JP2005135208A - Traffic control system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a traffic control system for collecting the vehicle traveling states of roads and efficiently increasing traffic flows (reducing traffic jams) by the control or the like of traffic signals on the roads. <P>SOLUTION: The traffic control system for collecting the vehicle traveling information of roads and controlling vehicle traveling states by controlling signals on the roads is provided with a plurality of signals, a plurality of vehicle sensors for detecting at least one piece of traffic information out of the traveling speeds of traveling vehicles per hour and the number of traveling vehicles and a traffic control device for calculating the lighting time of respective signals on the basis of the traffic information of respective vehicle sensors and switching the lighting time of respective signals on the basis of the calculated results. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a traffic control system for collecting road vehicle traveling conditions as information and efficiently increasing traffic flow (reducing congestion) by road traffic signal control or the like.

  Conventionally, the control of a traffic signal installed on a road generally controls the lighting time of a signal according to the traffic volume for each time zone acquired by a traffic volume survey or the like. In other words, for traffic lights installed on roads with heavy daytime traffic, the duration of the green light is increased to prevent traffic congestion due to red traffic lights, and the duration of the red traffic light is increased during periods of low nighttime traffic. Was controlling the signal display.

  In recent road traffic, the number of road lanes and driving directions are fixed, and roads are complicated, especially in urban traffic networks that tend to concentrate on one point. is there.

  Furthermore, it is difficult to increase the efficiency of traffic flow when the traffic conditions change depending on the day, season, weather, time, etc., when the number of lanes is fixed and the traffic lights cannot be controlled flexibly according to the local conditions. .

  As described above, the conventional traffic control system has a problem that it is difficult to efficiently allocate a dynamically changing traffic flow.

  The present invention provides a traffic control system that solves the above-described problems, collects vehicle driving conditions on the road as information, and efficiently increases traffic flow (reducing traffic congestion) by controlling traffic signals on the road. The purpose is to do.

  The traffic control system according to claim 1 of the present invention is a traffic control system that collects vehicle driving information on a road and controls a vehicle driving state by controlling a traffic light on the road, the traffic control system comprising: A plurality of traffic lights, a plurality of vehicle detectors for detecting at least one of the traveling speed or the number of traveling vehicles per unit time of the traveling vehicle, and the plurality of traffic detectors based on the traffic information of the plurality of vehicle detectors. A traffic control device that calculates lighting times of traffic lights and switches lighting times of the plurality of traffic lights based on the calculation results.

  The traffic control system according to claim 2 of the present invention is the traffic control system according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of traffic lights is based on a value calculated from the travel speed and a distance between the traffic lights. It is characterized in that the lighting timing of is controlled at an interlocking timing.

  Furthermore, the traffic control system according to claim 3 of the present invention is the traffic control system according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising means for acquiring traffic congestion factor information such as level crossings, road works, traffic accidents, etc. The lighting times of the plurality of traffic lights are calculated based on the traffic information and the lighting times of the traffic lights are switched based on the calculation results.

  According to the communication system of the present invention, road driving conditions can be collected as information, and traffic flow can be efficiently increased (congestion reduction) by road traffic signal control or the like.

  Hereinafter, the present invention will be described by way of examples. However, the following examples do not limit the claimed invention, and all combinations of features described in the examples serve as means for solving the invention. It is not always essential.

  FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of a traffic control system according to the present invention. FIG. 1 includes a traffic control device 1, a relay network 2, a gateway 3, a vehicle sensor 4, a traffic light 5, a railroad crossing 6 and the like. The traffic control device 1 mainly monitors traffic information and controls the switching interval of the traffic light 5. Here, the traffic information includes the number of traveling vehicles, the traveling speed, the traffic state, and the traffic state of pedestrians and vehicles at the intersection, and the collecting means is not limited to the vehicle detector 4 but depends on the intersection configuration. Includes collecting information by mobile phone or wireless communication.

  The relay network 2 or the gateway 3 is a relay device for exchanging data with the vehicle detector 4, the traffic light 5, or the railroad crossing 6 from the traffic control device 1. The vehicle detector 4 is a device that can detect a traveling vehicle using a beacon or the like. The vehicle detector 4 can also detect the number of vehicles, the traveling speed, and the traffic state by exchanging data between the vehicle detectors. The traffic light 5 controls the passage of the vehicle in the lighting state of the signal. The traffic light 5 can also change the lighting time of the signal by a control signal from the traffic control device 1. The traffic jam factor (crossing etc.) 6 is a traffic jam factor other than the traffic light 5, and includes traffic jams such as road works and traffic accidents in addition to the railroad crossing. By acquiring the traffic factor information from the traffic factor, it is possible to further reduce the traffic by efficiently changing the lighting time of the traffic lights around the traffic factor.

