DE19944891A1 - Method of detecting traffic situations with fuzzy classification, multidimensional morphological data filtering and dynamic domain formation - Google Patents

Abstract

The method involves processing measurement values detected at different times. The detected traffic measurement values for each observed street are separated by location and time per measurement value category in repeated updated historical windows extending over a defined period from the current time to produce past traffic information and are entered and stored. The stored data are filtered with various filters, each forming a characteristic. The individual characteristics are combined to form a characteristic vector describing the traffic situation at each corresp. point in the traffic network. Traffic information for output is based on the characteristic vectors. An Independent claim is also included for a traffic situation detection center.

Description

Background of the Invention

In traffic, especially on the motorways and expressways, can the traffic conditions change very quickly. As a result of the high traffic flow and the individual driving style of road users creates a dynamic in Traffic that can hardly be identified with foresight. Add to that Interference influences such as speed limits, changing the number of Lanes, construction sites and accidents that suddenly change to one lane or the whole Block the freeway. The disturbances then spread out and lead at greater distances to impair traffic. Also the Oncoming lanes are usually affected because road users there too given the happening their speed for various reasons throttle. This traffic dynamics often leads to individual or series Rear-end collisions because the safety distance was not kept or the Drivers simply no longer master this critical traffic dynamics.

There is therefore an urgent need for timely and up-to-date information about the traffic conditions in as precisely as possible locally Route sections. Not only the traffic jam event is important, but also the route-related indication of traffic conditions, which a traffic jam in the Always go ahead, for example stagnant or heavy traffic. So it's one Differentiated detection of traffic conditions wanted and necessary, namely despite the frequent lack of additional information on the current status of the Routes, e.g. B. about construction sites, number of lanes or their topological course: Inclines, descents and. Ä.

The traffic domains with the same or everywhere in a traffic domain Similar traffic conditions spread, they grow, split up, wander, and the traffic conditions merge until they finally dissolve, that means free travel again. So these domains have to be found, classified, be localized and tracked dynamically.  

This is followed by the message management for traffic reports, the ultimately the results are prepared in a form suitable for drivers.

The following problems exist in realizing this objective:
The traffic situation cannot be recognized from the individual traffic measurements. For this purpose, the sizes and changes in the measured traffic values over a certain time interval must be considered. As a result of this "integration", however, the course of the measured traffic values determined in this way must not lose its topicality.

It is also necessary to get traffic measurements from different sensors process that can be stationary or mobile, synchronous, asynchronous or supply event-induced measured values and their measured values also incomplete and very may be noisy.

It is also desirable that the process not follow a predetermined one Route allocation is bound, i.e. works independently of route and also Route knowledge about number of lanes, construction sites, speed limits, Topology of the route sections etc. are not required.

From the traffic measurement data, the traffic situation at the respective measuring points are closed. For this it is necessary to follow the course of the Knowing measured values about place and time. The specific characteristics of traffic are only included in the measured values together with their local-time profile. the goal is hence the combination of different physical data Content to resultant feature vectors, which clearly the traffic situation characterize. In addition, there is also a distinction between the states "no traffic" and "total congestion", which give the same measured values, are required.

The inventive method according to claim 1 solves these problems consistently.

The creation of traffic information according to claim 1 (as well as according to a of claims 2 to 6) can take place immediately or after intermediate steps. So  can intermediate steps before creating traffic information in claim 1 according to the features of claims 2 to 6 or other claims, etc.

The following further problems arise in the further processing of feature vectors describing the traffic situation:
The differentiated traffic conditions, e.g. B. scattered, stagnant, dense and free, cannot be clearly defined and delimited with regard to the input data. Binary border crossings between these traffic conditions also do not correspond to the subjective perception of road users. A gradual description of the traffic conditions and a smooth transition from condition to condition is therefore necessary.

The description of the traffic conditions in one place must be comparable. It is also a uniform scaling for subsequent calculations and the Summary of all characteristics required in one place.

The subject of claim 2 is a method that solves these tasks consistently.

The following problems arise when further processing such a traffic condition description:
The traffic measurement values, which are recorded with various sensors and serve as source information for the traffic condition descriptions, are incomplete both locally and in time. Gaps can also result from the fact that there are no or too few measured values at one location. In these cases, the traffic conditions at these locations cannot be determined directly.

The traffic conditions can only be determined directly at the measuring points. There not any number of sensors can be attached to the road network, there are no traffic measurements between the measuring points.

The goal, however, is a continuous description of the traffic conditions throughout the whole Route and ultimately for the entire road network.  

This objective cannot be achieved by extrapolating the measured values themselves become. Instead, there is an interpolation of the values between two measuring points complex and the interpolation range must be limited. You can fill in the gaps also fill with averaged historical data. But this leads to falsifications. Substitute values from model calculations to close the measurement value gaps based on the Available measured values are complex and set a high quality for them available measurements.

The subject of claim 3 solves these problems consistently.

In order to form traffic domains with a uniform traffic status and to track them over time and place, status vectors must be compared with one another. The following problems arise:
The determined traffic situation at the various locations in the road network must be assigned to one of the differentiated traffic conditions (congested, stagnant, dense or free). For this purpose, the descriptions of the local traffic conditions must be compared.

Likewise, the locations combined into domains must have the same traffic conditions be compared with each other to see changes and dynamics of these domains to be able to determine in terms of place and time.

However, these comparisons cannot be identical based on identity comparison same traffic measurements or the characteristic feature vectors, which the describe the local traffic situation in a different form, because these stochastic values are never completely the same, from different ones physical measurements and thus have different units of measurement and are scaled differently.

The goal is therefore, based on the location state vectors, which in their components containing the probabilities for the differentiated traffic conditions with the help a similarity measure, both the location state vectors and the domains to compare with each other.  

The subject of claim 4 is a method that solves these tasks consistently.

