Building smart traffic control

• US 9,595,193 B1
• Filed: 04/25/2016
• Issued: 03/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Quartz Auto Technologies, LLC
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Krishnamurthy, Rajaram B., Duale, Ali Y., Gami, Shailesh R., Gomes, Louis P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zanelli, Michael J
• Application Number:
  US15/137,339
• Publication Number:
  US 20170092123A1
• Time in Patent Office: 323 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/04 Mounting of cameras operative during drive; Arrangement of controls thereof relative to the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3492 employing speed data or traffic data, e.g. real-time or historical traffic control systems for road vehicles involving transmission of navigation instructions to the vehicle G08G1/0968
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3676 Overview of the route on the road map
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/005 including pedestrian guidance indicator
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0112 from the vehicle, e.g. floating car data [FCD]
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0116 from roadside infrastructure, e.g. beacons
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/012 from other sources than vehicle or roadside beacons, e.g. mobile networks
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0133 for classifying traffic situation
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0145 for active traffic flow control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/07 Controlling traffic signals
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/087 Override of traffic control, e.g. by signal transmitted by an emergency vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096811 where the route is computed offboard
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096844 where the complete route is dynamically recomputed based on new data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/024 Guidance services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/40 for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P]

Abstract

A computer-implemented method and system for vehicular traffic control and vehicle routing includes receiving a request for a best route, at a central system. The request including a current location and a destination from a requesting vehicle. Travel factors from the current location to the destination are determined. The travel factors include road availability, traffic conditions, and real time feedback, using the central system in response to receiving the request. The best route is determined for the requesting vehicle from the current location to the destination based on the travel factors, and real time feedback of the traffic conditions. The method and system includes initiating a plurality of traffic control actions along the route for the requesting vehicle. The traffic control actions are initiated along the route simultaneously and in concert with the requesting vehicle to clear the best route for the requesting vehicle to travel unobstructed to the destination.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for vehicular traffic control and vehicle routing, comprising:

receiving a request for a best route, at a central system, the request including a current location and a destination from a requesting vehicle;

determining travel factors from the current location to the destination, the travel factors including road availability, traffic conditions, and real time feedback of traffic conditions, using the central system in response to receiving the request;

determining the best route for the requesting vehicle from the current location to the destination based on the travel factors and the real time feedback of the traffic conditions, wherein the real time feedback includes using live feedback from a mounted camera on the requesting vehicle;

sending the best route from the central system to the requesting vehicle; and

initiating a plurality of traffic control actions along the route for the requesting vehicle, the traffic control actions being initiated along the route simultaneously and in concert with the requesting vehicle to clear the best route for the requesting vehicle to travel unobstructed to the destination.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

initiating one or more traffic control signs in addition to a traffic signal to initiate the traffic control actions for requiring vehicles along the route to move in a prescribed direction, or to slow down, or to stop, and the traffic control signs being responsive to the central system.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

initiating one or more traffic control signs in addition to a traffic signal to initiate the traffic control actions for signaling vehicles to exit a road, or for the vehicles to take an alternate route, and the traffic control signs being responsive to the central system.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving multiple requests for respective routes, each of the requests including the current location and the destination from respective multiple requesting vehicles;

determining the route for each of the requesting vehicles based on the travel factors; and

initiating the plurality of traffic control actions along each of the routes for the respective requesting vehicles.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the best route includes an evasive action, the evasive action including avoiding a traffic issue to provide the route to the destination.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the evasive action is in response to multiple requesting vehicles approaching each other.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the requesting vehicle is part of a group of vehicles.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the requesting vehicle is an emergency vehicle, and the command center alerts other emergency vehicles.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the traffic control action includes one or more of:

determining a traffic signal, and requiring vehicles to exit a road.