  Next, a traffic control method will be specifically described using these traffic control systems. FIG. 2 is an operation flow showing an example of the congestion alleviation control of the traffic control system according to the present invention. Further, in describing the traffic congestion mitigation control, a description will be given below using a traffic model as shown in FIG.

  First, during normal traffic system operation, traffic information from the vehicle detector 4 such as a beacon on the road side is collected and stored in the traffic control device via the gateway 3 and the relay network 2 (S1). This information collection is performed at regular intervals or at regular intervals. Here, in this step, as the monitoring section for acquiring traffic information, for example, when the traffic model of FIG. 3 is used, the section monitored by the vehicle detector (beacon) B corresponding to the traffic light A is C. This section C is a section from a traffic light to the next traffic light, and is monitored at a one-way level according to the direction of the traffic light. Here, the setting of the section for acquiring the traffic information may be set in advance on the system side (for example, the traffic control device 1), or a section may be randomly selected on the system side from a certain group area D. Also good. A plurality of pieces of traffic information for a certain section from the group area D may be selected and acquired.

  Next, the lighting time setting value of the traffic light calculated based on the traffic information collected in the process of S1 is compared with the currently set value (S2), and if it is necessary to change the setting value The calculated setting value is changed (Yes in S3). When it is not necessary to change the set value (No in S3), other traffic information factors are acquired (S8). Details of the acquisition of the congestion factor information will be described later.

  Here, regarding the comparison of the processing of S2, when traffic information of a plurality of sections is acquired, the setting value changing process may be performed when the setting value needs to be changed in at least one section. In addition, regarding the comparison between the current control value of the process of S2 and the calculated control value, and the setting of the control value of the process of S3, a lighting time setting value of a traffic light corresponding to each set value range is prepared in advance. Table information may be stored, and an optimal signal lighting time setting value for a control value calculated based on the table information may be determined.

  Next, in the case of Yes in the process of S3, the data collection command is distributed to the traffic signal and vehicle detector registered in the group area D to which the traffic signal A belongs, and the traffic information in the group area is acquired. Perform (S4).

  Based on the traffic information collected in the process of S4, a lighting time setting value for each traffic light for reducing traffic congestion is calculated (S5). The calculation method will be described in detail in the operation flow of FIG. 4 described later. After calculating in the process of S5, it distributes to each traffic signal in the group area D (S6), and the optimal lighting time setting value of each traffic signal is updated (S7).

  After the processing of S7, the system side acquires other traffic congestion factor information (information such as level crossings, road works, traffic accidents, etc.). This traffic factor information acquisition, for example, by focusing on the section where the surrounding traffic signal that is congested is grounded, by effectively changing the lighting time of this peripheral traffic signal, It helps to further reduce traffic congestion. That is, you may determine the monitoring area of the traffic state of S1 which is the next process of S7 from this congestion factor information.

  As described above, by repeatedly performing the processing from S1 to S8, road vehicle travel information can be collected, and traffic flow can be efficiently increased (congestion reduction) by road traffic signal control or the like.

  Next, a lighting time setting method (optimization method) for each traffic signal in the group area will be described in detail. FIG. 4 is an operation flow showing an example of a lighting time setting method for each traffic light in the group area. Here, the process of FIG. 4 specifically shows the process of S5 of FIG.

  First, a data collection command is distributed to the traffic signal and vehicle detector registered in the group area D to which the traffic signal A belongs, and traffic information in the group area is acquired (S11). This shows the same processing as the processing of S4 in FIG. Next, the traffic volume of the data in one line and one direction, that is, the traffic volume per beacon is calculated (S12). In FIG. 3, for example, the traffic volume in the section C can be detected by the beacon B. Next, the traffic volume of data in one direction is calculated (S13). In FIG. 3, for example, the traffic volume in each of the sections C and E is calculated, and the addition average value of the traffic volume on a straight line is calculated. Next, the traffic volume of XY direction data is calculated (S14). In FIG. 3, for example, with respect to the X direction, in addition to the linear direction calculated in the process of S13, there are linear directions F and G in the group area D. Therefore, these directions are added in the same manner as in the process of S13. The average value is calculated. Also in the Y direction, the addition average value is calculated in the same way as the X direction for H and I which are all linear directions existing in the group area D. By performing the above processing, first, the average value of the traffic volume in each of the XY directions can be obtained.

