Site-specific traffic analysis including identification of a traffic path

• US 20150325119A1
• Filed: 05/04/2015
• Published: 11/12/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: LEHNERTZ, Benedikt
• Granted Patent: US 9,978,269 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 23/041 Obstacle detection
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 29/30 Supervision, e.g. monitoring arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/06 Systems determining position data of a target
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0116 from roadside infrastructure, e.g. beacons
• 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

Abstract

A device for site-specific traffic analysis includes: a radar sensor at a traffic space; and an evaluation unit configured to (i) ascertain object trajectories from chronological sequences of object positions of respective objects detected by the radar sensor and moving in the traffic space, (ii) identify the location of at least one traffic path based on a concentration of object trajectories, and (iii) assign further detected objects to a respective traffic path whose location has been identified.

Claims

1. A device for site-specific traffic analysis, comprising:

at least one radar sensor monitoring a traffic space; and

an evaluation unit configured to (i) ascertain object trajectories from chronological sequences of object positions of respective objects detected by the radar sensor and moving in the traffic space, (ii) identify the location of at least one traffic path based on a concentration of object trajectories, and (iii) assign further detected objects to the at least one traffic path whose location has been identified.

2. The device as recited in claim 1, wherein the evaluation unit is configured to determine object expansions based on object reflections associated with the respective detected objects, and (ii) identify the location and the type of the at least one traffic path based on a concentration of object trajectories and based on object expansions of the objects assigned to the respective object trajectories, wherein the type of the at least one traffic path is selected from a traffic lane, a walkway, and a track.

3. The device as recited in claim 2, wherein the evaluation unit is configured to carry out a summarizing evaluation of data for multiple objects assigned to the same traffic path for the determination of at least one traffic parameter selected from an average speed, a minimal speed, a minimal distance between the objects, an average distance between the objects, a maximal distance between the objects, a traffic flow and a traffic density.

4. The device as recited in claim 2, wherein the evaluation unit is configured to classify objects which are detected by the radar sensor and moving in the traffic space based on object reflections associated with the respective objects, wherein the detected objects are classified into object classes of at least one of different sizes and different types, and wherein passenger cars and persons are assigned to different object classes.

5. The device as recited in claim 4, wherein the evaluation unit is configured to identify the location of the at least one traffic path based on a concentration of object trajectories related to objects of a selected object class.

6. The device as recited in claim 3, wherein, based on detected object speeds of multiple objects assigned to the selected traffic path in the form of a traffic lane, the evaluation unit is configured to evaluate a traffic situation assigned to the selected traffic lane with respect to a risk of congestion, and classify the risk of congestion associated with the traffic situation into one of at least three classes.

7. The device as recited in claim 3, wherein the at least one radar sensor includes a wide angle radar sensor having a stationary antenna array, whose field of vision includes an azimuth angle range of at least 90°

.

8. The device as recited in claim 3, wherein the at least one radar sensor includes an FMCW radar sensor configured to determine an object position and an object speed of a detected object.

9. The device as recited in claim 3, wherein the evaluation unit is configured to (i) identify the location of multiple traffic paths, and (ii) assign further detected objects to a respective traffic path whose location has been identified.

10. A method for traffic analysis using positioning data of at least one site-specific radar sensor monitoring a traffic space, comprising:

ascertaining object trajectories from chronological sequences of object positions of respective objects detected by the radar sensor and moving in the traffic space;

identifying the location of at least one traffic path based on a concentration of object trajectories; and

assigning respective objects detected by the at least one radar sensor to a respective traffic path whose location has been identified.