Turnoff lead system and method

Abstract

This invention discloses a turning junction advance guidance system and method, relating to the field of intelligent transportation infrastructure technology. The system includes at least one continuous physical marking strip laid on the main road surface. The starting point of the physical marking strip is located in front of the target junction. The physical marking strip extends continuously along the driving direction from the starting point and passes through the target junction. Different physical marking strips are endowed with significantly differentiated visual coding features, such as color or graphic symbols, and each marking strip uniquely associates with a preset turning route. This invention provides a continuous and unambiguous physical visual tracking path from the starting point to the passing point, enabling drivers to lock onto and confidently control the correct route in advance. This effectively solves the identification difficulties and decision-making anxiety experienced by drivers at unfamiliar and complex junctions, significantly improving driving safety and traffic efficiency.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of intelligent transportation infrastructure technology, specifically a turning lane advance guidance system and method based on continuous vision. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, the highway network is highly developed, and overpasses are very common, with diverse types and shapes. Their junctions are also numerous and complex. Junction guidance mainly relies on static directional signs placed at the junctions. However, this type of signage has inherent drawbacks: information delivery is delayed, drivers must be close to the junction to recognize it, and the success rate decreases significantly in inclement weather, insufficient light, or when lanes are obstructed by large vehicles. Although electronic navigation can provide advanced voice prompts and navigation accuracy is constantly being improved, with many areas already achieving high-precision navigation, its information is still disconnected from the physical environment. Drivers still need to match and confirm voice commands with multiple physical junctions within a short time at the junction, resulting in a high cognitive load, rushed decision-making time, and a high risk of missing junctions or making emergency lane changes. Looking at the navigation map also requires frequent eye shifts, leading to a disconnect from the surrounding environment, which is also a high-risk driving behavior. Current technology lacks a physical guidance solution that can match the driver's spatial cognitive process and provide uninterrupted, unambiguous visual tracking from the lead-in point to the destination. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The purpose of this invention is to address the shortcomings of existing technologies by providing a system and method for advance guidance (or identification) of turning lanes. This system creates a continuous physical visual tracking strip (line) linked to the turning route, enabling the driver to lock onto and verify the driving path in advance. To achieve the above objective, this invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0004] In a first aspect, the present invention provides a turning lane advance guidance (or identification) system, comprising: at least one continuous physical marking strip laid on the main road surface; the starting point of the physical marking strip is located in front of the target lane intersection (intersection), and the physical marking strip extends from the starting point along the main road direction of travel, passing through the target lane intersection (intersection) in a continuous manner without interruption; wherein, different physical marking strips are endowed with visually distinct features, and each marking strip is uniquely associated with a preset turning route; the visually encoded features are colors, graphics, symbols, textures, numbers, letters, etc., or combinations thereof.

[0005] Secondly, the present invention provides a method for advance guidance (or marking) of turning intersections, comprising: determining a starting point in front of a target intersection (intersection) on the main road; laying a continuous physical marking strip with visual coding features along the driving direction from the starting point; guiding the physical marking strip to pass through the target intersection (intersection) in a continuous manner; wherein the physical marking strips laid for different turning roads have different visual coding features.

[0006] For drivers, it is important that these continuous physical marking strips are simple and clear. Here, color and shape are preferred, and some related issues are also discussed and explained.

[0007] (1) Colors: Red, yellow, green, blue, purple, white, etc., are used to represent different turning routes to avoid misunderstandings for drivers. For example, a 4-way interchange has 4 main road directions and 8 turning ramps, but each main road direction only has 2 turning routes: left turn and right turn. Therefore, only 2 colors are needed, such as blue and green. It is better to implement a nationally unified system, such as using blue to represent left turn routes and green to represent right turn routes. Some interchanges are more complex, such as 5-way and 6-way interchanges, which only have 4 turning routes and only 4 colors are needed. Even the extremely complex 8-way interchange is not a problem. Note that yellow and white are traditional road marking colors and should be used with caution to prevent confusion. In addition, there are combination colors. There are many ways to combine them, but generally speaking, they are not very necessary and tend to be more complicated.

