Road Status Data Fusion via Vehicle and Stationary Sensors
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current systems for collecting and processing road status data lack the ability to provide accurate, local information without dividing roads into small sub-areas, leading to unreliable weather and road condition information for authorities and drivers.
Innovation Solution
A method that collects data from multiple vehicles and a stationary unit, combining vehicle sensor data (such as ABS system status, GPS, and weather sensors) with data from a stationary unit to provide improved local road status information through a central server, allowing for continuous updates and precise condition reporting.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If weather stations are used to provide weather information, then coverage area is large, but accuracy and reliability of road-specific weather information deteriorates (only 60-70% correct)
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines data from multiple sources including weather stations, mobile units (vehicles), and road sensors into a unified road status information system. This merging allows the system to leverage the broad coverage of weather stations while compensating for their inaccuracies through localized data from vehicles and road sensors, thereby improving overall reliability of road-specific weather information.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces mobile units (vehicles) and road sensors as intermediary devices between weather stations and the final user. These intermediaries collect localized data that mediates between the general weather station data and specific road conditions, enabling more accurate road-specific information while maintaining broad coverage.
2Measurement precision
If roads are divided into small sub-areas with distinctive geographical features, then local road status information accuracy is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by collecting and processing data specifically for the location where the mobile unit or road sensor is currently positioned. Instead of dividing roads into predetermined sub-areas with geographical features, the system dynamically determines local conditions based on real-time data from vehicles and sensors, providing accurate local road status information without the complexity of predefined geographical zone management.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from static sub-area divisions based on geographical features to a dynamic system where data collection and processing are continuously updated based on the real-time position and conditions detected by mobile units and sensors. This dynamic approach maintains measurement precision while reducing system complexity by eliminating the need for predefined geographical zone management.
3Measurement precision
If data is collected from multiple vehicles and stationary units, then local road status information accuracy is improved, but data processing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the data processing task into distinct functional components: data collection from multiple vehicles and stationary units, data transmission to a central server, and centralized processing. This segmentation allows each component to focus on specific tasks, reducing the processing complexity at any single location while maintaining high accuracy through comprehensive data aggregation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a central server as an intermediary that handles the complex data processing operations. This intermediary consolidates data from multiple vehicles and stationary units, performing the complex analysis and synthesis in a centralized location rather than requiring complex processing at each individual data collection point, thereby reducing overall system complexity while maintaining high measurement precision.
Data Source
AI summary
A method and arrangement for collecting and processing data related to road status of a network of roads, include: collecting a first set of data from a plurality of vehicles indicating surrounding conditions in the vicinity of each vehicle; collecting a second set of data indicating the position of each vehicle; collecting a third set of data from the stationary data collecting unit indicating the surrounding conditions in the vicinity of the data collecting unit; transferring the first, second and third sets of data to a central server unit being associated with a storage medium; interpreting in the server unit, the first set of data in combination with the second and third set of data such that improved and local information related to road status for a coverage area of the data collecting unit is provided; and providing the information related to the road status to the user.