IP Library Granted Patent US 11,250,699
Granted Patent B2
US 11,250,699 · App. 16/100,750 · Granted Feb 15, 2022

System and method of adaptive traffic management at an intersection

Inventors: William A. Malkes (Knoxville, TN); William S. Overstreet (Knoxville, TN); Jeffery R. Price (Knoxville, TN); Michael J. Tourville (Lenoir City, TN)
Assignee: Cubic Corporation
G08G1/08G06N5/025G08G1/005G08G1/0116G08G1/0133G08G1/0145G08G1/04G06N20/00
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,250,699
App. No.
16/100,750
Granted
Feb 15, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

A traffic control system and a method of automatic zone creation and modification for a smart traffic camera to be used in adaptive traffic management at an intersection are disclosed. One aspect of the present disclosure is a method including applying default zone parameters to define detection zones at one or more sensors installed at an intersection, the detection zones being used by the one or more sensors for monitoring and detecting traffic conditions at the intersection; determining a current vehicular traffic flow rate and a current pedestrian traffic flow rate at the intersection; determining if a triggering condition for adjusting one or more of the default zone parameters; and adjusting the one or more of the default zone parameters if the triggering condition is met.

Claims (60)

1. A method comprising:

applying default zone parameters to define detection zones at one or more sensors installed at an intersection, the detection zones being used by the one or more sensors for monitoring and detecting traffic conditions at the intersection;

determining a current pedestrian traffic flow rate at the intersection;

determining if a triggering condition for adjusting one or more of the default zone parameters, wherein the triggering condition is affected by the current pedestrian traffic flow rate; and

adjusting the one or more of the default zone parameters if the triggering condition is met to dynamically change size or shape of the detection zones, wherein the adjustment of the one or more of the default zone parameters include:

querying a third party database for a plurality of factors to determine a rule using a machine learning algorithm, wherein:

the plurality of factors include pedestrian information, device information associated with the pedestrian information, and event information within a certain distance from the intersection, and

the rule is determined based on correlations between the current pedestrian traffic flow rate and a current vehicular traffic flow rate at the intersection; and

enlarging or reducing the one or more of the default zone parameters based on the rule determined using the plurality of factors from the third party database.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the default zone parameters are manually specified using a graphical user interface.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the triggering condition includes a pedestrian threshold and a vehicular threshold, and

the triggering condition is met when the current vehicular traffic flow rate is greater than the vehicular threshold and the current pedestrian traffic flow rate is greater than the pedestrian threshold.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

querying a pedestrian database to determine if a pedestrian rule exists if the triggering condition is met, wherein the one or more of the default zone parameters are adjusted in the pedestrian rule exists.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the pedestrian rule identifies one or more alternative parameters for one or more of the detection zones at the intersection.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:

querying a zone setting database to retrieve alternative parameters for adjusting the one or more of the default zone parameters, and

adjusting the one or more of the default zone parameters using the alternative parameters.

7. The method of claim 4 , wherein the pedestrian database includes pedestrian rules created using a machine-learning algorithm.

8. A controller comprising:

memory having computer-readable instructions stored therein; and

one or more processors configured to execute the computer-readable instructions to:

apply default zone parameters to define detection zones at one or more sensors installed at an intersection, the detection zones being used by the one or more sensors for monitoring and detecting traffic conditions at the intersection;

determine a current pedestrian traffic flow rate at the intersection;

determine if a triggering condition for adjusting one or more of the default zone parameters, wherein the triggering condition is affected by the current pedestrian traffic flow rate; and

adjust the one or more of the default zone parameters if the triggering condition is met to dynamically change size or shape of the detection zones, wherein the adjustment of the one or more of the default zone parameters include:

query a third party database for a plurality of factors to determine a rule using a machine learning algorithm, wherein:

the plurality of factors include pedestrian information, device information associated with the pedestrian information, and event information within a certain distance from the intersection, and

the rule is determined based on correlations between the current pedestrian traffic flow rate and a current vehicular traffic flow rate at the intersection; and

enlarge or reduce the one or more of the default zone parameters based on the rule determined using the plurality of factors from the third party database.

9. The controller of claim 8 , wherein the default zone parameters are manually specified using a graphical user interface.

10. The controller of claim 8 , wherein

the triggering condition includes a pedestrian threshold and a vehicular threshold, and

the triggering condition is met when the current vehicular traffic flow rate is greater than the vehicular threshold and the current pedestrian traffic flow rate is greater than the pedestrian threshold.

11. The controller of claim 8 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to execute the computer-readable instructions to query a pedestrian database to determine if a pedestrian rule exists if the triggering condition is met, wherein the one or more of the default zone parameters are adjusted in the pedestrian rule exists.

12. The controller of claim 11 , wherein the pedestrian rule identifies one or more alternative parameters for one or more of the detection zones at the intersection.

13. The controller of claim 12 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to execute the computer-readable instructions to:

query a zone setting database to retrieve alternative parameters for adjusting the one or more of the default zone parameters, and

adjust the one or more of the default zone parameters using the alternative parameters.

