Systems and methods to detect vehicle queue lengths of vehicles stopped at a traffic light signal

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017206783-A1
Application number	US-201615091170-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 5, 2016
Priority date	Jan 14, 2016
Publication date	Jul 20, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

A connected traffic monitoring system comprises at least one Roadside Unit (RSU) and a traffic signal controller. The roadside unit is configured to transmit wireless signals, receive corresponding responses from a first Onboard Unit (OBU)-equipped vehicle and a second OBU-equipped vehicle and send data from the first OBU-equipped vehicle and the second OBU-equipped vehicle to the traffic signal controller. The traffic signal controller to calculate a distance between the first Onboard Unit (OBU)-equipped vehicle and the second OBU-equipped vehicle in a vehicle queue associated with a traffic light signal on an intersection, determine the queue length of the vehicle queue, determine whether the distance between the first OBU-equipped vehicle and the second OBU-equipped vehicle is greater than a vehicle length and if the distance is determined greater than the vehicle length, detect at least one non-OBU-equipped vehicle stopped in the vehicle queue behind the first OBU-equipped vehicle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method of detecting a queue length of a vehicle queue at a traffic light signal, the method comprising:
calculating a distance between a first Onboard Unit (OBU)-equipped vehicle and a second OBU-equipped vehicle in the vehicle queue associated with the traffic light signal; determining whether the distance between the first OBU-equipped vehicle and the second OBU-equipped vehicle is greater than a vehicle length of an OBU-equipped vehicle; if the distance is determined greater than the vehicle length, detecting at least one non-OBU-equipped vehicle stopped in the vehicle queue behind the first OBU-equipped vehicle; and determining the queue length of the vehicle queue based on the first OBU-equipped vehicle, the second OBU-equipped vehicle and an outcome of a comparison between the distance and the vehicle length to control the traffic light signal.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
detecting a change in the traffic light signal from a green phase to a red phase.

3 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
determining a traffic lane geometry map associated with the traffic light signal for the vehicle queue.

4 . The method of claim 3 , further comprising:
initiating for the traffic lane geometry map a green status by a traffic signal controller based on the queue length of the vehicle queue.

5 . The method of claim 4 , further comprising:
terminating the green status of the traffic lane geometry map when no vehicle presence is detected in the traffic lane geometry map.

6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
transmitting wireless signals from the first OBU-equipped vehicle and the second OBU-equipped vehicle including at least one of vehicle location data, elevation data, direction heading data and speed data for a Roadside Unit (RSU).

7 . The method of claim 6 , further comprising:
receiving at the roadside unit (RSU) the at least one of vehicle location data, elevation data, direction heading data and speed data from the first OBU-equipped vehicle and the second OBU-equipped vehicle; and forwarding the at least one of vehicle location data, elevation data, direction heading data and speed data from the first OBU-equipped vehicle and the second OBU-equipped vehicle to a traffic signal controller.

8 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
updating the queue length of the vehicle queue to include the at least one non-OBU-equipped vehicle.

9 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
controlling a transition from one phase to another phase of the traffic light signal based on the updated queue length of the vehicle queue.

10 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
identifying an intersection MAP and associated vehicle queues corresponding to respective traffic light signals of an intersection relating to the traffic light signal; calculating distances between Onboard Unit (OBU)-equipped vehicles in the associated vehicle queues; and identifying gaps between the OBU-equipped vehicles to calculate more accurate queue lengths of the associated vehicle queues.

11 . A connected vehicle traffic monitoring system, the system comprising:
a traffic signal controller; and at least one Roadside Unit (RSU) located at an intersection, the roadside unit (RSU) comprising at least a processor and a wireless transceiver, the roadside unit (RSU) configured to transmit wireless signals and receive corresponding responses from a corresponding wireless device of a first Onboard Unit (OBU)-equipped vehicle and a second OBU-equipped vehicle, and to send at least one of vehicle location data, elevation data, direction heading data and speed data from the first OBU-equipped vehicle and the second OBU-equipped vehicle to the traffic signal controller, wherein the traffic signal controller to:
calculate a distance between the first Onboard Unit (OBU)-equipped vehicle and the second OBU-equipped vehicle in a vehicle queue associated with a traffic light signal on the intersection;
determine the queue length of the vehicle queue based on the first OBU-equipped vehicle and the second OBU-equipped vehicle;
determine whether the distance between the first OBU-equipped vehicle and the second OBU-equipped vehicle is greater than a vehicle length of an OBU-equipped vehicle; and
if the distance is determined greater than the vehicle length, detect at least one non-OBU-equipped vehicle stopped in the vehicle queue behind the first OBU-equipped vehicle.

12 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the traffic signal controller to:
detect a change in the traffic light signal from a green phase to a red phase.

13 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the traffic signal controller to:
determine a traffic lane geometry map associated with the traffic light signal for the vehicle queue; initiate for the traffic lane geometry map a green status by a traffic signal controller based on the queue length of the vehicle queue; and terminate the green status of the traffic lane geometry map when no vehicle presence is detected in the traffic lane geometry map.

14 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the first OBU-equipped vehicle and the second OBU-equipped vehicle to transmit wireless signals including at least one of vehicle location data, direction heading data and speed data to a Roadside Unit (RSU).

15 . The system of claim 14 , wherein the roadside unit (RSU) device to receive the at least one of vehicle location data, direction heading data and speed data from the first OBU-equipped vehicle and the second OBU-equipped vehicle and forward the at least one of vehicle location data, direction heading data and speed data from the first OBU-equipped vehicle and the second OBU-equipped vehicle to the traffic signal controller.

16 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the traffic signal controller to:
update the queue length of the vehicle queue to include the at least one non-OBU-equipped vehicle; and control a transition from one phase to another phase of the traffic light signal based on the updated queue length of the vehicle queue.

17 . A traffic signal controller, comprising:
a processor; a wireless transceiver; and a storage media coupled to the processor, the storage media to store a software module to:
calculate a distance between a first Onboard Unit (OBU)-equipped vehicle and a second OBU-equipped vehicle in a vehicle queue associated with a traffic light signal on an intersection;
determine a queue length of the vehicle queue based on the first OBU-equipped vehicle and the second OBU-equipped vehicle;
determine whether the distance between the first OBU-equipped vehicle and the second OBU-equipped vehicle is greater than a vehicle length of an OBU-equipped vehicle; and
if the distance is determined greater than the vehicle length, detect at least one non-OBU-equipped vehicle stopped in the vehicle queue behind the first OBU-equipped vehicle.

18 . The traffic signal controller of claim 17 , wherein the software module to:
detect a change in the traffic light signal from a green phase to a red phase; determine a traffic lane geometry map associated with the traffic light signal for the vehicle queue; initiate for the traffic lane geometry map a green status by a traffic signal controller based on the queue length of the vehicle queue; and terminate the green status of the traffic lane geometry map when no vehicle presence is detected in the traffic lane geometry map.

19 . The traffic signal controller of claim 17 , wherei

Assignees

• Siemens Industry Inc

Inventors

• Miller David Dodd

Classifications

• G08G1/052

  with provision for determining speed or overspeed {(speed measuring in general G01P)} · CPC title

• G08G1/0145

  for active traffic flow control · CPC title

• G08G1/0112

  from the vehicle, e.g. floating car data [FCD] · CPC title

• G08G1/08 Primary

  according to detected number or speed of vehicles · CPC title

• G08G1/0116

  from roadside infrastructure, e.g. beacons · CPC title