Traffic Light to Lane Assignment via Swarm Data Fusion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing technologies face challenges in accurately assigning traffic lights to lanes, especially in complex intersection situations, leading to high incorrect rates.
Innovation Solution
A procedure where vehicles equipped with front cameras recognize traffic lights and their states, and transmit this data to a backend calculator. The calculator processes the data to determine the traffic light system's position on a map, vehicle movement, and traffic light states, creating an assignment table that correlates traffic lights with lanes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a single vehicle's camera detects traffic lights and lanes at intersections, then the system can identify traffic light positions and orientations, but the assignment accuracy of traffic lights to lanes deteriorates due to complex intersection situations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges data from multiple vehicles (swarm) to create a comprehensive view of the intersection. Each vehicle's camera detects traffic lights and lanes independently, but the backend combines all these observations to determine the correct traffic light-to-lane assignments, resolving ambiguities that single-vehicle detection cannot solve
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses feedback loops where detected traffic light states and lane information are continuously transmitted to the backend, which refines the assignment table based on accumulated data from multiple vehicles. This feedback mechanism allows the system to learn and improve assignment accuracy over time
2Device complexity
If traffic light assignment is determined solely by single-vehicle camera detection, then the system complexity remains low, but the assignment correctness deteriorates in diverse intersection scenarios
Solution Approach 1:
The backend server acts as an intermediary that receives raw detection data from multiple vehicles, processes this information centrally, and generates the final traffic light-to-lane assignment table. This intermediary approach allows complex processing to be distributed rather than embedded in each vehicle, maintaining individual vehicle simplicity while achieving high overall reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The assignment table generated by the backend serves multiple functions: it provides traffic light-to-lane mapping, predicts traffic light states, and guides vehicle navigation decisions. This universal data structure handles diverse intersection scenarios without requiring vehicle-specific customization
3Reliability
If the system collects and processes data from multiple vehicles in a swarm, then the traffic light assignment accuracy improves, but the data transmission and processing requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts only the essential data elements needed for assignment determination from each vehicle's detection output - specifically traffic light positions, orientations, states, and lane information. By filtering out redundant data before transmission to the backend, the system reduces data volume while preserving the information necessary for accurate assignment
Data Source
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AI summary
A method for assigning traffic lights of a traffic light system of a roadway section controlled by that traffic light system to the lanes of the roadway section, wherein the roadway section has at least one lane, the lanes of the roadway section have a common direction of travel, and a plurality of vehicles travel on the roadway section, comprises the steps of: - detection of an upcoming traffic light system by each vehicle traveling on the roadway section and moving towards the traffic light system, - continuous acquisition of the traffic light states of the traffic light system, the lane being traveled, the vehicle speed, and the vehicle position by each vehicle, wherein the acquisition begins at a predetermined distance from the traffic light system and continues until the traffic light system is passed, - transmission of the data recorded by each vehicle (traffic light states, lane, and speed) in the form of a data set to a backend computer.- The backend computer performs the following evaluations for each vehicle-specific data record: - Determining the identified traffic light system on a map, - Detecting the vehicle's movement through the road segment, - Determining the traffic light states as the vehicle passes the traffic light system, and - Creating an assignment table for the identified traffic light system from the evaluated data records, whereby the assignment table assigns the traffic lights of the traffic light system to the lanes of the road segment.