14. The controller of claim 11 , wherein the pedestrian database includes pedestrian rules created using a machine-learning algorithm.

15. One or more non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer-readable instructions stored therein, which when executed by one or more processors of a controller, configure the controller to:

apply default zone parameters to define detection zones at one or more sensors installed at an intersection, the detection zones being used by the one or more sensors for monitoring and detecting traffic conditions at the intersection;

determine a current pedestrian flow rate at the intersection;

determine a current vehicular traffic flow rate and a current pedestrian traffic flow rate at the intersection;

determine if a triggering condition for adjusting one or more of the default zone parameters, wherein the triggering condition is affected by the current pedestrian traffic flow rate; and

adjust the one or more of the default zone parameters if the triggering condition is met to dynamically change size or shape of the detection zones, wherein the adjustment of the one or more of the default zone parameters include:

query a third party database for a plurality of factors to determine a rule using a machine learning algorithm, wherein:

the plurality of factors include pedestrian information, device information associated with the pedestrian information, and event information within a certain distance from the intersection, and

the rule is determined based on correlations between the current pedestrian traffic flow rate and the current vehicular traffic flow rate at the intersection; and

enlarge or reduce the one or more of the default zone parameters are enlarged based on the rule determined using the plurality of factors from the third party database.

16. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the default zone parameters are manually specified using a graphical user interface.

17. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein

the triggering condition includes a pedestrian threshold and a vehicular threshold, and

the triggering condition is met when the current vehicular traffic flow rate is greater than the vehicular threshold and the current pedestrian traffic flow rate is greater than the pedestrian threshold.

18. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to execute the computer-readable instructions to query a pedestrian database to determine if a pedestrian rule exists if the triggering condition is met, wherein the one or more of the default zone parameters are adjusted in the pedestrian rule exists.

19. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18 , wherein the pedestrian rule identifies one or more alternative parameters for one or more of the detection zones at the intersection.

20. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to execute the computer-readable instructions to:

query a zone setting database to retrieve alternative parameters for adjusting the one or more of the default zone parameters, and

adjust the one or more of the default zone parameters using the alternative parameters.

Assignments (11)
SUPERPRIORITY PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Oct 6, 2025
From: CUBIC CORPORATION; CUBIC DEFENSE APPLICATIONS INC.; CUBIC DIGITAL INTELLIGENCE INC.; CUBIC ITS, INC.; CUBIC SECURE COMMUNICATIONS, LLC; CUBIC TOTAL LEARNING PLATFORM, LLC; CUBIC TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS, INC.; GATR TECHNOLOGIES INC.; NUVOTRONICS INC.
To: BARCLAYS BANK PLC
Reel/Frame 073008/0761 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jul 30, 2025
From: ALTER DOMUS (US) LLC
To: CUBIC CORPORATION; CUBIC DEFENSE APPLICATIONS, INC.; CUBIC DIGITAL INTELLIGENCE, INC.
Reel/Frame 072278/0272 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jul 30, 2025
From: ALTER DOMUS (US) LLC
To: CUBIC CORPORATION; CUBIC DIGITAL SOLUTIONS LLC; NUVOTRONICS, INC.
Reel/Frame 072281/0176 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST AT REEL/FRAME 056393/0281 Recorded Jul 28, 2025
From: BARCLAYS BANK PLC, AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
To: CUBIC CORPORATION; CUBIC DEFENSE APPLICATIONS, INC.; CUBIC DIGITAL SOLUTIONS LLC (FORMERLY PIXIA CORP.)
Reel/Frame 072282/0124 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 10, 2025
From: CUBIC CORPORATION
To: CUBIC ITS, INC.
Reel/Frame 071370/0881 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded May 2, 2025
From: CUBIC DEFENSE APPLICATIONS, INC.; CUBIC DIGITAL INTELLIGENCE, INC.
To: ALTER DOMUS (US) LLC
Reel/Frame 071161/0299 →
SECOND LIEN SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded May 26, 2021
From: CUBIC CORPORATION; PIXIA CORP.; NUVOTRONICS, INC.
To: ALTER DOMUS (US) LLC
Reel/Frame 056393/0314 →
FIRST LIEN SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded May 26, 2021
From: CUBIC CORPORATION; PIXIA CORP.; NUVOTRONICS, INC.
To: BARCLAYS BANK PLC
Reel/Frame 056393/0281 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 3, 2019
From: MALKES, WILLIAM A; PRICE, JEFFERY R.; TOURVILLE, MICHAEL J; OVERSTREET, WILLIAM S
To: CUBIC CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 050612/0953 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 6, 2019
From: GRIDSMART TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
To: CUBIC CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 048248/0847 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 12, 2018
From: MALKES, WILLIAM A.; OVERSTREET, WILLIAM S.; PRICE, JEFFERY R.; TOURVILLE, MICHAEL J.
To: GRIDSMART TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Reel/Frame 046857/0221 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 62545279 · Aug 14, 2017
Related Publication 20190051167A1 · Feb 14, 2019