The following problems need to be solved when segmenting traffic domains in road networks:
Locations with the same or similar traffic conditions must be combined to form domains of the same traffic conditions or the domains of similar traffic conditions must be segmented from one another.

The domains should not be bound to fixed sections, but rather to them The beginning and end should correspond to the actual traffic situation and let their dynamics be fixed in the right places.

The domains should contain a description of the status, which is derived from the State descriptions of the locations summarized in them result.

The subject of claim 5 is a method that solves these tasks consistently.

The following problems exist when tracking the domains and assigning them to domains identified by previous public announcements:
The domain segmentation of the road network must be repeated at intervals. These update steps must ensure that the segmentation always corresponds to the current traffic situation.

The currently found new traffic domains must match the existing ones in the the previous update step can be assigned to domains found. The message management must use this to create new, change and delete messages produce.

The subject of claim 6 is a method that realizes this objective and resolves the problems consistently. The method according to claims 1 to 6 were in tested in practical operation. The subjects of claims 2 to 6 are in Connection with the invention according to claim 1 and in each case independently thereof  claimed. The subclaims are on each independent claim referred back.

The traffic situation classification and reporting method according to the invention is on Can be used on all motorways and expressways to reduce the risk of accidents. Critical traffic situations can sometimes even be avoided. The system is not only necessary for security reasons. It is also the basis for Route planning, travel time forecasts, traffic jam prognosis, diversion recommendations, signal and traffic influencing as well as direct if necessary Vehicle control and traffic control and numerous other services.

State of the art

The simplest solution is the long-known traffic radio. The Police report accidents and, as a result, congestion lengths as well as traffic conditions they encounter e.g. For example, on their helicopter control flights, to the state registration offices. So Traffic is useful, so manual recording of traffic events is however incomplete, the traffic conditions are subjectively classified and the topicality of the Messages left a lot to be desired.

There are other methods of recording traffic on highways and Expressways. These known methods all work with fixed ones Route sections or segments according to the threshold value analysis or the method traffic accounting. Further developments are only modifications of these two Procedures to mitigate their inherent weaknesses. That means: The well-known Procedures are all track-bound and can therefore only synchronous measured values of fixed sensors.

Newer detection systems such as For example, the Heusch message generator Boesefeldt, work after the threshold value analysis. You get synchronous Traffic data from stationary detectors installed on the highways. The routes between two motorway junctions form each considered routes. The division of the route and thus the resolution is rigid and relatively rough. The traffic condition of one of these routes assigned, is based exclusively on the speed measurements this route. If the measured speeds fall below a fixed level predefined threshold value, the entire route is reported as congested. It takes place a local, binary classification, namely jammed or free.  

With this threshold value method, the speed measurements are made via the each considered route included. The local and temporal resolution of the The process is determined by the rough route division. The dynamic Traffic congestion against the direction of travel can only be recorded to a limited extent. The The timeliness of the recorded traffic situation is limited. The speed readings must be available as synchronous, stationary data. Other data, e.g. Example of mobile Sensors in the vehicles (FCD) themselves cannot be processed. A Characteristic formation does not take place and is also fundamentally not possible. Differentiated traffic conditions cannot be recorded. Different physical measurements cannot be processed because they cannot can be summarized and also when using the threshold value analysis the question of priorities would not be decidable for other measured values. A suitable form of the traffic situation description about the place for higher quality Traffic state classification method cannot be provided.

The classification of the traffic conditions based on this threshold analysis of the Speeds lead to local instabilities. With a z. Example "stop and go" - Traffic or slow-moving traffic that is at the threshold moved, the messages constantly jump back and forth between jammed and free.

In this respect, it is also not certain that falling below the threshold value is also possible is actually a traffic jam event. The stability of the messages must be artificially enforced are due to the rough route division and the additional condition that only a repeated congestion classification or free classification of a route New message or deletion message is triggered. The message management is thereby complicated, the spatial and temporal resolution of the system is limited and In principle, dynamic domain tracking is not possible.

Other known methods work on the principle of traffic accounting. These methods are based on the observation of individual sectors within one whole route. At the beginning and end of the sector, the speeds and the traffic flows (= number of vehicles per unit of time) measured. A slump the speed at the beginning of the sector with high speed at the same time Sector end as well as a decrease in traffic flow in the sector under consideration Increase or decrease of the integrated flow balance between the beginning and end of the sector are indicators of an accident, i.e. these criteria indicate a traffic jam event. The methods all work with sectors as a measuring section. So they just work with a fixed route division of the entire traffic network under consideration.  

Such a process, which is described in the product advertisements "Open Road, Traffic controls, analyzes and forecasts "and" OpenRoad, Traffic Control, Data Analysis and Forecast "from Inform GmbH, Aachen to OpenRoad, in the Service description "OpenRoad traffic data analysis" by Inform GmbH from October 14, 1997 and in the publication by Steinauer, Krux and Offermann, "Fuzzy Logic contra threshold analysis for accident detection "in road traffic technology 7/1997, works on the principle of traffic accounting. This "Accident detection method" is based on the observation of individual sectors within a whole distance. At the beginning and end of the sector, the Speeds and traffic flows (= the number of vehicles per Unit of time). A drop in speed at the beginning of the sector at at the same time high speed at the end of the sector and a decrease in Traffic flow in the sector under consideration is an indicator of an accident, that is these criteria indicate a traffic jam event.

A modified, refined procedure for accident detection is the dynamic one Traffic accounting (publication by Steinauer, Krux and Offermann, Road traffic engineering 7/1997; U.S. Patent 5,684,475 to Krause and Pozybill 1996; Openroad traffic data analysis, performance description, 1997). With this The method is based on the local measured variables determined at the beginning of the sector Speed and traffic flow as well as the length of the sector under consideration Vehicle travel time forecasted by the sector and thus a forecast made for the flow of traffic at the end of the sector. It will then be at the end of the sector for small ones Time intervals the difference between the measured and the forecast Traffic flow determined and integrated. If there is a trouble-free situation, then the positive and negative deviations over time cancel each other out. In this case, the cumulative difference fluctuates somewhat around the zero line. However, lies If there is an accident in the sector, the forecast value over time is higher than the Measurements. The cumulative difference in traffic flows is therefore an indicator of the Accident.

