METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING ANALYSIS INDEX OF ROADWAY SECTION BASED ON ROAD AND TRAFFIC CONDITIONS

• US 20130110386A1
• Filed: 10/24/2012
• Published: 05/02/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Thinkware Corporation
• Original Assignee: Thinkware Systems Corporation
• Inventors: SEONG, Deuk Yeong, PARK, Tae Hyeon, JIN, Hyung Min
• Granted Patent: US 9,555,811 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/119
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/10 Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/15 Road slope, i.e. the inclination of a road segment in the longitudinal direction
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/30 Road curve radius
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/00 Input parameters relating to objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2555/60 Traffic rules, e.g. speed limits or right of way
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/06 Road conditions

Abstract

Provided is an apparatus and method for providing an analysis index of a roadway section based on road and traffic conditions. The method may include calculating a traffic light density of a roadway section using a number of traffic lights installed in the roadway section, calculating road shape information based on at least one of a curvature and a gradient of the roadway section, calculating a speed variation of the roadway section using a change of speed in the roadway section, and calculating an analysis index of the roadway section using the traffic light density, the road shape information, and the speed variation.

Claims

1. A method of providing an analysis index, the method comprising:

calculating a traffic light density of a roadway section using a number of traffic lights installed in the roadway section;

calculating road shape information based on at least one of a curvature and a gradient of the roadway section;

calculating a speed variation of the roadway section using a change of speed in the roadway section; and

calculating an analysis index of the roadway section using the traffic light density, the road shape information, and the speed variation.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the calculating of the road shape information comprises calculating a horizontal alignment curvature of the roadway section using a change in intersection angle of a horizontal curve for the roadway section.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the calculating of the road shape information comprises calculating a vertical alignment gradient of the roadway section using a difference in grade of a vertical curve for the roadway section.

4. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium comprising a program for providing a function of calculating an analysis index of a roadway section, the program comprising:

a density calculating code for calculating a traffic light density of a roadway section using a number of traffic lights installed in the roadway section;

a road shape information calculating code for calculating road shape information based on at least one of a curvature and a gradient of the roadway section;

a speed calculating code for calculating a speed variation of the roadway section using a change of speed in the roadway section; and

an index calculating code for calculating an analysis index of the roadway section using the traffic light density, the road shape information, and the speed variation.

5. An apparatus for providing an analysis index, the apparatus comprising:

a density calculating unit to calculate a traffic light density of a roadway section;

a road shape information calculating unit to calculate road shape information based on at least one of a curvature and a gradient of the roadway section;

a speed calculating unit to calculate a speed variation of the roadway section; and

an index calculating unit to calculate an analysis index of the roadway section using the traffic light density, the road shape information, and the speed variation.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the road shape information calculating unit comprises a curvature calculating unit to calculate a horizontal alignment curvature of the roadway section.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the road shape information calculating unit comprises a gradient calculating unit to calculate a vertical alignment gradient of the roadway section.

8. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the density calculating unit calculates the traffic light density using a number of traffic lights installed in the roadway section.

9. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the density calculating unit calculates the traffic light density using a number of traffic lights by which a vehicle is stopped among traffic lights installed in the roadway section.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the density calculating unit recognizes that the vehicle is stopped by the traffic light, using global positioning system (GPS) information providing a location of the vehicle or a front view image of the vehicle.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the traffic light density, the road shape information, and the speed variation are calculated per unit section of the roadway section.

12. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the curvature calculating unit calculates the horizontal alignment curvature using a change in intersection angle of a horizontal curve for the roadway section.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the curvature calculating unit calculates the horizontal alignment curvature by calculating an intersection angle at each intersection point between horizontal lines in the horizontal curve, and by calculating a sum of the intersection angles.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the curvature calculating unit recognizes the change of intersection angle using GPS information providing a location of the vehicle or a front view image of the vehicle.

15. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the gradient calculating unit calculates the vertical alignment gradient using a difference in grade of a vertical curve for the roadway section.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the gradient calculating unit calculates the vertical alignment gradient by calculating a difference in grade at each upward sloping part of the vertical curve in a movement direction of the vehicle, and by calculating a sum of the differences of grades.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the gradient calculating unit recognizes the difference in grade using GPS information providing a location of the vehicle or an output value of a sensor sensing an inclination of the vehicle.

18. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the speed calculating unit calculates the speed variation using a change of speed in the roadway section, and

the speed calculating unit obtains the change of speed using GPS information providing a location of the vehicle or an output value of a sensor sensing a speed of the vehicle.

19. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the index calculating unit calculates the analysis index by subtracting a sum of the traffic light density, the road shape information, and the speed variation from a reference value.

20. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the index calculating unit calculates the analysis index per unit section of the roadway section, and calculates an average of the analysis indices for the entire roadway section.