KR20000071119A - Device and method for reporting traffic jams - Google Patents

Abstract

A traffic congestion information exchange apparatus and method having means for receiving traffic information picked up by a sensor, comprising: using a flow-density-diagram effective for each road from the received traffic data, calculating output data indicative of the traffic congestion effect Means for doing so are installed.

Description

Traffic jam information exchange device and method {DEVICE AND METHOD FOR REPORTING TRAFFIC JAMS}

Traffic information broadcasting for vehicle driver information has been known for a long time. This has various disadvantages that information delivery is delayed and inaccurate, for example, by transmitting the information manually and subjectively. Thus, for example, a motor vehicle driver may be in a state of congestion while not yet broadcasted, and may actually pass through the point relatively in spite of the congestion.

The digitally coded traffic broadcasting system used in the past few years has enabled accurate identification and fast broadcasts. The composition and coding of these traffic broadcasts and a list of places are specified in CEN pr ENV / 278/7/1/0012 and pr ENV / 278/7/3/0004, which were submitted to the RDS ATT ALERT Consortium in June 1996. Based on the ALERT C specification proposal. In this case, the actual components of traffic broadcasting are the place of occurrence (location) and the event (event). This information is cataloged, that is, one clear code is assigned to each place related to traffic and each event related to traffic. If you connect the places in the place table along an existing road, you will see the progress. In addition to a general receiver with an RDS-decoder, a device for decoding, storing, processing and transmitting a traffic broadcast is required to utilize a traffic message channel (TMC).

Digitally coded traffic broadcasts, later termed TMC broadcasts, can be transmitted using radio-data-system (RDS), which transmits digital data in addition to the program in the inaudible region and on one data channel. Can be.

The specifications of the UKW-radio broadcasting radio data system are described in the Tech. It is specified in 3244-E.

Radio broadcast receivers equipped with the appropriate RDS-decoder can receive and decode the transmitted data in addition to receiving audio to the same receiver.

Digitally encoded traffic broadcasts may be transmitted in different ways than using radio stations and radio data signals. For example, digitally encoded traffic broadcasting may be transmitted through a mobile communication network. That is, in the case of Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM), short news (short message) including digitally encoded traffic information together with voice may be transmitted.

Such existing systems are used primarily for traffic broadcast transmissions, but also include broadcasts containing other content, such as general hazard warnings. By digitally encoding, the received data can be selected according to processing, for example, location or road before broadcasting.

In the case of a system in which the input data is mostly generated by the sensor, the possibility of error in the transmission information cannot be excluded. Therefore, the information transmitted from the two existing systems is limited to the prediction of the driving speed or the traffic jam duration despite the traffic jam.

The present invention relates to a traffic congestion information exchange apparatus and method having means capable of receiving traffic data picked up by a sensor.

1 is a block diagram of a device according to the present invention preferentially installed in a terminal device.

2 is a flow-density-diagram.

3 is a flow-density-diagram.

4 is a block circuit diagram of an apparatus installed in a terminal apparatus according to an extension of the present invention.

5 is a block circuit diagram of an apparatus installed in a central apparatus in accordance with an extension of the present invention.

Therefore, the problem of the present invention is not to allow the vehicle driver to utilize statistical information only, but to provide information about the average speed in the area where actual traffic jams, such as changes in time of traffic jams or traffic jams, occur. Be in touch.

This problem is solved by the apparatus according to the present invention in which an output data calculating means indicating the influence of a traffic obstacle is provided by using a flow-density-diagram applied to each zone from the received data.

The device according to the invention can be installed, for example, in a terminal device such as a car radio or a mobile radio device, or in combination with a terminal device, or in a central device. The flow-density-diagrams used in the calculations are often expressed in road traffic basic diagrams and are described, for example, in the Traffic Spectrum Development Pattern, Academic Spectrum, 11/89, 182. There is a relationship between vehicle flow (q; often referred to as vehicle strength) and vehicle density (k). Using flow-density diagrams, sensors used as input data to calculate the output data, and various size values depending on the circumstances of the individual case are used. Embodiments useful in the present invention describe the density of each measured vehicle for which received traffic data is measured, its area recognition, and traffic jam time prediction.

The present embodiment also has the advantage that the received traffic data can be adapted to the flow-density-diagram effective for each zone. Since the flow-density-diagram is a parabola passing through the coordinate zero, it can be fully described using two magnitude values, for example maximum value coordinates.

Another useful form of the device according to the invention is that the received traffic data is extended TMC-broadcast. Therefore, the existing TMC system device can be utilized. It can also overcome existing TMC-receiver disturbances.

Another useful advantage of the device according to the invention is that the output data describes the average speed and / or travel time of a particular section. Additionally or alternatively, another useful extension can be used to cause the output data to indicate a change in traffic jam length.

Therefore, the motor vehicle driver can cope with the traffic congestion situation in a significantly improved direction than using the existing information system, and can quickly determine which highway to select instead of the congested highway.

In another extension of the device according to the invention, the storage stores data for flow-density-diagram technology of the roadway. Thus, for roads where no intermittent change appears, there is no need to transmit data representing the flow-density-diagram. Data storage for the "normal" flow diagram is simply performed using the region table, which is required for decoding of TMC-broadcast.

