DE10336590A1 - Customized traffic forecast method for individual vehicles, using vehicle based traffic computer to create forecasts based on traffic conditions data captured on side of other vehicles and transmitted to individual vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

The vehicle specific forecasts are created for a current vehicle position using a vehicle based traffic computer (9) calculating an optimal route from the current position to notes of the traffic network. The computer uses a memory (1) stored hydrograph type traffic position pattern and a predetermined cost function. The forecasts are generated using additional traffic condition data input to the computer based on traffic conditions measurements (15) taken on side of own and other vehicles. Thus formed forecasts are then transmitted to individual vehicles.

Description

The The invention relates to a method for generating traffic forecasts individually for one respective vehicle according to the preamble of claim 1 and of Claim 4.

A method according to the preamble of claim 1 is known from the published patent application DE 100 37 827 A1 known. Starting from the current vehicle location, vehicle-specific traffic forecasts are generated autonomously by a vehicle-side traffic computer unit based on a calculation of optimal routes from the current vehicle location to network nodes of a traffic network area using stored gangway-like traffic location patterns and a predefinable cost function. Typical useful cost functions include, for example, the required travel time, the route length, the fuel consumption or a combination of several of these variables. For further details regarding this method and the meaning of the terms used herein, reference is made to this document and the cited prior art to avoid unnecessary repetition.

In the published patent application 100 51 777 A1 is a method for vehicle-individual dynamic traffic forecast, in which traffic-status-indicative Data captured on the vehicle and stored with historical Correlation lines are compared to make it a best fit Determine hydrograph and the traffic condition represented by this in the direction of travel of the vehicle as expected traffic condition to forecast. In particular, traffic-state-specific data may be such over mean vehicle speed, traffic density, traffic flow and / or customizable traffic disruption objects considered become. In particular, as customizable traffic disturbance objects Pattern dense traffic at effective bottlenecks of a motorway network and / or queuing traffic patterns of a metropolitan area road network considered become. Also regarding this method and the terms also used herein to avoid repetition of this document and the cited prior art.

From the publication DE 100 62 856 A1 and the publication DE 100 57 796 A1 Methods for vehicle-specific traffic forecasting are described in which, apart from traffic-state-indicative data recorded by the own vehicle, also those are taken into account which are detected by other vehicles and transmitted to the own vehicle. These data are then compared to the traffic forecast in the respective own vehicle with stored hydrographs and / or used to detect customizable traffic condition objects and forecast their temporal-spatial development. For example, at least the traffic state phases "free traffic", "synchronized traffic", "compressed synchronized traffic" and "moving wide traffic jam" can be taken into account as individualizable traffic state objects. With regard to these procedures and the terminology used, reference is made to the two publications and the prior art cited therein in order to avoid repetition. For further details, reference should be made in addition to the applicant's other earlier patent applications on this subject, which are based on the present inventor.

Of the Invention is the technical problem of providing a novel method of the type mentioned, with the with reasonable effort comparatively reliable and create comfortable, vehicle-specific traffic forecasts.

The Invention solves this problem by providing a method with the Features of claim 1 or 4.

The Method according to claim 1 advantageously combines a Gap-based vehicle-autonomous forecast with use of for the current, local traffic condition at the location of the own vehicle and / or other vehicles representative Data obtained by vehicle-side, i. obtained by own vehicle measurements or detected by other vehicles and transmitted to their own vehicle become. This prognosis is preferably made on a regional basis for one the current vehicle location containing portion of a transport network.

In a development of this method are also according to claim 2 others, vehicles external, e.g. from a traffic control center or via the Internet provided traffic condition data for the traffic forecast in the vehicle considered.

In a development of the method according to claim 3 is additionally a specifiable destination for the Traffic forecast taken into account, so that e.g. the forecasts focus on the destination can be created under effective use of computing capacity, without the latter with forecasts for Traffic network areas that are in the remote from the destination Directions lie and therefore for the Vehicle are uninteresting.

In the method according to claim 4 vehicle-specific Verkehrspro are advantageously taking into account determined current and / or estimated traffic disturbance objects in two or more different degrees of detail depending on the distance from the current vehicle location. This allows an efficient use of the available computer capacity while maintaining high quality of the traffic forecast for the respective vehicle. For traffic disruption objects in the immediate vicinity of the vehicle on which the vehicle can soon meet can be created in this way with a higher level of detail and displayed in detail, which is a great support for the driver or driving assistance systems in the short-distance driving task. For more distant traffic disturbance objects, a lesser degree of detail suffices because the vehicle is currently not within its sphere of influence and these disturbance objects still have no influence on the short-range driving decisions, but rather on the long-range route selection, for the local detailed information eg about the internal structure of the traffic disruption objects not so relevant.

