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(11) | EP 3 073 459 A1 |
| (12) | EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION |
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| (54) | Traffic management in a traffic network |
| (57) Process for traffic management in a traffic network, the process including the following
steps - at least one transportation unit (1) obtains its status data, including position data by a GPS module in the transportation unit, - status data is sent from the transportation unit (1) to a common receiving unit (3) using a wireless communication module of that transportation unit (1), - the common receiving unit (3) forwards status data to a traffic management center (4) which is related to the status data of the transportation unit (1), - the traffic management center (4) computes traffic control data based on the status data received from the common receiving unit (3). |
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to a process for traffic management in a traffic network, as well as to a device for carrying out such a process. The traffic network can comprise roads for cars and trucks, or cycle paths for bicycles, the invention could as well be used for railway or tram networks, for ship routes or for flight paths of airplanes.
STATE OF THE ART
[0002] Intelligent traffic management is based on collecting traffic data from various sources, such as loop detectors, cameras, radars, etc. In general those sources are field devices which are spread across the traffic network. These sources are fixed to a certain geographical position, each device can only monitor a restricted geographical area.
[0003] The collected traffic data is used by traffic management centers to deduce traffic conditions, like traffic density or accidents, and to optimize traffic, e.g. by timing the signals, that is the signal cycle length, of intersections, or by suggesting - or even enforcing - alternate traffic routes. Each traffic management center controls a limited geographical area of the traffic network.
[0004] This kind of road traffic management has the disadvantages that data is only collected in separate areas of the traffic network and for this area, and that special devices have to be installed for that purpose.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] According to the present invention the process for traffic management in a traffic network includes the following steps:
- at least one transportation unit obtains its status data, including position data by a GPS module in the transportation unit,
- status data is sent from the transportation unit to a common receiving unit using a wireless communication module of that transportation unit,
- the common receiving unit forwards status data to a traffic management center which is related to the status data of the transportation unit,
- the traffic management center computes traffic control data based on the status data received from the common receiving unit.
[0007] Since the status data is produced by the different transportation units (like cars, trucks, bicycles, trains, trams, airplanes) themselves there is no need for field devices or at least the number of field devices for measuring traffic data can be reduced. The status data at least comprises the geographical position of the transportation unit, which includes its direction of travel.
[0008] Obtaining the position data is usually done by a GPS module which is integrated in the transportation unit and accessible via an onboard computer. The GPS module could also be a separate device, such as a handheld device or a mobile phone which is located in or on the transportation unit.
[0009] Transfer of the status data can be done by a cellular network or mobile network. Such is a wireless network distributed over land areas called cells, each served by at least one fixed-location transceiver, known as a cell site or base station. From such base stations data can be transferred to the common receiving unit, the position of which usually is not mobile.
[0010] Since the process uses a common receiving unit which normally receives status data from many different transportation units from many different geographical areas it is possible to gain information about the global state of the traffic network. This is in contrast to prior processes where status data is collected in the area of each traffic management center (e.g. in an intersection of the traffic network) only. Accordingly, status information is collected by one specific traffic management center only and is only used by this traffic management center. The present invention, however, collects data from different areas of the traffic network and afterwards the data is distributed to different traffic management centers. In most cases a specific set of status data is sent to the traffic management center in which area the specific transportation unit is currently located.
[0011] The common receiving unit can be realized best by using cloud computing. Cloud computing is a technology based on utility and consumption of computing resources. Cloud computing involves deploying groups of remote servers and software networks that allow centralized data storage and online access to computer services or resources. If there is access to the so called "cloud" from any location in the traffic network, status data throughout the traffic network can be collected, filtered, centrally stored in the cloud and distributed by the cloud to different traffic management centers.
[0012] Status data may include speed data of the transportation unit. This allows the common receiving unit and/or the traffic management center to compute a future position of the transportation unit.
[0013] Status data may include data of the desired route of the transportation unit. For this purpose the transportation unit can be equipped with a navigation module which suggests different travel routes. The selected travel route can also be sent to the common receiving unit and the common receiving unit can predict traffic flows in the whole region. The prediction is sent to the relevant traffic management centers to proactively react to upcoming situations and/or to predict the traffic network state.
[0014] Status data may also include information that the transportation unit has stopped for exceptional reasons, e.g. due to a defect. So could the status information of a car include that emergency lights are active.