[0008] (2) Why color is preferred: In theory, graphics, letters, numbers, symbols, etc. can all be used as identifiers, and we do not object to this. However, these require seeing the whole picture to determine the identifier, while color does not require so much trouble. As long as it is not completely obscured, it can be identified. Of course, other things that have the same effect can also be used, and are not limited to this.

[0009] (3) Color: It is best to be bright and visually impactful to drivers; for example, red, blue and green, so that drivers can recognize them at a glance. The color should be saturated so that it is more obvious. Light colors are not obvious and the effect will be worse. To enhance the effect, reflective particles can also be added, just like traditional lane markings.

[0010] (4) Color difference: In order to clearly distinguish different turning routes, the colors used should have a greater color difference to make it easier for drivers to distinguish them; it is also best not to use ambiguous colors, because the target audience is hundreds of millions of drivers, and there are not many art students among them. For example, how to name and distinguish different shades of yellow? Many people cannot distinguish between orange and yellow. Therefore, if there is yellow, it should be paired with a color that is far different from it, such as green or purple. In addition, yellow and white have long been used on highways, and these two colors should be handled with care.

[0011] (5) Shape: It can be a simple solid line, similar to a lane line, or it can be wider. If it is too narrow, it may not be conspicuous. It can be a continuous arrow, so that people can tell at a glance that it is a turning route mark. It can also be designed as a special shape to be clearly distinguished from the original lane line, such as: tooth shape, triangle, rectangle, arrow, S-turn, wave shape, diamond shape, etc. In short, it is a measure that is easy for drivers to identify. Different marks can also use different shapes.

[0012] (6) In theory, different shapes of the same color can also be used to distinguish them, but they are not easily distinguishable from a distance and tend to become more complicated. Therefore, different colors are preferred, or color coding is the main method.

[0013] (7) Quantity: On a main road, if there are several turning routes in one direction of traffic, then lay several different marking strips. This makes it easier for drivers to lock onto the driving route at once, so that they don't have to search for new markings later, which would waste time and make mistakes. For example, if there are two turning routes in a certain direction of traffic on the main road, then lay two marking strips; if there are four turning routes, then lay four marking strips.

[0014] (8) Dialectically speaking, if there are two roads, one with signs and the other without signs, and you have to choose one, the lack of signs is itself a kind of identification feature, but for the sake of concreteness, it would be better to make both signs.

[0015] (9) Lead time, i.e., the distance between the starting point of the sign and the junction: This is crucial for interchanges, especially highway interchanges, and varies depending on the actual situation, such as 50 meters, 500 meters, 1000 meters, 2000 meters, etc. In short, it is necessary to ensure that drivers have enough time and opportunity to find the sign and accurately lock onto the driving route, and have sufficient time and opportunity to adjust their driving status in a timely manner; for example, on a highway at a speed of 120 km / h, if the sign is placed 2000 meters in advance, the driver has at least 1 minute to find the sign and adjust their driving status. This time can be extended as the speed decreases; for the driver, In short, once the turning route is accurately locked, the driver has already mentally completed the turn at the intersection; the rest is just a matter of execution. To avoid panic at the last minute, especially on overpasses where the main road may be obstructed and the overpass may not be easily visible to the driver, it's better to have the signs placed well in advance. In general, for urban overpasses, where driving speeds are lower and there are stopping conditions, 50 meters in advance may be enough, or even less. Traditional navigation systems, although they also provide early warnings, ultimately rely entirely on the last 10 meters for the final decision. Even with voice prompts and a navigation map, such a short time frame can still lead to mistakes.

[0016] (10) Relationship between sign advance (starting point) and vehicle speed: The advance of the sign is not only about the distance, but more importantly, it is to give the driver time to make the right decision and perform the turning operation. Based on this, if it is used for low-speed road intersections, the sign advance can be smaller, while the sign advance of the sign on high-speed overpasses is larger. Note: Signs with high traffic volume or particularly complex overpasses also need to be advanced to reserve time and opportunity for lane changing. Therefore, the determination of the starting point of the sign band must take into account factors such as the design speed, traffic volume, and road complexity.