The forecast is subject to uncertainties that cannot be determined analytically. The subjective behavior of drivers within the sector is unpredictable. It are therefore assumptions about the distribution of driving behavior of the Road users hit. Topological conditions such as slopes and Downhill sections or daily construction sites can travel time through the sector influence. After all, the exact intervals go through the interval formation  The entry times of the vehicles in the sector are lost, i.e. there is one Data reduction. The difference formation is therefore subject to stochastic Fluctuations. From traffic flow, speed and cumulative difference of Traffic flows are therefore six levels of fuzzy logic Traffic quality determines which the traffic conditions in the sector characterize: free, lively, dense, bound, tough and jammed. The traffic conditions free, lively, dense and bound are determined by the sectoral traffic density, the distinction between bound, tough and jammed is made through the Cruising speed hit. The traffic conditions are thus classified based on the measured values by dividing the measured values into areas.

The difference formation is very sensitive to incorrect output data. For practicality must therefore be in the form of a "stabilization mechanism" of a correction element, depending on the quality of the sensors. The sector-specific cruising speed is determined with the theoretical Driving time calculated. This value, determined from local quantities, must sector-specific consideration to be corrected. The choice between local and sector-related consideration is taken by the fuzzy logic. This selection takes place according to the quality of the data acquisition.

With this algorithm, the evaluation jumps back and forth in borderline cases. about the comparison of the current assessment with that in the last acquisition cycle is made Hysteresis behavior used for stabilization.

Both simple and dynamic traffic accounting require synchronous, stationary measured traffic data. Asynchronous data from e.g. For example, so-called floating cars cannot be used. It is not one either dynamic domain formation and tracking for the classified traffic conditions possible. The measuring sectors are determined by the system and are rigid Classification of the traffic conditions with regard to fixed routes: The system name "dynamic" is therefore only valid for the formation of differences in time intervals whose But results need to be corrected.

Message management is not sought here because this procedure for the Control of a route control system is intended. There are relatively short ones Segments and several signal displays required within each segment, otherwise the growth of a traffic jam against the direction of travel is faster than the display. The The procedure also requires knowledge of the routes considered. The Effort for the route facilities is great, and yet there is an overview of the  Traffic situation without dynamic domain formation and a dynamic Message management not available. The process is also not fault tolerant. This breaks if individual measuring points or entire detection cross-sections fail System together and permanently displays incorrect traffic conditions. That is why Substitute value procedures, e.g. For example, via a redundant second data acquisition or via a Modeling for monitoring and error detection absolutely necessary.

The dynamic traffic accounting system has been further modified to its Avoid weaknesses (Siemens / WO 9525321 A1: "Method of sensing traffic and detecting traffic situations on roads, preferably freeways ", 1995 and 1997) modified procedures for traffic situation detection is the basis again Measuring distance between two measuring points and the difference, in this case but not the traffic flows, but the speed-traffic density values, which are calculated from the local data. In addition, a trend factor is identified the ratio of the traffic flows between the two measuring points over a predetermined time period of z. For example 30 minutes and the first derivative, that is the Slope of the tangent, calculated. With help of these three traffic parameters a fuzzy logic is an indicator of a critical traffic situation in the test section detected.

A further development of the same method uses a dynamic one Calibration of the traffic parameters mentioned, depending on their Past values, to correct the difference (Siemens / WO 9525321 A1: "Method of Detecting Traffic and Traffic Situations on Roads, Preferably Motorways "). The calibration factor for the speed Density difference is also used as a threshold value, the exceeding of which a critical traffic situation. With these measures, the dependency of the Differences of many influencing factors such as the distance between the Measuring points, measuring errors and tolerances, the geometry or topology of the Measurement route, the road conditions, the different driving styles during the day and at night etc. corrected.

With these accounting methods, the traffic conditions are classified directly based on the measured values by dividing the measured values into areas. In which The latter method is based on the flow of traffic, the speed and the integrated flow balance a fuzzy logic applied to classify the Traffic conditions that have already been finally determined. A Different characteristics are not summarized. The so determined  Traffic conditions for the respective measuring sections are not continuous, sliding Transitions cannot be adequately described. The real traffic dynamics is largely suppressed when recording the traffic conditions.

Since all of these procedures only with a fixed division of the whole considered transport network, the decision for a particular Traffic condition based on the measured values at the beginning and end of a test section therefore only be taken for the respective route. With these procedures can in principle be the gradual course of the status information about the considered Distance can not be determined.

Accordingly, there are no gradual processes in these processes Condition description. That is why they cannot do any on such Condition-based similarity measure for the assignment of the Traffic conditions at the different locations to the differentiated traffic conditions use.

Therefore, only the route sections can be summarized below in which, based on the measured values, the Decision for the same traffic condition was made. These systems can start and end of traffic domains in which the same Traffic conditions prevail, not identify them, but only within the framework of the function-related route division. A dynamic domain formation is with the known methods are not possible in principle.

This means that dynamic domain tracking is not possible. That too Message management is subject to these restrictions.

The known methods do not solve the problems presented and they also do not offer a solution:

• - Only synchronous measurement data from stationary sensors can be processed.
• - The procedures are all route-bound, which means the local dissolution is restricted.
• - As a characteristic, only the flow difference integrated over time is calculated.
• - The course of the measured values over time and place is only integrated over the specified one Measuring distance, that is, determined at two measuring points.
• - There is no gradual description of the state of traffic about the location of the can also adequately record smooth transitions.  
• - A similarity assignment based on a continuous status description is therefore neither for individual locations nor for designated traffic domains possible.
• - Dynamic determination and tracking of traffic domains across the location and time is not possible with it. Message management is subject to same restrictions.

