System and method of navigating vehicles

• US 10,803,740 B2
• Filed: 08/09/2018
• Issued: 10/13/2020
• 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): Ismail, Mahmoud S
• Application Number:
  US16/059,814
• Publication Number:
  US 20190051162A1
• Time in Patent Office: 796 Days
• Field of Search: 701117, 701119, 340935, 356376
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0116 from roadside infrastructure, e.g. beacons
• 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 1/08 according to detected number or speed of vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/081 Plural intersections under common control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0967 Systems involving transmission of highway information, e.g. weather, speed limits transmission of navigation instructions to the vehicle G08G1/0968
• 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 1/096758 where no selection takes place on the transmitted or the received information
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096775 where the origin of the information is a central station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096783 where the origin of the information is a roadside individual element

Abstract

A traffic control system and a method are provided for detecting changes in traffic patterns at an intersection, establishing traffic rules therefore, and communicating the same to objects at the intersection. The method comprises receiving, by a processor, traffic data at an intersection; determining, by the processor, an average path taken by one or more objects at the intersection; determining, by the processor, a deviation of the average path from a historical average path; based on the deviation, determining by the processor, a traffic rule is to be implemented for incoming objects detected; and communicating, by the processor, the traffic rule to the incoming objects.

Claims

1. A method of traffic control, comprising:

receiving, by a processor, traffic data indicative of one or more objects moving through one or more computer-defined zones of an intersection, wherein the traffic data is obtained by tracking, using an optical sensor at the intersection, movement of points of the one or more objects;

mapping, by analyzing the traffic data with the processor, an average travel path through the one or more computer-defined zones of the intersection taken by the one or more objects at the intersection;

determining, by the processor, a deviation of the average travel path from a historical average travel path, wherein the deviation is indicative of a spatial deviation of the average travel path from the history average travel path;

based on the deviation, determining by the processor, a traffic rule is to be implemented for incoming objects, wherein the traffic rule is a function of the spatial deviation of the average travel path; and

communicating, by the processor, the traffic rule to the incoming objects.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the average travel path is determined over a time interval.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the traffic rule is to be implemented if the deviation is more than a threshold, which is indicative of a presence of an obstruction at the intersection.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the traffic rule indicates at least one alternative travel path to be taken by the incoming objects.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the at least one alternative travel path is a path, a use of which is restricted for the incoming objects absent the deviation.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

based on the deviation, determining an additional traffic rule for additional incoming objects using the at least one alternative travel path absent the deviation, the additional traffic rule directing the additional incoming objects to follow a procedure for avoiding collision with the incoming objects that are using the at least one alternative travel path due to the deviation and according to the traffic rule.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining if a scheduled lane closure corresponding to the intersection exists; and

upon determining that the scheduled lane closure exists, updating the traffic rule based on the scheduled lane closure.

8. A traffic controller, comprising:

memory having computer-readable instructions stored therein; and

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

receive traffic data indicative of one or more objects moving through one or more computer-defined zones of an intersection, wherein the traffic data is obtained by tracking, using an optical sensor at the intersection, movement of points of the one or more objects;

analyze the traffic data to map an average travel path through the one or more computer-defined zones of the intersection taken by the one or more objects at the intersection;

determine a deviation of the average travel path from a historical average travel path, wherein the deviation is indicative of a spatial deviation of the average travel path from the history average travel path;

based on the deviation, determine a traffic rule is to be implemented for incoming objects, wherein the traffic rule is a function of the spatial deviation of the average travel path; and

communicate the traffic rule to the incoming objects.

9. The traffic controller of claim 8, wherein the one or more processors are configured to execute the computer-readable instructions to:

retrieve historical traffic data from a traffic database; and

determine the historical average travel path based on the historical traffic data retrieved from the traffic data base.

10. The traffic controller of claim 9, wherein

the average travel path is determined over a first time interval and the historical average travel path is determined over a second time interval, and

the second time interval has a longer duration than the first time interval.

11. The traffic controller of claim 8, wherein the traffic rule is to be implemented if the deviation is more than a threshold, which is indicative of a presence of an obstruction at the intersection.

12. The traffic controller of claim 8, wherein:

the traffic rule indicates at least one alternative travel path to be taken by the incoming objects, and

the at least one alternative travel path is a path, a use of which is restricted for the incoming objects absent the deviation.

13. The traffic controller of claim 12, wherein the one or more processors are configured to execute the computer-readable instructions to:

based on the deviation, determine an additional traffic rule for additional incoming objects using the at least one alternative travel path absent the deviation, the additional traffic rule directing the additional incoming objects to follow a procedure for avoiding collision with the incoming objects that are using the at least one alternative travel path due to the deviation and according to the traffic rule.

14. 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 traffic data indicative of one or more objects moving through one or more computer-defined zones of an intersection, wherein the traffic data is obtained by tracking, using an optical sensor at the intersection, movement of points of the one or more objects;

analyze the traffic data to map an average travel path through the one or more computer-defined zones of the intersection taken by the one or more objects at the intersection;

determine a deviation of the average travel path from a historical average travel path, wherein the deviation is indicative of a spatial deviation of the average travel path from the history average travel path;

based on the deviation, determine a traffic rule is to be implemented for incoming objects, wherein the traffic rule is a function of the spatial deviation of the average travel path; and

communicate the traffic rule to the incoming objects.

15. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the execution of the computer-readable instructions by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:

retrieve historical traffic data from a traffic database; and

determine the historical average travel path based on the historical traffic data retrieved from the traffic data base.

16. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein

the average travel path is determined over a first time interval and the historical average travel path is determined over a second time interval, and

the second time interval has a longer duration than the first time interval.

17. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the traffic rule is to be implemented if the deviation is more than a threshold, which is indicative of a presence of an obstruction.

18. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein:

the traffic rule indicates at least one alternative travel path to be taken by the incoming objects, and

the at least one alternative travel path is a path, a use of which is restricted for the incoming objects absent the deviation.

19. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the execution of the computer-readable instructions by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:

based on the deviation, determine an additional traffic rule for additional incoming objects using the at least one alternative travel path absent the deviation, the additional traffic rule directing the additional incoming objects to follow a procedure for avoiding collision with the incoming objects that are using the at least one alternative travel path due to the deviation and according to the traffic rule.

20. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the execution of the computer-readable instructions by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:

determine if a scheduled lane closure corresponding to the intersection exists; and

upon determining that the scheduled lane closure exists, update the traffic rule based on the scheduled lane closure.