Method and apparatus generating estimates vehicular movement involving multiple input-output roadway nodes
A roadway information system is disclosed with components generating and using vehicle signatures for vehicles passing near sensor pods located on or near lanes in a multiple input-output roadway node. Means and/or processors for matching incoming and outgoing vehicle signatures are disclosed creating an in-out vehicle match table used to generate a vehicle movement estimate or its components including a travel time and/or vehicle count that may be created and/or used in response to a match tally exceeding a threshold or the stimulation of a timing signal.
1. Apparatus, comprising at least one instance of a member of a generating group consisting of:
a means for generating at least one vehicle movement estimate from at least one vehicle signature each based upon sensor readings from at least two sensor pods situated near both incoming lanes of incoming vehicles and outgoing lanes of outgoing vehicles,
with both said incoming lanes and said outgoing lanes included in a roadway node with the sum of said incoming lanes and said outgoing lanes is at least three,
with said at least one vehicle movement estimate including a travel time and a vehicle count,
with said at least one vehicle movement estimate meeting a quality criteria; and
a processor configured to generate said vehicle movement estimate in response to a match tally exceeding a match tally threshold.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising at least one instance of a member of a matching group consisting of:
a means for matching configured to access lists of said at least one of said vehicle signatures as incoming vehicle signatures based upon sensor readings of sensor pods
to create an in-out vehicle match table used to estimate a travel time and a vehicle count of said incoming vehicles and said outgoing vehicles passing between said sensor pods of at least one of said incoming lanes and at least one of said outgoing lanes in response to said match tally exceeding said match tally threshold; and
a processor configured to access a first of said lists of said incoming vehicle signatures and a second of said lists of said at least one vehicle signatures as outgoing vehicle signatures to create said in-out vehicle match table in response to said match tally exceeding said match tally threshold.
3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein said at least one instance of said member of said generating group is coupled with said instance of said member of said matching group to access said first of said lists of said incoming vehicle signatures and said second of said lists of said outgoing vehicle signatures to create said in-out vehicle match table.
4. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein said at least one instance of said member of said generating group includes said instance of said member of said matching group.
5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein at least one member of said generating group includes at least one instance of at least one member of the group consisting of:
a finite state machine,
a configuration module configured to initialize a programmable logic device to create said finite state machine,
a computer accessibly coupled to a computer readable memory including a program system comprising at least one program step for instructing said computer,
an inferential engine directed by a rule system including at least one member of an inference group consisting of at least one fact and at least one inference rule;
wherein said apparatus further includes at least one member of the group consisting of
a server containing an installation package for at least one member of the group consisting of said configuration module, said program system and said rule system, with said server configured to communicate said installation package to at least one member of the group consisting of said finite state machine, said computer and said inferential engine; and
said computer readable memory including at least one member of the group consisting of configuration module, said program system, said rule system, and said installation package.
6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein said program system includes the program step of:
generating said vehicular movement estimate based upon said vehicle passing said at least two sensor pods.
7. The apparatus of claim 6 ,
wherein the program step generating said vehicular movement estimate comprises at least one of the program steps of:
acquiring said vehicle signatures for said at least two successive sensor pods based upon said sensor readings;
generating a scorecard ( 28 , 29 ) of said vehicle signatures from said sensor pods;
matching said vehicle signatures based upon said scorecard to create an in-out vehicle match table ( 32 ) with a match count; and
generating said vehicle movement estimate from said in-out vehicle match table in response to said match count exceeding said match count threshold.