Method and apparatus for determining an estimated traffic congestion status of a tunnel based on probe data
An approach is provided for determining tunnel speed for a vehicle travelling through a tunnel. A tunnel processing platform aggregates probe data associated with at least one vehicle into at least one tunnel path based, at least in part, on a network geometry topology for at least one tunnel. The tunnel processing platform also designates at least one probe point collected upstream of the at least one tunnel as at least one starting point of the at least one tunnel path and at least one temporary probe point as at least one endpoint of the at least one tunnel path, wherein the at least one temporary probe point is downstream of the at least one tunnel. It then determines at least one temporary tunnel speed for the at least one tunnel path based, at least in part, on the timestamp for the at least one probe point and the current time associated with the at least one temporary probe point.
1. A method for determining an estimated traffic congestion status of a tunnel, the method comprising:
causing, at least in part, an aggregation of probe data associated with at least one vehicle into at least one tunnel path based, at least in part, on a network geometry topology including the tunnel;
causing, at least in part, a designation of a location of at least one probe point of the tunnel path collected upstream of the at least one tunnel as a starting point of the at least one tunnel path,
wherein a timestamp for the at least one probe point is a time at which the at least one probe point is collected and configured to be static data;
causing, at least in part, a designation of a location of at least one temporary probe point of the tunnel path as at least one endpoint of the at least one tunnel path,
wherein the designated location of the at least one temporary probe point is located downstream of the tunnel,
wherein a timestamp for the at least one temporary probe point is configured to be non-static data;
determining at least one temporary tunnel speed of the tunnel path based, at least in part, on the timestamp and designated location of the at least one probe point and the time stamp and designated location associated with the at least one temporary probe point;
causing a display of the at least one temporary tunnel speed on a display of a navigation device of the at least one vehicle while the at least one vehicle is in the at least one tunnel;
causing a display of actual speed of the at least one vehicle on the display of the navigation device of the at least one vehicle after the at least one vehicle exits the at least one tunnel; and
determining an estimated traffic congestion status of the tunnel based, at least in part, on the determined at least one temporary tunnel speed.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining that at least one actual probe point associated with the at least one vehicle has been collected downstream of the tunnel; and
determining at least one real tunnel speed in place of the at least one temporary tunnel speed based, at least in part, on the at least one actual probe point.
3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
causing, at least in part, an initiation of the determination of the estimated traffic congestion status if the at least one temporary tunnel speed crosses at least one threshold level.
4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining congestion information associated with one or more upstream links, one or more downstream links, or a combination thereof,
wherein the estimated traffic congestion status is further based, at least in part, on the congestion information.
5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
causing, at least in part, a validation of the aggregation of the probe data into the at least one tunnel path by map-matching the probe data to the network geometry topology, one or more upstream links, one or more downstream links, the tunnel, or a combination thereof.
6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining one or more upstream links, one or more downstream links, or a combination thereof associated with the at least one tunnel, wherein the one or more upstream links represents one or more upstream travel segments that is traveled to enter the tunnel and wherein the one or more downstream links represents one or more downstream travel segments that is traveled when exiting the tunnel; and
causing, at least in part, a creation of the network geometry topology for the tunnel based, at least in part, on the one or more upstream links, the one or more downstream links, or a combination thereof.
7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
causing, at least in part, a flagging of the one or more upstream links, the one or more downstream links, or a combination thereof in at least one mapping database to associate the one or more upstream links, the one or more downstream links, or a combination thereof with the tunnel.
8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the flagging is based, at least in part, on at least one tunnel identifier associated with the tunnel.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the aggregation of the probe data is persistent for a predetermined period of time; and wherein the temporary tunnel speed is determined continuously, periodically, according to a schedule, on demand, or a combination thereof.
