SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MEASURING THE REAL TRAFFIC FLOW OF AN AREA

• US 20150356868A1
• Filed: 06/03/2015
• Published: 12/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cuende Infometrics SA
• Original Assignee: Cuende Infometrics SA
• Inventors: CUENDE ALONSO, Daniel
• Granted Patent: US 9,390,621 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/36 Input/output arrangements for on-board computers
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/176 Urban or other man-made structures
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0104 Measuring and analyzing of parameters relative to traffic conditions
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0125 Traffic data processing
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/04 using optical or ultrasonic detectors

Abstract

A system and method for measuring the real traffic flow of an area is provided. The system uses images of vehicles and pedestrians taken from the sky in time intervals of an area. It also uses continuous tracking data for vehicles and pedestrians, provided by navigator manufacturers, map providers, route applications or by phone carriers. Both, images and continuous tracking data, are combined and processed by a processor that applies an image pattern recognition software to the images so that each vehicle and pedestrian comprised in the images is recognized and labeled for which a tracking data is available. The system identifies those vehicles and pedestrians contained in both databases and apply a weight to them. Then, the system is able to estimate the flow and the total number of vehicles and pedestrians for a particular time and area. Additionally, the system is able to calculate a pattern and a profile for each vehicle or pedestrian based on the continuous tracking data.

Claims

1. A system for measuring the real traffic flow of an area, the system comprising:

images taken from the sky in time intervals of an area;

continuous tracking data of a probe that is collected and provided by navigator manufacturers, map providers, route applications or by phone carriers that record the cell towers, traffic counts, router connections, near-field-communication devices and beacons that are able to geolocate the probe;

said continuous tracking data comprises at least the longitude, latitude for each time unit for which said probe is tracked;

a database of universe of elements that comprises said images;

a continuous database that comprises said continuous tracking data;

a computer processor configured to;

apply an image pattern recognition software to the images taken from the sky so that each element comprised in the images is recognized, labeled and at least latitude, longitude, time, speed and type of vehicle or number of pedestrian is calculated;

allocate to said each probe the continuous tracking data for which the longitude, latitude and time match;

calculate a ratio between the number of elements recognized in the images and the number of probes for which the longitude, latitude and time match;

estimate the flow and the total number of elements within an area by applying the calculated ratio to the continuous tracking data for a particular time for which an image from the sky is not available.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer processor is further configured to:

calculate a pattern for each probe based on the continuous tracking data;

calculate a profile by analyzing the combinations of the calculated patterns.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the images are provided by aerial devices.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the aerial devices are selected among:

a satellite, a plane, an aircraft, a drone and any combination thereof.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the probe is selected between a tracked vehicle and a tracked pedestrian.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the area is selected among:

a street, a suburb, a city, a town, a country and a continent.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the images are selected between photos and moving frames.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

vii) calculating a pattern for each probe based on the continuous tracking data; and

,

viii) calculating a profile by analyzing the combinations of the calculated patterns.

8. A method for measuring the real traffic flow of an area, the method comprising:

i) generating a database of universes which stores images taken from the sky in time intervals of an area;

ii) recognizing, by means of a processor, each individual element comprised in each stored image and calculating at least the following data of each individual element;

latitude, longitude, time, speed and type of vehicle or number of pedestrian;

iii) generating a continuous database which stores continuous tracking data of each individual probe, the continuous tracking data comprises at least the estimated position by longitude and latitude, map cell and vector position, for each time unit;

the continuous tracking data is obtained from each tracking device carried by each individual probe;

iv) allocating to each individual element recognized in step ii) the continuous tracking data of step iii) for which the longitude, latitude and time match;

v) calculating a ratio between the number of elements recognized in the images and the number of probes for which the longitude, latitude and time match;

vi) estimating the flow and the total number of elements within an area by applying the calculated ratio to the continuous tracking data for a particular time for which an image from the sky is not available.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein generating a database of universes further comprises the following steps:

a) defining of Universe region being the composition of several images;

b) selecting different source data of aerial images selected from;

satellite, airplanes, drones, with latitude and longitude and synchronize timestamp;

c) normalizing the input image;

d) generating a chronogram of the different images and regions to sync later with the snapshot of the continuous database;

e) counting vehicle and pedestrian analysis;

f) correction and enhancement of the data; and

,

g) counting elements.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of counting vehicle and pedestrian analysis further comprises:

a) mapping correlation of roads;

roads and car parks are placed as vectors in the images to highlight where is possible to find vehicles;

b) calibration of the process;

defining the objects for the image recognition, the objects being at least;

car, type, model, bus, truck, motorbike, bicycle, bus shelter, billboard, kiosk, urban furniture and pedestrian;

c) processing the images with the image pattern recognition software based on the visible range, infrared and ultraviolet.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of correction and enhancement of the data further comprises:

a) match to vector navigation map;

b) correct the effect of traffic lights, traffic jams for possible false positive as parked cars;

c) deduction of the movement and trajectory for each single element before the snapshot and after the snapshot;

d) forecast movement for each single element based in type of road, type of element and speed;

e) identify regions and locations that will be excluded or require a different analysis.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of counting elements further comprises:

i) counting by segment of the street, number of vehicles, cars, bus, motorcycles, moving and parked, people and static probes;

for each picture and for total pictures in a period of time;

ii) counting total for the city;

for each picture and for total pictures in a period of time.

14. A method for measuring the real traffic flow of an area, the method comprising:

looking for elements of a continuous database which were in movement at the time of the image of a database of universes;

assigning a weight to each probe of the continuous database in terms of elements with matching;

repeating this process for each photo and combine the weights obtained;

the above combination of weights takes into account at least whether is weekend or working day, summer or winter;

the weights are distributed among those continuous database probes that never match with the database of universes elements by matching with other continuous database probes already weighted.

15. A method for measuring the audience of an advertisement item comprising the step of applying the method for measuring the real traffic flow of an area.