[0017] (11) Location: The marking strip is laid directly on the road. This is important because it allows drivers to drive directly along the marking strip, which is an important condition that does not cause any ambiguity. Moreover, the driver's eyes do not need to leave the road ahead, so there is no safety hazard.

[0018] (12) Continuous: that is, uninterrupted. If there are discontinuous lines or the discontinuous lines are long, the driver may lose sight of the target sign on the curve. In addition, the obstruction of the vehicle in front will also distract attention. If discontinuity is necessary, the discontinuity should be minimized, or diagonal discontinuity should be used. In this way, although there is discontinuity, it does not affect the continuity and can be distinguished from the original road lines to form a special sign.

[0019] (13) Continuation: The marking strip continues to the intersection. Some overpasses have only one intersection where the main road turns out, and then there are left and right intersections. In this case, the marking strip continues to the next intersection. Here, let me explain the issue of the marking strip crossing the intersection. Under the condition of no ambiguity, the marking strip does not necessarily have to physically cross the intersection. For example, at the intersection of two roads, there are two marking strips. The marking strip is close to the intersection and has no ambiguity in pointing to the corresponding road. In the driver's mind, the marking strip has already crossed the corresponding intersection. As a preferred option, it is better for the marking strip to physically cross the intersection.

[0020] (14) Continuing to the fork: After reaching the fork, you can continue for a distance. This is a psychological issue, but it is to reassure the driver that he has not taken the wrong road and can drive with peace of mind, because he will soon meet another vehicle and enter another road. Of course, it is not a big problem not to extend to the fork, or only extend a little bit, but it is definitely better to extend for a distance.

[0021] (15) Materials: can be road paint, colored raw stone, reflective powder, etc., of course, they must be wear-resistant and durable.

[0022] (16) Spacing: Each marking strip should be kept at a certain distance and should not be placed next to each other to avoid people mistaking it for a two-color line.

[0023] (17) Gradual widening: The marking strip can gradually widen as the fork approaches, giving the driver a natural sense of proximity. It can also widen at the fork or remain the same width.

[0024] (18) Starting point difference: Depending on the distance of the intersection corresponding to the turning sign, the starting point of different sign strips may not be the same; for example, if there are two intersections ahead, the first one is a right turn intersection, and its sign line starts earlier; the second one is a left turn intersection, and its sign line starts later accordingly, but the advance of the sign is not affected.

[0025] (19) Lighting assistance: Lighting assistance is similar to the above-mentioned color application and has the same principle. Its essence is to provide advance perception within sight and has a better effect at night. It only needs to be set at the intersection. Its color is the same as the color of the corresponding road sign. Note that some obstruction should be done so as not to affect other directions. It can be made into the shape of an arrow, can flash, and frequency differentiation can be considered. For example, at a four-way interchange, the left turn ramp uses a blue arrow light that flashes at a high frequency, and the right turn ramp uses a green arrow light that flashes at a medium frequency. The effect is more perfect when the two signs are used together. Red lights should definitely not be used randomly here to avoid drivers suddenly braking due to conditioned reflex and causing accidents. That is to say, red signs can be used on the ground, but red lights cannot be used. In addition, reflective facilities of the corresponding color also have a similar effect at night.

[0026] The above methods are very much in line with the logic of life and common sense. They are simple, easy to understand, and require no special learning.

[0027] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of this invention include: (1) Innovation in guidance mode: The traditional dot-shaped sign prompts are transformed into linear continuous guidance. After the driver identifies the target visual code at the decision starting point, he can follow the continuous sign strip through complex intersections, advancing the decision-making process and making the operation more relaxed; (2) Reduction of cognitive load: Abstract navigation instructions or place name information are transformed into intuitive and easy-to-track visual codes (such as colors), which greatly reduces the cognitive and judgment pressure on the driver in unfamiliar environments; (3) Formation of redundant safety: The standardized and continuous physical recognition system established by this invention provides a basis for data fusion of intelligent navigation systems. The interactive prompts provide a natural physical interface; the navigation system can use positioning technology to determine the vehicle's approach to the decision starting point and prompt the driver to follow a certain color marking strip through voice or graphical interface, so as to realize the synergistic verification of electronic navigation and physical environment guidance and build dual safety redundancy; (4) Improve traffic efficiency: all vehicles can select lanes in advance according to visual coding and pass through intersections in a streamlined manner, reducing traffic flow interruption and congestion caused by hesitant temporary lane changes; (5) Strong implementation compatibility: the present invention does not need to change the existing road structure, but can be realized by adding and standardizing road markings, which is compatible with the existing traffic system and has low transformation cost.