In particular, a program for route selection calculation is known to facilitate long-distance highway driving planning and implementation. Such programs are commercially available, for example for personal computers, or embedded in navigation systems. When the user enters the starting point, the destination, and the intermediate point depending on the situation, an indication is displayed on the road map or a list is provided to know the recommended route.

When calculating recommended routes, even if road conditions and existing traffic congestion are taken into consideration, route calculations may be undesirably performed, with more than expected time at that point due to a sharp increase in traffic congestion in between. In the case of long arrivals, the vehicle driver shows the route identified as an error.

Thus, in another extension of the apparatus according to the invention, another means for calculating the recommended route is provided, in which case the calculated and transmitted data is referenced.

In such an extension, an apparatus and means for calculating a recommended route can be provided in a terminal apparatus which obtains traffic data from at least one central apparatus. It is also possible to use only one unidirectional data communication from the central unit to the terminal unit, for example in a broadcast channel of a radio-data-system or a mobile radio communication system. In the case of such an extension, an apparatus and a means for calculating the recommended route may alternatively be provided in a central apparatus that receives desired driving data from the terminal apparatus, calculates the recommended route, and transmits the result to the terminal apparatus. This extension presupposes bidirectional data communication, for example as in the case of mobile communication systems.

The problem of the method according to the present invention for traffic congestion information in which traffic data is received by a sensor is to calculate output data indicative of traffic congestion by using a flow-density-diagram valid for the road area from the received traffic data. Resolved.

The present invention also includes a method for transmitting traffic jam information, in which case traffic data is received by a sensor, the received traffic data being transmitted to a receiver, where a flow-density-diagram valid for each road zone is used. From the received traffic data, output data indicative of the traffic jam is calculated.

The measures described in the claims make it possible to extend and improve the method according to the invention usefully.

An embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in the drawings by using a number of figures and will be described in detail by way of example.

Identical parts use the same quotation marks.

The embodiment and a part of the embodiment are shown in a block circuit diagram. However, this does not imply a limitation of the device realization according to the present invention, which uses discrete circuits matching blocks. The device according to the invention is, rather, realized in a particularly useful way using highly embedded circuits. In this case, a digital signal processor can be used that performs the work steps shown in the block diagram with the appropriate program. The device according to the invention can constitute a substantial part of a terminal device, for example a radio receiver, together with a second circuit in an embedded circuit.

A radio broadcast signal with an RDS signal is received at the receiver 1, at which time demodulation, error correction and decoding of the RDS signal, and then decoding of the TMC broadcast are performed.

In addition, the receiver 10 has a device capable of selecting TMC-broadcasting according to selection criteria set by the user, for example, individual roads and regions. The remaining TMC-broadcast then enters the selection filter (2), which is the actual vehicle transmitted with the location (LOC), the magnitude (EXT), the eigenvalue (kmax), the qmax of the flow density diagram, and the TMC-broadcast. It is connected to the storage devices 3 to 5 and 15 for the density k and the traffic congestion range l transmitted. These values can be stored for multiple TMC-broadcasts. When the FDD-unique values stored for each place (= road) from the place list 6 at 7 are stored in the place list, a number of FDD-unique value calculations are performed for each road at 14. This is the case, for example, when the road is partly four lanes and partly six lanes. This calculation is performed with the minimum (worst) or average configuration.

The FDD-unique value thus calculated is temporarily stored at 9. At 10, the FDD-unique values temporarily stored at 4 and 9 are selected.

Since the FDD-unique value transmitted at this time and temporarily stored at 4 has priority, the eigenvalue read from the place list 6 is used only when the FDD-unique value is not transmitted. This selection process also applies to the case indicated by dotted lines. The selection result at 10 and the temporarily stored vehicle density (k) and range (l) are analyzed at 11.

In each case the analysis is performed using the flow-density-diagram calculated in 11, as described later with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3.

The output data is then displayed on an output device (e.g., display) 12 and / or may use a speaker, for example.

2 and 3 are flow-density-diagrams showing the relationship between vehicle flow q and vehicle density k. In this case, vehicle flow is the number of cars per unit time, and vehicle density (k) is the number of cars per unit road. The flow-density-diagram is parabolic and starts at the coordinate origin and peaks at kmax and qmax and then decreases to k = 2 kmax and q = 0. 2 and 3 show a low vehicle density ( ), Medium vehicle density ( ) And high vehicle density ( Three points (A, B, C) are shown.

The slope of the straight line indicated by the dotted line in FIG. 2 is the average speed of the vehicle. For the embodiment described in connection with FIG. 1, kmax and qmax for a given road as FDD-unique values are transmitted, from which a perfect curve is calculated. For example, the vehicle density of the corresponding road transmitted to the terminal If so, the vehicle flow can be calculated accordingly. Dividing the vehicle flow by the vehicle density yields a straight slope passing through point B, thus calculating the average speed. Since the traffic congestion range l is also transmitted, the time for passing the traffic congestion of the corresponding road is calculated from the value, and the result can be known through the output device 12. Other forms of results may also be present, such as, for example, a lag time for "normal" speed travel, or a time for the entire roadway.

