US 2019/0164419 A1Published application

Traffic control for autonomous vehicles

AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation

InventorKeeranoor G. Kumar

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Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention disclose a method, computer program product, and computer system for traffic control. A computer determines an uncommitted demand and receives a supply pattern from an adjacent downstream node. The computer aggregates the supply pattern with its own supply pattern before propagating the supply pattern to an adjacent upstream node. Moreover, the computer receives a committed demand and demand weight pattern from an upstream node and aggregates the committed demand and demand weight patterns with its own before propagating the aggregated committed demand and demand weight patterns to an adjacent downstream node. The computer further allocates a remaining downstream supply to the uncommitted demand based on weight and detects pending slot position conflicts. Based on detecting a pending slot position conflict, the computer configures a pattern shift and commits the available downstream supply as upstream committed demand. Lastly, the computer weights the unmet uncommitted demand.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method for controlling autonomous vehicles within a traffic control network, the traffic control network comprising one or more nodes, each node comprising one or more slots, each of the one or more slots capable of containing one vehicle moving at a designated slot speed for a time step, and one or more vehicles traveling a node of the one or more nodes moves to a consecutive node of the one or more nodes in a coordination time cycle, the method comprising:

a computer associated with a node of one or more nodes determining an uncommitted demand pattern for the node, wherein the uncommitted demand pattern represents one or more vehicles waiting in an on-ramp corresponding to the node;
the computer receiving a supply pattern from one or more nodes downstream of the node, wherein the supply pattern represents the one or more slots that are unoccupied;
the computer receiving a committed demand pattern and a weight demand pattern from one or more nodes upstream of the node, wherein the committed demand pattern represents the one or more slots that are occupied, and wherein the weight demand pattern represents one or more vehicles waiting in an on-ramp corresponding to the one or more upstream nodes;
the computer determining whether the supply pattern exceeds the committed demand pattern;
based on the determining that the supply pattern exceeds the committed demand pattern, the computer allocating the excess supply pattern to at least one of the uncommitted demand pattern and the weight demand pattern;
and
the computer aggregating the excess supply pattern into the committed demand pattern.

4 more elements

A computer program product for controlling autonomous vehicles within a traffic control network, the traffic control network comprising one or more nodes, each node comprising one or more slots, each of the one or more slots capable of containing one vehicle moving at a designated slot speed for a time step, and one or more vehicles traveling a node of the one or more nodes moves to a consecutive node of the one or more nodes in a coordination time cycle, the computer program product comprising:

one or more computer-readable storage media and program instructions stored on the one or more computer-readable storage media, the program instructions comprising:
program instructions to determine an uncommitted demand pattern for a node of the one or more nodes, wherein the uncommitted demand pattern represents one or more vehicles waiting in an on-ramp corresponding to the node;
program instructions to receive a supply pattern from one or more nodes downstream of the node, wherein the supply pattern represents the one or more slots that are unoccupied;
program instructions to receive a committed demand pattern and a weight demand pattern from one or more nodes upstream of the node, wherein the committed demand pattern represents the one or more slots that are occupied, and wherein the weight demand pattern represents one or more vehicles waiting in an on-ramp corresponding to the one or more upstream nodes;
program instructions to determine whether the supply pattern exceeds the committed demand pattern;
based on the determining that the supply pattern exceeds the committed demand pattern, program instructions to allocate the excess supply pattern to at least one of the uncommitted demand pattern and the weight demand pattern;
and
the computer aggregating the excess supply pattern into the committed demand pattern.

5 more elements

A computer system for controlling autonomous vehicles within a traffic control network, the traffic control network comprising one or more nodes, each node comprising one or more slots, each of the one or more slots capable of containing one vehicle moving at a designated slot speed for a time step, and one or more vehicles traveling a node of the one or more nodes moves to a consecutive node of the one or more nodes in a coordination time cycle, the computer system comprising:

one or more computer processors, one or more computer-readable storage media, and program instructions stored on one or more of the computer-readable storage media for execution by at least one of the one or more processors, the program instructions comprising:
program instructions to determine an uncommitted demand pattern for a node of the one or more nodes, wherein the uncommitted demand pattern represents one or more vehicles waiting in an on-ramp corresponding to the node;
program instructions to receive a supply pattern from one or more nodes downstream of the node, wherein the supply pattern represents the one or more slots that are unoccupied;
program instructions to receive a committed demand pattern and a weight demand pattern from one or more nodes upstream of the node, wherein the committed demand pattern represents the one or more slots that are occupied, and wherein the weight demand pattern represents one or more vehicles waiting in an on-ramp corresponding to the one or more upstream nodes;
program instructions to determine whether the supply pattern exceeds the committed demand pattern;
based on the determining that the supply pattern exceeds the committed demand pattern, program instructions to allocate the excess supply pattern to at least one of the uncommitted demand pattern and the weight demand pattern;
and
the computer aggregating the excess supply pattern into the committed demand pattern.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 15/822,346Filed 27 Nov 2017
Published: 30 May 2019
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification12 codes

G08G 1/093
Traffic information broadcasting: data selection, e.g. prioritizing information, managing message queues, selecting the information to be output
G05B 15/02
Systems controlled by a computer: electric
G05D 1/00
Control of position, course, altitude or attitude of land, water, air or
G05D 1/0287
Specially adapted to land vehicles: involving a plurality of land vehicles, e.g. fleet or convoy travelling