  After the average value of the traffic volumes in the XY directions is calculated in the process of S14, the most congested intersection of the intersections whose directions intersect is detected from the traffic volumes in the XY directions (S15). Here, a simple method for detecting the most crowded intersection will be described. First, when determining the traffic volume at each intersection, for example, at the intersection J in FIG. 3, a provisional traffic volume is calculated by simply adding the F traffic volume and the I traffic volume. With this provisional calculation method, the provisional traffic volume at each intersection can be calculated, and the place with the highest traffic volume can be regarded as the most crowded intersection.

  When the most crowded intersection is calculated, the intersection is set as the reference intersection, and the lighting state switching time of each traffic light is set around that intersection. A time distribution ratio is determined (S16). Regarding the determination of the lighting time (time when the signal changes from blue to red), for example, the traffic volume of F at the intersection J in FIG. 3 (20 vehicles traveling per minute, average traveling speed 18 km / h, that is, Congestion due to slow traveling speed and few passing vehicles), traffic volume of I (20 traveling vehicles per minute, average traveling speed 60Km / h, that is, traveling speed is fast and the number of passing vehicles is small) In the case of not crowded), if one cycle of the signal lighting time at the intersection J (total time for the traffic light to change from blue to red in both XY directions) is 60 seconds (1 minute), the lighting time in the F direction is 45 The lighting time in the second and I directions can be distributed as 15 seconds. Here, the calculation of the allocation time depends on the design items as appropriate, and the calculation method is not limited.

  When the lighting time distribution ratio in the XY directions at the reference intersection is determined, the lighting state switching time of each traffic light is set around the intersection (S17). In setting the lighting status of each traffic light, the switching of the lighting status of each signal (hereinafter referred to as blue traffic light) is linked, that is, the next signal is lighted with some time difference. By setting it so that the traveling vehicle flows smoothly and traffic congestion is eased. For example, when the average traveling speed of the traveling vehicle in F (X direction) in FIG. 3 is 18 km / h (5 m / s) and the distance from the intersection J to the next signal is 150 m, the intersection J is in a lighting state. If the traveling vehicle passes the intersection J immediately after that, the traveling vehicle reaches the next signal after 150/5 = 30 seconds. That is, if the next signal is turned on 30 seconds after the traffic signal in the F direction at the intersection J is turned on, the traveling vehicle can proceed smoothly without stopping at the next signal. In this way, calculation is performed in this process so as to link the lighting states between the signals. Here, in this example, the lighting state time until the next signal is 30 seconds, but it may be about 25 to 29 seconds before 30 seconds instead of 30 seconds. The value may be within a range in which the traveling vehicle can travel smoothly without stopping, and this range is appropriately determined by design matters, and the setting method is not limited.

  By performing the above processing, road vehicle traffic information is collected, and traffic flow increases due to traffic signal control on the road, etc. (including linkage to switching of the lighting state of each traffic light) Can be efficiently performed.

It is a figure which shows the structural example of the traffic control system in this invention. It is an operation | movement flow which shows an example of the congestion mitigation control of the traffic control system in this invention. It is a figure which shows an example of the traffic model in this invention. It is an operation | movement flow which shows an example of the setting method of the lighting time in each signal apparatus in a group area.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Traffic control device 2 Relay network 3 Gateway 4 Vehicle detector 5 Traffic light 6 Congestion factor (crossing etc.)

Claims (3)

A traffic control system that collects vehicle driving information on a road and controls a vehicle driving state by controlling traffic lights on the road,
The traffic control system includes:
Multiple traffic lights,
A plurality of vehicle detectors for detecting traffic information of at least one of a traveling speed or the number of traveling vehicles per unit time of the traveling vehicle;
A traffic control device that calculates lighting times of the plurality of traffic lights based on traffic information of the plurality of vehicle detectors, and switches lighting times of the traffic lights based on the calculation results;
A traffic control system comprising: The traffic control system according to claim 1,
The traffic control system characterized in that the plurality of traffic lights control the lighting timing of each traffic light at a timing linked to each other based on a value calculated from the travel speed and the distance between the traffic lights. In the traffic control system according to claim 1 or 2,
It has a means to acquire information on the cause of traffic congestion such as level crossings, road construction, and traffic accidents.
A traffic control system characterized in that lighting times of the plurality of traffic lights are calculated based on the congestion factor information and the traffic information, respectively, and lighting times of the traffic lights are switched based on the calculation result.

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