CONNECTED AUTOMATED VEHICLE HIGHWAY SYSTEMS AND METHODS RELATED TO TRANSIT VEHICLES AND SYSTEMS
20200020227 ยท 2020-01-16
Inventors
- Bin Ran (Fitchburg, WI)
- Yang Cheng (Middleton, WI)
- Xiaoli Zhang (Madison, WI, US)
- Haiyan Yu (Madison, WI, US)
- Yi Shen (Madison, WI, US)
- Shaohua Wang (Madison, WI, US)
- Yanyan Qin (Madison, WI, US)
- Liling Zhu (Madison, WI, US)
- Hongliang Wan (Madison, WI, US)
- Yangxin Lin (Fitchburg, WI, US)
- Shiyan Xu (Madison, WI, US)
- Hainan Huang (Madison, WI, US)
- Kun Luan (Madison, WI, US)
- Hongli Gao (Madison, WI, US)
- Linfeng Zhang (Madison, WI, US)
- Yuanyuan Zhang (Fitchburg, WI, US)
- Yihui Yang (Fitchburg, WI, US)
Cpc classification
G08G1/123
PHYSICS
H04L67/12
ELECTRICITY
G05D1/0088
PHYSICS
Y04S40/18
GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
E01F15/02
FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
H04L67/10
ELECTRICITY
International classification
G08G1/123
PHYSICS
E01F15/02
FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
G05D1/00
PHYSICS
Abstract
The technology provides designs and methods for the transit management system, which facilitates transit vehicle operations and control for connected automated transit vehicles (CATVs) systems. The transit management system provides transit vehicles with customized/non-customized information and time-sensitive control instructions for transit vehicle to fulfill the driving tasks such as vehicle routing, lane changing, turning. The transit management system also realizes transit vehicle lane design, transportation operations and management services for transit vehicle. The transit management system consists of one of more of the following physical subsystems: (1) Roadside Unit (RSU) network, (2) Traffic Control Unit (TCU) and Traffic Control Center (TCC) network, (3) Vehicle Onboard Unit (OBU), (4) Traffic Operations Centers (TOCs), (5) Cloud platform. The transit management system realizes one or more of the following function categories: sensing, transportation behavior prediction and management, planning and decision making, and vehicle control. The transit management system is supported by road infrastructure, real-time wired and/or wireless communication, the power supply networks, and cyber safety and security services.
Claims
1-159. (canceled)
160. A transit management system for operating and controlling connected and automated transit vehicles (CATVs), said transit management system configured to send individual CATVs detailed and time-sensitive control instructions for vehicle routing, lane changing, and/or turning, wherein said transit management system comprises: a) a roadside unit (RSU) network; b) a traffic control unit (TCU) and traffic control center (TCC) network; c) vehicle onboard units (OBU) d) traffic operations centers (TOC); and e) a cloud-based platform configured to provide information and computing services.
161. The transit management system of claim 160, wherein said system comprises: a) dedicated CATV lanes, non-dedicated lanes, and/or dynamic CATV-only lanes; and b) physical barriers and/or logical barriers separating lanes used for CATVs from traditional lanes used by human-driven vehicles.
162. The transit management system of claim 160, wherein said system comprises dedicated CATV bus stops, non-dedicated CATV bus stops, curbside bus stops, and/or bus bay stops.
163. The transit management system of claim 160 configured to manage vehicles at intersections and/or diverging/merging locations using priority based on the total delay and average vehicle speed.
164. The transit management system of claim 160 configured to perform methods for managing CATV stops, said methods comprising: a) determining the stop platform of a CATV; b) detecting the accuracy of the stop platform of a CATV; c) detecting the opened or closed state of a CATV door; d) detecting completion of passenger onboarding and/or offloading; e) coordinating entry order and stops points for CATVs arriving at a stop; and/or f) providing warnings relating to abnormal states of CATVs and/or managing abnormal states of CATVs.
165. The transit management system of claim 160 configured to provide customized mobility services and/or non-customized mobility services.
166. The transit management system of claim 160 configured to perform terminal control methods comprising: a) identifying CATVs b) releasing CATVs and intercepting unauthorized vehicles; c) inspecting and maintaining CATVs; d) refueling and/or recharging CATVs; e) parking CATVs; and/or f) providing customized maintenance procedures for private and/or third-party vehicles.
167. The transit management system of claim 160 comprising an interface configure to: a) share and obtain traffic data between said transit management system and other shared mobility systems; b) share and obtain traffic incidents between said transit management system and other shared mobility systems; c) share and obtain passenger demand patterns between said transit management system and other shared mobility systems; d) dynamically adjust pricing; e) provide for special agencies to delete, change, and share information; f) provide for the transit management system to take control of vehicles; g) provide for CATVs forming platoons with vehicles of other shared mobility service providers; h) provide for special agencies to take control of vehicles; i) provide for the transit management system to take control of vehicles that arrive at a platform; and/or j) provide the transit management system to take control of vehicles that depart from a platform.
