Phantom traffic jam detection and avoidance

A server device for use in controlling the speed of a vehicle, the server device comprising:

• one or more processors;
• and
• a non-transitory computer-readable memory coupled to the one or more processors and storing instructions thereon that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the server device to:
• identify a road segment within a geographic area having more than a threshold amount of traffic, wherein the traffic is not caused by an accident, a lane closure, construction, or a traffic signal;
• in response to identifying the road segment wherein the traffic is not caused by the accident, the lane closure, construction, or the traffic signal, determine a threshold following distance for the road segment based on a traffic density of the road segment, wherein the threshold following distance decreases as the traffic density increases;
• determine a target speed based on the threshold following distance for a vehicle approaching the road segment to travel at to reduce an amount of traffic at the road segment;
• and
• control the vehicle speed by providing the target speed to a computing device associated with the vehicle approaching the road segment.

A method for use in controlling the speed of a vehicle, the method comprising:

• providing, by one or more processors in a vehicle to a server device, an indication of a location of the vehicle;
• receiving, at the one or more processors from the server device, an indication of a target speed based on a threshold following distance for the vehicle to travel at when the vehicle is approaching a road segment having more than a threshold amount of traffic, wherein the traffic is not caused by an accident, a lane closure, construction, or a traffic signal, wherein the threshold following distance is based on a traffic density of the road segment, and wherein the threshold following distance decreases as the traffic density increases;
• determining, by the one or more processors, a current speed of the vehicle;
• and
• controlling the vehicle speed by outputting, by the one or more processors, a feedback signal of the target speed for the vehicle to travel at the target speed.