Multi-access edge computing for roadside units

A computer-implemented method for traffic management, comprising:

• coupling, via a first wireless link, a first UE and a first RSU, and coupling, via a second wireless link, a second UE and a second RSU, where the first wireless link including a plurality of first safety messages from the first UE to the first RSU, the plurality of first safety messages having traffic lane information of a plurality of first traffic lanes in a first cellular zone or region provided to the first RSU by one or more road sensors coupled to the first RSU and the second wireless link including a plurality of second safety messages from the second UE to the second RSU, the plurality of second safety messages having traffic lane information of a plurality of second traffic lanes in a second cellular zone or region provided to the first RSU by the one or more road sensors coupled to the first RSU;
• via a first MEC host of the first RSU at an edge of a network, the first MEC host having a virtualization infrastructure and a MEC platform, the virtualization infrastructure of the first MEC host providing one or more of compute resources, storage resources, and network resources to a first application configured to run on the virtualization infrastructure provided by the first MEC host, and concurrently, via a second MEC host of the second RSU at an edge of a network, the second MEC host having a virtualization infrastructure and a MEC platform, the virtualization infrastructure of the second MEC host providing one or more of compute resources, storage resources, and network resources to a second application configured to run on the virtualization infrastructure provided by the second MEC host;
• and
• managing, via the MEC platform of the first MEC host, vehicle traffic flow in the first cellular zone or region in accordance with the traffic lane information of the plurality of first traffic lanes in the first cellular zone or region, said managing including one or more of estimating a number of vehicles queued in the plurality of first traffic lanes and estimating signal phase timing of traffic light signals by an intersection management system (IMS) of the first cellular zone or region, and concurrently managing, via the MEC platform of the second MEC host, vehicle traffic flow in the second cellular zone or region in accordance with the traffic lane information of the plurality of second traffic lanes in the second cellular zone or region, said managing including one or more of estimating a number of vehicles queued in the plurality of second traffic lanes and estimating signal phase timing of traffic light signals by an intersection management system (IMS) of the second cellular zone or region.

A traffic management system, comprising:

• a RSU, configured to couple to a mobile UE via a gNode B (gNB) logical radio node and at least a first wireless link
• where the at least first wireless link includes a plurality of first safety messages from the mobile UE to the RSU, the plurality of first safety messages having traffic lane information of a plurality of traffic lanes provided to the RSU by one or more road sensors coupled to the RSU;
• and
• an MEC host of the RSU, at an edge of a network and having a virtualization infrastructure and a MEC platform, the virtualization infrastructure of the first MEC host configured to provide at least one of compute, storage, and network resources for an application configured to run on the virtualization infrastructure provided by the MEC host and the MEC platform of the MEC host configured to manage operation of the application to manage vehicle traffic flow in an intersection independent of a traffic signal,
• the RSU operable to perform in accordance with the traffic lane information of the plurality of traffic lanes one or more of estimation of a number of vehicles queued in the plurality of traffic lanes and estimation of signal phase timing of traffic light signals of the traffic signal.