[0015] Although the present invention helps to reduce the number of field devices of the traffic management centers, it may be useful to integrate existing field devices to the present invention. Accordingly one embodiment of the present invention provides that the traffic management center additionally uses traffic data provided by field devices to compute traffic control data. Thus more precise information about the state of the traffic network can be provided.
[0016] In most cases the traffic management center, to which the status data is forwarded, covers an area which includes the current position of the transportation unit.
[0017] However, alternatively or additionally, the traffic management center, to which the status data is forwarded, may cover an area which includes a future position of the transportation unit. This might be important for predicting the future status of the traffic network in the area of this traffic management center.
[0018] A possible device for carrying out the process according to the present invention comprises at least a common receiving unit being equipped to receive status data, including position data, that is sent from different transportation units in different areas using wireless communication, and to forward status data to a traffic management center which is related to the status data of the transportation unit.
[0019] Advantageously, the common receiving unit comprises several remote servers and software networks organized according to the cloud computing technology.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES
[0020] The invention will be explained in closer detail by reference to a preferred embodiment, which is depicted schematically in the figure.
WAYS FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
[0021] The figure shows the data network which is the basis for carrying out the present invention. Several transportation units 1, like a cars, buses and trucks, in a traffic network, like a road network, are equipped with a GPS module and a wireless communication module. The same could apply to ships in a network of ship routes, to trains in a train network, etc.
[0022] Each transportation unit 1 is connected via wireless data link 2 (for telemetry data) to the common receiving unit 3, which is organized according to the cloud computing technology and comprises several remote servers and software networks. Each transportation unit 1 obtains its position data from its GPS module and sends the position data (including the direction of travel) to the common receiving unit 3. Additionally, also the current speed of the transportation unit 1 and/or the planned route and/or information about active emergency lights a can be forwarded to the common receiving unit 3.
[0023] The common receiving unit 3 sorts the incoming data from the different transportation units 1 according to the geographical position included in the data and forwards the data to the respective traffic management centers 4 which cover the respective geographical position. Additionally or alternatively, the data could be sent to other traffic management centers, e. g. to those in whose area the transportation unit 1 will arrive soon (which can be derived from the direction data or the desired route), or to those, which roads lead to the current geographical position. The latter will make sense if the transportation unit 1 is a car, has a breakdown and occupies the road. So the responsible traffic management center may switch on warning messages on information signs situated on the roadside or above the road to warn other drivers.
[0024] Based on the incoming data from the common receiving unit 3 each traffic management center 4 evaluates the data, computes traffic control data and sends control data to their controlling units, such as signaling devices 5, here symbolically represented by traffic lights. Other controlling units are traffic signs, like direction signs or speed limits.
List of reference signs:
1. Process for traffic management in a traffic network, the process including the following
steps
- at least one transportation unit (1) obtains its status data, including position data by a GPS module in the transportation unit,
- status data is sent from the transportation unit (1) to a common receiving unit (3) using a wireless communication module of that transportation unit (1),
- the common receiving unit (3) forwards status data to a traffic management center (4) which is related to the status data of the transportation unit (1),
- the traffic management center (4) computes traffic control data based on the status data received from the common receiving unit (3).
2. Process according to claim 1, characterized in that the common receiving unit (3) uses cloud computing.
3. Process according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that status data includes speed data of the transportation unit (1).
4. Process according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that status data includes data of the desired route of the transportation unit (1).
5. Process according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that status data includes information that the transportation unit (1) has stopped for
exceptional reasons.
6. Process according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the traffic management center (4) additionally uses traffic data provided by field
devices to compute traffic control data.
7. Process according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the traffic management center (4), to which the status data is forwarded, covers
an area which includes the current position of the transportation unit (1).
8. Process according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the traffic management center (4), to which the status data is forwarded, covers
an area which includes a future position of the transportation unit (1).
9. Device for traffic management for carrying out a process according to one of claims
1 to 8, comprising at least a common receiving unit (3) being equipped to receive
status data, including position data, that is sent from different transportation units
(1) in different areas using wireless communication, and to forward status data to
a traffic management center (4) which is related to the status data of the transportation
unit.
10. Device according to claim 9, characterized in that the common receiving unit (3) comprises several remote servers and software networks
organized according to the cloud computing technology.