Traffic control method, network side device and terminal

• US 9,984,570 B2
• Filed: 12/30/2014
• Issued: 05/29/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: China Mobile Communications Corporation (Central People's Government of The People's Republic of China)
• Original Assignee: China Mobile Communications Corporation (Central People's Government of The People's Republic of China)
• Inventors: Yao, Kun, Zhao, Tingting, Shi, Jiakang, Liu, Yi, Yang, Jing
• Primary Examiner(s): MCNALLY, KERRI L
• Application Number:
  US15/109,307
• Publication Number:
  US 20160328963A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,246 Days
• Field of Search: 340911
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0112 from the vehicle, e.g. floating car data [FCD]
• 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 1/052 with provision for determining speed or overspeed speed measuring in general G01P
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/08 according to detected number or speed of vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096716 where the received information does not generate an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096741 where the source of the transmitted information selects which information to transmit to each vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096775 where the origin of the information is a central station
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/40 for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

A traffic control method, a network side device and a terminal are provided. The traffic control method includes steps of: determining a matching relationship between vehicles and roads in accordance with vehicle data of all vehicles on the roads forming an intersection, and sending traffic control signals to the vehicles meeting a certain condition in accordance with the matching relationship between the vehicles and the roads. With such technical solution, it is able to control the vehicles moving toward the intersection without any traffic light control system, thereby reducing the risk of traffic accidents there.

Claims

1. A traffic control method for sending traffic control signals to vehicles which are to pass through an intersection, comprising steps of:

receiving vehicle data of all vehicles on roads forming the intersection;

matching position information of the vehicles in the vehicle data to road-network information, to establish a real-time matching relationship between the roads and the vehicles;

generating traffic circulation information about the intersection in accordance with the vehicle data and the real-time matching relationship, and generating traffic control signals corresponding to the vehicles in respective directions in accordance with the traffic circulation information; and

sending the traffic control signals to the corresponding vehicles;

wherein the step of matching the position information of the vehicles in the vehicle data to the road-network information, to establish the real-time matching relationship between the roads and the vehicles comprises;

calculating an arrival time length to be spent by each vehicle to arrive at the intersection in accordance with the position information of the vehicle in the vehicle data and the road-network information; and

dividing the vehicles on each road into vehicles in a first time region and vehicles in a second time region in accordance with the arrival time lengths; and

wherein the step of dividing the vehicles on each road into the vehicles in the first time region and the vehicles in the second time region in accordance with the arrival time lengths comprises;

after it is determined that the traffic control signals need to be sent, determining the vehicles in the first time region in each direction in accordance with a predetermined first time length, a predetermined first reference time length and the arrival time lengths, and determining the vehicles in the second time region in each direction in accordance with current road-condition information, the first time length and the arrival time lengths;

wherein sending the traffic control signals to the corresponding vehicles further comprises;

sending traffic control signals to the vehicles in the first time regions in the respective directions, and sending traffic control signals to the vehicles in the second time regions in the respective directions; and

wherein with respect to one direction, the traffic control signal sent to the vehicles in the first time regions in the one direction and a direction opposite to the one direction is different from the traffic control signal sent to the vehicles in the first time regions in the other directions, and the traffic control signal sent to the vehicles in the second time regions in the one direction and a direction opposite to the one direction is different from the traffic control signal sent to the vehicles in the second time regions in the other directions.

2. The traffic control method according to claim 1, wherein the step of sending the traffic control signals to the corresponding vehicles comprises:

sending the traffic control signals to the vehicles in the first time regions and the second time regions in the respective directions in accordance with the current road-condition information and/or types of the vehicles in the first time regions and the second time regions.

3. The traffic control method according to claim 1, further comprising:

with respect to one direction, determining a first arrival time length to be spent by each vehicle in a third time region in the one direction to arrive at the intersection and a first arrival time length to be spent by each vehicle in a third time region in a direction opposite to the one direction to arrive at the intersection, and determining second arrival time lengths to be spent by respective vehicles in third time regions in the other directions, wherein the third time regions are determined in accordance with a predetermined second reference time length and the predetermined first reference time length and the second reference time length is longer than the first reference time length and shorter than the first time length; and

determining, among all the first arrival time lengths and the second arrival time lengths, whether or not there are one first arrival time length and one second arrival time length, an absolute value of a difference between which is less than a predetermined safety time length;

if yes, determining that the traffic control signals need to be sent; and

otherwise, determining that the traffic control signals do not need to be sent.

4. The traffic control method according to claim 3, wherein subsequent to the step of sending the traffic control signals to the vehicles in the first time regions and the second time regions in the respective directions, the traffic control method further comprises:

determining whether or not the traffic control signals need to be changed;

determining vehicles in current first time regions in the respective directions in accordance with the time lengths corresponding to the previously-determined first time regions in the respective directions and the time lengths corresponding to the previously-determined second time regions in the respective directions, after it is determined that the traffic control signals need to be changed;

determining vehicles in current second time regions in the respective directions in accordance with current road-condition information and the first time length; and

sending the traffic control signals to the vehicles in the current second time regions in the respective directions, and returning to the step of determining whether or not the traffic control signals need to be changed;

wherein with respect to one direction, the traffic control signal sent to the vehicles in the current second time regions in the one direction and in a direction opposite to the one direction is different from the traffic control signal sent to the vehicles in the current second time regions in the other directions.

