System and method for lane-specific vehicle detection and control

• US 8,386,156 B2
• Filed: 08/02/2010
• Issued: 02/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens Mobility, Inc. (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Industry Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Miller, David Dodd
• Primary Examiner(s): Dager, Jonathan M
• Application Number:
  US12/848,283
• Publication Number:
  US 20120029799A1
• Time in Patent Office: 939 Days
• Field of Search: 701/1, 701/2, 701 23- 28, 701116-119, 340906-943
• US Class Current: 701/117
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/08 according to detected number or speed of vehicles

Abstract

A roadside equipment (RSE) system that can be used for controlling traffic signals and other equipment and corresponding method. A method includes wirelessly receiving vehicle data from an onboard equipment (OBE) system connected to a vehicle, the vehicle data including location data, time data, and vehicle identification data related to the vehicle. The method includes determining motion data for the vehicle and determining the current state of at least one traffic device. The method includes determining a roadway lane corresponding to the vehicle, based on the motion data and the current state of the at least one traffic device, and storing the vehicle and associated roadway lane.

Claims

1. A method for vehicle detection, comprising:

wirelessly receiving vehicle data by a roadside equipment (RSE) system and from an onboard equipment (OBE) system connected to a vehicle, the vehicle data including location data, time data, and vehicle identification data related to the vehicle;

determining motion data for the vehicle by the RSE;

determining the current state of at least one traffic signal;

determining, by the RSE, a roadway lane corresponding to the vehicle, based on the motion data and the current state of the at least one traffic signal;

and

storing the vehicle and associated roadway lane in the RSE.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the motion data is determined by the RSE from the received vehicle data.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the current state of the at least one traffic signal is associated with the roadway lane.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the state of the at least one traffic signal is the phase of the traffic signal in a direction corresponding to the location data.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the RSE controls the at least one traffic signal based on the vehicle and associated roadway lane.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is performed repeatedly and simultaneously for a plurality of vehicles and a plurality of traffic signals.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the RSE accumulates traffic data, including a number of vehicles traveling in each of a plurality of roadway lanes, based on the vehicle data and associated roadway lane.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the RSE detects that the motion data does not correspond to the current state of the traffic signal.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the RSE detects that the motion data does not correspond to the current state of the traffic signal and thereafter sends an alert to a monitoring system.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the motion data is wirelessly received as part of the vehicle data.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the RSE system accumulates traffic data and uses the accumulated traffic data to define a plurality of roadway lanes.

12. A roadside equipment (RSE) system comprising at least a processor and a wireless receiver, the RSE system configured to perform the steps of:

wirelessly receiving vehicle data from an onboard equipment (OBE) system connected to a vehicle, the vehicle data including location data, time data, and vehicle identification data related to the vehicle;

determining motion data for the vehicle;

determining the current state of at least one traffic signal;

determining a roadway lane corresponding to the vehicle, based on the motion data and the current state of the at least one traffic device; and

storing the vehicle and associated roadway lane.

13. The RSE system of claim 12, wherein the motion data is determined by the RSE from the received vehicle data.

14. The RSE system of claim 12, wherein the current state of the at least one traffic signal is associated with the roadway lane.

15. The RSE system of claim 12, wherein the state of the at least one traffic device is the phase of the traffic signal in a direction corresponding to the location data.

16. The RSE system of claim 12, wherein the RSE controls the at least one traffic signal based on the vehicle and associated roadway lane.

17. The RSE system of claim 12, wherein the method is performed repeatedly and simultaneously for a plurality of vehicles and a plurality of traffic signals.

18. The RSE system of claim 12, wherein the RSE accumulates traffic data, including a number of vehicles traveling in each of a plurality of roadway lanes, based on the vehicle data and associated roadway lane.

19. The RSE system of claim 12, wherein the RSE detects that the motion data does not correspond to the current state of the traffic signal.

20. The RSE system of claim 12, wherein the RSE detects that the motion data does not correspond to the current state of the traffic signal and thereafter sends an alert to a monitoring system.

21. The RSE system of claim 12, wherein the motion data is wirelessly received as part of the vehicle data.

22. The RSE system of claim 12, wherein the RSE system accumulates traffic data and uses the accumulated traffic data to define a plurality of roadway lanes.