[0028] This invention is very suitable for high-speed interchanges, and is also applicable to other interchanges, interchange combinations and other complex roads; as a road (interchange) coding system, it is theoretically not limited by the road form and can be coded regardless of whether it is simple or complex.

[0029] In applications on ordinary urban roads: the lead time for ground markings can be significantly shortened, and they can even be placed further back. The main reason is that vehicle speeds are low, there is less urgency, and there are even conditions for stopping. Even if a mistake is made, it is easy to find a way back, so drivers are not too nervous. For example, at roundabouts, different colors are used for different exits, so a little advance is sufficient. For example, on general urban roads, the colors of the entrances to secondary lanes on the same side are staggered according to the main and secondary lanes, or several colors are used in rotation. Here, we explain the issue of the sign being placed further back without physical advance: this is based on visual tracking, considering how far the driver can see it. It is not an absolute physical meaning that a 1-meter advance of the sign means only 1 meter. For example, if the sign is still effectively visible 10 meters away after removing general interference, then its effective warning is 10 meters in advance.

[0030] Application of signage at rural intersections: Rural roads are more complex and less standardized, and there are no road signs or traffic lights like those on major roads. Therefore, the requirements for signage are lower. It is okay to use a mixture of graphics, letters, colors, symbols, numbers, etc. Signage should be made according to the main and secondary roads. New intersections can be directly marked, but the repetition rate should be low.

[0031] Application in complex regional roads: The application principle is the same, but using road marking strips may be too congested. Numerical or alphanumeric codes can be used and hung at intersections. Considering the large number of drivers, numbers are preferred here. For example, if there are 13 entrances and exits in the area, 13 simple numerical codes can be hung at each intersection. The consideration here is that if place name signs are hung (or only place name signs are hung), those who are familiar with the area will not need them, and those who are not familiar with the area will not understand them. Moreover, there are too many place names and complex characters. Physical advance warning is not required here. The main purpose is advance visibility, which is simple and efficient.

[0032] Application of multi-level roads: Each level has a different identification code, and the levels are displayed simultaneously.

[0033] It can also be applied to complex underground roads or large parking lots, where it is a problem of finding and identifying access roads, which can be marked with different colors. Attached Figure Description

[0034] Figure 1 A schematic diagram illustrating the application of physical signage strips in one direction of traffic on the main road of an overpass.

[0035] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the application of physical identification strips at a 4-way turntable.

[0036] In the diagram: 1 Main road, 11 Main road 1, 12 Main road 2, 13 Main road 3, 14 Main road 4, 2 Left turn ramp, 3 Right turn ramp, 42 Confirmation section - Left turn, 43 Confirmation section - Right turn, 51 Wear-resistant red road paint, 52 Wear-resistant yellow road paint, 53 Wear-resistant green road paint, 54 Wear-resistant blue road paint, 6 Physical marker strip, 62 Physical marker strip - Left turn, 63 Physical marker strip - Right turn, 72 Physical marker strip starting point - Left turn, 73 Physical marker strip starting point - Right turn, 82 Left turn junction, 83 Right turn junction, 9 Roundabout. Detailed Implementation

[0037] The technical solution of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and preferred embodiments.

