Traffic control system, vehicle control system, traffic regulation system, and traffic control method

• US 8,972,080 B2
• Filed: 07/19/2011
• Issued: 03/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Shida, Mitsuhisa, Aso, Makoto
• Primary Examiner(s): Cheung, Calvin
• Assistant Examiner(s): Martinez Borrero, Luis A
• Application Number:
  US13/697,269
• Publication Number:
  US 20130124012A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,323 Days
• Field of Search: 701/2, 701/23, 701/301, 701/415, 701/55, 701/65, 701/36, 701/45, 180/2.1, 180/167, 180/170, 180/65.21
• US Class Current: 701/2
• 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 1/08 according to detected number or speed of vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/164 Centralised systems, e.g. external to vehicles

Abstract

A traffic control system sets a target value related to a travel state based on a correlation between a vehicle travel speed and a traffic volume, and controls multiple vehicles (CS) on a road in accordance with the target value as a common target value. The target value can be set based on a predicted traffic volume at a region (103) that is ahead of, in a vehicle travel direction, the multiple vehicles on the road. For example, the traffic control system sets, as the target value, a target speed or a target value of a parameter related to an inter-vehicle distance.

Claims

1. A traffic control system comprising:

an infrastructure device that sets a target vehicle travel speed based on a correlation between a vehicle travel speed and a traffic volume;

a road-vehicle communication device that transmits the target vehicle travel speed to multiple vehicles that are on a road and are each capable of controlling their travel in accordance with the target vehicle travel speed, the vehicles automatically controlling engine and brake systems of each of the vehicles based on the target vehicle travel speed;

wherein

the infrastructure device determines a predicted traffic volume at a vehicle travel direction ahead region that is located ahead of the multiple vehicles on the road in a vehicle travel direction; and

the infrastructure device sets the target vehicle travel speed based on the predicted traffic volume such that a volume of traffic that flows at the target vehicle travel speed in the vehicle travel direction ahead region is equal to or larger than the predicted traffic volume and is within a travel speed range that avoids a shift in traffic volume to a critical phase at which traffic congestion may result from external disturbances causing the traffic volume to exceed a critical density.

2. The traffic control system according to claim 1, wherein the infrastructure device detects or estimates a traffic volume at the road and sets the target vehicle travel speed based on the detected or estimated traffic volume.

3. The traffic control system according to claim 1, wherein the infrastructure device controls the multiple vehicles in accordance with the target vehicle travel speed in a vehicle travel direction behind region that is located behind a merging point on the road in the vehicle travel direction, wherein

the merging point is a point at which a merging road merges into the road,

the predicted traffic volume is a predicted traffic volume at a region that is located ahead of the merging point on the road in the vehicle travel direction,

the infrastructure device detects or estimates a traffic volume at the vehicle travel direction behind region and a traffic volume at the merging road, and

the infrastructure device determines the predicted traffic volume based on the detected or estimated traffic volumes.

4. The traffic control system according to claim 1, wherein:

the traffic control system controls predetermined vehicles that are capable of executing a predetermined control, in accordance with the target vehicle travel speed,

the predetermined control is a control which obtains, by communication, information on deceleration of another vehicle that is travelling ahead of a subject vehicle, and which decelerates the subject vehicle in conjunction with deceleration of the another vehicle based on the information related to the deceleration,

the another vehicle and the subject vehicle are the predetermined vehicles, and

the target vehicle travel speed is set such that the volume of traffic that flows in the vehicle travel direction ahead region is equal to or larger than the predicted traffic volume when the predetermined vehicles are controlled in accordance with the target vehicle travel speed.

5. The traffic control system according to claim 1, wherein the infrastructure device sets the target vehicle travel speed based on an environmental travel condition ahead of the multiple vehicles on the road in the vehicle travel direction.

6. The traffic control system according to claim 1, wherein

the traffic control system controls predetermined vehicles that are capable of executing a predetermined control, the predetermined control is a control which obtains, by communication, information on deceleration of another vehicle that is one of the predetermined vehicles that is travelling ahead of a subject vehicle that is another of the predetermined vehicles, and which decelerates the subject vehicle in conjunction with deceleration of the another vehicle based on the information related to the deceleration,

the infrastructure device also sets a target value of a parameter related to an inter-vehicle distance between the subject vehicle and a vehicle travelling immediately ahead of the subject vehicle,

the traffic control system further comprises a traffic volume measurement device installed along the road and that measures the traffic volume of the vehicles travelling along the road,

the infrastructure device includes a memory in which is stored a map defining a correlation between (i) a control point defined by a target inter-vehicle time and the vehicle travel speed and (ii) a maximum allowable traffic volume, the map also being formulated to use, as a parameter, a ratio of a number of the predetermined vehicles to a total number of vehicles on the road, and

when the predicted traffic volume is larger than the maximum allowable traffic volume, the infrastructure device sets the parameter related to an inter-vehicle distance to a value that results in an inter-vehicle time that is smaller than an inter-vehicle time corresponding to a human inter-vehicle time characteristic.