In An advantageous embodiment of this method is according to claim 5 for one Fahrzeugnahbereich a highest Level of detail selected, for the depending on the need various detailed information especially about the internal structure of identified traffic objects within the framework of the Traffic forecast will be provided to the driver, but also support driver assistance systems in the current driving task.

In further embodiment is according to claim Fig. 6 shows a slightly lower level of detail for a distance range adjacent to the near zone provided, but still information about the full structure of the respective traffic disruption object and / or over Time points of reaching or leaving a fault object and / or dwell times within the respective fault object and / or local detour information for bypassing the fault object include.

In A development of the method according to claim 7 comprises the traffic forecasting a consideration of road conditions and / or Weather data and a calculation of optimal routes with restriction to such routes of the transport network, in terms of road conditions or weather are judged to be uncritical. This allows route recommendations, the weather-related safety-critical sections of avoid it in the first place.

at A method further developed according to claim 8 is a display not just the traffic forecasting data and corresponding route recommendations provided, but also for the proposed optimal routes causal criteria and / or Advantages according to which the optimal route is preferable to alternative routes. This does that driver the determination of the optimal routes transparent, so that he himself better estimate can, whether he wants to follow the route recommendation or why and / or how many possible alternative routes are "worse" than the proposed one optimal route.

In Further embodiment of the method is according to claim 9 for the immediate area with the highest Level of detail of the traffic forecast a distance range up at most a few kilometers from the vehicle location, e.g. a vehicle environment area to 1 km distance. An adjoining distance range with nächstniedrigem The level of detail of the traffic forecasts may then be e.g. to to a distance of about 10 km or at most a few tens of kilometers extend.

advantageous embodiments The invention is illustrated in the drawings and will be described below described. Hereby show:

1 2 a schematic block diagram of a vehicle-side traffic prediction system with calculation of optimum routes on the basis of hydrographs and traffic-state data measured on the vehicle side,

2 a schematic representation of a vehicle-side traffic condition data measurement process and the consideration of these measurement data in the traffic forecasting according to 1 .

3 3 is a schematic block diagram of a traffic prediction system using hydrographs, traffic state data measured on the vehicle side, and traffic state data measured by other vehicles;

4 a schematic block diagram of a vehicle-side forecasting system using power lines, on the vehicle side and measured by other vehicles traffic condition data and provided from outside the vehicle, current traffic condition data and

5 a schematic representation of various vehicle removal areas for the traffic forecasts are created taking into account traffic disruption objects with varying degrees of detail.

This in 1 shown system includes a dotted framed system part 9 as he as such from the above quoted DE 100 37 827 A1 be is known. This system part contains a traffic data memory 1 in which traffic patterns, or in short traffic patterns, in the form of so-called hydrographs with respect to a considered traffic route network, such as a road network, are stored, which also in memory in the form of a so-called digital map 1 is stored. Furthermore, this part of the system as part of a traffic computer unit includes means 2 for calculating optimal routes, means 3 for selecting the travel times and means associated with the respective optimal route 4 for aggregation determined traffic disturbances according to their distance from the current vehicle location.

The Traffic computer unit is to carry out traffic forecasts based on a cost-optimizing selection of the expected, mean route edge travel times depending on the current vehicle location, the current time and the respective node arrival times set up according to the gear-line data. She calculates that starting from the current vehicle location as the starting location and from the current one Time as the start time by means of a traffic-dependent route search method an optimal route from the starting point to each track edge of the entire considered traffic network or preferably one of the starting place containing portion of the same and determines the associated route edge arrival time. When specifying a destination, the route search method may optionally be directional carried out become. Thereby can Routes or route edges that are necessary for the achievement of the given Destination are irrelevant from the outset, from the route calculation be excluded, which saves computational effort. As an optimization criterion serves a predefinable cost function, preferably the required travel time, alternatively or additionally can but also e.g. the route length and / or the fuel consumption used as cost functions become.

The in the traffic data storage 1 also contains the traffic-dependent cost function values assumed as valid for the route edges at the respective time as the corresponding cost function value pattern, from which the cost function value for each route edge for each route edge for each route edge determines the optimal routes from the current one Vehicle location is used to the individual network nodes. For this purpose, the traffic computer unit receives the required information about the current vehicle location, the current time and, for additional consideration of the usually different depending on the daytime traffic conditions, the day type, such as weekday or Sunday / holiday, of corresponding conventional detection means 5 for the detection of the current vehicle location, the current time and the current day type.

