Traffic preemption system

• US 7,098,806 B2
• Filed: 10/12/2004
• Issued: 08/29/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/15/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: California Institute of Technology
• Original Assignee: California Institute of Technology
• Inventors: Bachelder, Aaron D.
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, PHUNG
• Application Number:
  US10/965,408
• Publication Number:
  US 20050128103A1
• Time in Patent Office: 686 Days
• Field of Search: 340/906, 340/902, 340/904, 340/910, 340/916, 340/917, 340/924, 340/426.19, 340/539.2, 340/907, 701/116, 701/117, 701/213
• US Class Current: 340/906
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/087 Override of traffic control, e.g. by signal transmitted by an emergency vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/20 Monitoring the location of vehicles belonging to a group, e.g. fleet of vehicles, countable or determined number of vehicles

Abstract

A traffic preemption system is described that includes onboard equipment located on a vehicle and a fleet management center in communication with the onboard equipment. The fleet management center is also in communication with a traffic management center that is in communication with at least one intersection controller, which controls the signals displayed at a traffic intersection. In one embodiment, the invention includes a vehicle equipped with an onboard computer system capable of capturing diagnostic information, estimating the location of the emergency vehicle using information provided by a GPS receiver connected to the onboard computer system and transmitting the captured diagnostic information and estimated location using a wireless transmitter connected to the onboard computer system via a first wireless network. Also included is a fleet management computer system connected to a wireless receiver, where the fleet management computer system and wireless receiver are capable of receiving information transmitted by the on-board equipment, determining whether the received information is from a vehicle requiring intersection preemption and providing the estimated location of vehicles requiring intersection preemption to a traffic management computer system. The traffic management computer system is capable of receiving estimated locations of vehicles requiring intersection preemption from the fleet management computer system and forwarding preemption requests to intersection controllers via a second network.

Claims

1. A traffic preemption system, comprising:

a vehicle equipped with an onboard computer system configured to;

capture diagnostic information;

estimate the location of the emergency vehicle using information provided by a GPS receiver connected to the onboard computer system; and

transmit the captured diagnostic information and estimated location using a wireless transmitter connected to the onboard computer system via a first wireless network;

a fleet management computer system connected to a wireless receiver, where the fleet management computer system and wireless receiver are configured to;

receive information transmitted by the on-board equipment;

determine whether the received information is from a vehicle requiring intersection preemption;

provide the estimated location of vehicles requiring intersection preemption to a traffic management computer system configured to receive estimated locations of vehicles requiring intersection preemption from the fleet management computer system, and forward preemption requests;

an intersection controller receiving a preemption request and preempting one or more traffic lights at an intersection in response; and

a real-time status monitor verifying preemption of the traffic lights at the intersection.

2. The traffic preemption system of claim 1, wherein:

the fleet management computer system and the traffic management computer system are implemented on a single computer system.

3. The traffic preemption system of claim 1, wherein:

the fleet management computer system and the traffic management computer system are implemented using separate computer systems that are connected via a third network.

4. The traffic preemption system of claim 3, wherein the second and third networks are implemented using the same network.

5. The traffic preemption system of claim 1, wherein the fleet management computer system is connected to the wireless receiver via a fourth network.

6. The traffic preemption system of claim 5 wherein the second and fourth networks are implemented using the same network.

7. The traffic preemption system of claim 1, wherein the diagnostic information includes information concerning whether the vehicle is in a “

mode”

where it requires intersection preemption.

8. The traffic preemption system of claim 1, wherein the diagnostic information includes information concerning the priority of the vehicle.

9. The traffic preemption system of claim 1, wherein the traffic management computer system is also configured to resolve conflicts between the preemption requirements of vehicles requiring intersection preemption.

10. The traffic preemption system of claim 1, wherein:

the fleet management computer system includes a register of vehicles and an assigned priority associated with each vehicle;

the fleet management computer system is configured to determine the priority of a vehicle requiring intersection preemption; and

the fleet management computer system is configured to provide the priority of the vehicle requiring intersection preemption in addition to the estimated location of the vehicle requiring intersection preemption to the traffic management computer system.

11. The traffic preemption system of claim 10, wherein:

the traffic management computer system is configured to identify conflicts between the preemption requirements of the vehicles requiring intersection preemption; and

the traffic management computer system is configured to resolve the conflict by sending the required preemption requests for the vehicle with the highest priority.

12. The traffic preemption system of claim 10, wherein:

the traffic management computer system forwards the estimated location of the vehicle requiring intersection preemption and the priority of the vehicle to the intersection controller as part of the preemption request; and

the intersection controller includes an add-on module configured to;

receive the estimate position and the priority information of the vehicle requiring intersection preemption; and

to resolve conflicts with other preemption requests by honoring the preemption request of the highest priority vehicle.

13. The preemption system of claim 1, wherein the onboard computer system uses map matching to estimate the location of the vehicle.

14. The traffic preemption system of claim 1, wherein the fleet management computer system uses map matching to improve the estimate of the location of the vehicle.

15. The traffic preemption system of claim 1, wherein the traffic management computer system uses map matching to improve the estimate of the location of the vehicle.

16. The traffic preemption system of claim 1, wherein the intersection controller includes an on-odd module configured to receive an estimated location of a vehicle position as part of a preemption request and to improve on the estimation by performing map matching.

17. A traffic preemption system, comprising:

at least one onboard diagnostic means mounted on a vehicle and connected to a GPS receiver and a wireless transmitter for determining the location of a vehicle and the preemption requirements of the vehicle;

at least one fleet management means connected to a wireless receiver for receiving information concerning the location and preemption requirements of vehicles and for forwarding information concerning vehicles requiring intersection preemption to at least one traffic management means,

the traffic management means for determining the preemption requirements of vehicles based on information provided by the fleet management means and for preempting at least one intersection controller in response to the vehicles'"'"' preemption requirements; and

a real-time status monitor verifying preemption of the at least one intersection controller.

18. A method of preempting an intersection, comprising:

estimating the location of at least one vehicle;

providing the estimated location to a fleet management system;

determining whether any of the vehicles require the preemption of an intersection;

forwarding the estimated location of vehicles requiring preemption to a traffic management system;

sending a preemption request to an intersection controller in satisfaction of the preemption requirements of at least one of the vehicles, the intersection controller receiving a preemption request and preempting one or more traffic lights at an intersection in response; and

verifying preemption of the traffic lights at the intersection.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising resolving conflicts between the preemption requirements of multiple vehicles.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising assigning priorities to vehicles and resolving conflicts between the preemption requirements of multiple vehicles by honoring the preemption requirements of the highest priority vehicle.

21. The method of claim 18, further comprising estimating vehicle location using information obtained using a GPS receiver.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising estimating vehicle location using map matching.