Automated system for preventing vehicle bunching

• US 9,224,295 B2
• Filed: 12/20/2012
• Issued: 12/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Via Analytics, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Via Analytics, Inc.
• Inventors: Saloner, Dylan, Xuan, Yiguang, Argote, Juan, Daganzo, Carlos
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G
• Assistant Examiner(s): PAIGE, TYLER D
• Application Number:
  US14/367,873
• Publication Number:
  US 20150046073A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,104 Days
• Field of Search: 701/117, 340/994
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096716 where the received information does not generate an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096741 where the source of the transmitted information selects which information to transmit to each vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096775 where the origin of the information is a central station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096791 where the origin of the information is another vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/127 to a central station ; Indicators in a central station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/133 within the vehicle ; Indicators inside the vehicles or at stops

Abstract

The present invention contemplates a distributed automatic control system for preventing the vehicle bunching. Information of vehicle locations is automatically detected and used to determine the positions and velocities of vehicles along a route. Vehicles pass predetermined points, such as stations, along the route. Information about whether the vehicle skipped the station, arrived at the station, or departed from the station, is automatically calculated based on the position and velocity information. This information is distributed among the vehicles that belong to the same route. An in-vehicle controller dynamically calculates holding times at each station and displays the information to the driver so that buses do not get too close to one another, thereby preventing bunching while maintaining appropriate speeds of the vehicles.

Claims

1. An in-bus controller installed in a bus comprising:

a network interface configured to receive status data of other busses of a transportation route, via a network from other in-bus controllers placed in the other busses;

a spatial positioning device configured to continuously collect status data of the bus in which the in-bus controller is placed;

a signaling device configured to provide an operating instruction to a bus driver of the bus in which the in-bus controller is placed;

a processor configured to determine the operating instruction based on the status data of the busses; and

a passenger display configured to display passenger information, passenger information including a location of the bus, connecting transportation lines with arrival times, landmarks, local maps, or real-time location-based advertisements.

2. The in-bus controller of claim 1, wherein the operating instruction includes a time period for which the bus driver is to hold the bus at a station, or a visual indication of an extent of the bus being ahead of or behind a schedule.

3. The in-bus controller of claim 2, wherein the time period is determined such that the bus will not leave a station before a guaranteed time.

4. The in-bus controller of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to determine a real-time estimate of a time until a next bus arrives at a station.

5. The in bus controller of claim 1, wherein the network interface is further configured to receive status data from busses from a second route, and the processor is further configured to determine the operation instruction such that the bus at which the in-bus controller is placed and a second bus from the second route arrive at a hub station in a predetermined temporal proximity.

6. The in-bus controller of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to dynamically generate a new bus schedule based on the status data of the busses.

7. The in-bus controller of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to determine maintenance needs of the bus or to record maintenance activities of the bus.

8. The in-bus controller of claim 1, further comprising:

a payment module configured to process passenger payments.

9. The in-bus controller of claim 1, further comprising:

a monitoring module configured to monitor driving performance of the bus driver.

10. The in-bus controller of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to dynamically determine bus driver break schedule.

11. The in-bus controller of claim 1, further comprising:

a feedback module configured to collect passenger feedback on ride experience.

12. The in-bus controller of claim 1, wherein the spatial position device is a satellite navigation device.

13. An in-vehicle controller in a mass-transit vehicle comprising:

a network interface configured to receive status data of other mass-transit vehicles of a transportation route, via a network from other in-vehicle controllers placed in the other mass-transit vehicles;

a spatial positioning device configured to continuously collect status data of the mass-transit vehicle in which the in-vehicle controller is placed;

a signaling device configured to provide an operating instruction to an operator of the mass-transit vehicle in which the in-vehicle controller is placed, wherein the processor is further configured to determine maintenance needs of the mass-transit vehicle or to record maintenance activities of the mass-transit vehicle.

14. An in-vehicle controller in a mass-transit vehicle comprising:

a network interface configured to receive status data of other mass-transit vehicles of a transportation route, via a network from other mass-transit in-vehicle controllers placed in the other mass-transit vehicles;

a spatial positioning device configured to continuously collect status data of the mass-transit vehicle in which the in-vehicle controller is placed;

a signaling device configured to provide an operating instruction to an operator of the mass-transit vehicle in which the in-vehicle controller is placed; and

a payment module configured to process passenger payments.

15. An in-vehicle controller in a mass-transit vehicle comprising:

a network interface configured to receive status data of other mass-transit vehicles of a transportation route, via a network from other in-vehicle controllers placed in the other mass-transit vehicles;

a spatial positioning device configured to continuously collect status data of the mass-transit vehicle in which the in-vehicle controller is placed;

a signaling device configured to provide an operating instruction to an operator of the mass-transit vehicle in which the in-vehicle controller is placed; and

a feedback module configured to collect passenger feedback on ride experience.