Method and apparatus for providing analysis index of roadway section based on road and traffic conditions

• US 9,555,811 B2
• Filed: 10/24/2012
• Issued: 01/31/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Thinkware Corporation
• Original Assignee: Thinkware Corporation
• Inventors: Jin, Hyung Min, Seong, Deuk Yeong, Park, Tae Hyeon
• Primary Examiner(s): Olszewski, John R
• Assistant Examiner(s): McPherson, James M
• Application Number:
  US13/659,300
• Publication Number:
  US 20130110386A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,560 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 using a processor, computer executable instructions for performing the method being stored on a non-transitory computer readable recording medium and being implemented by the processor when executed, the method comprising:

collecting information regarding the number of traffic lights installed in a roadway section and information about at least one of a curvature and a gradient of the roadway section with a GPS module, a sensor, or a camera while a vehicle is moving on the roadway section;

calculating, by the processor, the traffic light density of the roadway section on which the vehicle is moving using the number of traffic lights installed in the roadway section and GPS information of the vehicle;

calculating, by the processor, the road shape information based on at least one of the curvature and the gradient of the roadway section using the GPS information of the vehicle;

calculating, by the processor, a speed variation of the roadway section using a change of speed in the roadway section;

calculating, by the processor, an analysis index of the roadway section based on the traffic light density, the road shape information, and the speed variation;

providing, by the processor, the analysis index in displayable form; and

using the analysis index to determine a route of the vehicle with a recording device or a navigation device, thereby improving the route determination capability of said device;

wherein calculating the analysis index of the roadway section comprises calculating the analysis index by subtracting at least one of the traffic light density, the road shape information, and the speed variation from a reference value.

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 containing executable program instructions executed by a processor that stores a program for providing a function of calculating an analysis index of a roadway section, the program comprising:

program instructions that cause a GPS module, a sensor, or a camera to collect information regarding the number of traffic lights installed in a roadway section and information about at least one of a curvature and a gradient of the roadway section while a vehicle is moving on the roadway section;

program instructions that calculate the traffic light density of the roadway section on which the vehicle is moving using the number of traffic lights installed in the roadway section and GPS information of the vehicle;

program instructions that calculate the road shape information based on at least one of the curvature and the gradient of the roadway section using the GPS information of the vehicle;

program instructions that calculate a speed variation of the roadway section using a change of speed in the roadway section;

program instructions that calculate an analysis index of the roadway section using the traffic light density, the road shape information, and the speed variation;

program instructions that provide the analysis index in displayable form; and

program instructions that use the analysis index to determine a route of the vehicle within a recording device or a navigation device, thereby improving the route determination capability of said device;

wherein the program instructions that calculate the analysis index do so by subtracting at least one of the traffic light density, the road shape information, and the speed variation from a reference value.

5. An apparatus for providing an analysis index, the apparatus comprising a processor and at least one of a GPS module, a sensor, and a camera, wherein the processor is configured to:

direct the GPS module, the sensor, or the camera to collect information regarding the number of traffic lights installed in a roadway section and information about at least one of a curvature and a gradient of the roadway section while a vehicle is moving on the roadway section;

calculate a traffic light density of the roadway section on which the vehicle is moving using the number of traffic lights installed in the roadway section and GPS information of the vehicle;

calculate road shape information based on at least one of the curvature and the gradient of the roadway section using the GPS information of the vehicle;

calculate a speed variation of the roadway section;

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

provide the analysis index in displayable form; and

use the analysis index to determine a route of the vehicle within a recording device or navigation device, thereby improving the route determination capability of said device;

wherein the processor is configured to calculate the analysis index by subtracting at least one of the traffic light density, the road shape information, and the speed variation from a reference value.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the processor is further configured to calculate a horizontal alignment curvature of the roadway section.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the processor is further configured to calculate a vertical alignment gradient of the roadway section.

8. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the processor is configured to calculate the traffic light density using a number of traffic lights by which a vehicle is stopped among traffic lights installed in the roadway section.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the processor is configured to recognize 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 taken from the camera of the vehicle.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the traffic light density, the road shape information, and the speed variation are calculated per unit section of the roadway section.

11. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the processor is configured to calculate the horizontal alignment curvature using a change in intersection angle of a horizontal curve for the roadway section.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the processor is configured to calculate 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.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the processor is configured to recognize the change of intersection angle using GPS information providing a location of the vehicle or a front view image taken from the camera of the vehicle.

14. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the processor is configured to calculate the vertical alignment gradient using a difference in grade of a vertical curve for the roadway section.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the processor is configured to calculate 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.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the processor is configured to recognize the difference in grade using GPS information providing a location of the vehicle or an output value of the sensor sensing an inclination of the vehicle.

17. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the processor is configured to calculate the speed variation using a change of speed in the roadway section, and

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

18. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the processor is configured to calculate the analysis index by subtracting a sum of the traffic light density, the road shape information, and the speed variation from a reference value.

19. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the processor is configured to calculate the analysis index per unit section of the roadway section, and calculates an average of the analysis indices for the entire roadway section.