[0038] Figure 1 As shown, this is applied to the case of the main road 1 of the overpass leading to the turning ramp; (1) Right turn physical marking strip: using wear-resistant yellow road paint 52, starting from the preset right turn physical marking strip starting point 73, a continuous right turn physical marking strip 63 is laid on the road surface, extending along the driving direction and passing through the right turn junction 83. In order to reassure the driver, as a preferred implementation plan, the right turn physical marking strip 63 extends a certain distance on the right turn ramp 3, of which the right turn physical marking strip after passing the right turn junction 83 is the right turn confirmation section 43; (2) Left turn physical marking strip: using wear-resistant red road paint 51, starting from the preset left turn physical marking strip starting point 72, a continuous left turn physical marking strip 62 is laid on the road surface, extending along the driving direction and passing through the left turn junction 82. Similarly, the left turn physical marking strip 62 extends a certain distance on the left turn ramp 2, after passing the left turn junction 82 This left-turn physical sign strip is the left-turn confirmation section 42; (3) In the figure, the left-turn physical sign strip 62 and the right-turn physical sign strip 63 are laid directly on the road surface of the main road 1 and are located in the outer lane; Note: As a preferred implementation, the left-turn confirmation section 42 and the right-turn confirmation section 43 are set; (4) In the application, before the driver drives to the decision starting point, he can learn from any information source (including but not limited to traditional road signs, navigation equipment, etc.) what kind of visual code the route to his destination must follow (such as "towards xx, please drive along the red sign strip"). Then, the driver searches for the red sign strip on the road and completes the lane change, driving the vehicle along the red sign strip 62; thereafter, the red sign strip 62 provides an uninterrupted visual track to guide the vehicle to pass smoothly through the intersection 82 and through the confirmation section 42, so that the driver can obtain the final confirmation of driving correctly and thus safely merge into the new road.

[0039] Figure 2In the middle, four main roads 11, 12, 13, and 14 all lead to roundabout 9. Each exit is covered with physical marker tape 6, and there is a slight advance. Different exits use different colors of wear-resistant road paint, namely: wear-resistant red road paint 51, wear-resistant yellow road paint 52, wear-resistant green road paint 53, and wear-resistant blue road paint 54.

[0040] Most importantly, the standardized physical marking system defined in this invention (with continuous marking strips of preset visual codes and fixed decision starting points) provides a crucial road test perception and data fusion foundation for advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and next-generation in-vehicle navigation. Navigation service providers can accurately mark the location of each interchange decision starting point and its corresponding visual coding information in their digital maps based on the specifications established in this invention. When a navigation system equipped with this upgraded map determines that a vehicle is approaching a decision starting point, it can trigger the generation of precise prompts such as "Turn right ahead, please follow the red marking strip," thereby achieving vehicle-road information coordination and verification, and greatly improving the reliability and safety of guidance.

[0041] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention; any modifications, equivalent substitutions, and improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A turning lane advance guidance system, characterized in that, include: At least one continuous physical signage strip is laid on the main road surface; the starting point of the physical signage strip is located in front of the target fork in the road; the physical signage strip extends continuously along the direction of travel from the starting point and passes through the target fork in the road; wherein, different physical signage strips are endowed with visually distinct features, and each signage strip is uniquely associated with a preset turning route.

2. The turning lane advance guidance system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The distance between the starting point and the target junction is determined based on at least one of the following factors: the design speed of the road, the traffic flow, and the complexity of the junction.

3. The turning lane advance guidance system according to claim 1, characterized in that: After passing through the target intersection, the physical marker strip continues to extend a predetermined distance into the road behind the intersection, forming a confirmation section.

4. The turning lane advance guidance system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The visual encoding feature is color.

5. The turning lane advance guidance system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The visual encoding feature is light.

6. The turning lane advance guidance system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The visual coding features are graphics, numbers, symbols, letters, textures, or combinations thereof.

7. The turning lane advance guidance system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The physical marking strips can be strip-shaped, toothed, triangular, rectangular, diamond-shaped, wavy, arrow-shaped, or S-shaped, and are distinct from standard lane lines.

8. A method for advance guidance of turning lanes, characterized in that, The method includes the following steps: on the main road, in front of the target fork, a starting point is determined, and from the starting point, a continuous physical marker strip with visual coding characteristics is laid along the driving direction to guide the physical marker strip to pass through the target fork in a continuous form; wherein, the physical marker strips laid for different turning routes have different visual coding characteristics to achieve unique association.

9. The method for advance guidance of turning lanes according to claim 8, characterized in that: The visual coding features are colors, graphics, symbols, numbers, letters, lights, or combinations thereof.

10. The early identification method according to claim 8, characterized in that: The distance between the decision-making starting point and the target fork is determined based on the design speed of the road.

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