Traffic data management and simulation system

• US 8,484,002 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2006
• Issued: 07/09/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Caliper Corporation
• Original Assignee: Caliper Corporation
• Inventors: Yang, Qi, Slavin, Howard, Rabinowicz, Andres, Olsberg, Simon, LaClair, Mary, Brandon, Jonathan, Stefansson, Kjarran
• Primary Examiner(s): Fernandez Rivas, Omar
• Assistant Examiner(s): LUU, CUONG V
• Application Number:
  US11/614,617
• Publication Number:
  US 20070093997A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,392 Days
• Field of Search: 701/301, 701/117, 701/209, 701/200, 701/201, 701/208, 342/357.09, 382/113, 340/995.1, 340/995.13, 703/6, 703/8, 455/456.5
• US Class Current: 703/8
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/20 Design optimisation, verification or simulation optimisation, verification or simulation of circuit designs G06F30/30
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0112 from the vehicle, e.g. floating car data [FCD]
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0129 for creating historical data or processing based on historical data
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99948 Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image

Abstract

Systems and methods for, inter alia, geographically based analyses of traffic being carried over a wide scale traffic network. The systems integrate geographical information systems (GIS) with traffic simulation processes to allow a user to analyze traffic patterns and loads at specific geographic locations of regions. Additionally, these systems allow for traffic analysis over a wide scale traffic network that may encompass the traffic network that exists within a geographic region and can include, as examples, the traffic networks that span across a city, that interconnect cities, that interconnect states and that run across multiple states. To this end, the systems include traffic simulators that can adaptively or controllably select between multiple traffic simulation models for simulating traffic across different segments of the traffic network. The different models provide varying levels of granularity for measurements of geographical location of a vehicle traveling over the traffic network.

Claims

1. A vehicle routing apparatus comprising:

a database storage module storing a geographic database comprising geographically accurate lane-level representations of (a) road segments and connections, (b) lanes, and (c) lane connectors representing lane alignments with geographic shape and length corresponding to roads connected at intersections; and

a processor configured as a route selector that provides lane-level route guidance from an origin to a destination;

wherein;

said route selector utilizes travel conditions at lane level to select a route.

2. The vehicle routing apparatus of claim 1 wherein said route selector provides said guidance for each of a plurality of vehicles from a respective origin to a respective destination.

3. The vehicle routing apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a map display of said guidance.

4. The vehicle routing apparatus of claim 1 wherein said geographic database further comprises geographically accurate lane-level representations of traffic controls.

5. The vehicle routing apparatus of claim 1 wherein said geographic database further comprises geographically accurate lane-level representations of elevations.

6. The vehicle routing apparatus of claim 1 wherein said geographic database further comprises geographically accurate representations of lane widths.

7. A vehicle routing apparatus comprising:

a database storage module storing a geographic

database comprising geographically accurate lane-level representations of road segments and connections, lanes, intersections having accurate geographic shape and placement, and lane connectors between and within intersections representing lane alignments with geographic shape and length corresponding to roads connected at said intersections; and

a processor configured as a lane-level route selector for providing shortest expected travel time guidance from an origin to a destination, said guidance specifying a recommended lane-level trajectory taking into account mandatory, discretionary, and anticipatory lane changes, and likely presence of other vehicles in each lane on downstream portions derived from a microsimulation.

8. The vehicle routing apparatus of claim 7 wherein said route selector provides said guidance for each of a plurality of vehicles from a respective origin to a respective destination.

9. The vehicle routing apparatus of claim 7 further comprising a map display of said guidance.

10. The vehicle routing apparatus of claim 7 wherein said geographic database further comprises geographically accurate lane-level representations of traffic controls.

11. The vehicle routing apparatus of claim 7 wherein said geographic database further comprises geographically accurate lane-level representations of elevations.

12. The vehicle routing apparatus of claim 7 wherein said geographic database further comprises geographically accurate representations of lane widths.

13. A vehicle routing apparatus comprising:

a database storage module storing a geographic database comprising geographically accurate lane-level representations of road segments and connections, lanes, and lane connections connectors representing lane alignments with geographic shape and length corresponding to roads connected at intersections; and

a processor configured as a route selector that uses hybrid mesoscopic-microscopic traffic simulation to evaluate and help select a time-efficient route based on time-dependent data.

14. The vehicle routing apparatus of claim 13 wherein said route selector provides said guidance for each of a plurality of vehicles from a respective origin to a respective destination.

15. The vehicle routing apparatus of claim 13 wherein said time-dependent traffic data is selected from the group consisting of historical traffic data, real-time traffic data, predicted traffic data, and combinations thereof.

16. The vehicle routing apparatus of claim 13 further comprising a map display of said guidance.

17. The vehicle routing apparatus of claim 13 wherein said guidance is responsive to stochasticity in said time-dependent traffic data.

18. The vehicle routing apparatus of claim 13 wherein said geographic database further comprises geographically accurate lane-level representations of traffic controls.

19. The vehicle routing apparatus of claim 13 wherein said geographic database further comprises geographically accurate lane-level representations of elevations.

20. The vehicle routing apparatus of claim 13 wherein said geographic database further comprises geographically accurate representations of lane widths.

21. A vehicle routing apparatus comprising:

a database storage module storing a geographic database comprising geographically accurate lane-level representations of road segments and connections, lanes, and lane connections connectors representing lane alignments with geographic shape and length corresponding to roads connected at intersections; and

a processor configured as a route selector that uses hybrid mesoscopic-microscopic traffic simulation to evaluate and help select time-efficient route guidance, said guidance incorporating at least a portion of said lane-level representations to determine lanes to use in different parts of a route, and locations for lane changes based on time-dependent traffic data.

22. The vehicle routing apparatus of claim 21 wherein said route selector provides said guidance for each of a plurality of vehicles from a respective origin to a respective destination.

23. The vehicle routing apparatus of claim 21 wherein said time-dependent traffic data is selected from the group consisting of historical traffic data, real-time traffic data, predicted traffic data, and combinations thereof.

24. The vehicle routing apparatus of claim 21 further comprising a map display of said guidance.

25. The vehicle routing apparatus of claim 21 wherein said guidance is responsive to stochasticity in said time-dependent traffic data.

26. The vehicle routing apparatus of claim 21 wherein said geographic database further comprises geographically accurate lane-level representations of traffic controls.

27. The vehicle routing apparatus of claim 21 wherein said geographic database further comprises geographically accurate lane-level representations of elevations.

28. The vehicle routing apparatus of claim 21 wherein said geographic database further comprises geographically accurate representations of lane widths.

29. A vehicle routing apparatus comprising:

a database storage module storing a geographic database comprising geographically accurate lane-level representations of road segments and connections, lanes, intersections having accurate geographic area, shape, and location and geographically accurate lane connectors within intersections representing lane alignments with geographic shape and length corresponding to roads connected at said intersections; and

a processor configured as a route selector that provides complete and continuous lane-level route guidance from an origin to a destination including within intersections;

wherein;

said route selector utilizes anticipated travel conditions at lane level and on lane connectors to select a route.