A method, apparatus and computer program product are provided to define a strand upstream of a direction based traffic (DBT) link. In a method, a strand is defined upstream of a DBT link. The method includes extending the strand so as to include one or more links upstream of the DBT link. The strand is extended by determining whether a link is to be added to the strand based upon evaluation of a termination criteria. The termination criteria is at least partially based upon a relationship of a function class of the link to the function class of one or more other links. In an instance in which the termination criteria is satisfied, the method ceases further extension of the strand.

A traffic signal control system includes a processor configured to adjust a green time of a traffic signal based on vehicle class information on each of vehicles of a vehicle group approaching an intersection. The vehicle class information indicates whether the vehicle is an environmentally friendly vehicle or an environmentally unfriendly vehicle that is not the environmentally friendly vehicle.

A system comprising a computer including instructions to collect object data about each of a plurality of objects within a zone from sensors on a roadside infrastructure unit. The zone includes a road intersection. The object data includes an object type, an object location, an object speed and an object direction of travel for each object. The computer further includes instructions to determine, based on the object data, an availability level for execution of one or more paths through the road intersection by a vehicle wherein the availability level for each of the one or more paths is based on a likelihood of interference between any of the objects and the vehicle as the vehicle traverses the respective path. The computer further includes instructions to transmit an availability message to the vehicle including the availability level for each of the one or more paths.

An intelligent traffic control system may be configured to manage autonomous vehicle traffic, such as by communicating with autonomous vehicles. The intelligent traffic control system may be configured to output an indication of a traffic control command to autonomous vehicles and non-autonomous vehicles. The intelligent traffic control system may be configured to determine traffic control commands for autonomous vehicles and non-autonomous vehicles.

A roadside relay apparatus includes first, second, and third communication units to which first, second, and third lines described below are connected, a communication processing unit configured to relay or intercept communication between the first and second communication units, and an information processing unit configured to generate signal information for a vehicle, based on a control command, for controlling a traffic signal controller, received by the first communication unit and based on details of control, performed by the traffic signal controller, received by the second communication unit, and to output the generated signal information to the third communication unit. The first, second, and third lines are communication lines for wired communication with a central apparatus of a traffic control system, the traffic signal controller, and a communication apparatus that belongs to a communication system configured to wirelessly provide information to the vehicle, respectively.

Traffic signals that adapt to traffic conditions are provided with countdown timers. These countdown timers count down from some number towards zero, and indicate the approximate duration remaining before a traffic signal changes state. Since the traffic signal is continuously adapting to traffic conditions, the exact time before a state change occurs is not known in advance. Using a countdown algorithm, the countdown timers imperceptibly modify the countdown sequence in real time so that the traffic signal state change coincides approximately with the moment the countdown reaches its minimum count.

Various embodiments are described herein for systems and methods of traffic management in a road network including pathways and at least one intersection. In at least one embodiment, the method comprises receiving data signals from corresponding one or more connected vehicles and generating an intersection model for each approach of each intersection at a first time, where the intersection model comprises estimated arrival times for incoming vehicles at each approach. The method further comprises generating at the first time, for each intersection, candidate traffic timing data signals based at least on the intersection model corresponding to all approaches at the intersection, and generating, at the first time, for each intersection, an optimized traffic timing data signal, which is configured to control the operation of one or more traffic signals at the intersection, and is generated based on the candidate traffic timing data signals and a predetermined optimization variable.

The programming of traffic lights systems (TLS) in cities is a complex optimization problem. The main problem of the actual process is that this is a long, expensive and imprecise process that must be repeated regularly to reflect changes in traffic flow. The invention consists of using Vehicular's ad hoc networks (VANET) to collect traffic data in real time and transmit them to a traffic management system. VANET is currently defined by the IEEE 802.11p standard. We propose to use VANET in correlation with others techniques to control TLS. This invention will permit to program actual TLS more efficiently, manage a network in real-time and it will be possible to be used for urban planning studies, transport planning or to simulate the exit of special events (sporting, cultural, parades, etc.). It also allows programming TLS in real time with any efficient algorithm that exists or to be developed.

The programming of traffic lights systems (TLS) in cities is a complex optimization problem. The main problem of the actual process is that this is a long, expensive and imprecise process that must be repeated regularly to reflect changes in traffic flow. The invention consists of using Vehicular's ad hoc networks (VANET) to collect traffic data in real time and transmit them to a traffic management system. VANET is currently defined by the IEEE 802.11p standard. We propose to use VANET in correlation with others techniques to control TLS. This invention will permit to program actual TLS more efficiently, manage a network in real-time and it will be possible to be used for urban planning studies, transport planning or to simulate the exit of special events (sporting, cultural, parades, etc.). It also allows programming TLS in real time with any efficient algorithm that exists or to be developed.

Traffic signal timing plans are derived from vehicle trajectory or probe data. The probe data is collected and archived in a datastore over a sample time on the order of weeks or longer. Probe data is corrected for clock drift, geo-fence filtered to a selected intersection, and then stop line crossings in the intersection are identified and analyzed along with related data to determine the timing plans and schedule for the intersection. In this way, access to government agency timing plans is obviated so as to save time and expense.