Method and system for influencing the traffic flow within a route section

• US 7,880,644 B2
• Filed: 11/27/2007
• Issued: 02/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Daubner & Stommel Gbr Bau-Werk-Planung
• Original Assignee: Daubner & Stommel GBR Bau-Werk -Planung
• Inventors: Stommel, Matthias
• Primary Examiner(s): BLOUNT, ERIC
• Application Number:
  US11/945,475
• Publication Number:
  US 20080143556A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,162 Days
• Field of Search: 340/936, 340/425.5, 340/441, 340/905, 340/903, 340/466, 340/470
• US Class Current: 340/936
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096716 where the received information does not generate an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096741 where the source of the transmitted information selects which information to transmit to each vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096791 where the origin of the information is another vehicle

Abstract

A method for influencing the traffic flow of vehicles within a route section (10) in which the actual speed of a first vehicle travelling within the route section (10) is measured, at an actual speed which is the same as or higher than a predefined limiting value, signal-generating means (26, 28) which are assigned to the vehicle transmit at least one signal which can be received, in particular by another vehicle which is travelling in the route section (10) or the driver of the other vehicle, and which represents the fact that the limiting value has been reached or exceeded, and the signal which represents the fact that the limiting value has been reached or exceeded is received by a suitable receiver, in particular a receiver of the other vehicle, and triggers the recording and/or storage of a corresponding item of information, which represents the fact that the limiting value has been reached or exceeded, in a suitable storage medium, in particular in a storage medium of the other vehicle, and a system for carrying out the method.

Claims

1. A method for influencing the traffic flow of vehicles within a route section (10) having the following steps:

(a) measuring the actual speed of a first vehicle travelling within the route section (10);

(b) at an actual speed which is the same as or higher than a predefined limiting value, using signal-generating means (26, 28) which are assigned to the first vehicle to transmit at least one signal which can be received by a second vehicle which is travelling in the route section (10) or by the driver of the second vehicle, and which represents the fact that the limiting value has been reached or exceeded; and

(c) receiving the signal which represents the fact that the limiting value has been reached or exceeded by a suitable receiver in the second vehicle, and triggering the recording and/or storage of a corresponding item of information, which represents the fact that the limiting value has been reached or exceeded, in a suitable storage medium in the second vehicle,

wherein the speed limiting value lies between the maximum possible top speed or the legally permitted top speed of the first vehicle and 90% of the maximum possible top speed or legally permitted top speed of the first vehicle.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the signal which represents the fact that the limiting value has been reached or exceeded indirectly or directly triggers the outputting of an acoustic, optical or haptic signal in the second vehicle after the signal which represents the fact that the limiting value has been reached or exceeded has been received by the suitable receiver in the second vehicle.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the signal which represents the fact that the limiting value has been reached or exceeded bears information which is dependent on the speed of the first vehicle.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the information which represents the speed and/or the fact that the limiting value has been reached or exceeded is stored by suitable recording on a tachograph disc of a mechanical tachograph of the second vehicle, or by storage in a digital storage medium of the second vehicle, or by storage in a digital memory of a digital tachograph.

5. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the signal which represents the fact that the limiting value has been reached or exceeded is an electromagnetic signal selected from the group consisting of radio signals and light signals.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein, after the information which represents the fact that the limiting value has been reached or exceeded is transmitted by the signal-generating means of the first vehicle and received by the receiver of the second vehicle, the further driving movements of the second vehicle are monitored for a specific time until the reception of a further signal which represents the fact that the limiting value is no longer being reached or no longer being exceeded, to determine whether the second vehicle initiates and/or carries out an overtaking manoeuvre for overtaking the first vehicle.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the driving movements of the first vehicle are monitored by means of a superordinate locating system.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein when an overtaking manoeuvre is detected, information which represents this fact is stored in the storage medium of the second vehicle.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the speed limiting value lies between the maximum possible top speed or the legally permitted top speed of the first vehicle and 95% of the maximum possible top speed or legally permitted top speed of the first vehicle.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the speed limiting value lies between the maximum possible top speed or the legally permitted top speed of the first vehicle and 97% of the maximum possible top speed or legally permitted top speed of the first vehicle.

11. The method according to claim 1, having the following further steps:

(a) at least two vehicles within the route section exchanging traffic-flow-related information bidirectionally with one another via communication devices (34) which are assigned to the vehicles;

(b) determining data which describes an optimized traffic flow as a function of the traffic-flow-related information; and

(c) using display devices which are assigned to the vehicles to display visually or indicate acoustically action instructions for the drivers of the vehicles which are dependent on the optimized traffic flow data.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the determination of the data which describes the optimized traffic flow is carried out in a decentralized fashion by evaluation devices assigned to the vehicles.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein the traffic-flow-related information comprises speed-related and/or distance-related and/or acceleration-related information on the vehicles, the traffic-flow-related information being acquired at least partially using acquisition means which are assigned to the vehicles.

14. A system for influencing the traffic flow of vehicles, having:

(a) at least a first vehicle and at least one other vehicle;

(b) means for sensing the speed of the first vehicle;

(c) comparison means for comparing the sensed actual speed of the first vehicle with a predetermined limiting value and with signal-generating means which are assigned to the first vehicle,

wherein, at an actual speed of the first vehicle, which is equal to or higher than the predetermined limiting value, a signal which represents the fact that the limiting value has been reached or exceeded and which can be received by the other vehicle, can be transmitted by the signal-generating means,

wherein the signal can trigger the recording and/or storage of corresponding information which represents the fact that the limiting value has been reached or exceeded in a suitable storage medium which is assigned to the other vehicle, and

wherein the speed limiting value lies between the maximum possible top speed or the legally permitted top speed of the first vehicle and 90% of the maximum possible top speed or legally permitted top speed of the first vehicle.

15. The system according to claim 14, wherein the signal which can be emitted by the signal-generating means is a radio signal that can be received by a receiver device in the other vehicle.

16. The system according to claim 15, wherein the system is operated by a method for influencing the traffic flow of vehicles within a route section (10) having the following steps:

(a) measuring the actual speed of a first vehicle travelling within the route section (10);

(b) at an actual speed which is the same as or higher than a predefined limiting value, using signal-generating means (26, 28) which are assigned to the first vehicle to transmit at least one signal which can be received by a second vehicle which is travelling in the route section (10) or by the driver of the second vehicle, and which represents the fact that the limiting value has been reached or exceeded; and

(c) receiving the signal which represents the fact that the limiting value has been reached or exceeded by a suitable receiver in the second vehicle, and triggering the recording and/or storage of a corresponding item of information, which represents the fact that the limiting value has been reached or exceeded, in a suitable storage medium in the second vehicle.