Method of monitoring vehicular traffic and of providing information to drivers and system for carring out the method

• US 5,673,039 A
• Filed: 09/06/1995
• Issued: 09/30/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: International Road Dynamics Incorporated (Quarterhill Inc. (f/k/a Wi-LAN Inc.))
• Original Assignee: Pietzsch Aktiengesellschaft
• Inventors: Jaki, Jurgen, Edelmann, Rolf, Opitz, Rigobert, Pietzsch, Heinz Werner
• Primary Examiner(s): Crosland, Donnie L.
• Application Number:
  US08/524,048
• Time in Patent Office: 755 Days
• Field of Search: 340/901-905, 340/932, 340/934, 340/920, 340/331, 340/332, 340/910, 340/911, 340/471, 340/488, 340/933, 364/436-438
• US Class Current: 340/905
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/015 with provision for distinguishing between two or more types of vehicles, e.g. between motor-cars and cycles
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/042 using inductive or magnetic detectors
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/052 with provision for determining speed or overspeed speed measuring in general G01P
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/07 Controlling traffic signals
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/095 Traffic lights

Abstract

An arrangement for monitoring vehicular traffic and providing information and warnings to drivers of traffic disruptions, driver error, dangerous road conditions, and severe weather. Road and traffic conditions are detected with roadside traffic sensing equipment, and the conditions are displayed over luminescent elements with signal lamps distributed at intervals along the road and combined into chains of lamps. The luminescent elements are illuminated simultaneously or in sequence for providing continuous traffic information. A processor network and a signal network are combined through a communication network to regulate the luminescent elements by processing, if necessary, under real time controlled conditions.

Claims

1. A traffic-monitoring and information-providing system for monitoring and analyzing vehicular traffic and providing information and warnings to drivers on traffic disruptions, driver errors, dangerous road conditions, and severe weather conditions, comprising:

sensing means enclosing detection points with induction loops;

drive over scales and dynamic wheel-load-sensors;

a specific number of road-event-processors connected to said dynamic wheel-load sensors;

an intelligent bussystem interconnected to said road-event processors;

a varying processor network of distributed intelligence interconnected to said road-event processors through said intelligent bus system;

signal processors connected to said varying processor network;

a signal network for generating traffic signals;

a lighting bus for connecting said signal processors to said signal network;

a plurality of interconnected luminescent elements receiving traffic signals from said signal network;

said luminescent elements having signal lamps as optical signal generators.

2. System as defined in claim 1, wherein the traffic and load sensing equipment comprises speed sensors, axle detectors, induction loops, drive-over scales, and wheel-load meters.

3. System as defined in claim 1, including at least two detection points distributed at prescribed intervals along a road with traffic and load sensing equipment, interconnected signal lamps, and at least one processor-and-control set in the form of a road-event processor.

4. System as defined in claim 1, wherein the luminescent elements with signal lamps are distributed along and on both sides of the road.

5. System as defined in claim 1, wherein the luminescent elements with signal lamps are combined into chains in form of a bus and can be activated in groups as well as individually.

6. System as defined in claim 1, wherein the road-event processors in several detection points communicate through a network.

7. System as defined in claim 1, wherein the luminescent elements can be programmed and controlled in accordance with traffic situations and road conditions detected by roadside traffic and load sensing equipment in the detection points.

8. System as defined in claim 7, wherein the luminescent elements are modules for installation in existing roadside lamp posts.

9. System as defined in claim 7, wherein the signal lamps are equipped with monochromatic luminous field elements selectively in various colors and in form of luminous field elements operable on the basis of blended hues, said luminous field elements being power-optimal LED arrays.

10. System as defined in claim 8, wherein the luminescent-element signal lamps in said luminescent elements are activated by intelligent electronic controls having a computer module with a bus interface and are provided with an address allowing programmed activation of a luminescent element.

11. System as defined in claim 10, wherein the signal lamps in the luminescent elements are routed to their respective intelligent electronic control through plugs.

12. System as defined in claim 8, wherein the luminescent elements are equipped with sensors communicating with a road-event processor through a system-inherent computer network and detecting the direction of traffic.

13. System as defined in claim 1, wherein the roadside sensing system of detection points that detect traffic situations and road conditions communicates through a network with a road-event processor serving as an overall processor activating the signal lamps individually, all together, as well as in a specified sequence and coordinates interface cards for various sensors as well as signal-processing units.

14. System as defined in claim 13, wherein a series of detection points is distributed along a road, each with a system of sensors communicating with a road-event processor through a network to detect traffic situations and road conditions, the road-event processors associated with each stretch section communicating through a network.

