Lane guidance assistance for efficient operation

A non-transitory computer-implemented roadway zone based data structure for expressing traffic parameters, incident data, regulatory data and toll information in geographical segments that are appropriate for limited-access highway lane selection and target speed selection for travel time savings for the chosen lanes, said data structure comprising:

• a. at least one interface for receiving unprocessed lane-specific limited-access highway data from a traffic management center;
• and
• b. a processor coupled to the at least one interface, wherein the processor receives the unprocessed lane-specific limited-access highway data through the at least one interface, processes the unprocessed lane-specific limited-access highway data, generates at least one of processed and processed predicted lane-specific limited-access highway data conforming to a spatial data structure comprising barrels divided into zones, wherein boundaries of the barrels are defined by physical roadway configuration changes and permanent changes in regulatory use of the limited-access highway lanes and wherein boundaries of the zones are defined by changes in traffic conditions along the limited-access highway resulting from entry ramps and exit ramps and locations of motorist information devices and regulatory devices that provide changeable information and active traffic management control of the limited-access highway and transmits the at least one of processed and processed predicted lane-specific limited-access highway data to at least one vehicle in a form appropriate for limited-access highway lane selection and target speed selection for travel time savings for the chosen lanes based on travel time difference between adjacent lanes.

A system for assisting in selection of driving lanes and target speeds for vehicles for travel time savings, comprising:

• a. an interface for receiving unprocessed lane-specific limited-access highway data from a traffic management center (TMC), advanced lane management assist management center (ALMAMC), or another data source;
• b. a processor coupled to the interface, wherein the processor receives the unprocessed lane-specific limited-access highway data through the interface, processes the unprocessed lane-specific limited-access highway data, generates at least one of processed and processed predicted lane-specific limited-access highway data conforming to a spatial data structure comprising barrels divided into zones, wherein boundaries of the barrels are defined by physical roadway configuration changes and permanent changes in regulatory use of the limited-access highway lanes and wherein boundaries of the zones are defined by changes in traffic conditions along the limited-access highway resulting from entry ramps and exit ramps and locations of motorist information devices and regulatory devices that provide changeable information and active traffic management control of the limited-access highway, and transmits the at least one of processed and processed predicted lane-specific limited-access highway data to one or more vehicles;
• and
• c. one or more of a lane closure guidance module, lane and speed limit requirements module, dynamic lane use requirements module, toll information module, module for checking detector values for accuracy, module for formatting traffic data, miscellaneous data module, and static database module, said one or more module operatively coupled to the processor for developing driving lane and target speed selection for travel time savings for chosen lanes based on travel time difference between adjacent lanes.