Per-lane Traffic Data Collection via Video Analysis
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional real-time traffic information systems provide data on a per-road basis, failing to differentiate between lanes, which can lead to inaccurate navigation and route suggestions, as lanes often have varying traffic conditions due to factors like lane closures, speed differences, and occupancy levels.
Innovation Solution
A video capture device equipped with sensors and a processor that generates metadata by analyzing video signals from a vehicle's perspective, providing lane-specific traffic data, including speed and occupancy information, to assist navigation applications and aggregate with other devices for granular traffic insights.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If per-road traffic information is collected, then traffic data coverage is improved, but measurement precision of lane-specific conditions deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments traffic data collection by lane, using multiple sensors (cameras, LIDAR) positioned at different locations to capture video feeds from specific lanes. The processor then segments and analyzes traffic flow, speed, and occupancy data by lane, enabling precise per-lane measurements while maintaining manageable system complexity through modular sensor and processing architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements local quality by deploying sensors and processing capabilities specifically targeted at capturing lane-specific characteristics. Each sensor unit is configured to monitor particular lanes, and the processor applies lane-specific analysis algorithms to generate customized traffic information for each lane, ensuring high measurement precision for local conditions without requiring complete system redesign.
2Measurement precision
If video analysis is performed to detect lane-specific objects, then traffic information accuracy is improved, but processing time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by pre-configuring sensor fields of view to cover specific lanes and pre-programming object detection algorithms with lane-specific parameters. Video feeds are pre-processed to identify lane markers and boundaries before full traffic analysis begins, allowing the system to quickly extract relevant data without extensive real-time computation, thus maintaining both accuracy and speed.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts only the essential lane-specific information needed for navigation decisions from the video feeds, rather than analyzing all visual data. The processor selectively extracts traffic flow, speed, and occupancy metrics from detected objects, discarding redundant information. This extraction approach maintains high measurement precision for critical parameters while significantly reducing processing time and computational load.
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus comprising a sensor, an interface and a processor. The sensor may be configured to generate a video signal based on a targeted view from a vehicle. The interface may receive status information from the vehicle. The processor may be configured to detect objects in the video signal. The processor may be configured to generate metadata in response to (i) a classification of the objects in the video signal and (ii) the status information. The metadata may be used to report road conditions.