7. A combination comprising:

a traffic control system that sets a target vehicle travel speed based on a correlation between a vehicle travel speed and a traffic volume and that transmits the target vehicle travel speed to multiple vehicles that are on a road and are each capable of controlling their travel in accordance with the target vehicle travel speed, the traffic control system determining a predicted traffic volume at a vehicle travel direction ahead region that is located ahead of the multiple vehicles on the road in a vehicle travel direction, and setting the target vehicle travel speed based on the predicted traffic volume such that a volume of traffic that flows at the target vehicle travel speed in the vehicle travel direction ahead region is equal to or larger than the predicted traffic volume and is within a travel speed range that avoids a shift in traffic volume to a critical phase at which traffic congestion may result from external disturbances causing the traffic volume to exceed a critical density; and

a vehicle control system comprising;

a communication device by which the vehicle control system of a predetermined vehicle receives the target vehicle travel speed from the traffic control system and sends information to the traffic control system; and

an electronic control unit that automatically controls an engine system and a brake system of the predetermined vehicle based on the received target vehicle travel speed.

8. A traffic control method implemented by a traffic control system, the method comprising:

setting, via an infrastructure system that is separate from vehicles, a target vehicle travel speed based on a correlation between a vehicle travel speed and a traffic volume; and

controlling a first vehicle and a second vehicle on a road in accordance with the target vehicle travel speed, the controlling being performed by electronic control units of each of the first and second vehicles, wherein

the target vehicle travel speed is transmitted by a transmitter of the infrastructure system to the first and second vehicles, which are each capable of controlling their own travel in accordance with the target vehicle travel speed via their respective electronic control units,

the electronic control units automatically control the first and second vehicles by controlling engine and brake systems of each of the vehicles based on the target vehicle travel speed, and

the infrastructure system sets the target vehicle travel speed based on a determined predicted traffic volume at a vehicle travel direction ahead region that is located ahead of the first and second vehicles on the road in a vehicle travel direction such that a volume of traffic that flows at the target vehicle travel speed in the vehicle travel direction ahead region is equal to or larger than the predicted traffic volume and is within a travel speed range that avoids a shift in traffic volume to a critical phase at which traffic congestion may result from external disturbances causing the traffic volume to exceed a critical density.

9. The traffic control method according to claim 8, wherein a merging road merges into the road,

the electronic control units control the first and second vehicles in accordance with the target vehicle travel speed in an upstream region that is located upstream of a merging point at which the merging road merges into the road,

the predicted traffic volume is a predicted traffic volume at a downstream region that is located downstream of the merging point on the road,

a traffic volume at the upstream region and a traffic volume at the merging road are detected or estimated, and

the predicted traffic volume is determined based on the detected or estimated traffic volumes.

10. The traffic control method according to claim 8, wherein the second vehicle is travelling immediately ahead of the first vehicle,

information on deceleration of the second vehicle is obtained by communication between the infrastructure system and the second vehicle,

the first vehicle is decelerated in conjunction with the deceleration of the second vehicle based on the information related to the deceleration of the second vehicle, and

the target vehicle travel speed is set such that the volume of traffic that flows in the vehicle travel direction ahead region is equal to or larger than the predicted traffic volume when the first and second vehicles are controlled in accordance with the target vehicle travel speed.

11. The traffic control method according to claim 8, further comprising:

controlling, via the infrastructure system, predetermined vehicles that are capable of executing a predetermined control, the predetermined control is a control which obtains, by communication, information on deceleration of another vehicle that is one of the predetermined vehicles that is travelling ahead of a subject vehicle that is another of the predetermined vehicles, and which decelerates the subject vehicle in conjunction with deceleration of the another vehicle based on the information related to the deceleration, the predetermined vehicles including the first and second vehicles,

setting, via the infrastructure system, a target value of a parameter related to an inter-vehicle distance between the subject vehicle and a vehicle travelling immediately ahead of the subject vehicle,

measuring, with a traffic volume measurement device installed along the road, the traffic volume of the vehicles travelling along the road,

storing, in a memory, a map defining a correlation between (i) a control point defined by a target inter-vehicle time and the vehicle travel speed and (ii) a maximum allowable traffic volume, the map also being formulated to use, as a parameter, a ratio of a number of the predetermined vehicles to a total number of vehicles on the road, and

when the predicted traffic volume is larger than the maximum allowable traffic volume, setting, via the infrastructure system, the parameter related to an inter-vehicle distance to a value that results in an inter-vehicle time that is smaller than an inter-vehicle time corresponding to a human inter-vehicle time characteristic.