Automated traffic synchronization

• US 8,344,906 B2
• Filed: 09/08/2008
• Issued: 01/01/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Emam, Ossama, Fairweather, Peter G., Kanevsky, Dimitri, Rish, Irina
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Benjamin C
• Assistant Examiner(s): TANG, SIGMUND N
• Application Number:
  US12/206,507
• Publication Number:
  US 20100060482A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,576 Days
• Field of Search: 701/93, 701/96, 701/97, 701/98, 701/117, 340/436, 340903-921
• US Class Current: 340/905
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/09 Arrangements for giving variable traffic instructions railroad crossing signals B61L; reflectors E01F, G08B; indicating arrangements for variable information by selection or combination of individual elements G09F9/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096708 where the received information might be used to generate an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096783 where the origin of the information is a roadside individual element
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/06 for control when on the ground

Abstract

Spatial relationship information and performance information are determined for vehicles within a vehicular environment. Traffic signaling information is received from a traffic regulation system associated with the vehicular environment. At least one synchronized control action is calculated for each of the vehicles to synchronize the vehicles with the traffic regulation system based upon the traffic signaling information, the determined spatial relationship information, and the determined performance information for each of the vehicles. The associated at least one synchronized control action is communicated to each of the vehicles. This abstract is not to be considered limiting, since other embodiments may deviate from the features described in this abstract.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

determining spatial relationship information and vehicle performance capability information for each of a plurality of vehicles within a vehicular environment;

receiving traffic signaling change information from a traffic light signaling system indicating a traffic signal change at an intersection within the vehicular environment;

calculating at least one synchronized control action for each of the plurality of vehicles to synchronize the plurality of vehicles with the traffic light signaling system to stop or to start from a stop based upon the received traffic signaling change information, the determined spatial relationship information, and the determined vehicle performance capability information for each of the plurality of vehicles; and

communicating the calculated at least one synchronized control action to each of the plurality of vehicles to indicate to each vehicle to stop or to start from the stop.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving driver status information for a driver of at least one of the plurality of vehicles from a driver monitoring module associated with the at least one of the plurality of vehicles, the driver status information comprising at least one of driver body orientation information, driver head orientation information, driver eye direction information, and driver activity information.

3. The method of claim 2, where calculating the at least one synchronized control action for each of the plurality of vehicles comprises calculating the at least one synchronized control action for each of the plurality of vehicles based upon the received driver status information.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving an indication from at least one of the plurality of vehicles that the at least one of the plurality of vehicles is capable of automated external control and where calculating the at least one synchronized control action for each of the plurality of vehicles comprises calculating at least one synchronized automated control action for automated control of the at least one of the plurality of vehicles.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving an indication from at least one of the plurality of vehicles that the at least one of the plurality of vehicles is not capable of automated external control and where calculating the at least one synchronized control action for each of the plurality of vehicles comprises calculating at least one synchronized manual control action for driver control of the at least one of the plurality of vehicles.

6. The method of claim 1, where the traffic signaling change information comprises one of an indication of a change from a red light to a green light and to start the plurality of vehicles from a stop, and an indication of a change from a green light to a yellow light and to initiate stopping the plurality of vehicles, and further comprising communicating a driver alert to at least one of the plurality of vehicles.

7. The method of claim 1, where calculating the at least one synchronized control action for each of the plurality of vehicles further comprises calculating an action time and at least one of an acceleration parameter to start from the stop, a deceleration parameter to initiate the stop, a driver notification time, a vehicle start time to start from the stop, and a vehicle stop time to stop for each of the plurality of vehicles.

8. The method of claim 1, where determining the spatial relationship information and the vehicle performance capability information for each of the plurality of vehicles comprises at least one of:

receiving the spatial relationship information from at least one of a driver monitoring module associated with each of the plurality of vehicles and a traffic monitoring module associated with the vehicular environment; and

receiving the vehicle performance capability information from a vehicle monitoring module associated with each of the plurality of vehicles.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving weather information and compensating the calculated at least one synchronized control action based upon the received weather information.

10. The method of claim 1, where the plurality of vehicles further comprises at least one of a plurality of automobiles, a plurality of planes, a plurality of boats, and a plurality of trains.

