Centralized Traffic Coordination System for Dynamic Route Assignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing traffic management systems are fragmented, leading to inefficiencies such as overlapping alternative routes, increased traffic congestion, and frustration among users. Additionally, these systems often divert traffic onto secondary streets, potentially blocking Emergency Medical System (EMS) traffic and increasing overall traffic load, delays, and risks.
Innovation Solution
A computer system that coordinates traffic management by receiving information from traffic-management systems and traffic-mapping software. This system computes optimal routes for vehicles based on real-time traffic conditions, identifies events such as accidents or sporting events, and performs remedial actions like dynamically recomputing routes or providing alerts to users.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If traffic-mapping software provides alternative routes independently without coordination, then users may find shorter routes, but different vehicles end up using the same alternative route, eliminating time-of-arrival advantages and causing confusion and delays
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple independent traffic-mapping software instances into a coordinated system where a central server receives route requests from multiple users and computes alternative routes that are distributed across different vehicles. This ensures that alternative routes are not all assigned to the same vehicles, maintaining time-of-arrival advantages and preventing confusion.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback mechanisms where the central server monitors route assignments and traffic conditions in real-time. When an alternative route is assigned to a vehicle, the server tracks its progress and uses this information to make subsequent route assignments, ensuring that not all vehicles receive the same alternative route and maintaining system reliability.
2Productivity
If traffic is diverted onto secondary streets to manage congestion, then main road traffic may improve, but secondary streets not designed for the traffic load may be blocked, and EMS traffic may be blocked
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by differentiating route recommendations based on vehicle type and destination. The system identifies EMS vehicles and provides them with dedicated route options that prioritize their movement, while directing regular traffic to alternative routes. This ensures that EMS traffic is not blocked by general traffic management measures.
Solution Approach 2:
The central server acts as an intermediary between traffic management systems and individual navigation systems. It coordinates route assignments to ensure that secondary streets are not overloaded beyond their capacity and that EMS vehicles receive priority treatment, balancing main road traffic flow with the needs of emergency services.
3Reliability
If a centralized system coordinates all route computations, then route assignment reliability improves, but system complexity and computational requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the centralized route computation system into modular components: a central server that receives requests and computes routes, and distributed navigation systems in vehicles that display and follow the assigned routes. This segmentation maintains coordination reliability while managing system complexity through clear separation of functions.
Solution Approach 2:
The central server performs multiple functions: receiving route requests from multiple users, computing alternative routes, tracking vehicle progress, and making subsequent route assignments. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate specialized systems, managing complexity while maintaining comprehensive coordination reliability.
Data Source
AI summary
A computer system that coordinates traffic management is described. During operation, the computer system may receive information from a traffic-management system of an environment and second information from at least an instance of traffic-mapping software associated with an electronic device of a user, where the information specifies the traffic-light patterns in a time interval. Then, the computer system may compute a route, for at least a vehicle associated with the user from a current location associated with the electronic device to a destination based at least in part on the information and the second information. Next, the computer system may provide instructions addressed to the electronic device, where the one or more instructions specify the computed route.