Systems and methods for controlling traffic lights

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10600320-B2
Application number	US-201816220250-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 14, 2018
Priority date	Jul 25, 2018
Publication date	Mar 24, 2020
Grant date	Mar 24, 2020

Abstract

A method for controlling traffic lights is provided. The method may include obtaining historical track data of a plurality of vehicles. The method may include obtaining a congestion period. The method may include determining a discharge speed during the congestion period based on a portion of the historical track data corresponding to the congestion period. The method may further include determining an offset value based on a length of the road, the discharge speed, a cycle length of a first traffic light at the downstream intersection, a cycle length of a second traffic light at the upstream intersection, and a time length of a green light of the second traffic light being lit, and determining a signal timing of the second traffic light based on the offset value.

First claim

We claim:

1. A method implemented on a computing device for controlling traffic lights of an upstream intersection and a downstream intersection linked by a road, the computing device including a memory and processing circuits, the method comprising:
obtaining, from a server, signals including historical track data of a plurality of vehicles that passed the road, the upstream intersection, and the downstream intersection over a historical period;
obtaining signals including a congestion period;
determining, by the processing circuits, a discharge speed during the congestion period based on a portion of the historical track data, the portion of the historical track data being corresponding to the congestion period;
determining, by the processing circuits, an offset value based on a length of the road, the discharge speed, a cycle length of a first traffic light, a cycle length of a second traffic light, and a time length of a green light of the second traffic light being lit, the first traffic light being at the downstream intersection, the second traffic light being at the upstream intersection, the cycle length of the first traffic light being equal to the cycle length of the second traffic light; and
determining, by the processing circuits, a signal timing of the second traffic light based on the offset value.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the historical track data of the plurality of vehicles includes data of positions of the plurality of vehicles on the road and corresponding time points at which the plurality of vehicles at the positions.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein determining the discharge speed during the congestion period based on a portion of the historical track data corresponding to the congestion period includes:
for each of a plurality of first vehicles that pass through a boundary between the road and the downstream intersection during the congestion period, determining, by the processing circuits, a relative start time point based on historical track data corresponding to the each of the plurality of first vehicles; and
determining, by the processing circuits, the discharge speed based on the relative start time points of the plurality of first vehicles.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein determining, for each of the plurality of first vehicles, the relative start timing based on the historical track data corresponding to the each of the plurality of first vehicles includes:
obtaining signals including an actual start time point of the each of the plurality of first vehicles that the each of the plurality of first vehicles started to move from a stop condition and across the boundary between the road and the downstream intersection during a period of the green light of the first traffic light being lit;
obtaining signals including a start time point of the period of the green light of the first traffic light being lit; and
determining, by the processing circuits, the relative start time point based on the actual start time point of the each of the plurality of first vehicles and the start time point of the period of the green light of the first traffic light being lit.

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein determining the discharge speed based on the relative start time points of the plurality of first vehicles further includes: determining, by the processing circuits, the discharge speed based on the relative start time points of the plurality of first vehicles and corresponding positions of the plurality of first vehicles at the relative time points.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the offset value based on the length of the road, the discharge speed, the cycle length of the first traffic light, the cycle length of the second traffic light, and the time length of the green light of the second traffic light being lit includes:
determining, by the processing circuits, an offset value range based on the length of the road, the discharge speed, the cycle length of the first traffic light, the cycle length of the second traffic light, and the time length of the green light of the second traffic light being lit; and
determining, by the processing circuits, the offset value based on the offset value range.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the length of the road includes a length of the upstream intersection.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the signal timing of the second traffic light based on the offset value includes:
controlling the second traffic light to delay for the offset value relative to the first traffic light corresponding to the congestion period.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the signal timing of the second traffic light based on the offset value includes:
determining, by the processing circuits, a first time point that the green light of the first traffic light starts to be on for a first time;
determining, by the processing circuits, a second time point based on the first time point and the offset value;
extending a period of a red light of the second traffic light to the second time point; and
lighting the green light of the second traffic light at the second time point.

10. A system for controlling traffic lights of an upstream intersection and a downstream intersection linked by a road, the system comprising:
at least one storage medium including a set of instructions; and
processing circuits in communication with the at least one storage medium, wherein when executing the set of instructions, the processing circuits are directed to:
obtain signals including historical track data of a plurality of vehicles that passed the road, the upstream intersection, and the downstream intersection over a historical period;
obtain signals including a congestion period;
determine a discharge speed during the congestion period based on a portion of the historical track data, the portion of the historical track data being corresponding to the congestion period;
determine an offset value based on a length of the road, the discharge speed, a cycle length of a first traffic light, a cycle length of a second traffic light, and a time length of a green light of the second traffic light being lit, the first traffic light being at the downstream intersection, the second traffic light being at the upstream intersection, the cycle length of the first traffic light being equal to the cycle length of the second traffic light; and
determine a signal timing of the second traffic light based on the offset value.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the historical period includes a plurality of workdays.

12. The system of claim 10 , wherein the historical track data of the plurality of vehicles includes data of positions of the plurality of vehicles on the road and corresponding time points at which the plurality of vehicles at the positions.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein to determine the discharge speed during the congestion period based on a portion of the historical track data corresponding to the congestion period, the processing circuits are further directed to:
determine, for each of a plurality of first vehicles that pass through a boundary between the road and the downstream intersection during the congestion period, a relative start time point based on historical track data corresponding to the each of the plurality of first vehicles; and
determine the discharge speed based on the relative start time points of the plurality of first vehicles.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein to determine, for each of the plurality of first vehicles, the relative start timing based on the historical track data corresponding to the each of the plurali

Assignees

• Beijing Didi Infinity Technology & Dev Co Ltd

Inventors

• Sun Weili
• Liu Xianghong
• Zheng Jianfeng
• Zhu Jinqing

Classifications

• G08G1/0129

  for creating historical data or processing based on historical data · CPC title

• G08G1/082 Primary

  Controlling the time between beginning of the same phase of a cycle at adjacent intersections · CPC title

• G08G1/095

  Traffic lights · CPC title

• G08G1/0145

  for active traffic flow control · CPC title

• G08G1/0133

  for classifying traffic situation · CPC title