Vehicle Position Prediction Using Timestamped Transponder Data
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current Electronic Toll Collection (ETC) systems face challenges in accurately determining vehicle position, especially in open-road systems with wide-area communications, due to variable communication delays and latencies, which can lead to incorrect association of vehicles with toll transactions and enforcement actions.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that utilize a wide area RF communications protocol, including a vehicle position predictor to receive and process position data with a recorded time, allowing for prediction of vehicle position at a future time, thereby accounting for variable delays and ensuring accurate vehicle tracking and toll transactions in multilane roadways.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If wide area RF communications protocol is used for open-road ETC systems, then vehicle coverage area and system versatility are improved, but communication latency and position determination accuracy deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by recording the time when position data is captured at the transponder, before the data is transmitted through the communication network. This pre-timestamping allows the roadside processor to later compensate for variable communication delays by comparing the recorded time with the current processing time, thereby maintaining position determination accuracy despite using wide-area communications protocols.
2Length of stationary object
If wide area communications with variable latency are used, then communication range is improved, but vehicle position association accuracy deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements feedback by incorporating time stamps in the transmitted data that indicate when the position information was captured. The roadside processor uses this temporal feedback to determine whether received position data corresponds to the current vehicle detection event, enabling accurate association despite variable communication latency and extended communication range.
3Area of stationary object
If RF capture zones are extended for open-road systems, then system coverage area is improved, but timing alignment with vehicle detection systems deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The transponder records the time when position data is captured before transmission occurs. This preliminary timestamping action allows the system to extend RF capture zones while maintaining timing alignment accuracy, as the recorded time enables the roadside processor to correctly associate position data with vehicle detection events regardless of when the data is received.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method for predicting the location of a vehicle in an electronic toll collection system employing a wide area communication protocol. The vehicle includes a transponder that sends reports regarding the position of the vehicle and the time at which the position was determined. The system includes a vehicle position predictor for estimating the future position of the vehicle within a roadway based on two or more reports of past positions and the times at which they were recorded. Speed data or other data impacting likely future position may also be reported and factored into the estimate. The estimate of future position may be used in connection with triggering enforcement measures, timing a toll transaction, integrating wide area toll communications into a legacy toll transaction system, or for other applications.