The known methods are therefore for the practice of detecting the Traffic condition at individual locations and the traffic situation in the Road network can only be used to a limited extent.

Particular advantages and further features of a method and Systems result from the following description of an embodiment for example based on the drawing. It shows:

Fig. 1 time functions of the measured values of induction loops on a congestion event,

FIG. 2 media-filtered time functions from FIG. 1, FIG.

Fig. 3 Dilated tophat function of the width applied 15 minutes added to the speed values in stop-traffic state,

Fig. 4 Schematic representation of the processing chain:
Incoming traffic measurements:
Entry in the history window via location x and time t, formation of feature vectors per location according to the spatial filtering of the measured values,

Fig. 5 sketch of a feature space with classification,

Fig. 6 fuzzy classification or discriminant for the spatially and temporally filtered measurement values (or characteristics),

Fig. 7 Determination of the normalized local state vector at a location x from the state vectors each feature arising from the characteristics by fuzzy classification,

Fig. 8 state extrapolation of the state vector components over the location with z. B. a local Gaussian filter,

Fig. 9 sketch for visualizing the results of the domain growth process based on the location status vectors,

Fig. 10 sketch for visualization of the results, the temporal assignments of the designated messages through the transport domain to successive points in time,

FIG. 11 generated traffic information of the realized prototype example of a congestion event,

Fig. 12 Generated traffic reports of the realized prototype using the example of a traffic jam event with simultaneous display of the speed measurements in the background.

The following are examples of the properties of an inventive efficient traffic situation classification and notification system.

The traffic conditions are stowed, stagnant, dense and free by means of features classified. If necessary, additional states can be integrated by incorporating further features be supplemented.

Similar traffic conditions, which are determined by local condition indicators were combined into traffic domains. Growth, migration, where appropriate, division and transitions of these domains into the others classified traffic conditions until their resolution in the class "free" dynamically tracked.

The domain formation is not dependent on a route-dependent or stability-related Grid bound. The fineness of the local resolution can be selected.

The "probabilities" for the displayed traffic conditions or their Significance is established.

The message management is based on the determined dynamic of the domains and is not tied to fixed locations.

Newly discovered domains can be registered via a domain Similarity measure can be assigned. Because the states of the domains are continuous are described, the process also allows changes in the state of a person's life Domain too.

The algorithm offers degrees of freedom to use parameters to set the desired system sensitivity.

• - the temporal response to incoming data,  
• - the resolution when the system views the traffic domains and
• - The frequency of reports without influencing the domain formation

adapt.

No route knowledge is required. There are no others either Modeling necessary. However, if such additional information is available, you can to further improve the system results through additional Use of traffic models can be easily used.

The quality of the messages is realized by a high local and temporal Resolution and thus a high topicality, through the consistency of the messages, regardless of the origin of the data and the respective detector type, and by high stability. There is an early warning of traffic jams Route sections due to the reporting of the conditions dense and stagnant.

The system is based on a continuous description of the traffic conditions. Its algorithm can handle synchronous, asynchronous and event-induced traffic data also process and use different physical content. The measuring points can be stationary, but it can also be measured at variable locations.

The system does not require complex interpolation of the measured values along the considered streets.

The system messages become a functional test with real historical ones Traffic data and for monitoring in operation in congruence with the Traffic measurements visualized. The visualization also shows the dynamics of the Traffic situation.

The system also enables a distinction to be made between total and total jams free movement, although in these two extreme cases, no meaningful Traffic measurements are available.

After each processing cycle there is a list for each street under consideration reported traffic domains that provide a seamless dynamic representation of the Represents the traffic situation of the road network under consideration.

The following are the basis of such a system, also useful individually usable methods for processing and preparation of Traffic information.

Traffic data preprocessing and feature creation

The method according to the invention for recording the traffic situation with a history window, receives multidimensional morphological data filtering and feature vector formation Traffic data from various sensors as source information and sets this via local-time filtering into characteristics for each measuring location, which the local Describe the traffic situation.

Induction loops are stationary at different intervals on the highway installed and deliver synchronously, averaged over the cycle time, the measured values for the Speed, traffic flow, time and location of the measurement.

Speed and flow values can also be separated for cars and trucks available.

Infrared or radar sensors are also stationary and deliver event-induced asynchronous measured values.

"Floating cars" only measure the speed of a vehicle in it Vehicle, i.e. at variable locations and asynchronously. So the readings are Speed, time and location coordinate of the measurement.

The local traffic density and the measurement vectors are calculated from this source data formed over location x and time t. The measured values can drop out temporarily, so that local and temporal gaps arise, in addition to the locations that are not through Detectors are covered. This data of different origins and quality are now becoming consistent and stable statements about the traffic situation processed.

First, incorrect data is eliminated. Could the one sliding over the cycle time Average speed cannot be determined due to lack of traffic, so a specially defined value is displayed. However, the measured values are also missing if one Traffic is completely blocked. In both cases the flow is zero. For the Deciding which situation really exists serves a memory about the previous course of speed and flow. Because inside a traffic jam very small flow and velocity values can occur in small areas, values below a minimum size are not used for density calculation used.

All measurement vectors are displayed via sliding "history windows" for each measurement category - speed v, traffic flow f and density d - from z. For example, passed on for 20 minutes. The previous values are deleted. The place is in these history windows in small intervals of z. For example, discretize 200 m, the time in intervals of z. Ex. 1 minute. The history window is in time with the synchronous detector data from z. Example continued for 1 min. In this way, the measured values are obtained as sliding time functions while maintaining the local-time relationship and with great topicality ( FIG. 4).

Since the measured values are very noisy ( FIG. 1), a local and temporal filtering of the speed and density values is carried out in order to reduce the fluctuations, but without suppressing significant state transitions. The analysis of the time functions of the measurement vectors shows that a median filter is suitable for this ( FIG. 2).