10. An apparatus for determining an estimated traffic congestion status of a tunnel, the apparatus comprising:
at least one processor; and
at least one memory including computer program code for one or more programs,
the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following,
cause, at least in part, an aggregation of probe data associated with at least one vehicle into at least one tunnel path based, at least in part, on a network geometry topology including the tunnel;
cause, at least in part, a designation of a location of at least one probe point of the tunnel path collected upstream of the at least one tunnel as a starting point of the at least one tunnel path, wherein a timestamp for the at least one probe point is a time at which the at least one probe point is collected and configured to be static data;
cause, at least in part, a designation of a location of at least one temporary probe point of the tunnel path as at least one endpoint of the at least one tunnel path,
wherein the designated location of the at least one temporary probe point is located downstream of the tunnel,
wherein a timestamp for the at least one temporary probe point is configured to be non-static data;
determine at least one temporary tunnel speed of the tunnel path based, at least in part, on the timestamp and designated location of the at least one probe point and the time stamp and designated location associated with the at least one temporary probe point;
cause a display of the at least one temporary tunnel speed on a display of a navigation device of the at least one vehicle while the at least one vehicle is in the at least one tunnel;
cause a display of actual speed of the at least one vehicle on the display of the navigation device of the at least one vehicle after the at least one vehicle exits the at least one tunnel; and
determine an estimated traffic congestion status of the tunnel based, at least in part, on the determined at least one temporary tunnel speed.
11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the apparatus is further caused to:
determine that at least one actual probe point associated with the at least one vehicle has been collected downstream of the tunnel; and
determine at least one real tunnel speed in place of the at least one temporary tunnel speed based, at least in part, on the at least one actual probe point.
12. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the apparatus is further caused to:
cause, at least in part, an initiation of the determination of the estimated traffic congestion status if the at least one temporary tunnel speed crosses at least one threshold level.
13. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the apparatus is further caused to:
determine congestion information associated with one or more upstream links, one or more downstream links, or a combination thereof,
wherein the estimated traffic congestion status is further based, at least in part, on the congestion information.
14. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the apparatus is further caused to:
cause, at least in part, a validation of the aggregation of the probe data into the at least one tunnel path by map-matching the probe data to the network geometry topology, one or more upstream links, one or more downstream links, the tunnel, or a combination thereof.
15. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the apparatus is further caused to:
determine one or more upstream links, one or more downstream links, or a combination thereof associated with the tunnel, wherein the one or more upstream links represents one or more upstream travel segments that is traveled to enter the tunnel and wherein the one or more downstream links represents one or more downstream travel segments that is traveled when exiting the at least one tunnel; and
cause, at least in part, a creation of the network geometry topology for the tunnel based, at least in part, on the one or more upstream links, the one or more downstream links, or a combination thereof.
16. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium for determining an estimated traffic congestion status of a tunnel, the medium including one or more sequences of one or more instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause an apparatus to at least perform:
causing, at least in part, an aggregation of probe data associated with at least one vehicle into at least one tunnel path based, at least in part, on a network geometry topology including the tunnel;
causing, at least in part, a designation of a location of at least one probe point of the tunnel path collected upstream of the at least one tunnel as a starting point of the at least one tunnel path,
wherein a timestamp for the at least one probe point is a time at which the at least one probe point is collected and configured to be static data;
causing, at least in part, a designation of a location of at least one temporary probe point of the tunnel path as at least one endpoint of the at least one tunnel path,
wherein the designated location of the at least one temporary probe point is located downstream of the tunnel,
wherein a timestamp for the at least one temporary probe point is configured to be non-static data;
determining at least one temporary tunnel speed of the tunnel path based, at least in part, on the timestamp and designated location of the at least one probe point and the time stamp and designated location associated with the at least one temporary probe point;
causing a display of the at least one temporary tunnel speed on a display of a navigation device of the at least one vehicle while the at least one vehicle is in the at least one tunnel;
causing a display of actual speed of the at least one vehicle on the display of the navigation device of the at least one vehicle after the at least one vehicle exits the at least one tunnel; and
determining an estimated traffic congestion status of the tunnel based, at least in part, on the determined at least one temporary tunnel speed.
17. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 16 , wherein the apparatus is further caused to perform:
determining that at least one actual probe point associated with the at least one vehicle has been collected downstream of the tunnel; and
determining at least one real tunnel speed in place of the at least one temporary tunnel speed based, at least in part, on the at least one actual probe point.