Method and apparatus matching incoming to outgoing vehicle signatures to estimate arterial vehicular movement

• US 8,428,857 B2
• Filed: 07/20/2009
• Issued: 04/23/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sensys Networks Inc. (Tagmaster AB)
• Original Assignee: Sensys Networks Inc. (Tagmaster AB)
• Inventors: Kwong, Karric, Kavaler, Robert, Rajagopal, Ram, Varaiya, Pravin
• Primary Examiner(s): Algahaim, Helal A
• Application Number:
  US12/506,182
• Publication Number:
  US 20100017104A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,373 Days
• Field of Search: 701/117, 340/911, 340/933, 340/934, 340/935
• 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. Means and/or processors for matching incoming and outgoing vehicle signatures are disclosed creating an in-out vehicle match table used to generate a vehicle movement estimate or its components including a travel time and/or vehicle count.

Claims

1. Apparatus, comprising a generating processor (60) configured to access

a list (25) of incoming vehicle signatures (26) based upon sensor readings (22) of a first sensor pod (20) of incoming vehicles (6),

a list of outgoing vehicle signatures based upon said sensor readings of a second sensor pod of outgoing vehicles

to create an in-out vehicle match table 32 to estimate a travel time (82) between said first and said second sensor pod and

a vehicle count (84) of said vehicles passing between said first and said second sensor pod;

and

wherein said apparatus further comprises at least one of

a server containing an installation package and configured to communicate said installation package to a processor to affect a configuration of said generating processor; and

a computer readable memory configured to affect said configuration of said generating processor.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a matching processor configured to generate at least one vehicle movement estimate including said travel time and said vehicle count.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said at least one of said generating processor coupled with at least one of said matching processor to access said list of said incoming vehicle signatures and said list of said outgoing vehicle signatures to create said in-out vehicle match table.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said at least one instance of said generating processor includes said instance of said matching processor.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of a matching processor and/or said generating processor includes at least one of:

a finite state machine,

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

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

an 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;

wherein said apparatus further includes at least one member of the group consisting of

said server containing said installation package for at least one member of the group consisting of said configuration module, said program system and said rule system,

with said server configured to communicate said installation package to at least one member of the group consisting of said finite state machine, said computer and said inferential engine; and

said computer readable memory including at least one member of the group consisting of configuration module, said program system, said rule system, and said installation package.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said program system includes at least one member of the group consisting of the program steps of:

matching said incoming vehicle signatures to said outgoing vehicle signatures to create said in-out vehicle match table;

matching said outgoing vehicle signatures to said incoming vehicle signatures to create said in-out vehicle match table; and

matching all of said incoming vehicle signatures and said outgoing vehicle signatures to create said in-out vehicle match table.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said program system includes the program step of:

matching based upon a scorecard of said incoming vehicle signature to said outgoing vehicle signature, for said incoming vehicle signature in said list of incoming vehicle signatures and for said outgoing vehicle signature in said list of said outgoing vehicle signatures.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said program system includes at least one member of the group consisting of:

matching using a Euclidean metric criterion based upon a raw score included in said scorecard; and

matching using a quality estimate criterion based upon a quality estimate included in said scorecard.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein said program system includes at least one member of the group consisting of:

discarding a match if said raw score of said incoming vehicle signature to said outgoing vehicle signature is outside an acceptable range; and

discarding said match if said quality estimate of said incoming vehicle signature to said outgoing vehicle signature is outside an acceptable quality range.

10. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said program system includes at least one member of the group consisting of:

matching said incoming vehicle signature to a null outgoing vehicle signature if said incoming vehicle signature does not match any of said outgoing vehicle signatures; and

matching said outgoing vehicle signature to a null incoming vehicle signature if said outgoing vehicle signature does not match any of said incoming vehicle signatures.

11. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said program system includes at least one member of the group consisting of:

matching a first incoming vehicle signature to a first outgoing vehicle signature with a later time stamp; and

matching a later than said first incoming vehicle signature to a later than said first outgoing vehicle signature.

12. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said program system further comprises the program steps of:

calculating a quality estimate of said incoming vehicle signature matching said outgoing vehicle signature based upon removing said incoming vehicle signature and said outgoing vehicle signature from other potential matches; and

determining remaining matches based upon said other potential matches.

13. A method, comprising the step of:

operating a processor; and

wherein said method further comprises at least one of the steps of

operating a server to deliver an installation package for installation on said processor in support of said step of operating said processor; and

using a computer readable memory to support said step of operating said processor;

wherein the step of operating said processor, comprises at least one of the steps of;

matching incoming vehicle signatures to outgoing vehicle signatures to create an in-out vehicle match table;

matching said outgoing vehicle signatures to said incoming vehicle signatures to create said in-out vehicle match table; and

matching all of said incoming vehicle signatures and said outgoing vehicle signatures to create said in-out vehicle match table.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the step operating said processor includes the step of:

matching based upon a scorecard of said incoming vehicle signature to said outgoing vehicle signature, for said incoming vehicle signature in said list of incoming vehicle signatures and for said outgoing vehicle signature in said list of said outgoing vehicle signatures.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the step operating said processor includes at least one member of the group consisting of the steps of:

matching using a Euclidean metric criterion based upon a raw score included in said scorecard; and