The standard deviation of the flow values from the history window and the dilated tophat function of the speeds with z. For example, 15 minutes width used ( Fig. 3) in order to obtain measures for the temporal fluctuation of the traffic. The larger these two characteristics are, the more likely there is traffic.

For the Tophat function, a morphological filter, the following applies (see Serra, J., "Image Analysis and Mathematical Morphology", 1982, Academic Press):

Tophat (v) = v-Opening with Opening (v) = Dilatation (erosion (v)).

Dilation and erosion are also morphological filters.

The filters must also have measurement value gaps, i.e. H. if there are no measured values some location and time coordinates within the history window work. At the morphological ranking operations, median, erosion and dilation who also have tophat filtering, this need is easy to do Take into account: Measured values that are not available are omitted. For calculating the standard deviation of the flow values are also only existing values used.

After this preprocessing ( FIG. 4), the resulting feature vector is available for each location x:

(v.med20, d.med20, f.sigma20, v.tophat15) ^T (x).

Mean:

• - v.med20 = Velocity measured values median filtered with window width 20 min.
• - d.med20 = density values median filtered, window width 20 min.
• - f.sigma20 = standard deviation of the flow values within 20 min.
• - v.tophat15 = speed values tophat-filtered with window width 15 min.

These features are quantities that, for example, measured values with reduced Play noise component, or the degree of speed and Quantify flow fluctuations depending on the location.  

This feature description is the necessary prerequisite for it high-quality processes for location- and time-resolved State classification of traffic.

The method according to the invention is therefore characterized by the following processing steps:

• - Detector data received
  • - synchronous, asynchronous, event-induced, stationary, variable location
• - Process detector data
  • - Calculate local traffic density
  • - Form measurement vector: (v, f, d) ^T (t, x)
  • - Plausibility check, eliminate incorrect data
• - "History window"
  • - Sliding local and time functions of the measured values
• - Filtering over time and place
  • - Median filter for speed and density data
  • - standard deviation of the flow values
  • - Dilated tophat function of the speeds
  • - Resulting feature vector at each location x to describe the local traffic situation: (v.med20, d.med20, f.sigma20, v.tophat15) ^T (x)

Classification of traffic conditions based on traffic situation descriptions

The method according to the invention for detecting the traffic condition of a Road network using fuzzy classification and the formation of value-continuous location state vectors use feature vectors, which by a preprocessing of the measured values and the traffic situation describe each measurement location (x). But it can also directly measured values or others calculated values, e.g. Eg travel times are processed. The procedure sets this Feature vectors via a fuzzy classification in a suitable description of the Traffic states in the form of location state vectors.

To differentiate the traffic conditions: traffic jams, traffic jams, dense and free, each traffic pattern is assigned a vector of features that represents a point in the feature space. The n-dimensional feature space is spanned by the feature axes ( Fig. 5).

The classification of the patterns now corresponds to a spatial division of the Feature space. This can be done by separating functions, the exact limits establish. Here, however, an approach is chosen that has discriminatory functions for everyone Class used. A pattern is then assigned to the class whose Discriminant function for the characteristics of this pattern is larger than the rest Discriminant functions (Duda, R.O. and Hart, P.E .: "Pattern Classification and Scene Analysis ", New York 1972). Each class stands for one of the differentials Traffic conditions.

To define the discriminant functions, a definition of the traffic conditions mentioned is necessary. Even a verbal description shows that the descriptions are subjectively colored and diffuse and that the boundaries between the traffic conditions are not clear, but rather of a qualitative nature by means of comparisons with the other traffic conditions. This problem, that the definition of the traffic conditions is only "unsharp", is taken into account by a fuzzy classification. The fuzzy classification functions are applied to the present feature vectors at every location ( FIG. 6).

Each component is assigned a probability using the component-by-component fuzzy classification. These component state vectors are then combined by vectorial addition with subsequent normalization to form a single state vector for each location ( FIG. 7).

Instead of a summation, a component-wise multiplication of the State probabilities occur. Instead of the vectors on the sum of the To standardize components equal to 1 also comes to a standardization Vector amount equal to 1.

From other sources, e.g. For example, from model-based processes, determined local State vectors are used in the same way when combining the feature-based state vectors included for the location state vectors, if necessary taking into account additional weighting factors.

Local state vectors, which contain the probabilities for the different traffic conditions, are now available at all locations where sufficient measured values were available and feature vectors could be calculated therefrom. The method according to the invention for recording the traffic condition by means of fuzzy classification and location condition vectors is therefore characterized by the following processing steps:

• - Classification of traffic conditions
  • - Characteristics of the traffic conditions: jammed. . . free
  • - Distribution of the feature space by fuzzy discriminant functions Fuzzy classification of the components of the existing feature vectors at every location: probability of the traffic conditions for each feature
• - Vectorial addition and normalization to a state vector for each location: Location state vector.

Extrapolation to create a complete description of the traffic condition

The inventive method for creating a traffic situation Road network representing complete traffic status description assumes location state vectors. The components of this standardized Location state vectors represent the probabilities for the existence of a Traffic condition at the location in question.

In order to bridge these gaps, according to the invention an extrapolation of the locally available location state vectors is carried out using e.g. For example, a local Gaussian filter is carried out over the location (convolution with a Gaussian curve or a bell curve similar to the Gaussian curve, e.g. f (x) = 1 / (1 + x ²ⁿ ), n a natural number), for each component of the location state vector separately. The extrapolation range is determined by the parameters of the Gaussian filter. Due to this location filtering, location state vectors are now available at practically all locations ( FIG. 8). However, this extrapolation may only be carried out up to a certain distance from the locally available location state vectors, so that the extrapolation values also correctly describe the real conditions. The maximum extrapolation range is dynamically limited via a threshold for the amount of extrapolated state vectors, ie not rigid, but in dependence on the extrapolation result. As the extrapolation range increases, the weighting of the existing location state vectors must also decrease. That achieves z. Eg the Gaussian filter.

