transition point delay time.

18. The method according to claim 11, wherein the traffic database is configured to provide the traffic flow information for the route between the start location and the end location that includes an indication of whether the vehicle is restricted from traveling in a traffic lane from among the one or more traffic lanes.

19. The method according to claim 11, wherein determining the per-lane route for the vehicle to travel is based at least in part, on a fastest travel time over one or more traffic lanes from among the one or more traffic lanes.

20. The method according to claim 11, wherein, the traffic database is configured to provide traffic flow information for the per-lane route that includes at least one of:

a travel speed obtained from a road sensor;

a traffic lane alert from a traffic lane alert report;

a travel speed from the traffic flow information reported from a vehicle that is traveling over the one or more traffic lanes; and

a transition point delay time or an indication of estimated total travel time through a traffic lane from among the one or more traffic lanes.