Travel Time Calculation Using Probe Vehicle Density and Flow
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems for predicting travel time on roads face challenges in accurately detecting traffic conditions that differ from steady states, such as accidents or bottlenecks, due to the limited installation of vehicle sensors.
Innovation Solution
An information processing device calculates travel time by estimating traffic flow rate and vehicle density using probe information from vehicles, without relying on data from vehicle sensors, and divides the road section into multiple calculation sections when bottlenecks are present.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If vehicle sensors are installed to detect traffic conditions, then measurement precision of traffic conditions is improved, but device complexity and installation cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses probe information from vehicles as a copy or alternative data source to replace physical vehicle sensors. Instead of installing sensors on roads, the system collects travel information (position, speed, time) from vehicles themselves, creating a virtual sensing network that achieves traffic condition detection without physical sensor installation
Solution Approach 2:
Vehicles serve themselves by providing their own travel information data. The probe information system leverages the vehicles' inherent capability to track and report their own position, speed, and time data, eliminating the need for external sensing infrastructure
2Device complexity
If vehicle sensors are sparsely installed to reduce cost, then device complexity is reduced, but measurement precision of traffic conditions deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The probe information system serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides traffic flow data, vehicle density information, speed data, and position information all from the same vehicle travel information sources. This multi-functional approach replaces multiple specialized sensors with a single versatile data collection mechanism
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from spatial distribution of physical sensors along the road to a temporal dimension by collecting continuous vehicle data over time. Instead of placing sensors at fixed points, the system accumulates data from vehicles passing through, converting a spatial measurement problem into a temporal aggregation problem
3Measurement precision
If the road section is divided into multiple calculation sections to improve prediction accuracy, then measurement precision of travel time is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the road section into multiple calculation sections based on bottleneck locations and traffic flow characteristics. By segmenting the road into sections with relatively uniform traffic conditions, the system can calculate travel time for each section separately and sum them, improving overall prediction accuracy while keeping each segment's calculation manageable
Data Source
AI summary
An information processing device for calculating a travel time that is a time from a predetermined point to arrival at a target point by a vehicle traveling on a road, the information processing device comprising: a control unit configured to estimate a traffic flow rate that is a number of vehicles passing through the target point within a predetermined unit time; estimate a first traffic amount that is a number of vehicles in a first section that is a section of a road from the predetermined point to the target point based on a vehicle density that is a density of the vehicle existing in the first section calculated from the travel information acquired from the vehicle traveling in the first section; and calculate a first travel time that is a travel time in the first section based on the traffic flow rate and the first traffic amount.