To ensure the stability of the detection of differentiated traffic conditions Securing further is also a component by component at each location Averaging of the state vectors with the values of the previous one Update run carried out. This smooth temporal smoothing based on the Continuous condition description at any location is much more effective than one Artificially enforced stability over time in subsequent processing steps. Such smoothing is a form of an autoregressive filter (AR)  (Papoulis, A .: "Probability, Random Variables, and Stochastic Processes", McGraw-Hill Series, in: Systems Science, McGraw-Hill 1991).

In order to keep this smooth temporal smoothing approximately independent of the selected time intervals between updates of the individual streets, the filter parameter atstep is set to a fixed interval of e.g. For example, 10 minutes:

z = a _tstep Z _new + (1-a _tstep ) z _old with a _tstep = 1 - (1-a _{t10 min} ) ^{tstep / t10 min}

Z _new and z _old stand for the newly determined or in a previous calculation cycle determined state vector components of a street, and tstep and t10min stand for the selected time interval in seconds between 2 update runs of the relevant street and for 600 seconds respectively. The z calculated in this way then becomes _old for this street in the next update run.

So there are two processing steps:

• - Extrapolation of each component of the location state vectors over the location Filtering with e.g. For example, a local Gaussian filter.
• - Moving (autoregressive) averaging of the position state vectors over time.

Comparison of traffic condition descriptions by probabilistic Similarity measures

The inventive method for comparing Traffic condition descriptions and traffic domains through probabilistic. Similarity measures are based on location state vectors, which z. Ex Feature vectors for each measuring location via a fuzzy classification and a Subsequent weighted extrapolation for each selectable discretization of the route between the measuring points, e.g. For example, every 200 m. The components these location state vectors are the probabilities for the existence of the differentiated traffic conditions at every location. So the location state vectors are a continuous description of the traffic conditions at each location under consideration and that for every location of the respective route section and thus for the whole Road network.

Locations with similar traffic conditions, i.e. similar location status vectors, are combined into traffic domains to cover the traffic situation of the whole To be able to represent road traffic network. Results for each of these traffic domains  their state vector through vectorial addition and subsequent normalization the location state vectors of all locations that are combined in this domain.

The definitive determination of the traffic condition at the location under consideration, the Summary of the locations of the same traffic condition into domains and the Assessment of the domains among each other presupposes that an objective comparison of the Location state vectors with each other and the domain state vectors among themselves is possible. According to the invention, this becomes probabilistic Similarity measures used.

The comparison of the location state vectors is carried out component by component on the basis of the in probabilities for the presence of the vector components differentiated traffic conditions at the location under consideration.

The basis for comparison is a measure of similarity, for which a metric, i.e. a Distance measure is used. Also for the comparison of the domains with each other a similarity measure is used according to the invention. The measure of similarity for the Traffic domains is also a metric, which is a state vector metric on the Domain state vector is used as well as the location and length of the domain under consideration.

As a measure of similarity for both state vectors, the local state vector or the domain state vector, the state of maximum likelihood , in particular the index of the maximum component of a state vector relative to the other components.

The Euclidean vector norm can also be used as a metric for the state vectors: Sum ((vek1-vek2) ² ).

The location of the traffic domains, which are included in the metric as a measure of similarity can be taken into account as follows: Amount (middle.domain1 - middle.domain2) / (length.domain1 + length.domain2) .2.

The following can be used as a metric for the length of the traffic domain: Amount (length.domain1 - length.domain2) / max (length.domain1, length.domain2).

Dynamic domain formation of the same traffic conditions

The inventive method for determining domains of the same traffic conditions is based on location state vectors, which z. For example, from feature vectors for each measurement location via a fuzzy classification and a subsequent weighted extrapolation for each selectable discretization of the distance between the measurement points, e.g. For example, every 200 m. The components of these location state vectors are the probabilities for the presence of the differentiated traffic conditions at each location. The location state vectors are therefore a continuous description of the traffic conditions at each location under consideration and that for each location of the respective route section and therefore for the entire road network ( FIG. 9 left).

Locations with similar traffic conditions, i.e. similar location status vectors, are combined into traffic domains to cover the traffic situation of the whole To be able to represent road traffic network. The comparison of the Traffic condition descriptions are made by the location condition vectors component by component by a probabilistic measure of similarity, for which a metric, the is called a distance measure is used.

For each of these traffic domains, their domain state vector results from vectorial addition and subsequent normalization of the location state vectors of all Places summarized in this domain.

The domains are delimited from one another in such a way that they are stable Domain tracking is possible. This segmentation problem is solved as follows: For each location, the one with the maximum probability is available Traffic state determined from its state vector.

Starting with the location whose state vector z. For example, "Jam" is displayed in both Directions searched whether the components of the state vectors of the neighboring locations with are most likely to show the same traffic condition or that Component with the traffic condition to be compared at most by Hysteresis value is below the maximum component. Through this hysteresis Places whose state vectors, seen on their own, tend to be for another Speak the state of the traffic, but only a little of the state of the starting point deviate, also included in the "traffic domain". The state vector of the so found Traffic domain is the normalized sum of the state vectors of the locations of the Domain. For example, the sum of the components equal to 1 is selected as the norm. The focus of the domain is the sum of the domain coordinates of the domain, with are weighted the amount of the corresponding local location state vectors.  

In the same way, the domains for the classes of traffic conditions faltering, dense and free-formed.

Alternatively, the domain formation can also be carried out using a cluster analysis subsequent relaxation process can be found over the place. As The distance between the state vectors and can be used as a measure of similarity for the cluster search whose spatial distance serve. The result of this method is local agglomeration similar traffic conditions within the conurbations. This procedure is however much more computationally.

