Electrical data processing system for monitoring or affecting movement of a vehicle using a traffic device

• US 10,127,812 B2
• Filed: 08/29/2016
• Issued: 11/13/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Allstate Insurance Company (Allstate Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Allstate Insurance Company (Allstate Corporation)
• Inventors: Madigan, Regina, Gibson, Timothy W., Hayes, Howard, Kumar, Surender
• Primary Examiner(s): Pope, Daryl
• Application Number:
  US15/249,556
• Publication Number:
  US 20180061230A1
• Time in Patent Office: 806 Days
• Field of Search: 340901-905, 340907, 340928, 340933, 340937
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2040/0818 Inactivity or incapacity of driver
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/10 Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2555/60 Traffic rules, e.g. speed limits or right of way
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2720/10 Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/08 related to drivers or passengers
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/09 Driving style or behaviour
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 60/0011 involving control alternatives for a single driving scenario, e.g. planning several paths to avoid obstacles
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/06 indicating a condition of sleep, e.g. anti-dozing alarms
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/016 Personal emergency signalling and security systems emergency non-personal manually actuated alarm activators G08B25/12
• 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 1/0129 for creating historical data or processing based on historical data
• 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 1/04 using optical or ultrasonic detectors
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/065 by counting the vehicles in a section of the road or in a parking area, i.e. comparing incoming count with outgoing count
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/07 Controlling traffic signals
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/08 : according to detected number or speed of vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/095 : Traffic lights
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0965 : responding to signals from another vehicle, e.g. emergency vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096716 : where the received information does not generate an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096725 : where the received information generates 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: G08G 1/096822 : where the segments of the route are transmitted to the vehicle at different locations and times
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096838 : where the user preferences are taken into account or the user selects one route out of a plurality
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096844 : where the complete route is dynamically recomputed based on new data
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/164 : Centralised systems, e.g. external to vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/205 : Indicating the location of the monitored vehicles as destination, e.g. accidents, stolen, rental
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 : Services making use of location information

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed for monitoring or affecting movement of a vehicle using a traffic device. An event data source may have a processor and/or a transceiver. The event data source may transmit, via the transceiver and to a vehicle and infrastructure computing device, information indicative of an event affecting a portion of road. The vehicle and infrastructure computing device may comprise a vehicle and infrastructure control computer. The vehicle and infrastructure computing device may receive, from the event data source, the information indicative of the event affecting the portion of road. The computing device may determine one or more traffic devices associated with the portion of road and configured to control traffic for the portion of road. Based on the information indicative of the event affecting the portion of road, the computing device may send, to the one or more traffic devices associated with the portion of road, instructions to change one or more characteristics of the one or more traffic devices.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

an event data source comprising;

a processor;

a transceiver; and

first memory storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the event data source to;

transmit, via the transceiver and to a vehicle and infrastructure computing device, information indicative of an event affecting a portion of road; and

the vehicle and infrastructure computing device comprising;

a vehicle and infrastructure control computer;

second memory storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the vehicle and infrastructure control computer, cause the vehicle and infrastructure computing device to;

receive, from the event data source, the information indicative of the event affecting the portion of road, wherein the information indicative of the event affecting the portion of road comprises information indicative of a number of pedestrians associated with the event affecting the portion of road;

determine one or more traffic devices associated with the portion of road and configured to control traffic for the portion of road; and

based on the information indicative of the event affecting the portion of road comprising the information indicative of the number of pedestrians associated with the event affecting the portion of road, send, to the one or more traffic devices associated with the portion of road, instructions to change one or more characteristics of the one or more traffic devices.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more traffic devices comprise a traffic light having a plurality of lights, and wherein the one or more characteristics of the traffic light comprise a timing of the plurality of lights.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more traffic devices comprise a speed limit display, and wherein the one or more characteristics of the speed limit display comprise a speed limit displayed on the speed limit display.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the information indicative of the event affecting the portion of road comprises time information associated with the event affecting the portion of road, and wherein the information indicative of the event is accessible from an electronic calendar.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the portion of road comprises an intersection, wherein the information indicative of the event affecting the intersection indicates that the number of pedestrians will exceed a threshold number of pedestrians, and wherein sending the instructions to change one or more characteristics of the one or more traffic devices is based on the indication that the number of pedestrians will exceed the threshold number of pedestrians.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the event comprises an accident involving one or more vehicles affecting traffic flow through the portion of road, wherein the one or more traffic devices comprise one or more of a traffic light or a speed limit display, and wherein the instructions to change one or more characteristics of the one or more traffic devices comprise one or more of instructions to increase a frequency of red lights at the traffic light or instructions to decrease a speed limit displayed on the speed limit display.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the second memory stores computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the vehicle and infrastructure control computer, cause the vehicle and infrastructure computing device to:

based on the information indicative of the event affecting the portion of road, send, to one or more autonomous vehicles, instructions to take one or more actions in response to the event.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the instructions to take one or more actions comprise an instruction for the autonomous vehicle to apply brakes, an instruction for the autonomous vehicle to slow down, or an instruction for the autonomous vehicle to speed up.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a pedestrian barrier associated with the portion of road,

wherein the second memory stores computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the vehicle and infrastructure control computer, cause the vehicle and infrastructure computing device to;

based on the information indicative of the event affecting the portion of road, send, to the pedestrian barrier, instructions to activate the pedestrian barrier to prevent pedestrians from entering the portion of road.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the second memory stores computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the vehicle and infrastructure control computer, cause the vehicle and infrastructure computing device to:

based on the information indicative of the event affecting the portion of road, send, to a mobile device of a pedestrian located proximate the portion of road, instructions for the mobile device to audibly or visually notify the pedestrian of the event affecting the portion of road.

11. A vehicle and infrastructure computing device comprising:

a vehicle and infrastructure control computer;

memory storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the vehicle and infrastructure control computer, cause the vehicle and infrastructure computing device to;

receive, from an event data source, information indicative of an event affecting a portion of road, wherein the information indicative of the event affecting the portion of road comprises information indicative of a number of pedestrians associated with the event affecting the portion of road;

determine one or more traffic devices associated with the portion of road and configured to control traffic for the portion of road; and

based on the information indicative of the event affecting the portion of road comprising the information indicative of the number of pedestrians associated with the event affecting the portion of road, send, to the one or more traffic devices associated with the portion of road, instructions to change one or more characteristics of the one or more traffic devices.

12. The vehicle and infrastructure computing device of claim 11, wherein the one or more traffic devices comprise a traffic light having a plurality of lights, and wherein the one or more characteristics of the traffic light comprise a timing of the plurality of lights.

13. The vehicle and infrastructure computing device of claim 11, wherein the one or more traffic devices comprise a speed limit display, and wherein the one or more characteristics of the speed limit display comprise a speed limit displayed on the speed limit display.

14. The vehicle and infrastructure computing device of claim 11, wherein the information indicative of the event affecting the portion of road comprises time information associated with the event affecting the portion of road, and wherein the information indicative of the event is accessible from an electronic calendar.

15. The vehicle and infrastructure computing device of claim 11, wherein the portion of road comprises an intersection, wherein the information indicative of the event affecting the intersection indicates that the number of pedestrians will exceed a threshold number of pedestrians, and wherein sending the instructions to change one or more characteristics of the one or more traffic devices is based on the indication that the number of pedestrians will exceed the threshold number of pedestrians.

16. The vehicle and infrastructure computing device of claim 11, wherein the event comprises an accident involving one or more vehicles affecting traffic flow through the portion of road, wherein the one or more traffic devices comprise one or more of a traffic light or a speed limit display, and wherein the instructions to change one or more characteristics of the one or more traffic devices comprise one or more of instructions to increase a frequency of red lights at the traffic light or instructions to decrease a speed limit displayed on the speed limit display.

17. A method comprising:

receiving, at a vehicle and infrastructure computing device and from an event data source, information indicative of an event affecting a portion of road, wherein the information indicative of the event affecting the portion of road comprises information indicative of a number of pedestrians associated with the event affecting the portion of road;

determining one or more traffic devices associated with the portion of road and configured to control traffic for the portion of road; and

based on the information indicative of the event affecting the portion of road comprising the information indicative of the number of pedestrians associated with the event affecting the portion of road, sending, to the one or more traffic devices associated with the portion of road, instructions to change one or more characteristics of the one or more traffic devices.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

based on the information indicative of the event affecting the portion of road, sending, to one or more autonomous vehicles, instructions to take one or more actions in response to the event.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

based on the information indicative of the event affecting the portion of road, sending, to a pedestrian barrier associated with the portion of road, instructions to activate the pedestrian barrier to prevent pedestrians from entering the portion of road.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

based on the information indicative of the event affecting the portion of road, sending, to a mobile device of a pedestrian located proximate the portion of road, instructions for the mobile device to audibly or visually notify the pedestrian of the event affecting the portion of road.