5. The traffic control method according to claim 4, wherein the step of determining whether or not the traffic control signals need to be changed comprises:

determining whether or not a second time length expires;

if yes, determining that the traffic control signals need to be changed; and

otherwise, determining that the traffic control signals do not need to be changed,

wherein the second time length is determined in accordance with the time lengths corresponding to the previously-determined first time regions.

6. The traffic control method according to claim 4, wherein subsequent to the step of determining the vehicles in the current second time regions in the respective directions, the traffic control method further comprises:

in the case that there is no vehicle in the current second time regions to which a traffic control signal comprising a red light signal needs to be sent, returning to the step of determining whether or not the traffic control signals need to be changed after the vehicles in the current first time regions in the respective directions pass through the intersection.

7. A network side device, comprising a processor and a computer-readable storage medium which stores computer-readable program codes, wherein the computer-readable program codes, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

receive vehicle data of all vehicles on roads forming an intersection; and

match position information about the vehicles in the vehicle data to road-network information to establish a real-time matching relationship between the roads and the vehicles, generate traffic circulation information about the intersection in accordance with the vehicle data and the real-time matching relationship, generate traffic control signals corresponding to the vehicles in respective directions in accordance with the traffic circulation information, and send the traffic control signals to the corresponding vehicles;

calculate an arrival time length to be spent by each vehicle to arrive at the intersection in accordance with position information of the vehicle in the vehicle data and the road-network information, and divide the vehicles on each road into vehicles in a first time region and vehicles in a second time region in accordance with the arrival time lengths; and

determine the vehicles in the first time regions in the respective directions in accordance with a predetermined first time length, a predetermined first reference time length and the arrival time lengths and determine the vehicles in the second time regions in the respective directions in accordance with current road-condition information, the first time length and the arrival time lengths, after it is determined that the traffic control signals need to be sent; and

send traffic control signals to the vehicles in the first time regions in the respective directions and send traffic control signals to the vehicles in the second time regions in the respective directions; and

wherein with respect to one direction, the traffic control signal sent to the vehicles in the first time regions in the one direction and a direction opposite to the one direction is different from the traffic control signal sent to the vehicles in the first time regions in the other directions, and the traffic control signal sent to the vehicles in the second time regions in the one direction and a direction opposite to the one direction is different from the traffic control signal sent to the vehicles in the second time regions in the other directions.

8. The network side device according to claim 7, wherein the computer-readable program codes further cause the processor to:

send the traffic control signals to the vehicles in the first time regions and the second time regions in the respective directions in accordance with the current road-condition information and/or types of the vehicles in the first time regions and the second time regions.

9. The network side device according to claim 7, wherein the computer-readable program codes further cause the processor to determine whether or not the traffic control signals need to be sent by steps of:

with respect to one direction, determining a first arrival time length to be spent by each vehicle in a third time region in the one direction to arrive at the intersection and a first arrival time length to be spent by each vehicle in a third time region in a direction opposite to the one direction to arrive at the intersection, and determining second arrival time lengths to be spent by respective vehicles in third time regions in the other directions to arrive at the intersection, wherein the third time regions are determined in accordance with a predetermined second reference time length and the predetermined first reference time length, the second reference time length is longer than the first reference time length and shorter than the first time length; and

determining, among all the first arrival time lengths and all the second arrival time lengths, whether or not there are one first arrival time length and one second arrival time length, an absolute value of a difference between which is less than a predetermined safety time length;

if yes, determining that the traffic control signals need to be sent; and

otherwise, determining that the traffic control signals do not need to be sent.

10. The network side device according to claim 9, wherein the computer-readable program codes further cause the processor to:

after the traffic control signals are sent to the vehicles in the first time regions and the second time regions in the respective directions, determine whether or not the traffic control signals need to be changed;

after it is determined that the traffic control signals need to be changed, determine vehicles in current first time regions in the respective directions in accordance with the time lengths corresponding to the previously-determined first time regions in the respective directions and the time lengths corresponding to the previously-determined second time regions in the respective directions;

determine vehicles in current second time regions in the respective directions in accordance with current road-condition information and the first time length; and

send the traffic control signals to the vehicles in the current second time regions in the respective directions, and return to determine whether or not the traffic control signals need to be changed,

wherein with respect to one direction, the traffic control signal sent to the vehicles in the current second time regions in the one direction and in a direction opposite to the one direction is different from the traffic control signal sent to the vehicles in the current second time regions in the other directions.

11. The network side device according to claim 10, wherein the computer-readable program codes further cause the processor to:

determine whether or not a second time length expires;

if yes, determine that the traffic control signals need to be changed; and

otherwise, determine that the traffic control signals do not need to be changed,

wherein the second time length is determined in accordance with the time lengths corresponding to the previously-determined first time regions.

12. The traffic control device according to claim 10, wherein the computer-readable program codes further cause the processor to:

after the vehicles in the current second time regions in the respective directions are determined, in the case that there is no vehicle in the current second time regions to which a traffic control signal comprising a red light signal needs to be sent, return to determine whether or not the traffic control signals need to be sent after the vehicles in the current first time regions in the respective directions pass through the intersection.