Method and system for mapping traffic congestion

• US 6,542,808 B2
• Filed: 11/30/2001
• Issued: 04/01/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Josef Mintz
• Original Assignee: Josef Mintz
• Inventors: Mintz, Josef
• Primary Examiner(s): Beaulieu, Yonel
• Application Number:
  US09/998,061
• Publication Number:
  US 20020082767A1
• Time in Patent Office: 487 Days
• Field of Search: 701/117, 701/118, 701/119, 701/23, 701/25, 340/907, 340/910, 340/915, 340/919, 340/934, 348/149, 348/61
• US Class Current: 701/117
• 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: H04W 4/40 for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P]

Abstract

System and method for mapping parameters of a queue of a road congestion. Length of the road congestion, motion rate and average arrival rate to the road congestion may be used to determine an expected delay in traveling as well as trends, using special radio systems and also existing radio networks such as Public Land Mobile Networks (PLMN) and Private/Public Data Networks (PDN). The mapping is performed relative to a front end of a queue of a road congestion. The mapping system may construct snapshots of mapping samples received from a small percentage of pre-designated probes. The mapping samples are received in response to predefined broadcast control messages. The determination of the length of a road congestion may be based on a direct approach, in dynamic conditions that include variations in the arrival rate of vehicles to the road congestion and the departure rate of vehicles from the congestion over time.

Claims

1. A method of determining an indication of length of a queue of vehicles on a road, using probe reports, transmitted according to a predetermined protocol, associated with the probe reports, to a mapping system which processes the probe reports, wherein a report includes a characteristic value of position of the probe, the method comprising:

(a) constructing with the mapping system a plurality of mapping samples,

(b) determining for each of the plurality of mapping samples a position that relates to the farthest probe position from a mapping focus;

(c) choosing from the position determined in (b) the position which is the farthest from the mapping focus for determining an indication on length of the queue; and

wherein the process of gathering position related updates from probes, associated with the construction of mapping samples, is being made through a dedicated radio channel in which probes transmit signals in pre-assigned slots in accordance with their position and other criteria, determined by a pre determined protocol.

2. A method of determining length of a queue of vehicles on a road and traffic motion in the queue, wherein according to a predetermined protocol of probe reports characteristic values of the position of the probes to a receiver of mapping system which processes the reports, the method comprising:

(a) constructing at least one mapping sample that includes at least one of the reports,

(b) determining a range of the position characteristic values in which the farthest reporter from mapping focus was identified in the mapping sample constructed in (a);

(c) transmitting to reporters a response that according to a predetermined procedure disables transmitters that did not transmit a report within the chosen range from continuing to report;

(d) receiving further reports and constructing a subsequent mapping sample;

(e) repeating steps (a) to (d) according to a predetermined procedure;

(f) choosing from the determined ranges in (b) the farthest chosen range to be indicative of the length of the queue;

(g) determining motion length toward a mapping focus by calculating a range characteristic value for a range in a mapping sample, subsequent to the first mapping sample, which includes the position characteristic value indicative of the closest position to the mapping focus and calculating the difference between the said range characteristic value and the range characteristic value of a corresponding chosen range in an earlier mapping sample; and

wherein the process of gathering position related updates from probes, associated with the construction of mapping samples, is being made through a dedicated radio channel in which probes transmit signals in pre-assigned slots in accordance with their position and other criteria, determined by a pre determined protocol.

3. A method of creating conditions which enable assessment of traffic motion rate in a queue of vehicles and enables to construct reference positions for further concatenation of non overlapped segments of mapping sample to further enable more accurate statistical estimates, including either or both average arrival rate of vehicles to the queue and percentage of probes in the queue, wherein according to a predetermined protocol probes report characteristic values of their position to a mapping system which receives and processes the reports, the method comprising:

(a) constructing a first mapping sample that includes at least one of said reports,

(b) determining a range of said position characteristic values in which at least one of said reports was identified in the first mapping sample,

(c) transmitting to reporters a response that according to a predetermined procedure disables transmitters that did not transmit a report within the chosen range of the first mapping sample from continuing to report; and

wherein the process of gathering position related updates from probes, associated with the construction of mapping samples, is being made through a dedicated radio channel in which probes transmit signals in pre-assigned slots in accordance with their position and other criteria, determined by a pre determined protocol.

