Vehicle actuated signal control system and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10832572-B2
Application number	US-201916387906-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 18, 2019
Priority date	Nov 16, 2018
Publication date	Nov 10, 2020
Grant date	Nov 10, 2020

Abstract

A system for controlling a vehicle actuated signal includes: a vehicle terminal that transmits actuated signal light information and estimated arrival time information when an actuated signal lane on a travel route is reserved to be used; a telematics server that requests a signal change reservation based on the actuated signal light information and the estimated arrival time information; and a traffic light control server that sets the signal change reservation in response to a request of the telematics server and controls a signal of the actuated signal light based on set reservation information.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for controlling a vehicle actuated signal, the system comprising:
a vehicle terminal configured to transmit actuated signal light information and estimated arrival time information when an actuated signal lane on a travel route is reserved to be used;
a telematics server configured to request a signal change reservation based on the actuated signal light information and the estimated arrival time information; and
a traffic light control server configured to:
set the signal change reservation in response to a request of the telematics server; and
control a signal of an actuated signal light based on set reservation information,

wherein the vehicle terminal includes:
a processor configured to determine whether a vehicle is located in a detection area of the actuated signal lane through a vehicle speed sensor and a camera when the signal change reservation is not possible.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein
the vehicle speed sensor measures a vehicle speed, and
the camera obtains an image of vehicle surroundings.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the vehicle terminal further includes an inductance sensor disposed at a lower end of the vehicle and configured to detect whether a vehicle detector installed on the actuated signal lane is in operation.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the vehicle detector includes a loop coil to detect whether the vehicle is in the detection area.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the inductance sensor is configured to detect a change in inductance of the loop coil.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the processor is configured to determine that the vehicle is in the detection area by determining that the vehicle detector is in operation when the change in inductance of the loop coil is detected.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the processor is further configured to directly request a traffic signal controller configured to control an operation of the actuated signal light to change a signal by determining that the vehicle detector is not in operation when the change in inductance of the loop coil is not detected.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the traffic signal controller is further configured to feedback signal change time information to the vehicle terminal when the vehicle detector detects that the vehicle is in the detection area.

9. The system of claim 2 , wherein the processor is configured to obtain the actuated signal light information by using global positioning system (GPS) information and a precise map.

10. A method of controlling a vehicle actuated signal, the method comprising steps of:
confirming, by a vehicle terminal, whether an actuated signal lane on a traveling route is reserved to be used,
transmitting, by the vehicle terminal, actuated signal light information and estimated arrival time information to a telematics server when the actuated signal lane on the traveling route is reserved to be used;
requesting, by the telematics server, a traffic light control server to reserve a signal change based on the actuated signal light information and the estimated arrival time information; and
reserving, by the traffic light control server, the signal change in response to the request of the telematics server, and changing a signal of an actuated signal light based on reservation information,
wherein the step of transmitting includes a step of determining, by the vehicle terminal, whether a vehicle is located in a detection area of the actuated signal lane through a vehicle speed sensor and a camera when the signal change reservation is not possible.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the step of confirming includes a step of:
confirming, by the vehicle terminal, whether the actuated signal lane is reserved to be used when a time condition set based on the traveling route is met.

12. The method of claim 10 , further comprising, before the step of transmitting, a step of:
determining, by the vehicle terminal, a possibility of reserving the signal change by confirming whether wireless communication with the telematics server is possible.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the step of determining the possibility of reserving the signal change includes steps of:
confirming, by the vehicle terminal, whether a vehicle speed decelerates to less than a reference speed when the signal change reservation is impossible;
obtaining, by the vehicle terminal, image information through a camera when the vehicle speed decelerates to less than the reference speed;
confirming, by the vehicle terminal, whether lane identification information is detected in the image information; and
determining, by the vehicle terminal, whether the vehicle is located in a detection area of the actuated signal lane through the camera when the vehicle is stopped when the lane identification information is detected in the image information.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising, after the step of determining whether the vehicle is located in the detection area, a step of:
outputting, by the vehicle terminal, guidance information informing that the vehicle is located in the detection area when the vehicle is located in the detection area as a determination result.

15. The method of claim 13 , further comprising, after the step of determining whether the vehicle is located in the detection area, steps of:
determining, by the vehicle terminal, whether a vehicle detector installed on the actuated signal lane is in operation when the vehicle is not located in the detection area as a determination result; and
outputting guidance information informing that the vehicle is located in the detection area when the vehicle detector is in operation.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the step of determining whether the vehicle detector is in operation includes a step of:
detecting, by the vehicle terminal, whether the vehicle detector is in operated by detecting a change in inductance of the vehicle detector installed on the actuated signal lane through an inductance sensor.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the step of determining whether the vehicle detector is in operation includes a step of:
requesting, by the vehicle terminal, the signal change directly to a traffic signal controller configured to control an operation of the actuated signal light when the vehicle detector is not in operation.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the traffic signal controller is configured to feedback signal change time information to the vehicle terminal when the vehicle detector detects that the vehicle is in the detection area.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the traffic signal controller is further configured to change a signal of the actuated signal light after a predetermined period of time elapses when the vehicle is detected in the detection area.

20. The method of claim 10 , wherein the vehicle terminal is configured to obtain the actuated signal light information by using global positioning system (GPS) information and a precise map.

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd
• Kia Motors Corp

Inventors

• Cha Yeon Joo
• Yoon In Ho
• Kwon Su Jin

Classifications

• G08G1/08 Primary

  according to detected number or speed of vehicles · CPC title

• G08G1/042

  using inductive or magnetic detectors · CPC title

• B60Y2400/303

  Speed sensors · CPC title

• B60W40/02

  related to ambient conditions · CPC title

• B60W40/105

  Speed · CPC title