Data processing: vehicles – navigation – and relative location – Vehicle control – guidance – operation – or indication – Traffic analysis or control of surface vehicle
Patent
1997-09-29
1998-10-13
Chin, Gary
Data processing: vehicles, navigation, and relative location
Vehicle control, guidance, operation, or indication
Traffic analysis or control of surface vehicle
340934, G06F16300
Patent
active
058227121
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a method for determining the state of vehicle traffic along traffic routes and road networks. The method can also be applied to predict traffic states with the aid of the latest measuring data obtained and earlier measured values. Prediction is important, since it creates conditions which enables appropriate measures and procedures to be adopted and the traffic to be controlled in a manner to avoid immanent traffic problems. Prediction is also important from the aspect of vehicle or transport control, in which route planning and the selection of the best roads at a particular time is effected preferably with respect to futuristic traffic situations when the vehicles concerned are located on respective road sections.
Incidents and events that occur can also have a great influence on prevailing traffic, and a prediction of a change in traffic flow will provide a basis on which to make a decision as to which control measures should be taken, for instance by broadcasting information over the radio or through the medium of changeable road signs.
Various methods of determining traffic flows are known to the art. The OD-matrix based methods have long been used to calculate traffic flows under different circumstances and in a long-term future perspective. These methods are used, for instance, in city-planning projects, road planning, etc., and the futuristic perspective can apply for several years.
OD stands for Origin Destination and an OD-matrix which describes how many vehicles are driven from an origin O to a destination D per unit of time and the routes used by these vehicles can be generated by using the knowledge edge of domestic areas, work places, travel habits, etc., and by measuring the traffic flows.
The information basic to OD-matrices is difficult to obtain. For instance, the method is used to produce the average values over a period of one year, and the accuracy can be improved successively by calibrating the assigned values with regard to the values actually measured.
Those predictions with which the present invention is concerned are predictions which cover much shorter time periods, for instance time periods of from 1-3 minutes up to the nearest hour, and with successively less precision for the nearest day. Historically typical traffic curves which are modified with regard to known obstructions, interference, road works, etc. are used in the case of time periods longer than one calendar day. The nature of traffic is such that the best way of predicting traffic over a long time perspective is to say that the traffic will be as usual at the time of the day, on that week day, at that time of year, and so on. To this end, it is essential to take many measurements and to store significant average values for traffic on the road network links for different time periods. Such a data base can also be used conveniently together with the present invention.
The use of OD-matrices has also been discussed for short time perspectives, such as those applicable to the present invention. This is encumbered with a number of problems. A great deal of work is involved in defining different OD-matrices for each short time period of the day. At present, there is no reasonable assaying or measuring method which assays the origins of the vehicles, the destinations of the vehicles and the routes travelled by the vehicles. Methods of enabling the journeys of individual vehicles from O to D to be identified and followed have been discussed. A traffic control system in which all vehicles report to a central their start and destination and also their successive respective positions during their journeys has also been proposed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Present-day measuring sensors can be used when practicing the present invention. Another fundamental principle of the invention is one in which the parameter values used are constantly adapted to the current measurement values, so that the system will automatically endeavour to improve its accuracy and adapt itself suc
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