3 shows the tangent of the flow-density-diagram at points A, B and C. FIG. From the inclination of the tangent, the speed of the density wavelength, for example, the inclination inclination indicated between the points A and B, and the speed of the impact wavelength. Density wavelengths travel in the direction of travel if the tangent is a positive slope, and in the opposite direction of travel if the negative slope is negative, the latter also affects subsequent vehicles. Thus, it is possible to calculate whether traffic congestion will occur at the given time in the driving direction or in the opposite direction at the highway connection point.

The motorist may then decide which connection point to enter or exit, or the terminal may recommend that point.

4 is a device installed in the terminal device, the device 16 for calculating the recommended route is added. The device includes a storage device 17 with a so-called digital road map that can be combined with a place list as needed. The button 18 allows the user to enter a starting point, a destination, and an intermediate point to pass during driving, depending on the situation. Using the device 16, in the TMC-broadcast selection process performed at the receiver 1, it is possible to adjust to select all TMC-broadcasts which affect the recommendation route calculation. All such TMC-broadcast related data is stored in storage 3 to 5 and 15.

The device 16 may call each data corresponding to a certain road from the storage device, and the analysis result of 11 may flow into the device 16. Thus, when calculating routes already known to the device, traffic congestion and its effects are referred to together. By doing so, for example, it is possible to calculate whether the traffic congestion on the road which the driver will recommend later in the route calculation becomes more severe with time, and thus recommend another route at all.

FIG. 5 is a device according to the invention installed in a central device, for example a central traffic computer, the important components of which are identical to the device of FIG. 4.

For the most part, broadcasts for individual roads that contain the same information as in the case of the previously described embodiment come from a plurality of sensors 22 shown in FIG. 5 via a communication network 21 such as, for example, ISDN. Since the storage devices 3 to 5 and 15 store current data for all roads in a certain road network, the device 16 can refer to all traffic congestion situations received when calculating any recommended route.

The request for the recommendation route calculation and the calculated recommendation route are transmitted to the terminal device 24 through the mobile wireless communication network 23 in the case of the embodiment of FIG. The button 18 and the output device 12 can be utilized for the monitoring function and the service function.

Claims (21)

In a traffic jam information exchange device having a means for receiving traffic data picked up by a sensor, And a means for calculating output data indicative of the effect of traffic congestion, using a flow-density-diagram valid for each road, from the received traffic data. 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the received traffic data indicates each measured vehicle density, an identification signal of a corresponding road, and a range of each measured traffic congestion. 3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the received traffic data represents a flow-density-diagram effective for each road. 4. A traffic congestion information exchange apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the received traffic data is extended TMC-broadcasting. 5. The traffic jam information exchange apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the output data indicates an average speed or driving time of a specific road. 5. A traffic jam information exchange apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the output data indicates a traffic jam length change. 7. The traffic jam information exchange apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein data indicating the flow-density-diagram of the road is stored in the storage device. 8. A recommendation route calculating means according to any one of claims 1 to 7, Traffic congestion information exchange device characterized in that the output data is referenced when calculating the recommended route. The traffic congestion information exchange apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the recommendation route calculation means is installed in a terminal apparatus including traffic data of at least one central apparatus. The method of claim 8, wherein the recommended route calculation means is installed in the central apparatus, Traffic congestion information exchange apparatus, characterized in that the data relating to the desired driving from the terminal device is introduced into the central device, and the recommended route information calculated from the central device is transmitted to the terminal device. In the traffic jam information exchange method, the traffic information is received by the sensor, A traffic congestion information exchange method comprising calculating output data indicating the influence of traffic congestion by using a flow-density-diagram valid for each road from the received traffic data. 12. The method of claim 11, wherein the received traffic data indicates each measured vehicle density, an identification signal of the corresponding road, and a range of each measured traffic jam. 13. The method of claim 12, wherein the received traffic data represents a flow-density-diagram valid for the road. 14. A method according to any one of claims 11 to 13, wherein the received traffic data is extended TMC-broadcasting. The traffic congestion information exchange method according to any one of claims 11 to 14, wherein the output data indicates an average speed or driving time of a specific road. The traffic jam information exchange method according to any one of claims 11 to 14, wherein the output data indicates a traffic jam length change. 17. A method according to any one of claims 11 to 16, wherein the storage device stores data representing a flow-density-diagram for a prescribed area. In the traffic jam information transmission method in which traffic information is received by a sensor, The received traffic data is transmitted to a receiver, and there, using the flow-density-diagram valid for each road, the output data indicating the influence of traffic congestion is calculated. 19. The method of claim 18, wherein the transmitted traffic data represents each measured vehicle density, an identification signal of the corresponding road, and each measured traffic congestion range. 20. The method of claim 19, wherein the transmitted traffic data represents a flow-density-diagram effective for the road. 21. A method according to any one of claims 18 to 20, wherein the transmitted traffic data is extended TMC-broadcasting.