The domain list may be neighboring due to the procedure for its formation Domains that are very similar to each other in terms of their Domain state vectors are. These are summarized. The domain list is sorted for each street according to the geographic focus of the domains. Domains are then summarized if they are only separated by a gap up to a maximum Are separated in length and their state probabilities are the same or at most deviate by the specified amount of hysteresis as shown above.

The result is a current list of traffic domains for a street or the road network. The entire road network is broken down into the domains. The domains contain, among other things, a continuous description of the state. The domain division of the road network is repeatedly determined and updated at time intervals ( FIG. 9, right).

The method according to the invention for dynamic domain formation of the same traffic conditions is therefore characterized by the following processing steps:

• - Domain formation
  • - Summary of locations with similar state vectors with "hysteresis" to domains
  • - Domain state vectors:
    vectorial addition and normalization of the state vectors of the locations of the domains
  • - Determination: domain focus, domain length
• - Result: Domain classification of the road traffic network.
• - Permanent update at time intervals

Dynamic domain tracking and message management

The inventive method for dynamic tracking of domains of the same Traffic conditions are based on location state vectors, which are derived from the Feature vectors for each measurement location and by weighted extrapolation for each selectable discretization of the distance between the measuring points, e.g. E.g. every 200 m, be determined. The components of these location state vectors are Probabilities for the existence of differentiated traffic conditions on everyone Place. The location state vectors are therefore a continuous description of the Traffic conditions at each location under consideration and for each location of the respective Section of the route and thus for the entire road network.

Locations with similar traffic conditions, i.e. similar location status vectors, are combined into traffic domains to cover the traffic situation of the whole To be able to represent road traffic network. The comparison of the Traffic condition descriptions are made by the location condition vectors component by component by a probabilistic measure of similarity, for which a metric, the is called a distance measure is used.

For each of these traffic domains, their domain state vector results from vectorial addition of the location state vectors of all locations in this domain are summarized.

The result is a current list of traffic domains for a street or that Road network. The whole road network is in the routes of the Domains decomposed. The domain state vectors may include a. another one continuous description of the condition. The domain division of the road network is repeatedly determined and updated at time intervals.

The method according to the invention for dynamic tracking of these domains works as follows:
The current domains determined in an update run are compared with the domains ascertained in the previous update run, each of which has been stored in a message list. The newly found domains are assigned to the existing domains using a similarity measure. The basis of the similarity measure is the continuous domain state vectors as well as the position and length of the stretches that are taken up by the domains. If a minimum similarity is found, the domain route under consideration is assigned to the corresponding message or the already existing domain. This is done for all newly discovered domains and existing messages.

This assignment based on a continuous similarity measure for the Continuous domain state vectors also leave one gradual in time Transition of the traffic condition in the résumé to a message.

After these assignments between domains and messages, it is checked in each case Which previous messages remain in the message list, whether it is There are change messages because the location and / or the length of the previous one Changed domains by assigning newly found domains, and which unassignable domains have to be reported again. For new ones Domains, if necessary, a new message is generated for existing ones Domains associated with messages are updated and the message attributes if necessary, change messages are generated and messages that do not belong to a domain or could only be assigned to a domain with the traffic status "free", will be deleted.

A hysteresis parameter can be used to control when new and Change reports are considered significant and are actually executed. This enables the number of messages to be reduced without the internal information for the Crop domain formation and tracking of the process.

The result of the method according to the invention is one with everyone Update step dynamic tracking of domains with similar ones Traffic conditions and a constantly updated message list.

The message list with the domain properties contained in each message is the Basis for information about the traffic conditions on the road network. This information is saved until the next update step appropriately brought to the attention of vehicle drivers, e.g. E.g. about Mobile communications or signaling systems, or they are used for control interventions in traffic or directly influencing the vehicles. Also, the information which are passed on to road users, individually depending on their respective positions and destinations are given in the road network.

Visualization

For the functional test of the method with real historical traffic data and for the optical monitoring of the method during operation and for the visual representation of the traffic conditions on road sections, the report results of the method are visualized according to the invention and compared with the measured traffic values. For this purpose, the measured traffic values in the section of road under consideration are represented by different gray values over time. The reports of the traffic conditions or the domains are also shown in this coordinate system. With the time axis moving over the image, one can recognize the traffic situation and its dynamics and, from the congruence between measurement and message, the quality of the process results ( FIG. 10).

Examples of this which produces a realized prototype are shown in FIG. 11 and FIG. 12.

Over the entire location, the algorithm is executed repeatedly over time. In In the figures, the update section therefore moves from left to right. To the saved values to the left of the current time of evaluation are considered. The Locations of domains found are shown by vertical lines.

If messages are activated for these domains, this is indicated by a white spot in the Domain focus marked. Then also a connecting line drawn between the focal points of the domain, which is the temporal assignment visualize through the process of dynamic domain tracking. The Different gray values of the lines correspond to different colors with which the states jammed, stagnant, dense and freely reproduced.

You can also see small diamonds, which show the local traffic conditions on the Show locations where traffic measurements are available.

The traffic measurements are shown in gray in the background. In the figures, e.g. E.g. to see the speed values, with dark gray values low Play speeds, and accordingly light gray values for high Speeds stand. You can immediately see how the messages generated in the Relationship to the traffic measurements in place and time.

In the traffic situation, which is shown in FIG. 11, the domain is reported as dense at the bottom left, for example. This message changes to jammed shortly thereafter (bottom transverse line). These domains can be tracked stably over a longer range in x and t until the end of the period under consideration.

Above, with larger x values, a domain will stall a little later Traffic detected (middle line), which also track itself very stably over time leaves.

Even later, a smaller domain of dense traffic is recognized.  

In Fig. 12, the messages generated are shown together with the measured speed values in the background.

This type of representation gives a visual impression of the traffic dynamics and an overview of the entire traffic situation of the road network.

A prototype of the visualization process was realized and put into practice Operation tested.