Another option is an external interface 6 provided via the update of the stored traffic pattern or hydrographs outside the vehicle generated and delivered traffic or road network data can be received. This traffic information can be about traffic-related events, such as construction sites, events or closures, for which then the vehicle side new gangway-like traffic patterns are created, which replace existing existing. The traffic information can be up-to-date information about a traffic disruption and / or a direct indication of the traffic-relevant characteristics of the construction sites, events or closures. The traffic information can alternatively also be directly a gangway-like traffic pattern that belongs to a construction site, event or blockage. The storage system 1 is suitably flexibly designed to process either traffic-related events or gangway-like traffic patterns as off-vehicle information.

At the be carried out by the traffic computer unit route search method starting from the place of departure to the start time based on the selected cost function successively the optimal routes to each network node and itself for the optimal routes resulting travel times for driving on the respective Track edge determined. This is for determining the travel time for the respective route edge in time from the determined time of arrival assumed to which the vehicle according to the previously determined optimal Routes arrives at the network node at the beginning of the respective route edge.

For the determination of the optimal route, the traffic computer unit makes use of the stored hydrographs on the one hand. Furthermore, traffic state data determined on the vehicle side are used for this traffic forecast, for which purpose the said system part 9 is supplemented by appropriate system components, as in the above-mentioned publications DE 100 51 777 A1 . DE 100 62 856 A1 and DE 100 57 796 A1 are described in more detail. Specifically, these are traffic condition determination means 15 , a hydrographic storage unit 10 and a forecasting course selecting unit 11 , With the traffic condition determining means 15 the current, local traffic condition is continuously detected on the vehicle side in its temporal-local progression using one or more measured parameters and / or variables derived therefrom, such as average vehicle speed, traffic density, traffic flow and / or customizable traffic condition objects, in particular traffic disruption objects such as congestion Traffic, compressed synchronized traffic and free traffic, phase transitions between such state phases and temporal-spatial patterns from such state phases, in particular patterns of dense traffic at effective bottlenecks. On the basis of the recorded traffic condition data existing individual traffic objects can be detected and then reliably predicted based on their known dynamics in their temporal-local course. For this purpose, the empirical data of such patterns and state phases and any further traffic status data are determined in advance and processed into so-called historical hydrographs which reflect the traffic condition expected there at the respective time and location for a particular route section.

In the forecast gait selection unit 11 For example, the traffic condition data measured and possibly further processed during a previous period is compared with the stored set of historical hydrographs including temporal-spatial traffic patterns in order to find out from the stored hydrographs the one which best fits the measured or further processed traffic condition data. This hydrograph selection is done in the manner of a conventional "matching" method.

The appropriate by this "matching", best on the vehicle detected, temporal-local course of the traffic condition or parameters used appropriate transition line is then in addition to the memory 1 stored hydrographs the calculation means 2 for calculating the respective optimal routes. In this way, the traffic conditions detected on the vehicle side can also be taken into account when preparing the traffic forecasts, in particular traffic disruption objects, such as traffic jams and patterns of dense traffic at effective bottlenecks, which are locally present at the vehicle location and detected by the vehicle-side measurements.

The result of the "Matching" is additionally a demand monitor as needed 12 and one or more vehicle assistance systems 13 supplied to the driver to recognize the detected traffic disturbance objects suitably or to inform the driver assistance systems about these disturbance objects, so that they can be taken by these appropriate driving assistance measures.

As additional functionality includes the system part 9 , which refers to the autonomous, gangway-based, area-related traffic forecast, means 7 for displaying the difference between the predicted travel time and the predefined travel time in free traffic ascertained by the traffic computer unit for the respective network node, wherein the display can be made optically on a screen on the basis of an associated route network map. Furthermore, funds can 8th be provided with those on such a map representation and temporal equidistant lines and / or information about a recommended route to a destination can be reproduced.

2 shows in more detail the operation of the system with regard to the implementation of the autonomous area-related traffic forecasts by the corresponding system part 9 and the additional consideration of vehicle-measured traffic condition data. Exemplary is in 2 the locally and temporally resolved measurement of the own vehicle speed v as a traffic state parameter relevant for the local traffic state at the location of the vehicle, in the upper left diagram as a time course, in the lower, left 3D diagram as its dependence on the time t, more precisely the time of day, and the place x. As symbolized by the arrows that emerge from the diagrams, the traffic condition data acquired in this way on the vehicle side are saved except for the congestion monitor and assistance systems in the system part 9 used for its traffic forecasts, especially in connection with the hydrographic memory 1 and the construction site information 6 from the Internet.

