Optimization of Vehicular Traffic Flow through a Conflict Zone

A traffic control system for automatic vehicular traffic flow control, comprising:

• a transmitter;
• a receiver;
• an area processor for controlling a plurality of vehicular traffic streams passing through a conflict zone in different directions, wherein vehicles belonging to different ones of the streams contend for occupancy of the conflict zone;
• and
• a memory, accessible to the processor, storing program instructions, which instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to define a controlled area that includes the conflict zone, wherein the vehicular traffic streams enter the controlled area at respective initial speeds, and wherein the processor is operative to control the vehicular traffic streams so as to interleave the vehicular traffic streams at the conflict zone;
• and issue command signals, causing the vehicles to vary respective zone speeds such that the vehicular traffic streams freely flow through the conflict zone without traffic backup and wherein the zone speeds are not less than the respective initial speeds.

A method of automatic vehicular traffic flow control, comprising the steps of:

• defining a controlled area that includes a conflict zone having a plurality of vehicular traffic streams passing therethrough, including a first stream and a second stream, wherein vehicles belonging to different ones of the streams contend for occupancy of the conflict zone;
• computing a traversal order for the vehicles that are located within the controlled area to define ordered vehicles, wherein the ordered vehicles are assigned to traverse the conflict zone sequentially in accordance with their respective positions in the traversal order,
• designating, among the ordered vehicles, tracking vehicles and a respective tracked vehicle for each of the tracking vehicles, wherein the respective tracked vehicle immediately precedes each of the tracking vehicles in the traversal order, and wherein at least a portion of the tracking vehicles belong to the first stream and their respective tracked vehicles belong to the second stream;
• and
• causing each of the tracking vehicles to maintain a specified physical relationship with the respective tracked vehicle thereof, until the respective tracked vehicle has traversed the conflict zone.

A traffic control system for automatic vehicular traffic flow control, comprising:

• a transmitter;
• a receiver;
• an area processor for controlling a plurality of vehicular traffic streams passing through a conflict zone, including a first stream and a second stream, wherein vehicles belonging to different ones of the streams contend for occupancy of the conflict zone;
• and
• a memory, accessible to the processor, storing program instructions, which instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to define a controlled area that includes the conflict zone, to receive messages via the receiver from tracking vehicles in the streams that are passing through the controlled area, the messages comprising location information of the respective tracking vehicles, compute a traversal order for the tracking vehicles to traverse the conflict zone sequentially in accordance with their respective positions in the traversal order, and to transmit control signals via the transmitter, wherein the control signals cause the tracking vehicles to maintain a specified physical relationship with respective tracked vehicles until the tracked vehicles traverse the conflict zone, wherein the tracked vehicles immediately precede the tracking vehicles in the traversal order, respectively, and wherein at least a portion of the tracking vehicles belong to the first stream and their respective tracked vehicles belong to the second stream.