Adaptive traffic control based on weather conditions
View Patent ↗A current or forecasted weather condition at an intersection or roadway may be identified using cameras and/or other weather sensors connected with traffic infrastructure installed at the intersection or roadway. Adverse traffic events typically associated with weather conditions of the same type as the identified weather condition may be determined, for example based on historical records of correlations between weather and traffic. The traffic infrastructure may adjust an option, for example by adjusting traffic signal timings, to mitigate the adverse traffic event in response to identifying the weather condition.
1. A method of adaptive traffic control, the method comprising:
receiving visual media data from a camera, the visual media data depicting vehicular traffic along a thoroughfare in a defined area;
receiving weather data based on sensor information from one or more sensors;
identifying a weather condition regarding weather in the defined area based on the weather data;
identifying a correlation of an adverse traffic event in the past along the thoroughfare with weather data correlated with the weather condition; and
modifying traffic signal timing of a traffic signal based on the weather data, current vehicular traffic, the visual media data, and the correlation of the adverse traffic event in the past to reduce risk of the adverse traffic event happening again because of the weather data.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising calculating an optimal traffic signal timing that minimizes any need for velocity change by a first vehicle traveling along the thoroughfare based on location data received from at least the first vehicle, wherein modifying the traffic signal timing of the traffic signal includes implementing the optimal traffic signal timing at the traffic signal.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein modifying the traffic signal timing of the traffic signal includes encouraging one or more vehicles to slow down using a change in output of the traffic signal.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein modifying the traffic signal timing of the traffic signal includes modifying a duration of a yellow light signal output at the traffic signal.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more sensors include the camera and the sensor information includes the visual media data received from the camera, wherein identifying the weather condition based on the weather data includes identifying the weather condition based on one or more features recognized via feature recognition within the visual media data received from the camera.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the weather data includes a weather forecast generated based on the sensor information, and wherein the weather condition is predicted in the weather forecast.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the weather condition includes a layer of a substance covering at least a portion of the thoroughfare in the defined area.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the adverse traffic event is associated with a decrease in tire traction.
9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising modifying traffic signal timing of one or more additional traffic signals other than the traffic signal in response to identifying the weather condition, thereby mitigating the adverse traffic event.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the one or more sensors measures moisture in at least one location in the area.
11. A system for adaptive traffic control, the system comprising:
a camera configured to capture visual media data depicting vehicular traffic along a thoroughfare in a defined area;
a memory storing instructions; a processor configured to execute the instructions, wherein execution of the instructions causes the processor to:
identify weather data based on sensor information from one or more sensors,
identify a weather condition regarding weather in the defined area based on the weather data,
identify a correlation of a traffic event in the past with the weather condition, and
generate a new traffic signal timing of a traffic signal, the new traffic signal timing based on the weather data, current vehicular traffic, the visual media data, and the correlation of the traffic event in the past; and
a traffic signal connector communicatively coupled with the traffic signal, wherein the traffic signal connector is configured to send information to the traffic signal to cause the traffic signal to modify traffic signal timing of the traffic signal to the new traffic signal timing to reduce risk of the traffic event happing again because of the weather data.
12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the execution of the instructions causes the processor to generate the new traffic signal timing to minimize any need for velocity change by a first vehicle traveling along the thoroughfare based on location data received from at least the first vehicle.
13. The system of claim 11 , wherein the execution of the instructions causes the processor to generate the new traffic signal timing to encourage a first vehicle to slow down by changing an output of the traffic signal before the first vehicle reaches an area associated with the traffic signal.
14. The system of claim 11 , wherein the execution of the instructions causes the processor to generate the new traffic signal timing to modify a duration of a yellow light signal output at the traffic signal.
15. The system of claim 11 , wherein the one or more sensors include the camera and the one or more sensors are configured to include, in the sensor information, the visual media data received from the camera, wherein, to identify the weather condition based on the weather data, the execution of the instructions causes the processor to include identifying the weather condition based on one or more features recognized via feature recognition within the visual media data received from the camera.
16. The system of claim 11 , further comprising the one or more sensors, wherein at least one of the one or more sensors is configured to measure moisture at at least one location in the area.
17. The system of claim 11 , wherein the execution of the instructions causes the processor to:
determine, from the weather data, a weather forecast generated based on the sensor information, and
identify the weather condition from a prediction in the weather forecast.
18. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having embodied thereon a program, wherein the program is executable by a processor to perform a method of adaptive traffic control, the method comprising:
receiving visual media data from a camera, the visual media data depicting vehicular traffic along a thoroughfare in a defined area;
receiving weather data based on sensor information from one or more sensors;
identifying a weather condition regarding weather in the defined area based on the weather data;
identifying a correlation of an adverse traffic event in the past along the thoroughfare with weather data correlated with the weather condition; and
modifying traffic signal timing of a traffic signal based on the weather data, current vehicular traffic, the visual media data, and the correlation of the adverse traffic event in the past to reduce risk of the adverse traffic event happening again because of the weather data.
19. The method of claim 1 , further comprising identifying a severity of the weather condition based on the weather data, wherein modifying the traffic signal timing of the traffic signal is based on the identified severity of the weather condition.
20. The method of claim 11 , wherein execution of the instructions further causes the processor to:
identify a severity of the weather condition based on the weather data, and
modify the traffic signal timing of the traffic signal based on the identified severity of the weather condition.