4. A method of determining an indication of length of a queue of vehicles on a road, using probe reports of probes transmitted according to a predetermined protocol, associated with the probe reports, to a mapping system which processes the probe reports, wherein a report includes a characteristic value of position of the probe, the method comprising:

(a) constructing with the mapping system a plurality of mapping samples,

(b) determining for each of the plurality of mapping samples a position that relates to the farthest probe position from a mapping focus;

(c) choosing from the position determined in (b) the position which is the farthest from the mapping focus for determining an indication on length of the queue;

wherein the process of gathering position related updates from probes, associated with the construction of mapping samples, is being made through a PLMN or a PDN, which allocates radio communication resources to pre-assigned slots, according to a predetermined protocol associated with the PLMN or PDN.

7. The method according to claim 4, wherein the PLMN or PDN is equipped with a unit in a base station that detects received signals in pre-assigned slots and according to a predetermined protocol converts the information associated with the detection to a respective bit stream which is further transmitted to a mapping processor as a data message.

5. A method of determining length of a queue of vehicles on a road and traffic motion in the queue, wherein according to a predetermined protocol probes report characteristic values of the position of the probes to a receiver of mapping system which processes the reports, the method comprising:

(a) constructing at least one mapping sample that includes at least one of the reports,

(b) determining a range of the position characteristic values in which the farthest reporter from mapping focus was identified in the mapping sample constructed in (a);

(c) transmitting to reporters a response that according to a predetermined procedure disables transmitters that did not transmit a report within the chosen range from continuing to report;

(d) receiving further reports and constructing a subsequent mapping sample;

(e) repeating steps (a) to (d) according to a predetermined procedure;

(f) choosing from the determined ranges in (b) the farthest chosen range to be indicative of the length of the queue;

(g) determining motion length toward a mapping focus by calculating a range characteristic value for a range in a mapping sample, subsequent to the first mapping sample, which includes the position characteristic value indicative of the closest position to the mapping focus and calculating the difference between the said range characteristic value and the range characteristic value of a corresponding chosen range in an earlier mapping sample;

wherein the process of gathering position related updates from probes, associated with the construction of mapping samples, is being made through a PLMN or a PDN, which allocates radio communication resources to pre-assigned slots, according to a predetermined protocol associated with the PLMN or PDN.

8. The method according to claim 5, wherein the PLMN or PDN is equipped with a unit in a base station that detects received signals in pre-assigned slots and according to a predetermined protocol converts the information associated with the detection to a respective bit stream which is further transmitted to a mapping processor as a data message.

6. A method of creating conditions which enable assessment of traffic motion rate in a queue of vehicles and enables to construct reference positions for further concatenation of non overlapped segments of mapping sample to further enable more accurate statistical estimates, including either or both average arrival rate of vehicles to the queue and percentage of probes in the queue, wherein according to a predetermined protocol probes report characteristic values of their position to a mapping system which receives and processes the reports, the method comprising:

(a) constructing a first mapping sample that includes at least one of said reports,

(b) determining a range of said position characteristic values in which at least one of said reports was identified in the first mapping sample,

(c) transmitting to reporters a response that according to a predetermined procedure disables transmitters that did not transmit a report within the chosen range of the first mapping sample from continuing to report;

wherein the process of gathering position related updates from probes, associated with the construction of mapping samples, is being made through a PLMN or a PDN, which allocates radio communication resources to pre-assigned slots, according to a predetermined protocol associated with the PLMN or PDN.

9. The method according to claim 6, wherein the PLMN or PDN is equipped with a unit in a base station that detects received signals in pre-assigned slots and according to a predetermined protocol converts the information associated with the detection to a respective bit stream which is further transmitted to a mapping processor as a data message.

