Traffic signals control system
First Claim
1. A method of controlling traffic signals at a road intersection which has a plurality of signal groups, each signal group controlling at least one direction of traffic within the intersection, the method executed by a controller and comprising steps:
- (i) obtaining and utilising traffic data to calculate a current traffic state and the rate of change in the traffic state;
(ii) formulating at least one action and the duration of said action in response to the calculations obtained in step (i), wherein each action comprises switching at least one traffic signal;
(iii) resolving one or more policies based on the calculations obtained in step (i) and the action formulated in step (ii);
(iv) applying a continuous decision making process comprising an optimisation for a semi-Markov decision process to evaluate a reward for the policies resolved in step (iii), said optimisation comprising steps;
(a) generating a policy pathway comprising a plurality of different paths, each path having one or more nodes, which represent at least one policy; and
(b) evaluating a reward for each path in the policy pathway by evaluating and totaling the reward of the policies located at each node along each one of the different paths; and
(v) selecting a policy that maximizes the reward and switching at least one traffic signal according to the selected policy.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method of controlling traffic signals at a road intersection, which has a plurality of signal groups, each of which controls at least one direction of traffic within the intersection. The method comprises the steps of obtaining and utilizing traffic data to calculate a current traffic state and the rate of change in the traffic state. The method further comprises formulating at least one action and the duration of the action in response to these calculations. Each action comprises switching at least one traffic signal. One or more policies based on the calculations and the action are resolved. A continuous decision making process is applied to evaluate a reward for the policies resolved and a policy that maximizes the reward is selected.
27 Citations
29 Claims
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1. A method of controlling traffic signals at a road intersection which has a plurality of signal groups, each signal group controlling at least one direction of traffic within the intersection, the method executed by a controller and comprising steps:
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(i) obtaining and utilising traffic data to calculate a current traffic state and the rate of change in the traffic state; (ii) formulating at least one action and the duration of said action in response to the calculations obtained in step (i), wherein each action comprises switching at least one traffic signal; (iii) resolving one or more policies based on the calculations obtained in step (i) and the action formulated in step (ii); (iv) applying a continuous decision making process comprising an optimisation for a semi-Markov decision process to evaluate a reward for the policies resolved in step (iii), said optimisation comprising steps; (a) generating a policy pathway comprising a plurality of different paths, each path having one or more nodes, which represent at least one policy; and (b) evaluating a reward for each path in the policy pathway by evaluating and totaling the reward of the policies located at each node along each one of the different paths; and (v) selecting a policy that maximizes the reward and switching at least one traffic signal according to the selected policy. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A traffic signals control system comprising a controller for controlling actuators for the controlling of traffic signals at a road intersection which has a plurality of signal groups, each signal group controlling at least one direction of traffic within the intersection, and a traffic modeling device arranged to receive traffic data from a sensor, the controller being operable to:
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(i) obtain and utilise the traffic data to calculate a current traffic state and the rate of change in the traffic state; (ii) formulate at least one action and the duration of said action in response to the calculations obtained in step (i), wherein each action comprises switching at least one traffic signal; (iii) resolve one or more policies based on the calculations obtained in step (i) and the action formulated in step (ii); (iv) apply a continuous decision making process comprising an optimisation for a semi-Markov decision process to evaluate a reward for the policies resolved in step (iii), said optimisation comprising; (a) generation of a policy pathway comprising a plurality of different paths, each path having one or more nodes, which represent at least one policy; and (b) evaluation of a reward for each path in the policy pathway by evaluating and totaling the reward of the policies located at each node along each one of the different paths; and (v) select a policy that maximizes the reward. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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Specification