The method according to the invention for the dynamic tracking and assignment of domains of the same traffic conditions and the message management are therefore characterized by the following processing steps:

• - Dynamic tracking of the domains
  • - With each update step:
    Assignment of the new domains via a similarity measure to the existing messages
  • - Result: List of domains and message list on the respective street
• - Message management
  • - Message list: Information about traffic conditions and traffic situation
  • - Update the message list with every update run
  • - If new domains can be assigned in the message list:
    • - Previous message remains or change message regarding location, length and traffic condition
  • - If assignment in the message list is not possible:
    • - New notification or deletion
• - visualization
  • - Optical representation of the congruence between traffic measurements and messages
  • - Dynamics of the domains or traffic conditions
• - Overview of the entire traffic situation

Essential details

The invention relates to methods which are used independently of one another leave, but also to a traffic situation classification and reporting system for the  Combine road traffic, preferably for highways and expressways to let.

There is an urgent need for timely and timely information about the differentiated traffic conditions in as precisely localized as possible Route sections for security reasons, but also for numerous other services and possibly for direct vehicle control and traffic control.

Key problems that need to be solved are:

• - The processing of traffic measurement data from different sensors are stationary and mobile, synchronous, asynchronous and event-induced measured values deliver, sketchy and very noisy.
• - The classification of the different traffic conditions: congested, stagnant, dense and free, which are not clearly definable, and dynamic education and Tracking domains of the same traffic conditions, with high local and temporal dissolution, even without knowledge of the route and without commitment to one system-dependent, route-dependent grid.
• - A message management that stable and consistent the traffic conditions or Displays traffic domains, is constantly updated and also the growth of domains, their migration and division as well as their transitions into the others represents classified traffic conditions up to their resolution in the class "free".

Consideration of the state of the art and critical analysis of the known Procedures show that there is still no satisfactory solution to this problem gives.

The method according to the invention solves these problems, which are characterized by the following essential processing steps:

• - The local traffic density is determined from the source data of the sensors and for a measurement vector is formed for each measurement location and measurement time.
• - The components of the measurement vectors are over with the update steps sliding history window shown as sliding local time functions.
• - A component-by-location filtering of the measurement vectors follows, on the basis of the analysis of the time functions here preferably by means of median filters, formation of the Standard deviation and the dilated tophat function. It surrenders to everyone Place a resulting feature vector representing the local traffic situation describes.
• - The spatially-temporally filtered measured variables are now based on a fuzzy classification Probabilities associated with traffic conditions. So it is possible  to sum up these components of the states and normalize them to one. only one Consistently merge the state vector for each location.
• - If there are too few measured values at one location, there are none State vector, there are gaps. To bridge one Extrapolation with z. For example, a local Gaussian filter. The stability will further increased by a sliding, component-wise averaging of the State vectors of two temporal update steps (Autoregressive filter).
• - Locations with similar state vectors are combined into domains. By vectorial addition of the local state vectors and subsequent The domain state vector is determined during normalization. The result is a current one List of domains with continuous traffic status information for each considered street.
• - With each further update step, the identified domains will be the already existing domains of the message list via a continuous Similarity measure assigned. The domains become dynamic over time followed, a gradual change of state over time also possible and allowed is.
• - After this assignment, the message list for the street under consideration updated, and depending on the significance new, change and Deletion messages executed. The significance is controlled by a parameter, which reduces the number of messages or the impairment of the procedure can. The result is a current message list for each street.
• - The message lists are the basis for message management. Be in them the information about the traffic conditions is stored and stands for the mentioned applications available.
• - The results are visualized. The representation can be used for monitoring and gives a visual impression of traffic dynamics and an overview over the entire traffic situation.

The procedures have been tried.

Claims (12)

1. Method for determining domains by combining locations with similar traffic conditions described by location status vectors, which describe the traffic situation of a road traffic network, to form domains ( FIG. 9),

• 1. whereupon in a domain growth process, locations with similar location state vectors are combined into domains with freely definable ends,
• 2. the domain division of the road network is determined repeatedly at intervals,
• 3. whereby traffic reports based on the domain divisions are created.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized, that from the location state vectors of the combined locations, the traffic situation domain state vector representing these domains and one Domain is assigned. 3. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized, that for the calculation of the respective domain state vector the mean of the Location state vectors of the locations combined in this domain are used. 4. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized, that as a measure of similarity for the location state vectors, the state maximum Probability is used, especially the index of maximum Component of a state vector relative to the other components. 5. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized, that the domain growth method directly to the continuous values extrapolated state vectors of the locations of a considered route is applied. 6. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized, that the traffic situation is indicated by a traffic domain, which the Location in the route network, the length and the traffic condition in four in particular Stages (jammed, stagnant, dense, free) as probabilities in the form of the Contains domain state vector.   7. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized, that the domain formation also places whose state vector is seen in isolation a different state than that considered with regard to the domain formation Domain signals that this domain can be assigned. 8. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized, that the components of the domain state vectors as continuous Probability values instead of discrete values (0/1) for those in one Domain summarized places interpreted prevailing traffic conditions become. 9. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized, that to be added by one related to the state vector components Hysteresis value the degree of merging of locations with another maximum state component than that just for domain formation is considered, controlled. 10. Traffic situation detection center, in particular for performing the method according to one of the preceding claims, with

• 1. an input device for entering traffic measurements into the traffic situation detection center,
• 2. a memory for entered traffic measurements,
• 3. an output device for outputting traffic information to road users,
• 4. A traffic measurement data processing device, which is designed so that it works according to one of claims 1 to 9.

11. Traffic situation detection center according to claim 10, characterized, that the input device is a receiver or access to a receiver for Reception sent by the sensors, in particular by mobile radio Traffic measurements is.   12. Traffic situation detection center according to claim 10 or 11, characterized, that the output device is a transmitter or access to a transmitter for Sending traffic information, especially via mobile radio Is a road user or a service provider.