Integrated imaging and GPS network monitors remote object movement. Browser interface displays objects and detectors. Database stores object position movement. Cameras detect objects and generate image signal. Internet provides selectable connection between system controller and various cameras according to object positions.

Integrated network for monitoring remote objects

Techniques are described for assessing road traffic conditions in various ways based on obtained traffic-related data, such as data samples from vehicles and other mobile data sources traveling on the roads and/or from one or more other sources (such as physical sensors near to or embedded in the roads). The road traffic conditions assessment based on obtained data samples may include various filtering and/or conditioning of the data samples, and various inferences and probabilistic determinations of traffic-related characteristics of interest from the data samples. In some situations, the inferences include repeatedly determining current traffic flow characteristics and/or predicted future traffic flow characteristics for road segments of interest during time periods of interest, such as to determine average traffic speed, traffic volume and/or occupancy, and include weighting various data samples in various ways (e.g., based on a latency of the data samples and/or a source of the data samples).

Determining road traffic conditions using data from multiple data sources

Techniques are described for automatically detecting anomalous road traffic conditions and for providing information about the detected anomalies, such as for use in facilitating travel on roads of interest. Anomalous road traffic conditions may be identified using target traffic conditions for a particular road segment at a particular selected time, such as target traffic conditions that reflect actual traffic conditions for a current or past selected time, and/or target traffic conditions that reflect predicted future traffic conditions for a future selected time. Target traffic conditions may be compared to distinct expected road traffic conditions for a road segment at a selected time, with the expected conditions reflecting road traffic conditions that are typical or normal for the road segment at the selected time. Anomalous conditions may be identified based on sufficiently large differences from the expected conditions, and information about the anomalous conditions may be provided in various ways.

Detecting anomalous road traffic conditions

A system and method for controlling traffic and traffic lights and selectively distributing warning messages to motorists includes a controller to determine appropriate action based on traffic congestion parameters. Fuzzy logic is used to determine optimum traffic light phase split based on the traffic information from the traffic information units. Global Positioning System technology is used by the system and method in order to track moving vehicles and signs and be able to communicate with them.

Intelligent traffic control and warning system and method

A traffic violation or event detection, recording and processing system and method is disclosed which includes at least one camera (20 and 30) for monitoring a region under surveillance (31 and 33); means for supplying independently sourced and verifiable time, date and location of a violation; a storing means (54) for storing continuous images taken by the camera; a non-intrusive violation detection means for detecting vehicle presence and movement and for providing an indication of a violation; and processing means for identifying images stored in the storage means and which relate to a violation detected by the violation detection means so that images associated with a violation are identifiable and can be processed to provide evidence of the violation and also identify the vehicle associated with the violation.

Traffic violation detection, recording and evidence processing system

A method for predicting a traffic flow rate at a point on a road to control a traffic light signaling system measures a traffic density on the road to predict a traffic flow rate by utilizing the fact that a velocity of a vehicle on the road is restricted by an interval between successive vehicles, since the traffic density is locally increased when the vehicle interval is not uniform and therefore the spatial mean speed is lowered. This method offers higher accuracy by utilizing a correction coefficient obtained from an actual vehicle distribution, for instance, a coefficient derived from entropy. An apparatus for controlling a traffic light signaling system installed on a point of a road by utilizing this predicting method, thereby smoothing a traffic condition, includes video cameras for picking up images of a traffic condition at an upper stream of an intersection, an A/D converter for converting an analog video output signal into a digital video signal, two sets of image memories for storing digital image data about two scenes imaged by the video cameras at a proper time interval, an image processing unit for extracting moving objects from the images, a data process/control unit for calculating a total number of vehicles within a predetermined area and each space headway, whereby a vehicle distribution pattern is recognized an a correction coefficient is calculated, and an input/output unit for interfacing with the traffic light signaling system installed on the road.

Method for predicting traffic space mean speed and traffic flow rate, and method and apparatus for controlling isolated traffic light signaling system through predicted traffic flow rate

A video camera is placed so as to overlook vehicles' attitudes at an intersection and in the vicinity of the intersection. Video signals provided by the video camera are sent to the main body of a vehicles movement measuring apparatus. An A/D converting unit in the main body converts the video signals into digital data. Digital data in two frames, one of which is taken a certain length of time after the other, is stored in image memory units. Another image memory unit stores data of an input image including no vehicle image. An image data processing unit performs image processing on the data stored in the image memory units and extracts data about vehicles from the processed data. Information relating to speeds, tracking, etc., of vehicles is output from a data input-output unit. This processing of the obtained image data measures vehicles' movement as the degree of traffic jam or the smoothness of the downstream traffic flow on a road with detection of data regarding vehicles presence or speeds.

Vehicle movement measuring apparatus

The present invention provides vehicle activity data by accurately measuring and collecting traffic information, such as vehicle speed, number of passing vehicles, types such as small size and large size of the vehicles. The invention allows tracing of a vehicle which makes a lane change, avoids influence of a large size vehicle for measurement in an adjacent lane, and provides an approach for obtaining vehicle activity data at night time or in the rain. The apparatus stores video information from a video camera in image memories. The stored current image data and background data are processed by an image processing section to assign identification number for respective individual vehicles. Results of tracing include a position of the front end of the vehicle in a measuring area, a vehicle width, and both end positions of the vehicle are stored in time sequence. A computer calculates speed over one second for respective processed frames on the basis of vehicle position information for a given number of preceding frames, provides weights for respective calculated speeds and performs averaging for deriving an accurate vehicle speed.

Vehicle activity measuring apparatus

A device for cracking down on disregard of a traffic signal includes a television camera for imaging a road, on which signal lights are mounted at a cross; a vehicle movement measuring instrument for processing image data coming from the television camera and measures traveling position and traveling speed of each vehicle; a signal state detector for detecting an indication color of the signal lights; and a traffic signal disregarding vehicle detector for detecting a vehicle which has disregarded a traffic signal, based on the traveling position and the traveling speed of the vehicle measured by the vehicle movement measuring instrument and the indication color of the signal lights detected by the signal state detector The vehicle movement measuring instrument measures the distance from the cross and the speed of the vehicle In the case where there is a vehicle traveling within the cross, while the signal state detector detects a red indication of the signal lights, it is detected as a vehicle which has disregarded the traffic signal, and a recorder records the traveling state and the registration number thereof

Device for monitoring disregard of a traffic signal

In an apparatus for measuring the dynamic state of traffic, a video camera unit picks up images of traffic on the road. The picture information is temporarily stored in memory units, and then processed by an image processing unit. The image processing unit controls the rate for updating background data determines whether it is daytime, dusk or night, and controls a threshold value for processing images. Further, the updating of the background data is made accurate and the extraction or identification of running vehicles is facilitated by employing a background differential system and a frame differential system. The output is transferred to a CPU to be utilized as a source of traffic information or for scheduling travelling time.

Masakazu Toyama

Papers

Method for predicting traffic space mean speed and traffic flow rate, and method and apparatus for controlling isolated traffic light signaling system through predicted traffic flow rate

Vehicle movement measuring apparatus

Vehicle activity measuring apparatus

Device for monitoring disregard of a traffic signal

Apparatus for measuring the dynamic state of traffic