Traffic Signal SPaT Notifications With Reason Codes for Vehicles
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current traffic light communication systems do not provide the reason for traffic signal state changes to vehicles, limiting their ability to make informed navigation decisions and react to changing road conditions effectively.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus that collect traffic data, including flow, incident, and emergency vehicle information, to derive an abnormal status for traffic signals and adjust their phase and timing, then generate notifications to vehicles with the reason for the adjustments, using a signal phase and timing process engine and database system.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If traffic data collection and processing systems are implemented to provide detailed traffic signal information, then navigation decision-making is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts only the essential abnormal status information (reason codes) from complex traffic data and transmits it to vehicles. Rather than transmitting all raw traffic data, the system extracts and communicates only the critical abnormal status indicators that affect navigation decisions, thereby reducing communication overhead while maintaining adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the parameter representation of traffic signal information by introducing standardized abnormal status codes that concisely represent complex traffic conditions. Instead of transmitting detailed narratives about traffic conditions, the system uses parameterized status codes (e.g., emergency vehicle present, incident detected) that convey meaningful information in a compact, easily processable format.
Data Source
AI summary
A method is provided for traffic light signal phase and timing control (SPaT) status and notification message delivery. The method includes collecting traffic flow, incident, and emergency vehicle information on a predetermined portion of a road geometry network. The method dynamically adjusts the SPaT information for a traffic light signal in the predetermined portion of the road geometry network based on the information collected, and delivers a normal or abnormal SPaT status change with the adjusted SPaT information.