168. The transit management system of claim 160 configured to perform sensing methods for dedicated lanes, non-dedicated lanes, transit stations, intersections, entrances to dedicated lanes, and/or in CATVs, wherein: a) said methods for dedicated lanes comprise monitoring CATVs by RSUs and OBUs to collect dedicated lane data; processing, fusing, and sending said dedicated lane data to the TCC/TCU network; and sharing said dedicated lane data through the cloud platform; b) said methods for non-dedicated lanes comprise monitoring all vehicles by RSUs and monitoring the environment of CATVs by OBUs to collect non-dedicated lane data; processing, fusing, and sending said non-dedicated lane data to the TCC/TCU network; and sharing said non-dedicated lane data through the cloud platform; c) said methods for transit stations comprise monitoring passenger behavior and CATVs by RSUs installed in transit stations; d) said methods for intersections comprise monitoring pedestrian and CATVs by RSUs installed at intersections; e) said methods for entrances to dedicated lanes comprise detecting vehicles by entrance sensors, recording vehicle identifying information, and notifying other vehicles of vehicle entrance; and/or f) said methods for CATVs comprise monitoring the status of vehicles and passengers by OBUs and transmitting said status to RSUs.
169. The transit management system of claim 160 configured to perform methods relating to transit-related emergencies, incidents, safety, and/or security, said methods comprising: a) detecting and identifying events by OBUs and/or RSUs and producing event data; b) transmitting event data to TOCs and/or the cloud-based platform; c) analyzing and evaluating event data; d) producing action plans and/or CATV control strategies by the TOCs and transmitting said action plans and/or CATV control strategies to the cloud-based platform and/or TCC/TCU network; e) sending warnings to transit users; f) updating a scheduling and/or dispatching plan to produce an updated scheduling and/or dispatching plan and transmitting said updated scheduling and/or dispatching plan to CATVs; g) guiding passengers to evacuate affected CATVs; h) affected CATVs are controlled to a safe stop by RSUs supported by the TCC/TCU network and cloud-based platform; and/or i) passengers and/or the CATVs involved and/or affected by the events are monitored and tracked by OBUs and/or RSUs until the event is resolved.
170. The transit management system of claim 160 configured to perform a method for transportation behavior prediction and management, said method comprising: a) providing longitudinal and/or lateral control of CATVs; b) detecting incidents, monitoring CATV components and sub-systems, providing real-time weather information, and adjusting speed according to detected speed zones; and/or c) providing route planning and guidance and managing transit network demand.
171. The transit management system of claim 160 configured to provide detection, warning, and control of CATVs for: a) dedicated lanes used by CATVs for customized and non-customized mobility services; b) dedicated lanes shared by CATVs and non-automated transit vehicles, wherein RSUs send commands to CATVs; and/or c) non-dedicated lanes shared by CATVs and human-driven vehicles.
172. The transit management system of claim 160 configured as an open platform to provide functions for information inquiry by passengers and managers, customized automated driving services, legal and regulatory services, coordination and aid, broadcast, and/or user management.
173. The transit management system of claim 160 configured to provide safety and efficiency measures for CATV operations and control, said safety and efficiency measures comprising: a) RSUs providing a location service describing CATV location without the support of vehicle-based sensors; b) RSUs, TCC/TCU network, and cloud-based platform providing site-specific weather and pavement condition information; c) CATV control; and/or d) CATV routing and control.
174. The transit management system of claim 160 configured to provide security functions comprising: a) hardware security; b) network and data security; and/or c) reliability, resilience, and redundancy.
175. The transit management system of claim 160 configured to provide blind spot detection for CATVs in dedicated lanes and non-dedicated lanes, wherein: a) blind spot detection for dedicated lanes comprises collecting and fusing data collected by RSUs and OBUs describing the road and environment for CATVs and characterizing blind spots using said data; b) blind spot detection for non-dedicated lanes comprises collecting and fusing data collected by RSUs and OBUs describing the road and environment for CATVs, non-automated vehicles, and moving entities on the road side; and controlling CATVs using said data; and c) displaying the data describing the road and environment for a CATV on a display in said CATV, wherein when the data collected by an RSU and OBU conflict, the confidence of each data source is used to judge and decide the final outputs.
176. The transit management system of claim 160 wherein said RSU comprises: a) a sensing module configured to sense the environment of CATVs; b) a communication module configured to communicate with CATVs, TCUs, and/or the cloud; c) a data processing module configured to process, fuse, and/or compute the data received from the sensing module and/or communication module; d) an interface module configured to communicate between the data processing module and the communication module; e) an adaptive power supply module configured to adjust power delivery according to the conditions of the local power grid with backup redundancy; f) a transit station management module configured to monitor a transit station, detect passenger behavior, and control CATVs; and/or g) an intersection management module configured to monitor pedestrians and control CATVs based on traffic conditions at intersections.