10. A method of determining an indication of length of a queue of vehicles on a road, using probe reports of probes transmitted according to a predetermined protocol, associated with the probe reports, to a mapping system which processes the probe reports, wherein a report includes a characteristic value of position of the probe, the method comprising:

(a) constructing with the mapping system a plurality of mapping samples,

(b) determining for each of the plurality of mapping samples a position that relates to the farthest probe position from a mapping focus;

(c) choosing from the position determined in (b) the position which is the farthest from the mapping focus for determining an indication on length of the queue; and

wherein the process of gathering position related updates from probes, associated with the construction of mapping samples, is being made through a PLMN or PDN and wherein the position related updates are data messages transmitted by probes according to a data communication protocol associated with the radio communication medium and wherein a message includes the position related data and auxiliary data that enables to determine time associated with the position related update.

11. A method of determining length of a queue of vehicles on a road and traffic motion in the queue, wherein according to a predetermined protocol of probe reports characteristic values of the position of the probes to a receiver of mapping system which processes the reports, the method comprising:

(a) constructing at least one mapping sample that includes at least one of the reports,

(b) determining a range of the position characteristic values in which the farthest reporter from mapping focus was identified in the mapping sample constructed in (a);

(c) transmitting to reporters a response that according to a predetermined procedure disables transmitters that did not transmit a report within the chosen range from continuing to report;

(d) receiving further reports and constructing a subsequent mapping sample;

(e) repeating steps (a) to (d) according to a predetermined procedure;

(f) choosing from the determined ranges in (b) the farthest chosen range to be indicative of the length of the queue;

(g) determining motion length toward a mapping focus by calculating a range characteristic value for a range in a mapping sample, subsequent to the first mapping sample, which includes the position characteristic value indicative of the closest position to the mapping focus and calculating the difference between the said range characteristic value and the range characteristic value of a corresponding chosen range in an earlier mapping sample; and

wherein the process of gathering position related updates from probes, associated with the construction of mapping samples, is being made through a PLMN or PDN and wherein the position related updates are data messages transmitted by probes according to a data communication protocol associated with the radio communication medium and wherein a message includes the position related data and auxiliary data that enables to determine time associated with the position related update.

12. A method of creating conditions which enable assessment of traffic motion rate in a queue of vehicles and enables to construct reference positions for further concatenation of non overlapped segments of mapping sample to further enable more accurate statistical estimates, including either or both average arrival rate of vehicles to the queue and percentage of probes in the queue, wherein according to a predetermined protocol probes report characteristic values of their position to a mapping system which receives and processes the reports, the method comprising:

(a) constructing a first mapping sample that includes at least one of said reports,

(b) determining a range of said position characteristic values in which at least one of said reports was identified in the first mapping sample,

(c) transmitting to reporters a response that according to a predetermined procedure disables transmitters that did not transmit a report within the chosen range of the first mapping sample from continuing to report; and

wherein the process of gathering position related updates from probes, associated with the construction of mapping samples, is being made through a PLMN or PDN and wherein the position related updates are data messages transmitted by probes according to a data communication protocol associated with the radio communication medium and wherein a message includes the position related data and auxiliary data that enables to determine time associated with the position related update.

13. A method of determining an indication of average length, over a time period, of a queue of vehicles on a road, using probe reports of probes transmitted according to a predetermined protocol, associated with the probe reports, to a mapping system which processes the probe reports, wherein a report includes a characteristic value of position of the probe, the method comprising:

(a) constructing with the mapping system a plurality of mapping samples,

(b) determining for each of the plurality of mapping samples a position that relates to the farthest probe position from a mapping focus;

(c) choosing from the position determined in (b) the position which is the farthest from the mapping focus for determining an indication on length of the queue; and

wherein according to a predetermined procedure the mapping system estimates the percentage of probes among arrived vehicles to the queue, by predicting the number of probes that plan to arrive to a mapped queue in a forward time interval using a counting method for determining the percentage of probes based on the proportion between the slots in which energy was detected as a result of at least one probe transmission and the number of allocated slots.