15. System as defined in claim 13, wherein the road-event processor and the sensing devices connected thereto are means for remote trouble shooting and are remotely diagnosable to be watched by a central station.

16. System as defined in claim 15, wherein parameters and thresholds can be remotely entered and tested electronically from the central station.

17. System as defined in claim 13, wherein the road-event processor processes detected vehicle data and generates resulting data during data processing and compares them with variable thresholds, said road-event processor having a transgression matrix containing configurable thresholds for comparing single parameters and selecting combinations of parameters.

18. System as defined in claim 13, wherein the road-event processor classifies traffic disruptions and dangerous traffic situations.

19. System as defined in claim 13, wherein the road-event processor operates conventional traffic-disruption algorithms.

20. System as defined in claim 13, wherein the road-event processor processes detected traffic situations and road conditions in neural architectures, an error-tolerant and wide-ranging associative matrix allowing real-time processing on site coding threshold transgressions and classifying traffic situations, a trained hetero-associative network classifying traffic situations and interruptions in real time, said network being a neuronal network using images of traffic dimensions and thresholds summarized in a learning file along with practical empirical measurements and synthetically generated training patterns and signal patterns modified with variances for training purposes, classifying traffic situations and disruptions in real time in an ABLE phase.

21. System as defined in claim 20, wherein the road-event processor classifies vehicle models in neuronal architectures, classes of vehicles being represented by signal patterns from individual sensors as induction-loop dissonances, and by combinations of signal pattern from several sensors.

22. System as defined in claim 13, wherein every road-event processor has at least one interface for attaching environmental sensors and for processing and optionally storing environment data and, in event of infringement of prescribed thresholds, for releasing alarms and actual-state displays.

23. System as defined in claim 13, and operating automatically with on-site violation detection and automatic alarms.

24. System as defined in claim 13, wherein vehicle weight and axle load selectively detect traffic disruptions along with such other criteria as number of vehicles, model, and speed for the estimation of traffic-engineering parameters and disruptions.

25. System as defined in claim 13, wherein the processor-network has a modular structure and comprises road-event processors signal processors, and interface inserts along with a master processor coordinating at least one module of said processor network, said road-event processor having slots for potential expansion and for interchanging sensors and sensor-system interfaces, all said processors and slots being replaceable and communicating through a bus, a sensor coupling being simultaneously serviceable by modular connector boards, a respective connector board for each type of sensor and interface being attachable and having integrated anti-lightning protection.

26. System as defined in claim 13, wherein the road-event processor has an interface module allowing operation through a real-time computer network and with synchronization allowing operation with parallel networks and a combination of sensing devices and actuating mechanisms, which are working under real time conditions.

27. A method for monitoring vehicular traffic and providing information and early warnings to drivers on traffic disruptions, driver error, dangerous road conditions, and severe weather conditions, comprising the steps of:

detecting road and traffic conditions with a net of sensing equipment enclosing detection points with induction loops, drive over scales and dynamic wheel load sensors;

emitting traffic information signals by a measurement network to a given number of road event processors interconnected with an intelligent bussystem to a varying processor network with distributed intelligence means interconnected with signal processors combined to a signal network by a lighting bus; and

displaying said traffic conditions over interconnected luminescent elements with signal lamps distributed at intervals along the road and combined into chains of lamps illuminated for providing continuously said traffic information signals emitted from the measurement network at a communication network to said interconnected luminescent elements.

28. Method as defined in claim 27, wherein said signal lamps in said luminescent elements are operated at variable pulse lengths, variable frequencies, and variable pulse-activation ratios.

29. Method as defined in claim 27, wherein said luminescent elements are at least partly activated and operated against the flow of traffic at one time by roadside sensors communicating with the processor-network.

30. A method as defined in claim 27, wherein to obtain real-time behavior and cover continuous sections of road, said luminescent elements are activated by at least one detection point signal to the processor network and interpretation of said detection point signal by the processor network following a given alarm-matrix for having an automatic malfunction recognition or by manual illumination on interpretation of traffic data from at least two sensors and processors and comparison thereof, or by interpretation of the sensor system by procedures carried out in control centers.

31. Method as defined in claim 27, wherein states of illumination of the signal lamps in the luminescent elements are monitored and controlled by central controls.

32. Method as defined in claim 27, wherein violations as excess speed, truck passing, overload, driving in the wrong direction, etc. are detected, and the signal lamps blink to inform the driver of what violations are detected.

33. Method as defined in claim 32, wherein said chains of lamps operate in real time in conjunction with the sensing equipment, using various malfunction-detection algorithms.