System and method for traffic management using lighting networks

• US 9,741,248 B2
• Filed: 03/26/2013
• Issued: 08/22/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Signify Holding B.V. (Signify N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Philips Lighting BV (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Challapali, Kiran Srinivas, Cavalcanti, Dave Alberto Tavares, Wang, Jianfeng
• Primary Examiner(s): Sweeney, Brian P
• Application Number:
  US14/385,707
• Publication Number:
  US 20150046074A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,610 Days
• Field of Search: 701117
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 8/08 with a standard F21S6/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/01 Detecting movement of traffic to be counted or controlled G08G1/07 - G08G1/14 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/017 identifying vehicles G08G1/015, G08G1/054 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/081 Plural intersections under common control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/09 Arrangements for giving variable traffic instructions railroad crossing signals B61L; reflectors E01F, G08B; indicating arrangements for variable information by selection or combination of individual elements G09F9/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/13 the indicator being in the form of a map
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/14 indicating individual free spaces in parking areas

Abstract

A lighting network (100) and methods therefore are disclosed. The lighting network (100) includes a plurality of lighting units (LU0-LU10) each including a wireless receiver (12) arranged to obtain a wireless signal from an object (30) to be tracked and a communication interface (14). The lighting network (100) also includes a control unit (20) including a communication unit (22) that is arranged to communicate with at least one of the plurality of lighting units (LU0-LU10) to obtain tracking data based upon the wireless signal. The tracking data is processed by the control unit (20) using a topology table (FIG. 1b). The topology table (FIG. 1b) is based upon the geographic locations of the plurality of lighting units and mapping data.

Claims

1. A lighting network comprising:

a plurality of lighting units each including (1) a wireless receiver arranged to obtain a beacon signal from an object to be tracked within an area and (2) a communication interface; and

a control unit, remote from the plurality of lighting units, the control unit including a communication unit that is arranged to communicate with at least one of the plurality of lighting units, determine tracking data related to the object using only the beacon signal received by two or more lighting units and a topology table, where in the topology table is based upon geographic locations of the plurality of lighting units and mapping data of the area including street data information, and implement a traffic management scheme based on the tracking data in the area by adjusting a lighting strategy of at least one of the plurality of lighting units.

2. The lighting network according to claim 1, wherein the control unit further uses signal strength of two or more received beacon signals to determine the tracking data and the topology table to determine a street that the object is located.

3. The lighting network according to claim 2, wherein the beacon signal further includes at least one of an object ID, time-stamp information, or a signal-level.

4. The lighting network according to claim 2, wherein the wireless receiver is a DSRC signal receiver.

5. The lighting network according to claim 4, wherein the object to be tracked is a vehicle and the tracking data is processed to determine traffic information that is provided back to the vehicle via the DSRC signal receiver.

6. The lighting network according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of lighting units further includes a sensor that gathers data to be used to determine availability of parking for the vehicle.

7. The lighting network according to claim 6, wherein the control unit is further arranged to process the data from the sensor to provide a parking availability message to the vehicle via one or more of the plurality of lighting units.

8. The lighting network according to claim 7, wherein the control unit is further arranged to process a request from the vehicle to pay and/or register for a parking space via the one or more of the plurality of lighting units.

9. The lighting network according to claim 8, wherein the control unit is further arranged to track occupancy of the parking space for a parking violation via the one or more of the plurality of lighting units.

10. A controller to be used in a lighting network including a plurality of lighting units, the controller being remote from the plurality of lighting units, said controller comprising:

a communication unit arranged to receive a beacon signal, related to a vehicle, from at least one of the plurality of lighting units;

a processor arranged to determine tracking data related to the vehicle within an area using only the beacon signal received by two or more lighting units and a topology table, wherein the topology table is based upon geographic locations of the plurality of lighting units and mapping data of the area including street data information and implement a traffic management scheme based on the tracking data in the area by adjusting a lighting strategy of at least one of the plurality of lighting units.

11. The controller according to claim 10, wherein the tracking data includes at least one of the following a projected path for the vehicle, a traffic flow for a predetermined location, or an average speed of the vehicle.

12. A method to determine traffic information, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving, in a lighting unit, a plurality of beacon signals generated by a transmitter in a vehicle;

determining, in a controller that is remote from the plurality of lighting units, a street the particular vehicle is located on using a topology table and the plurality of beacon signals, where the topology table is based upon the geographic locations of the lighting units and street data for a region the plurality of lighting units are located in; and

estimating a location of the particular vehicle along the street based upon the plurality of beacon signals and implement a traffic management scheme based on the tracking data in the area by adjusting a lighting strategy of at least one of the plurality of lighting units.

13. The method according to claim 12, further comprising the step of computing a tracking path for the particular vehicle based on a plurality of the locations from the estimation step and associated time stamp information for each of the plurality of locations.

14. The method according to claim 12, further comprising the step of computing an average speed of the particular vehicle based on a plurality of the locations from the estimation step and associated time stamp information for each of the plurality of locations.

15. The method according to claim 12, further comprising the step of computing a traffic flow in an area based upon an average number of vehicles passing through the in a fixed interval.