Method and apparatus for controlling motor vehicle traffic

• US 6,313,757 B1
• Filed: 03/03/1999
• Issued: 11/06/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Siemens AG
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Braun, Hans-Joachim
• Primary Examiner(s): TRIEU, VAN THANH
• Application Number:
  US09/261,186
• Time in Patent Office: 979 Days
• Field of Search: 340/439, 340/905, 340/917, 340/933, 340/934, 340/911, 701/117, 701/118
• US Class Current: 340/917
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/08 according to detected number or speed of vehicles

Abstract

Control logics for the traffic-dependent controlling of traffic signal installations (1) are described with flow diagrams that become increasingly difficult to understand as phase sequences become more complex, and can only with difficulty be converted, in automated fashion, into traffic-oriented descriptions for signal programs. In a database data file (15), conditional equations (B1, B2, B3) that compare traffic-oriented characteristic quantities with predetermined threshold values are stored together with actions (A1, A2, A3, A4) for exchanging signal programs and together with rules (R1, R2, R3, R4). The rules (R1, R2, R3, R4) have control values and action directions (X). The control values are compared with truth values of the conditional equations, and, given complete agreement between the control values of a particular rule and the truth values, the action (A1, A2, A3, A4) to which the action indication (X) of the particular rule (R1, R2, R3, R4) refers is executed.

Claims

1. A method for traffic-dependent controlling of apparatus for controlling traffic with traffic detectors that detect occupation values in measurement cross-sections in a spatial environment of the apparatus for controlling traffic, having a control apparatus to which occupation values are communicated, which determines from the communicated occupation values, using a control program, prepared characteristic quantities of the traffic sequence for a momentary state of the apparatus for controlling traffic, which compares the prepared characteristic quantities with predetermined threshold values according to predetermined conditional equations, and which determines therefrom, within a predetermined context, a state that is updated in relation to the momentary state, with which the apparatus for controlling traffic is then further operated, comprising the steps of:

the conditional equations in a database data file allocated to the control program;

further actions in the database data file, the further actions defining steps from the momentary state to the updated state;

in the database data file further rules that respectively contain a number of control values corresponding to a number of conditional equations, as well as an action direction, whereby in each rule one of three possible control values is allocated to each conditional equation, which values indicate whether a respective conditional equation has to assume a true truth value, a false truth value, or an arbitrary truth value, so that a respective action of the further actions to which the action direction of the respective rule refers is executed;

comparing the prepared characteristic quantities with predetermined threshold values according to the conditional equations of the database data file, and storing the truth value of a respective conditional equation as a result of the comparison;

comparing the truth values with the control values; and

given agreement of the truth values with all control values of an individual rule of the rules, the respective action is executed that is referred to by the action direction of this individual rule.

2. The method for traffic-dependent controlling of apparatus for controlling traffic according to claim 1, wherein the updated state is determined such that the actions comprise combination actions that refer to addresses of further database data files, whereby the database data files are combined with one another in modular fashion.

3. The method for traffic-dependent controlling of apparatus for controlling traffic according to claim 2, wherein by the combination actions, a plurality of database data files are combined in a predetermined processing sequence, whereby a control hierarchy is constructed in which the plurality of database data files are evaluated successively.

4. The method for traffic-dependent controlling of apparatus for controlling traffic according to claim 3, wherein by the combination actions reference is also made to database data files that do not follow directly in the processing sequence, so that the control hierarchy can thereby be modified.

5. The method for traffic-dependent controlling of apparatus for controlling traffic according to claim 3, wherein the actions comprise calculation prescriptions, and wherein during execution of the actions, results are determined based on the calculation prescriptions, and are stored, and wherein the results are taken into account in the conditional equations of database data files that follow in the control hierarchy.

6. The method for traffic-dependent controlling of apparatus for controlling traffic according to claim 1, wherein given an occurrence of traffic flows deviating from the predetermined context such that no updated state is provided, at least one of the conditional equations, the rules and the actions of the database data files are modified, and wherein the modified conditional equations, rules and actions are stored.

7. The method for traffic-dependent controlling of apparatus for controlling traffic according to claim 1, wherein in a traffic signal installation for controlling traffic, a momentary signal program as a momentary state is replaced by a further signal program as an updated state.

8. The method for traffic-dependent controlling of apparatus for controlling traffic according to claim 1 wherein in a traffic management system for controlling traffic, a momentary control strategy as a momentary state is replaced by a further control strategy as an updated state.

9. An apparatus for traffic-dependent controlling of apparatus for controlling traffic, comprising:

traffic detectors that detect occupation values in measurement cross-sections in a spatial environment of the apparatus for controlling traffic;

a control apparatus to which occupation values are communicated, which determines from the communicated occupation values, by a control program, prepared characteristic quantities of the traffic sequence for a momentary state of the apparatus for controlling traffic, which compares these prepared characteristic quantities with predetermined threshold values according to predetermined conditional equations, and which determines therefrom, within a predetermined context, a state that is updated in relation to the momentary state, with which the apparatus for controlling traffic is then further operated;

the control program having database data files with a substantially identical structure of fields;

a first field in which are stored the conditional equations;

a second field in which are stored actions that define steps from the momentary state to the updated state;

a third field in which are stored rules that respectively contain a number of control values corresponding to a number of conditional equations, as well as an action indication, whereby in each rule one of three possible control values is allocated to each conditional equation, which values indicate whether a respective conditional equation has to assume a true truth value, a false truth value, or an arbitrary truth value, so that a respective action to which the action indication of a respective rule refers is executed.

10. The apparatus for traffic-dependent controlling of apparatus for controlling traffic according to claim 9, wherein in the second field, in addition to the respective action, a combination action is stored in a form of an address of a further database data file that is subsequently to be processed.

11. The apparatus for traffic-dependent controlling of apparatus for controlling traffic according to claim 9, wherein in a fourth field a combination action is stored in a form of an address of a further database data file that is subsequently to be processed.

12. The apparatus for traffic-dependent controlling of apparatus for controlling traffic according to claim 9, wherein the conditional equations are composed of individual conditions (b1, b2).

13. The apparatus for traffic-dependent controlling of apparatus for controlling traffic according to claim 12, wherein the individual conditions in the conditional equations are logically combined with one another.

14. The apparatus for traffic-dependent controlling of apparatus for controlling traffic according to claim 9, wherein the apparatus for controlling traffic is a traffic signal installation whose momentary signal sequence as a momentary state is replaced by a further signal sequence as an updated state.

15. The apparatus for traffic-dependent controlling of apparatus for controlling traffic according to claim 9, wherein the apparatus for controlling traffic is a traffic management system, whose momentary control strategy as a momentary state is replaced by a further control strategy as an updated state.