matching using a quality estimate criterion based upon a quality estimate included in said scorecard.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the step operating said processor includes at least one member of the group consisting of the steps of:

discarding a match if said raw score of said incoming vehicle signature to said outgoing vehicle signature is outside an acceptable range; and

discarding said match if said quality estimate of said incoming vehicle signature to said outgoing vehicle signature is outside an acceptable quality range.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the step operating said processor further includes at least one member of the group consisting of the steps of:

matching said incoming vehicle signature to a null outgoing vehicle signature if said incoming vehicle signature does not match any of said outgoing vehicle signatures; and

matching said outgoing vehicle signature to a null incoming vehicle signature if said outgoing vehicle signature does not match any of said incoming vehicle signatures.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the step operating said processor includes at least one member of the group consisting of the steps of:

matching a first incoming vehicle signature to a first outgoing vehicle signature with a later time stamp;

matching a later than said first incoming vehicle signature to a later than said first outgoing vehicle signature.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the step operating said processor further comprises the steps of:

calculating a quality estimate of said incoming vehicle signature matching said outgoing vehicle signature based upon removing said incoming vehicle signature and said outgoing vehicle signature from other potential matches; and

determining remaining matches based upon said other potential matches.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein the step of operating said server further comprises at least one member of the group consisting of:

delivering said installation package to create a program system to at least partly operate a computer in said processor;

delivering said program system to a memory accessibly coupled to said computer;

delivering said installation package to provide a rule system for use by an inferential engine in said processor;

delivering said rule system to said memory;

delivering said installation package to create a configuration module for a finite state machine in said processor; and

delivering said configuration module to a memory; and

wherein the step of using said computer readable memory further comprises the step of

using said computer readable memory containing at least one member of the group of said installation package, said program system, said rule system, and said configuration module.

21. Apparatus, comprising:

means for matching (110) configured to access

a list (25) of incoming vehicle signatures (26) based upon sensor readings (22) of a first sensor pod (20) of incoming vehicles (6),

a list of outgoing vehicle signatures based upon said sensor readings of a second sensor pod of outgoing vehicles

to create an in-out vehicle match table (32) to estimate a travel time (82) between said first and said second sensor pod and

a vehicle count (84) of said vehicles passing between said first and said second sensor pod; and

wherein said apparatus further comprises at least one member of the group consisting of

a server containing an installation package and configured to communicate said installation package to at least partly configure said means for matching; and

a computer readable memory configured to said at least partly configure said means for matching.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, further comprising:

at least one instance of a means for generating (100) at least one vehicle movement estimate including said travel time and said vehicle count.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein said at least one instance of said means for generating group coupled with said instance of said means for matching to access said list of said incoming vehicle signatures and said list of said outgoing vehicle signatures to create said in-out vehicle match table.

24. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein said at least one instance of said means for generating includes said instance of said means for matching.

25. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein at least one of said means for matching includes at least one instance of at least one member of the group consisting of:

a finite state machine,

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

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

an 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;

wherein said apparatus further includes at least one member of the group consisting of

said server containing said installation package for at least one member of the group consisting of said configuration module, said program system and said rule system,

with said server configured to communicate said installation package to at least one member of the group consisting of said finite state machine, said computer and said inferential engine; and

said computer readable memory including at least one member of the group consisting of configuration module, said program system, said rule system, and said installation package.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein said program system includes at least one member of the group consisting of the program steps of:

matching said incoming vehicle signatures to said outgoing vehicle signatures to create said in-out vehicle match table;

matching said outgoing vehicle signatures to said incoming vehicle signatures to create said in-out vehicle match table; and

matching all of said incoming vehicle signatures and said outgoing vehicle signatures to create said in-out vehicle match table.

27. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein said program system includes the program step of:

matching based upon a scorecard of said incoming vehicle signature to said outgoing vehicle signature, for said incoming vehicle signature in said list of incoming vehicle signatures and for said outgoing vehicle signature in said list of said outgoing vehicle signatures.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein said program system includes at least one member of the group consisting of:

matching using a Euclidean metric criterion based upon a raw score included in said scorecard; and

matching using a quality estimate criterion based upon a quality estimate included in said scorecard.

29. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein said program system includes at least one member of the group consisting of:

discarding a match if said raw score of said incoming vehicle signature to said outgoing vehicle signature is outside an acceptable range; and

discarding said match if said quality estimate of said incoming vehicle signature to said outgoing vehicle signature is outside an acceptable quality range.

30. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein said program system includes at least one member of the group consisting of:

matching said incoming vehicle signature to a null outgoing vehicle signature if said incoming vehicle signature does not match any of said outgoing vehicle signatures; and

matching said outgoing vehicle signature to a null incoming vehicle signature if said outgoing vehicle signature does not match any of said incoming vehicle signatures.

31. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein said program system includes at least one member of the group consisting of:

matching a first incoming vehicle signature to a first outgoing vehicle signature with a later time stamp; and

matching a later than said first incoming vehicle signature to a later than said first outgoing vehicle signature.

32. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein said program system further comprises the program steps of:

calculating a quality estimate of said incoming vehicle signature matching said outgoing vehicle signature based upon removing said incoming vehicle signature and said outgoing vehicle signature from other potential matches; and

determining remaining matches based upon said other potential matches.