Based on the means 5 to determine time and date and a GPS receiver generates the traffic computer unit as described, starting from the current vehicle location and the current time, by the gangway-based traffic forecast taking into account the vehicle side recorded traffic condition data traffic information for a sufficiently large environment around the current vehicle location and then shows up a screen 19 the viewer the traffic network area as a route network map along with estimated arrival times for at least a portion of the network nodes. This allows the driver to estimate at what time he could expect to arrive at the location concerned. Furthermore, as mentioned, the traffic computer unit determines the difference between the predicted travel time and the predefined travel time in free traffic for the respective network node and shows this eg in a table 14 at. If there is too much deviation, the presence of a jam area is concluded, and such jamming objects are then displayed on the jam monitor, eg by fading into the road map on the screen 19 ,

3 shows a variant of the system of 1 in addition to vehicle-vehicle communication 16 are provided, with which the own vehicle can communicate directly with a plurality of other vehicles, these other vehicles also each means to the vehicle have lateral measurement (FSM) of traffic-state-indicative data locally at the location of the respective vehicle. As a result, these traffic status data collected locally by other vehicles can be transmitted to the vehicle and additionally taken into account for matching and area-based traffic-based traffic prognosis, which further improves forecast reliability The own vehicle sends in turn the traffic condition data measured by it over the communication means 16 to the other vehicles. Otherwise the procedure of the system corresponds to 3 that of the system of 1 as explained above.

4 shows a variant of the system of 3 in which, in addition to hydrographs, traffic state data measured by the own vehicle and by the other vehicles, current traffic information data are received by corresponding receiving means 17 received by a traffic control center or the Internet and taken into account in the traffic forecast. Specifically, these data obtained outside the vehicle and supplied to the vehicle directly to the assistance systems 13 , the "matching" procedure 11 and a dynamic traffic forecast 18 supplied in addition to the gangway-based traffic prediction system part 9 makes use of the "matching" results and their results in this system part 9 and the screen monitor 12 as well as the assistance systems 13 provides.

In all embodiments described above can for the traffic forecasts optionally provide the specification of a destination be, which significantly reduces the computational effort, since the route calculation to a certain sector of the road network area containing the destination be limited can. In all cases In particular, the traffic forecast result may contain information about the local Situation and the period already existing as well as predicted Traffic disruption objects and also about their internal structure include, for example, to determine Travel times can also be of great importance. Such Traffic disruption objects can of any known type, such as traffic jams, synchronized traffic, compressed synchronized traffic and pattern dense traffic at effective bottlenecks, including queue patterns at junctions of metropolitan areas.

to further increase in efficiency of existing computing capacities, the especially for vehicle-mounted systems relatively limited As a further aspect of this invention, a default may be different Level of detail for the treatment of detected or predicted traffic disruption objects dependent be provided from the distance from the current vehicle location. This includes in particular the possibility of such traffic obstruction objects characterizing information with depending on the distance of the objects different degrees of detail of the vehicle, e.g. at a screen or acoustically e.g. by voice output to the display bring to.

In an exemplary, simple realization, as in 5 is indicated schematically, within a short range N of the current vehicle location S a highest degree of detail D1 is provided, the very detailed forecast information also about the lane-individual behavior of the traffic and taking into account the weather or the road condition for various assistance functions includes, eg automatic lane selection, choice the distance control, choice of overtaking behavior as well as on and off and warnings about various possible dangerous situations that may be associated with, for example, a sudden accident or other traffic disruption event.

Specifically, these detailed forecast traffic state information includes one or more of the following information as needed: information about the exact time-space structure, ie, vehicle speed history and average time lanes or vehicle densities per lane, within wide traffic congestion Areas of synchronized traffic and areas of compressed synchronized traffic; Information on the temporal-spatial evolution of the fronts of these different, distinct traffic jams; Information about the distance from such fronts and their speed; Information about the behavior of the vehicle speed within each such fault area and its extent; Warnings about fronts where there is a need to slow down sharply, eg on an upstream front between free and synchronized traffic or between free traffic and moving wide traffic congestion or between synchronized traffic and moving wide traffic congestion; Information or suggestions on the behavior of the vehicle for safe deceleration in this case, such as lane choice and choice of an appropriate deceleration; and information or suggestions for the behavior of the vehicle for as soon as possible leaving a moving wide congestion and / or a range of synchronized traffic, such as in particular proposals for lane choice, choice of acceleration and choice of time gaps or the vehicle spacing.

