Method and apparatus generating and/or using estimates of arterial vehicular movement

• US 8,417,441 B2
• Filed: 07/20/2009
• Issued: 04/09/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sensys Networks Inc. (Tagmaster AB)
• Original Assignee: Sensys Networks Inc. (Tagmaster AB)
• Inventors: Kavaler, Robert, Kwong, Karric
• Primary Examiner(s): Beaulieu, Yonel
• Application Number:
  US12/506,132
• Publication Number:
  US 20100017102A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,359 Days
• Field of Search: 701117-119, 340/907, 340/933, 340/936, 348148-149, 382/104
• US Class Current: 701/117
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/00 Traffic control systems for road vehicles arrangement of road signs or traffic signals E01F9/00 ; automatic vehicle control B62D
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0104 Measuring and analyzing of parameters relative to traffic conditions
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/042 using inductive or magnetic detectors

Abstract

A roadway information system is disclosed with components generating and using vehicle signatures for vehicles passing near sensor pods located on or near lanes. These components in turn are part of and/or communicate with means and/or processors for generating an/or using Vehicle Movement Estimates based upon the vehicle signatures. The VME are used to create traffic feedback that may be presented to programmable field devices that may present at least some of the traffic feedback to drivers of the vehicles, thereby optimizing the fuel usage and travel time of the roadway.

Claims

1. Apparatus, comprising

a processor configured to

create a traffic feedback from a vehicular movement estimate (80) and/or

generate said vehicular movement estimate from a vehicle signature (26) each based upon sensor readings (22) of a vehicle (6) passing at least two sensor pods (20) each comprising a magnetic sensor (130);

wherein said vehicular movement estimate for a first section (12) between said sensor pods of a roadway (10) upon which said vehicle travels includes a travel time (82) and a vehicle count (84);

wherein said processor includes a finite state machine, and/or a configuration module configured to create said finite state machine, and/or a computer accessibly coupled to a memory including a program system to instruct said computer and/or an inferential engine.

2. The apparatus of claim 1,

wherein said processor is configured to communicatively couple (24) to at least two of said sensor pods.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a second processor configured to use said vehicular movement estimate to create a traffic feedback.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, further comprising:

a roadway information system (12), comprising said second processor communicatively coupled (96) to a feedback display (70) for presentation of said traffic feedback (90).

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said sensor reading includes a magnetic reading.

6. The apparatus of claim 5,

wherein said sensor pod includes at least two of said magnetic sensors oriented on said lane of said roadway.

7. The apparatus of claim 3, further comprising:

a roadway information system (12), comprising

said processor communicatively coupled to said second processor.

8. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said magnetic sensor employs at least one member of a group consisting of a Hall effect, an inductive loop and a magnetoresistive effect.

9. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said processor and/or said second processor includes

said finite state machine, and/or

said configuration module configured to initialize a programmable logic device to create said finite state machine, and/or

said computer accessibly coupled to a said computer readable memory including a said program system comprising at least one program step for instructing said computer, and/or

said inferential engine directed by a rule system including at least one member of an inference group consisting of at least one fact and at least one inference rule.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said program system comprises:

the program step of generating said vehicular movement estimate based upon said vehicle passing said at least two sensor pods; and

/or

the program step of using said vehicle movement estimates to create said at least one traffic feedbacks; and

/or

the program step of operating a programmable field device based upon said traffic feedback.

11. The apparatus of claim 9,

wherein the program step generating said vehicular movement estimate comprises

the program step of acquiring vehicle signatures for said at least two successive sensor pods based upon said sensor readings;

and/or

the program step of generating a scorecard (28, 29) of said vehicle signatures from said sensor pods; and

/or

the program step of matching said vehicle signatures based upon said scorecard to create an in-out vehicle match table (32); and

/or

the program step of generating said vehicle movement estimate from said in-out vehicle match table.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising a server containing an installation package for said configuration module, and/or said program system and/or said rule system;

wherein said server is configured to communicate said installation package to said finite state machine, and/or said computer and/or said inferential engine.

13. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising said computer readable memory includes of said configuration module, and/or said program system, and/or said rule system, and/or said installation package.

14. A method, comprising the step of:

operating an apparatus further comprising

the step of generating a vehicular movement estimate (80) based upon a vehicle (6) passing at least two magnetic sensor included in each of at least two sensor pods (20), with said vehicle movement estimate including a travel time (82) for a segment (12) between said sensor pods; and

/or

the step of using one or more of said vehicular movement estimates to create a traffic feedback (92); and

/or

the step of operating a programmable field device (70) based upon said traffic feedback;

wherein said presented traffic feedback and said vehicular movement estimates are produced based upon generating said vehicular movement estimate from an in-out vehicle match table (32) based upon a scorecard (28,29) of vehicle signatures acquired from said at least two successive sensor pods based upon said sensor readings.

15. The method of claim 14,

wherein the step generating said vehicular movement estimate comprises

the step of acquiring said vehicle signatures for said at least two successive sensor pods based upon said sensor readings;

and/or

the step of generating said scorecard of said vehicle signatures from said sensor pods; and

/or

the step of matching said vehicle signatures based upon said scorecard to create an said in-out vehicle match table; and

/or

the step of generating said vehicle movement estimate from said in-out vehicle match table;

wherein the step of operating said programmable field device further comprises the step of presenting said traffic feedback to a driver of said vehicle to create a presented traffic feedback.

16. The vehicle movement estimates as products of the process of claim 14.

17. Apparatus, comprising:

means (90) for generating a vehicular movement estimate (80) from a vehicle signature (26) each based upon sensor readings (22) of a vehicle (6) passing at least two sensor pods (20) each comprising a magnetic sensor (130); and

/or

means (100) for using said vehicular movement estimate to create a traffic feedback (90);

wherein said vehicular movement estimate for a first section (12) between said sensor pods of a roadway (10) upon which said vehicle travels includes a travel time (82) and a vehicle count (84);

wherein said means for generating and/or said means for using includes a finite state machine and/or a configuration module to create said finite state machine, and/or a computer accessibly coupled to a computer readable memory including a program system for instructing said computer, and/or an inferential system.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising said means for using said vehicular movement estimate to create said traffic feedback.

19. The apparatus of claim 18,

wherein said means for using is configured to receive (94) said vehicular movement estimate from an instance of said means for generating;

and

wherein said means for generating is configured to communicatively couple (24) to at least two of said sensor pods.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, further comprising:

a roadway information system (12), comprising

said means for generating (90);

said means for using (100) communicatively coupled (94) to said means for generating.

21. The apparatus of claim 18, further comprising:

a roadway information system (12), comprising said means for using (100) communicatively coupled (96) to a feedback display (70) for presentation of said traffic feedback (90).

22. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein said means for generating and/or said means for using includes

said finite state machine, and/or

said configuration module configured to initialize a programmable logic device to create said finite state machine, and/or

said computer accessibly coupled to said computer readable memory including a said program system comprising at least one program step for instructing said computer, and/or

said inferential engine directed by a rule system including at least one member of an inference group consisting of at least one fact and at least one inference rule.

23. The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising a server containing an installation package for said configuration module, and/or said program system and/or said rule system;

wherein said server is configured to communicate said installation package to said finite state machine, and/or said computer and/or said inferential engine.

24. The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising said computer readable memory including said configuration module, and/or said program system, and/or said rule system, and/or said installation package.

25. Apparatus, comprising

a processor configured to generate a vehicular movement estimate (80) from a vehicle signature (26) each based upon sensor readings (22) of a vehicle (6) passing at least two sensor pods (20) each comprising a magnetic sensor (144);

wherein said vehicular movement estimate for a first section (12) between said sensor pods of a roadway (10) upon which said vehicle travels includes a travel time (82) and a vehicle count (84); and

wherein said magnetic sensor employs a Hall effect, and/or an inductive loop and/or a magnetoresistive effect.