Traffic Control Tree Weighting for Incident Response
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Solution Overview
Problem
Real-time traffic control systems face challenges in effectively responding to incidents on networks due to the complexity of managing command centers and the need for rapid decision-making, particularly in determining appropriate network-wide responses.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that utilize a tree representation to prioritize network junctions based on incident severity, associate weights with junctions, and optimize control parameters in real-time using available data to adapt traffic flow management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If real-time optimization of control parameters is performed across the entire network, then network-wide response effectiveness is improved, but computational complexity and response time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The network is segmented into multiple zones or regions, with optimization performed independently for each zone rather than globally. This reduces computational complexity while maintaining effective network-wide response through coordinated zone-level optimizations.
Solution Approach 2:
Different optimization strategies and parameter sets are applied to different regions of the network based on local incident severity and traffic conditions. High-priority incident-affected junctions receive more intensive optimization resources while lower-priority areas use simplified control parameters.
2Speed
If incident-affected junctions are elevated in priority immediately, then response time to incidents is improved, but traffic flow disruption to other network areas increases
Solution Approach 1:
The priority levels of junctions are dynamically adjusted based on real-time incident severity assessment and traffic conditions. Incident-affected junctions are elevated in priority when incidents occur, but this priority is temporary and adapts as conditions change, allowing flexible balance between rapid response and overall network flow.
Solution Approach 2:
Control parameters such as signal timing and priority weights are changed in response to incident severity levels. The system adjusts these parameters dynamically to optimize both incident response speed and minimization of secondary disruptions to other network areas.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for adjusting control parameters of a traffic management system in a presence of one or more incidents on a network includes junctions in a tree format, and at a lowest level of a tree comprise a group of associated junctions using coordinated timing, wherein each junction is associated with a weight as a function of its height within its tree, and wherein a junction with a highest weight in each tree comprises a lead junction for receiving timing information for its group of associated junctions.