Systems and methods for estimating traffic signal information

• US 9,183,743 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2013
• Issued: 11/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
• Original Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
• Inventors: Vahidi, Ardalan, Fayazi, S. Alireza, Mahler, Grant, Winckler, Andreas
• Primary Examiner(s): Badii, Behrang
• Assistant Examiner(s): TESTARDI, DAVID A
• Application Number:
  US14/068,791
• Publication Number:
  US 20150120175A1
• Time in Patent Office: 740 Days
• Field of Search: 701/117, 701/119
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0112 from the vehicle, e.g. floating car data [FCD]
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0125 Traffic data processing
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0133 for classifying traffic situation
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0141 for traffic information dissemination

Abstract

Systems and methods for estimating traffic signal information are provided. According to one aspect, positioning system data is obtained from a plurality of vehicles. Each data set includes the position and the velocity of a vehicle as functions of time. For an intersection having a traffic signal, an average acceleration of the vehicles when leaving the intersection is estimated, and an average deceleration of the vehicles when approaching the intersection is estimated. For each of a subset of the vehicles, a stop duration at the intersection is estimated based on the average acceleration, the average deceleration, and the positioning system data for the respective vehicle. A duration of a red phase of the traffic signal is estimated based on the stop duration of each of the subset of the vehicles.

Claims

1. A method of estimating traffic signal information and adjusting an operation of an on-board system of a vehicle, the method comprising:

obtaining positioning system data from each of a plurality of vehicles, wherein said positioning system data for each of the plurality of vehicles comprises position and velocity of a vehicle as functions of time;

for an intersection having a traffic signal, estimating an average acceleration of the vehicles when leaving the intersection and an average deceleration of the vehicles when approaching the intersection;

for each of a subset of the vehicles, estimating a stop duration at the intersection based on an estimated stop time, an estimated start time, the average acceleration, the average deceleration, and the positioning system data for the respective vehicle;

removing vehicles from the subset for which the estimated stop time is greater than the estimated start time;

estimating a duration of a red phase of the traffic signal based on the stop duration of each of the subset of the vehicles; and

adjusting the operation of the on-board system of the vehicle based, at least in part, on the estimated red phase of the traffic signal.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the average acceleration and the average deceleration are estimated based on the positioning system data for the vehicles and a location of a stop bar behind which the vehicles stop at the intersection.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein estimating the average acceleration and the average deceleration comprises using a least-square estimation based on data points of velocity versus traveled distance corresponding to the vehicles and by removing outliers of said data points.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein for each of the subset of the vehicles, estimating the stop duration comprises:

estimating the estimated stop time at which the respective vehicle stops at the intersection based on the positioning system data for the respective vehicle and the average deceleration;

estimating the estimated start time at which the respective vehicle leaves the intersection based on the positioning system data for the respective vehicle and the average acceleration; and

estimating the stop duration based on the estimated stop time, the estimated start time, the average deceleration, and the positioning system data for the respective vehicle.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the positioning system data for each of the plurality of vehicles is obtained from at least one of a cellular telephone or a navigation device within the vehicle.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the duration of the red phase of the traffic signal is estimated by determining a maximum stop duration of the subset of the vehicles during a time period with relatively light traffic.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein an update frequency of the positioning system data is not greater than twice per minute.

8. A method of estimating traffic signal information and adjusting an operation of an on-board system of a vehicle, the method comprising:

obtaining positioning system data from each of a plurality of vehicles, wherein said positioning system data for each of the plurality of vehicles comprises position and velocity of a vehicle as functions of time;

for an intersection having a traffic signal, estimating an average acceleration of the vehicles when leaving the intersection and an average deceleration of the vehicles when approaching the intersection;

for each of a subset of the vehicles, estimating a stop duration at the intersection based on the average acceleration, the average deceleration, and the positioning system data for the respective vehicle;

estimating a duration of a red phase of the traffic signal based on the stop duration of each of the subset of the vehicles; and

adjusting the operation of the on-board system of the vehicle based, at least in part, on the estimated red phase of the traffic signal,

wherein the subset of the vehicles is determined by;

selecting vehicles whose positioning system data include data points within a distance interval surrounding the intersection, wherein at least a first one of the data points is before the intersection and at least a second one of the data points is after the intersection;

removing vehicles whose velocity is lower, at a point either before the intersection or after the intersection, than a threshold;

for each of the remaining vehicles, estimating an intersection delay based on the positioning system data for the respective vehicle; and

removing vehicles whose estimated intersection delay is negative or zero.

9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising removing vehicles for which an estimated stop time is greater than an estimated start time.