Worksite Traffic Management Using Directed Graph Congestion Metrics
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing traffic management systems for worksites with multiple machines are inefficient due to uncoordinated operations leading to congestion, particularly in autonomously or remotely controlled environments, and require costly infrastructure like land buoys that are difficult to maintain.
Innovation Solution
A traffic system with onboard locating devices, controllers, and communication devices on each machine that generate location signals and calculate a congestion metric using a directed graph based on known route assignments, allowing for responsive operations to manage traffic and resource allocation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If land buoys are deployed to monitor traffic segments, then traffic congestion can be detected and managed, but system cost and infrastructure complexity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies self-service by enabling mobile machines to autonomously generate and transmit their own location data without requiring external monitoring infrastructure. Each machine equipped with a locating device independently contributes to the traffic management system, eliminating the need for land buoys or other fixed monitoring infrastructure while maintaining effective congestion detection and management capabilities
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical/physical land buoy infrastructure with an electronic/digital solution using locating devices on mobile machines. Instead of deploying physical sensors throughout the worksite, the system uses GPS or other locating technology already present on or attachable to mobile machines, substituting a complex physical infrastructure with a simpler digital tracking system
2Productivity
If multiple machines operate simultaneously at a worksite, then productivity increases, but traffic congestion and coordination difficulties worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback by continuously monitoring the locations of all mobile machines via locating devices and using this information to calculate congestion metrics. The worksite controller receives real-time location data, processes it to determine congestion levels at different worksite areas, and uses this feedback to dynamically assign routes and manage machine movements, enabling coordinated operation of multiple machines while maintaining high productivity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies dynamics by making route assignments and machine coordination adaptive rather than static. The system continuously updates congestion metrics based on current machine locations and dynamically adjusts route assignments in real-time, allowing the traffic management system to adapt to changing worksite conditions and maintain ease of operation even as multiple machines move simultaneously
3Productivity
If route assignments are optimized to reduce congestion, then machine efficiency improves, but system control complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies universality by creating a multi-functional worksite controller that performs multiple tasks: receiving location data from all machines, calculating congestion metrics across the worksite, determining optimal routes, and assigning routes to individual machines. This single controller handles the entire traffic management process, reducing overall system complexity compared to having separate specialized systems for each function while still achieving optimized machine efficiency through dynamic route assignment
Data Source
AI summary
A traffic system is disclosed for use with a plurality of mobile machines. The traffic system may have a locating device configured to generate a location signal indicative of a location of each of the plurality of mobile machines, and an onboard controller configured to regulate operation of each of the plurality of mobile machines based on the location signal. The traffic system may also have a communication device, and a worksite controller in communication with the locating device and onboard controller via the communication device. The worksite controller may be configured to calculate a directed graph of the worksite based on the location signal and known routes for each of the plurality of mobile machines. The worksite controller may also be configured to determine a congestion metric based on the directed graph, and to selectively command the onboard controller to implement a responsive operation based on the congestion metric.