11. A system, comprising:

a memory adapted to store traffic synchronizing information; and

a processor programmed to;

determine spatial relationship information and vehicle performance capability information for each of a plurality of vehicles within a vehicular environment;

store the spatial relationship information and the vehicle performance capability information to the memory;

receive traffic signaling change information from a traffic light signaling system indicating a traffic signal change at an intersection within the vehicular environment;

store the traffic signaling change information to the memory;

calculate at least one synchronized control action for each of the plurality of vehicles to synchronize the plurality of vehicles with the traffic light signaling system to stop or to start from a stop based upon the received traffic signaling change information, the determined spatial relationship information, and the determined vehicle performance capability information for each of the plurality of vehicles; and

communicate the calculated at least one synchronized control action to each of the plurality of vehicles to indicate to each vehicle to stop or to start from the stop.

12. The system of claim 11, where the processor is further programmed to receive driver status information for a driver of at least one of the plurality of vehicles from a driver monitoring module associated with the at least one of the plurality of vehicles, the driver status information comprising at least one of driver body orientation information, driver head orientation information, driver eye direction information, and driver activity information;

and store the driver status information to the memory.

13. The system of claim 12, where, in being programmed to calculate the at least one synchronized control action for each of the plurality of vehicles, the processor is programmed to calculate the at least one synchronized control action for each of the plurality of vehicles based upon the received driver status information.

14. The system of claim 11, where the processor is further programmed to receive an indication from at least one of the plurality of vehicles that the at least one of the plurality of vehicles is capable of automated external control and where, in being programmed to calculate the at least one synchronized control action for each of the plurality of vehicles, the processor is programmed to calculate at least one synchronized automated control action for automated control of the at least one of the plurality of vehicles.

15. The system of claim 11, where the processor is further programmed to receive an indication from at least one of the plurality of vehicles that the at least one of the plurality of vehicles is not capable of automated external control and where, in being programmed to calculate the at least one synchronized control action for each of the plurality of vehicles, the processor is programmed to calculate at least one synchronized manual control action for driver control of the at least one of the plurality of vehicles.

16. The system of claim 11, where the traffic signaling change information comprises one of an indication of a change from a red light to a green light and to start the plurality of vehicles from a stop, and an indication of a change from a green light to a yellow light and to initiate stopping the plurality of vehicles, and where the processor is further programmed to communicate a driver alert to at least one of the plurality of vehicles.

17. The system of claim 11, where, in being programmed to calculate the at least one synchronized control action for each of the plurality of vehicles, the processor is programmed to calculate an action time and at least one of an acceleration parameter to start from the stop, a deceleration parameter to initiate the stop, a driver notification time, a vehicle start time to start from the stop, and a vehicle stop time to stop for each of the plurality of vehicles.

18. The system of claim 11, where, in being programmed to determine the spatial relationship information and the vehicle performance capability information for each of the plurality of vehicles, the processor is programmed to at least one of:

receive the spatial relationship information from at least one of a driver monitoring module associated with each of the plurality of vehicles and a traffic monitoring module associated with the vehicular environment; and

receive the vehicle performance capability information from a vehicle monitoring module associated with each of the plurality of vehicles.

19. The system of claim 11, where the processor is further programmed to receive weather information and compensate the calculated at least one synchronized control action based upon the received weather information.

20. A system comprising:

a memory adapted to store traffic synchronizing information; and

a processor programmed to;

determine spatial relationship information and vehicle performance capability information for each of a plurality of vehicles within a vehicular environment;

store the spatial relationship information and the vehicle performance capability information to the memory;

receive traffic signaling change information from a traffic light signaling system indicating a traffic signal change at an intersection within the vehicular environment, where the traffic signaling change information comprises one of an indication of a change from a red light to a green light and to start the plurality of vehicles from a stop, and an indication of a change from a green light to a yellow light and to initiate stopping the plurality of vehicles;

store the traffic signaling change information to the memory;

receive driver status information for a driver of at least one of the plurality of vehicles from a driver monitoring module associated with the at least one of the plurality of vehicles, the driver status information comprising at least one of driver body orientation information, driver head orientation information, driver eye direction information, and driver activity information;

store the driver status information to the memory;

calculate at least one synchronized control action for each of the plurality of vehicles to synchronize the plurality of vehicles with the traffic light signaling system to stop or to start from a stop based upon the received traffic signaling change information, the determined spatial relationship information, the determined vehicle performance capability information for each of the plurality of vehicles, and the driver status information, where the at least one synchronized control action comprises at least one of an acceleration parameter to start from the stop, a deceleration parameter to initiate the stop, a driver notification time, a vehicle start time to start from the stop, and a vehicle stop time to stop for each of the plurality of vehicles; and

communicate the calculated at least one synchronized control action to each of the plurality of vehicles to indicate to each vehicle to stop or to start from the stop.