These Type of exploration of existing or predicted traffic disruption objects with the described, highest Level of detail is, for example, for close range removal up to 1 km from the current vehicle location, alternatively up to a few Kilometers. At this short-range can then be a second distance range E at distances of e.g. 1 km to 10 km, alternatively up to a few 10 km, connect, in which the detected traffic disruption objects with a slightly lower Level of detail D2 will be treated. This somewhat reduced Level of detail preferably also includes the consideration of traffic disruption objects, especially patterns of dense traffic at effective bottlenecks, in their complete Overall structure and / or the prognostic calculation of input and output Exit times in or out of areas of moving traffic jams or synchronized Traffic and / or the duration of remaining in a respective such area. Furthermore, suggestions are made on local detour strategies provided optically or acoustically, and even then, if these detour strategies from the otherwise optimal Route deviate locally.

Otherwise remote area F greater distances from the current vehicle location is sufficient then for reliable Traffic forecasts a still further reduced level of detail D3, whereby the extent of each still to be determined or displayed Traffic incident information selected as needed can be e.g. according to conventional Traffic disruption ads.

The described method of providing traffic information with varying degrees of detail depending on the distance from the vehicle may be combined in combination with any method for obtaining the corresponding traffic forecast data, in particular also with the one described herein in connection with FIG 1 to 4 explained forecasting method.

The same applies to a further variant of the method according to the invention, the calculation and presentation of traffic forecasts or route recommendations includes, depending on from the road condition and the weather only such sections of the considered Transport network considered, the with respect to the road condition or the weather uncritical are, i. with a sufficiently low, predefinable security risk and / or sufficiently high, specifiable ride comfort are passable. For example can with this procedure icy road sections in the calculation optimal routes are excluded. The optical or acoustic Display of such traffic forecasts preferably also includes the message about Causes of using a limited selection of sections in the Comparison to a weather-free situation, in which all sections of the transport network are taken into account and possibly a much faster optimal route can. This makes the route recommendations transparent to the driver and plausible. Therefor is it, as well as for the other, considered in this case variants of the method, in addition appropriate if additionally to the calculated and proposed optimal route or lane the associated advantages compared to alternative routes or an alternative lane choice, for example, benefits across from a route that the driver otherwise usually chooses between two particular network points.

Claims (9)

Method for vehicle-specific traffic forecast, in which - based on the current vehicle location of a vehicle-side traffic computer unit vehicle-specific traffic forecasts using a calculation of optimal routes from the current vehicle location to network nodes of a traffic network area using stored ganglinienartiger traffic patterns and a predetermined cost function are created, characterized in that - the traffic forecasts of the traffic computer unit are created with the additional inclusion of it supplied traffic status-indicative data recorded on the vehicle side and / or recorded by other vehicles and transmitted to the own vehicle. Method according to claim 1, further characterized that for the preparation of the traffic forecasts additionally provided outside the vehicle current Traffic condition data taken into account become. The method of claim 1 or 2, further characterized marked that the preparation of traffic forecasts under Specification of a destination becomes. Method for vehicle-specific traffic prognosis, in particular according to one of claims 1 to 3, in which - vehicle-specific traffic forecasts are taken into account taking into account current and / or vo estimated traffic disturbance objects are created, characterized in that - the traffic forecasts in two or more different degrees of detail (D1, D2, D3) are created with respect to the detected current and / or estimated traffic disturbance objects depending on their distance from the current vehicle location. Method according to claim 4, further characterized that in a highest Level of detail (D1) for provided a near field one or more of the following information Be: Information about the time- and location-resolved structure of areas of moving wide traffic jams, synchronized traffic and compressed synchronized traffic; Information about the temporal-spatial Developing fronts between such areas; Information about the Removal of such fronts; Information about the speed of such fronts; Information about that Vehicle speed behavior within such fronts and the extent of such fronts; Brake warning information for such fronts and related Information about the braking behavior; and information about that Vehicle behavior to the fastest leaving such areas. Method according to claim 5, further characterized that one opposite reduced level of detail (D2) for a subsequent distance range is provided, the information about the full structure of Pattern dense traffic at effective bottlenecks and / or forecast information Entry and exit times regarding Areas of moving wide traffic jams or synchronized traffic and / or over the Duration of stay in such areas and / or information too local detour strategies. Method according to one of claims 4 to 6, further characterized marked that for a calculation of optimal routes for creating traffic forecasts only in terms of road condition and weather uncritical sections of the transport network become. Method according to one of claims 4 to 7, further characterized characterized in that the preparation of traffic forecasts an advertisement optimal routes and the associated Includes criteria and / or differences to alternative routes. Method according to one of claims 5 to 8, further characterized characterized in that as a close range with the highest level of detail Vehicle environment up to a distance of at most a few Kilometers from the current vehicle location and for a next lower level of detail followed by Distance range up to a maximum chosen a few ten kilometers become.