177. The transit management system of claim 160, wherein: a) OBUs receive data from RSUs comprising CATV control instructions, travel route and traffic information, and services data; b) OBUs send data to RSUs comprising driver input, driver status, CATV condition data; c) OBUs collect CATV data comprising engine state, speed, passenger status, dangerous goods, and/or surrounding objects; and/or d) OBUS take control of a CATV in adverse weather, traffic accident, and/or communication failure.
178. The transit management system of claim 160 wherein said cloud-based platform is configured to perform traffic state estimation and prediction algorithms to estimate the traffic state based on a weighted data fusion method, wherein weights are determined by the quality of data provided by RSU, TCC/TCU, and/or TOC sensors with partial or complete detection.
179. A method for managing CATVs comprising providing a system according to claim 160.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0058] The patent or application file contains at least one drawing executed in color. Copies of this patent or patent application publication with color drawings will be provided by the Office upon request and payment of the necessary fee.
[0059] These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present technology will become better understood with regard to the following drawings:
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0081] In some embodiments, the present technology relates generally to a comprehensive system providing full vehicle operations and control for connected and automated transit vehicles, and, more particularly, to a system controlling CATVs by sending individual vehicles with detailed and time-sensitive control instructions for vehicle routing, lane changing, turning, and related information. In some embodiments, the technology provides a system for controlling CAVs by sending customized, detailed, and time-sensitive control instructions and traffic information for automated vehicle driving to individual vehicles, such as vehicle following, lane changing, route guidance, and other related information (e.g., a CAVH system (e.g., as described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/628,331, filed Jun. 20, 2017 and U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. Nos. 62/626,862, filed Feb. 6, 2018, 62/627,005, filed Feb. 6, 2018, 62/655,651, filed Apr. 10, 2018, and 62/669,215, filed May 9, 2018, the disclosures of which are herein incorporated by reference in their entireties)). In some embodiments, the technology comprises a cloud system as described in U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/691,391, incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. In some embodiments, the technology comprises technologies related to safety systems as described in U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/695,938, incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. In some embodiments, the technology relates to the use of a connected automated vehicle highway system and methods and/or components thereof for heavy and special vehicles, e.g., as described in U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/687,435, filed Jun. 20, 2018, which is incorporated herein by reference. In some embodiments, the technology comprises technologies related to an on-board unit (OBU) for a vehicle as described in U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/695,964, incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
[0082] In this detailed description of the various embodiments, for purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments disclosed. One skilled in the art will appreciate, however, that these various embodiments may be practiced with or without these specific details. In other instances, structures and devices are shown in block diagram form. Furthermore, one skilled in the art can readily appreciate that the specific sequences in which methods are presented and performed are illustrative and it is contemplated that the sequences can be varied and still remain within the spirit and scope of the various embodiments disclosed herein.
[0083] All literature and similar materials cited in this application, including but not limited to, patents, patent applications, articles, books, treatises, and internet web pages are expressly incorporated by reference in their entirety for any purpose. Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as is commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which the various embodiments described herein belongs. When definitions of terms in incorporated references appear to differ from the definitions provided in the present teachings, the definition provided in the present teachings shall control. The section headings used herein are for organizational purposes only and are not to be construed as limiting the described subject matter in any way.
Definitions
[0084] To facilitate an understanding of the present technology, a number of terms and phrases are defined below. Additional definitions are set forth throughout the detailed description.
[0085] Throughout the specification and claims, the following terms take the meanings explicitly associated herein, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. The phrase in one embodiment as used herein does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, though it may. Furthermore, the phrase in another embodiment as used herein does not necessarily refer to a different embodiment, although it may. Thus, as described below, various embodiments of the invention may be readily combined, without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention.
[0086] In addition, as used herein, the term or is an inclusive or operator and is equivalent to the term and/or unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. The term based on is not exclusive and allows for being based on additional factors not described, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. In addition, throughout the specification, the meaning of a, an, and the include plural references. The meaning of in includes in and on.
[0087] As used herein, the terms about, approximately, substantially, and significantly are understood by persons of ordinary skill in the art and will vary to some extent on the context in which they are used. If there are uses of these terms that are not clear to persons of ordinary skill in the art given the context in which they are used, about and approximately mean plus or minus less than or equal to 10% of the particular term and substantially and significantly mean plus or minus greater than 10% of the particular term.
[0088] As used herein, the suffix -free refers to an embodiment of the technology that omits the feature of the base root of the word to which -free is appended. That is, the term X-free as used herein means without X, where X is a feature of the technology omitted in the X-free technology. For example, a sensing-free method does not comprise a sensing step, a controller-free system does not comprise a controller, etc.
[0089] As used herein, the term support when used in reference to one or more components of the CAVH system providing support to and/or supporting one or more other components of the CAVH system refers to, e.g., exchange of information and/or data between components and/or levels of the CAVH system, sending and/or receiving instructions between components and/or levels of the CAVH system, and/or other interaction between components and/or levels of the CAVH system that provide functions such as information exchange, data transfer, messaging, and/or alerting.
Description
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