Method and determining system for automatically determining emission locations, and method and traffic control system based thereon for immission-dependent traffic control

• US 8,903,646 B2
• Filed: 02/25/2011
• Issued: 12/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Siemens AG
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Mathias, Paul, Althen, Sebastian
• Primary Examiner(s): Olszewski, John R
• Assistant Examiner(s): CASS, JEAN PAUL
• Application Number:
  US13/034,878
• Publication Number:
  US 20110208414A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,376 Days
• Field of Search: 701/411
• US Class Current: 701/411
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass

Abstract

A method for automatically determining emission locations of selected emitted substances originating from a selected immission location. In this context, on the basis of input values which relate directly or indirectly to the emitted substances and by using defined rules of a propagation model suitable for determining propagation of the emitted substances, the emitted substances are traced back spatially, with accompanying indication of distribution values. Furthermore, a determining system carries out the determining method, and a traffic control system carries out a traffic control method.

Claims

1. A method for immission-dependent traffic control in a traffic area, which comprises the steps of:

determining emitted substances emitted at an emission location, via at least one of sensors at an immission location, wherein the determining the emitted substances is performed by sensors at the immission location;

providing a traffic control system having a computer for generating control signals for controlling traffic at the emission location, the control signals being determined automatically on a basis of the immission location at which the emitted substances from the emission location can be determined as immissions, the emission location and the immission location being separate and independent locations and the emitted substances being traced back from the immission location to a source of the emitted substances being the emission location, wherein the control signals including information for residents affected by traffic control, the information relating to at least one of quantification or representation of propagation on a basis of spatial tracing back of the emitted substances, and the control signals being communicated to the traffic control system to alleviate the traffic and control traffic lights; and

determining, via the computer, the emission location by applying a determining method for automatically determining emission locations of the emitted substances originating from the immission location, which includes tracing back spatially the emitted substances, with accompanying indication of distribution values, on a basis of input values relating directly or indirectly to the emitted substances and via a propagation model suitable for determining propagation of the emitted substances, the propagation model taking into account at least one of the following factors for determining the emission location of the emitted substances transported by airstreams;

wind direction, wind speed, temperature, inversion weather situations, road categories, emission types, structural elements, and topography between the emission location and the immission location, and wherein in an application of the propagation model, locally assigned emission values, which are at least one of determined or simulated on a basis of measured data, are determined as the input values.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the input values contain traffic data, based on the measured data, of a traffic situation.

3. The method according to claim 1, which further comprises selecting the immission location on a basis of local or regional concentration values, at least one of present or calculated at the immission location, for a number of the emitted substances.

4. The method according to claim 1, which further comprises during an application of the propagation model, providing emissions with markings in accordance with their origin.

5. The method according to claim 4, which further comprises marking individual particles with origin markers which are dependent on their emission location.

6. The method according to claim 1, which further comprises, in addition to the emission locations, determining classes of emitters of the emitted substances.

7. The method according to claim 1, which further comprises, in addition to the emission locations, determining emission times of the emitted substances.

8. The method according to claim 1, which further comprises selecting the immission location from a listing of a plurality of specific immission locations, assigned immission values of which have been determined on a basis of application of the propagation model.

9. The method for controlling traffic according to claim 1, wherein the control signals include information for at least one of road users or residents affected by traffic control, the information relating to at least one of quantification or representation of propagation on a basis of spatial tracing back of the emitted substances.

10. A traffic control system for immission-dependent traffic control in a traffic area, the traffic control system comprising:

sensors for determining emitted substances at an immision location;

a control unit which during operation generates control signals for controlling traffic at an emission location, wherein the control signals including information for residents affected by traffic control, the information relating to at least one of quantification or representation of propagation on a basis of spatial tracing back of the emitted substances, wherein the control signals are communicated to the traffic control system to alleviate the traffic and control traffic lights; and

a determining system embodied such that during operation said determining system automatically determines the emission location on a basis of an immission location at which emitted substances from the emission location are measured, via at least one of said sensors, as immissions, the emission location and the immission location being separate and independent locations and the emitted substances being traced back from the immission location to a source of the emitted substances being the emission location, said determining system having an input interface for input values relating directly or indirectly to the emitted substances, and a determining unit which during operation implements a propagation model suitable for determining propagation of the emitted substances to carry out spatial tracing back of the emitted substances on a basis of the input values, with accompanying indication of distribution values, said propagation model taking into account at least one of the following factors for determining the emission location;

wind direction, wind speed, temperature, inversion weather situations, road categories, emission types, structural elements, and topography between the emission location and the immission location.