System and method for controlling vehicular traffic

• US 10,636,299 B2
• Filed: 07/25/2018
• Issued: 04/28/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cubic Corporation
• Original Assignee: Cubic Corporation
• Inventors: Malkes, William A., Overstreet, William S., Price, Jeffery R., Tourville, Michael J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Phung
• Application Number:
  US16/044,891
• Publication Number:
  US 20190051152A1
• Time in Patent Office: 643 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0116 from roadside infrastructure, e.g. beacons
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0145 for active traffic flow control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/015 with provision for distinguishing between two or more types of vehicles, e.g. between motor-cars and cycles
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/04 using optical or ultrasonic detectors
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/08 according to detected number or speed of vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/081 Plural intersections under common control

Abstract

The present disclosure is directed to systems, methods and computer-readable mediums for controlling traffic using traffic rules generated based on types of vehicles and associated traffic flow rates. In one aspect, a device includes memory having computer-readable instructions stored therein and one or more processors. The one or more processors are configured to execute the computer-readable instructions to receive video data of traffic flowing through an intersection; based on the video data, determine if a rate of flow of the traffic is greater than a predetermined threshold; determine a correlation between the rate of flow and one of a plurality of object types if the rate of flow is not greater than the predetermined threshold; determine a rule for controlling the traffic flow through the intersection based on the correlation; and cause adjustments to traffic control settings of a traffic light at the intersection based on the rule.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

memory having computer-readable instructions stored therein; and

one or more processors configured to execute the computer-readable instructions to;

receive video data of traffic flowing through an intersection;

based on the video data, determine if a rate of flow of the traffic is greater than a predetermined threshold;

determine a correlation coefficient for one object type of a plurality of object types if the rate of flow is not greater than the predetermined threshold, wherein the correlation coefficient for the one object type is indicative of a direct or inverse correlation between the rate of flow and a number of objects associated with the one object type;

determine a rule for controlling the traffic flow through the intersection based on the correlation coefficient; and

cause adjustments to traffic control settings of a traffic light at the intersection based on the rule.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are configured to execute the computer-readable instructions to:

identify objects in the video data;

associate each identified object with an object type from the plurality of object types, the plurality of object types being one or more of cars, trucks, bicycles and motor cycles; and

determine a number of objects associated with each object type of the plurality of object types.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the one or more processors are configured to execute the computer-readable instructions to determine the rule if the correlation coefficient between the number of objects associated with the one object type of the plurality of object types and the rate of flow of the traffic is equal to or less than a second predetermined threshold.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein the one or more processors are configured to execute the computer-readable instructions to determine the rule based on rules implemented for the same correlation at one or more additional intersections.

5. The device of claim 3, wherein the one or more processors are configured to execute the computer-readable instructions to determine the rule by:

determining if a matching rule for the correlation was previously created; and

selecting the matching rule as the rule for controlling the traffic flow.

6. The device of claim 2, wherein the objects are vehicles forming the traffic at the intersection.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are configured to execute the computer-readable instructions to cause the adjustments by sending the traffic control settings to a light controller associated with the traffic light, wherein the light controller is configured to apply the adjustments upon detecting a triggering condition, the triggering condition being a current number of objects at the intersection that are associated with the one object type of the plurality of object types corresponding to a number of the objects associated with the one object type of the plurality of object types based on which the rule is created.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the correlation coefficient ranges between −

1 and 1.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the one object type is a first object type, the plurality of object types further comprises a second object type different from the first object type, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to execute the computer-readable instructions to:

determine the lesser of the correlation coefficient for the first object type and the correlation coefficient for the second object type; and

determine the rule by determining a rule to increase the flow of the objects associated with the object type of the first object type or the second object type that has the lesser of the correlation coefficients.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are configured to execute the computer-readable instructions to:

receive video data of traffic flowing through designated zones associated with the intersection, and wherein the correlation coefficient for the one object type is determined based on the number of objects associated with the one object type in the designated zones.

11. One or more non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer-readable instructions stored therein, which when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:

receive video data of traffic flowing through an intersection;

based on the video data, determine if a rate of flow of the traffic is greater than a predetermined threshold;

determine a correlation coefficient for at least one object type of a plurality of object types if the rate of flow is not greater than the predetermined threshold, wherein the correlation coefficient for the at least one object type is indicative of a direct or inverse correlation between the rate of flow and a number of objects associated with the at least one object type;

determine a rule for controlling the traffic flow through the intersection based on the correlation coefficient; and

cause adjustments to traffic control settings of a traffic light at the intersection based on the rule.

12. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the execution of the computer-readable instructions by the one or more processors cause the one or more processors to:

identify objects in the video data;

associate each identified object with an object type from the plurality of object types, the plurality of object types being one or more of cars, trucks, bicycles and motor cycles; and

determine a number of objects associated with each object type of the plurality of object.

13. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the execution of the computer-readable instructions by the one or more processors cause the one or more processors to determine the rule if the correlation coefficient between the number of objects associated with the at least one object type of the plurality of object types and the rate of flow of the traffic is equal to or less than a second predetermined threshold.

14. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the execution of the computer-readable instructions by the one or more processors cause the one or more processors to determine the rule based on rules implemented for the same correlation at one or more additional intersections.

15. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the execution of the computer-readable instructions by the one or more processors cause the one or more processors to determine the rule by:

determining if a matching rule for the correlation was previously created; and

selecting the matching rule as the rule for controlling the traffic flow.

16. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the one or more non-transitory computer-readable medium is implemented on a cloud network that is communicatively coupled to the traffic light via a light controller.

17. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the execution of the computer-readable instructions by the one or more processors cause the one or more processors to cause the adjustments by sending the traffic control settings to a light controller associated with the traffic light, wherein the light controller is configured to apply the adjustments upon detecting a triggering condition, the triggering condition being a current number of objects at the intersection that are associated with the at least one object type of the plurality of object types corresponding to a number of the objects associated with the at least one object type of the plurality of object types based on which the rule is created.

18. A method of object-type based traffic control, comprising:

receiving video data of traffic flowing through an intersection;

based on the video data, determining if a rate of flow of the traffic is greater than a predetermined threshold;

determining a correlation coefficient for one object type of a plurality of object types if the rate of flow is not greater than the predetermined threshold, wherein the correlation coefficient for the one object type is indicative of a direct or inverse correlation between the rate of flow and a number of objects associated with the one object type;

determining a rule for controlling the traffic flow through the intersection based on the correlation coefficient; and

causing adjustments to traffic control settings of a traffic light at the intersection based on the rule.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

identifying objects in the video data;

associating each identified object with an object type from the plurality of object types, the plurality of object types being one or more of cars, trucks, bicycles and motor cycles; and

determining a number of objects associated each object type of the plurality of object types.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the determining of the rule is executed if the correlation coefficient between the number of objects associated with the one object type of the plurality of object types and the rate of flow of the traffic is equal to or less than a second predetermined threshold.