DENSITY BASED TRAFFIC LIGHT CONTROL SYSTEM FOR AUTONOMOUS DRIVING VEHICLES (ADVS)

• US 20190311619A1
• Filed: 04/04/2018
• Published: 10/10/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Baidu USA LLC (Baidu Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Baidu USA LLC (Baidu Incorporated)
• Inventors: Tao, Jiaming, Jiang, Yifei, Zhang, Liangliang, Li, Dong, Hu, Jiangtao, Zhu, Fan
• Granted Patent: US 10,971,004 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0212 with means for defining a desired trajectory involving a plurality of land vehicles G05D1/0287
• 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 1/08 according to detected number or speed of vehicles

Abstract

In one embodiment, a system receives vehicle information from one or more ADVs. The system determines a location and a heading of each ADV from the vehicle information of the ADV. For each of the ADVs, the system determines if the ADV is approaching a traffic light junction based on the location and the heading of the ADV. The system sends the vehicle information of the ADVs to a traffic light control system in response to determining the ADV is approaching the traffic light junction, where the vehicle information is used by the traffic light control system to direct a traffic flow at the traffic light junction, including adjusting a time duration of a light signal at one or more traffic lights disposed at the traffic light junction in advance of the ADVs arriving at the traffic light junction.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method to direct a traffic flow for autonomous driving vehicles (ADVs), the method comprising:

receiving vehicle information from one or more ADVs;

determining a location and a heading of each ADV from the vehicle information of the ADV;

for each of the ADVs, determining if the ADV is approaching a traffic light junction based on the location and the heading of the ADV; and

sending the vehicle information of the ADVs to a traffic light control system in response to determining the ADV is approaching the traffic light junction, wherein the vehicle information is used by the traffic light control system to direct a traffic flow at the traffic light junction based on a density-based traffic light control algorithm, including adjusting a time duration of a light signal at one or more traffic lights disposed at the traffic light junction in advance of the ADVs arriving at the traffic light junction.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the vehicle information from an ADV includes a time information, a location information, a speed information, and a route information for the ADV.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the traffic light control system directs a traffic flow at the traffic light junction including operating one or more traffic lights at the traffic light junction.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein determining if the ADV is approaching a traffic light junction comprises:

determining if the ADV is within a predetermined proximity to the traffic light junction;

determining if a current road segment of the ADV routes to the traffic light junction based on a route information; and

determining if a heading to route the ADV to the traffic light junction matches the heading of the ADV.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the traffic light control system includes a traffic density sensor placed well ahead of the traffic light junction to capture traffic data, and wherein the vehicle information received from the ADVs simulates traffic data along with the captured traffic data are used to perform the density-based traffic light control algorithm.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, wherein the density-based traffic light control algorithm is performed based on a number of vehicles anticipated to approach or has arrived at the traffic light junction.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the density-based traffic light control algorithm directs a traffic flow at the traffic light junction for a first direction having a higher density of vehicles than a second direction.

8. A non-transitory machine-readable medium having instructions stored therein, which when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations, the operations comprising:

receiving vehicle information from one or more ADVs;

determining a location and a heading of each ADV from the vehicle information of the ADV;

for each of the ADVs, determining if the ADV is approaching a traffic light junction based on the location and the heading of the ADV; and

sending the vehicle information of the ADVs to a traffic light control system in response to determining the ADV is approaching the traffic light junction, wherein the vehicle information is used by the traffic light control system to direct a traffic flow at the traffic light junction based on a density-based traffic light control algorithm, including adjusting a time duration of a light signal at one or more traffic lights disposed at the traffic light junction in advance of the ADVs arriving at the traffic light junction.

9. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the vehicle information from an ADV includes a time information, a location information, a speed information, and a route information for the ADV.

10. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the traffic light control system directs a traffic flow at the traffic light junction including operating one or more traffic lights at the traffic light junction.

11. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 8, wherein determining if the ADV is approaching a traffic light junction comprises:

determining if the ADV is within a predetermined proximity to the traffic light junction;

determining if a current road segment of the ADV routes to the traffic light junction based on a route information; and

determining if a heading to route the ADV to the traffic light junction matches the heading of the ADV.

12. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the traffic light control system includes a traffic density sensor placed well ahead of the traffic light junction to capture traffic data, and wherein the vehicle information received from the ADVs simulates traffic data along with the captured traffic data are used to perform the density-based traffic light control algorithm.

13. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the density-based traffic light control algorithm is performed based on a number of vehicles anticipated to approach or has arrived at the traffic light junction.

14. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the density-based traffic light control algorithm directs a traffic flow at the traffic light junction for a first direction having a higher density of vehicles than a second direction.

15. A data processing system, comprising:

one or more processors; and

a memory coupled to the one or more processors to store instructions, which when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations, the operations including

receiving vehicle information from one or more ADVs;

determining a location and a heading of each ADV from the vehicle information of the ADV;

for each of the ADVs, determining if the ADV is approaching a traffic light junction based on the location and the heading of the ADV; and

sending the vehicle information of the ADVs to a traffic light control system in response to determining the ADV is approaching the traffic light junction, wherein the vehicle information is used by the traffic light control system to direct a traffic flow at the traffic light junction based on a density-based traffic light control algorithm, including adjusting a time duration of a light signal at one or more traffic lights disposed at the traffic light junction in advance of the ADVs arriving at the traffic light junction.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the vehicle information from an ADV includes a time information, a location information, a speed information, and a route information for the ADV.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the traffic light control system directs a traffic flow at the traffic light junction including operating one or more traffic lights at the traffic light junction.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein determining if the ADV is approaching a traffic light junction comprises:

determining if the ADV is within a predetermined proximity to the traffic light junction;

determining if a current road segment of the ADV routes to the traffic light junction based on a route information; and

determining if a heading to route the ADV to the traffic light junction matches the heading of the ADV.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the traffic light control system includes a traffic density sensor placed well ahead of the traffic light junction to capture traffic data, and wherein the vehicle information received from the ADVs simulates traffic data along with the captured traffic data are used to perform the density-based traffic light control algorithm.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the density-based traffic light control algorithm is performed based on a number of vehicles anticipated to approach or has arrived at the traffic light junction.

21. The system of claim 15, wherein the density-based traffic light control algorithm directs a traffic flow at the traffic light junction for a first direction having a higher density of vehicles than a second direction.