# US 2021/0241615 A1 · Traffic monitoring apparatus and method of using the same > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2021/0241615 A1 - Document ID: US20210241615A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/777,803 - Filed: 2020-01-30 - Published: 2021-08-05 - Earliest claimed: 2020-01-30 - Assignees: NEC Corporation - Applicants: NEC Corporation - Inventors: Chaitanya Prasad NARISETTY; Tomoyuki HINO; Akihiro TANAKA - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210241615A1 ## CPC - G01H 9/004: {using fibre optic sensors (light guides per se G02B6/00, acousto-optical devices specially adapted for gating or modulating in optical wave guides G02F1/125)} - G08G 1/0145: {for active traffic flow control} - G01H 9/006: {the vibrations causing a variation in the relative position of the end of a fibre and another element} - G08G 1/0129: {for creating historical data or processing based on historical data} - G08G 1/0141: {for traffic information dissemination} - G08G 1/02: using treadles built into the road (pads or other sensitive devices responsive to passage of vehicles E01F11/00) - G08G 1/04: using optical or ultrasonic detectors - G08G 1/052: with provision for determining speed or overspeed {(speed measuring in general G01P)} - G08G 1/056: with provision for distinguishing direction of travel - G08G 1/065: by counting the vehicles in a section of the road or in a parking area, i.e. comparing incoming count with outgoing count - G01H: MEASUREMENT OF MECHANICAL VIBRATIONS OR ULTRASONIC, SONIC OR INFRASONIC WAVES - G08G: TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEMS (guiding railway traffic, ensuring the safety of railway traffic B61L; arrangement of road signs or traffic signals E01F9/00; radar or analogous systems, sonar systems, lidar systems specially adapted for traffic control G01S13/91, G01S15/88, G01S17/88; {radar or analogous systems, sonar systems, lidar systems specially adapted for anti-collision purposes G01S13/93, G01S15/93, G01S17/93}) ## Abstract A traffic monitoring apparatus includes a distributed acoustic sensor (DAS) for acquiring waterfall data, wherein the waterfall data includes a generation position of a vibration on a roadway adjacent to the DAS, a generation time of the vibration and an amplitude of the vibration. The traffic monitoring apparatus further includes a processor connected to the DAS. The processor is configured to receive the waterfall data from the DAS. The processor is further configured to preprocess the waterfall data. The processor is further configured to separate the preprocessed waterfall data into a plurality of patches, wherein a size of each patch of the plurality of patches is determined based on a parameter of the roadway. The processor is further configured to process each of the plurality of patches to estimate at least one traffic flow property of the roadway. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A traffic monitoring apparatus comprising: a distributed acoustic sensor (DAS) for acquiring waterfall data, wherein the waterfall data includes a generation position of a vibration on a roadway adjacent to the DAS, a generation time of the vibration and an amplitude of the vibration; and a processor connected to the DAS, wherein the processor is configured to: receive the waterfall data from the DAS, preprocess the waterfall data, separate the preprocessed waterfall data into a plurality of patches, wherein a size of each patch of the plurality of patches is determined based on a parameter of the roadway, and process each of the plurality of patches to estimate at least one traffic flow property of the roadway. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The traffic monitoring apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to determine a size for each patch of the plurality of patches. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The traffic monitoring apparatus of claim 2, wherein the processor is configured to determine a first size of a first patch of the plurality of patches different from a second size of a second patch of the plurality of patches. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The traffic monitoring apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to generate instructions for outputting the at least one traffic flow property to an external device for managing the roadway. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The traffic monitoring apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to determine a location of a bridge on the roadway. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The traffic monitoring apparatus of claim 5, wherein the processor is configured to determine the location of the bridge based on the preprocessed waterfall data. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The traffic monitoring apparatus of claim 5, wherein the processor is configured to determine the location of the bridge by comparing the amplitude of the vibration for each patch of the plurality of patches with a predetermined threshold. ### Claim 8 (depends on 5) The traffic monitoring apparatus of claim 5, wherein the processor is further configured to determine a size of an overlap region over the preprocessed waterfall data adjacent to the determined location of the bridge. ### Claim 9 (depends on 5) The traffic monitoring apparatus of claim 5, wherein the processor is further configured to align an edge of a first patch of the plurality of patches with an edge of the determined location of the bridge. ### Claim 10 A traffic monitoring apparatus comprising: a distributed acoustic sensor (DAS) for acquiring waterfall data, wherein the waterfall data includes a generation position of a vibration on a roadway adjacent to the DAS, a generation time of the vibration, and an amplitude of the vibration; and a processor connected to the DAS, wherein the processor is configured to: receive the waterfall data from the DAS, preprocess the waterfall data, estimate a parameter of the roadway based on the preprocessed waterfall data, separate the preprocessed waterfall data into a plurality of patches, wherein a size of each of the plurality of patches is based on the estimated parameter of the roadway, and process each of the plurality of patches to estimate a least one traffic flow property of the roadway. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The traffic monitoring apparatus of claim 10, wherein the estimated parameter of the roadway is a location of a bridge on the roadway. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The traffic monitoring apparatus of claim 11, wherein the processor is configured to determine the location of the bridge based on the preprocessed waterfall data. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The traffic monitoring apparatus of claim 11, wherein the processor is configured to determine the location of the bridge by comparing the amplitude of the vibration for each patch of the plurality of patches with a threshold. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The traffic monitoring apparatus of claim 13, wherein the processor is further configured to determine the threshold based on empirical data from the preprocessed waterfall data. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The traffic monitoring apparatus of claim 13, wherein the processor is further configured to receive the threshold as a user input. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The traffic monitoring apparatus of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to determine a size of an overlap region over the preprocessed waterfall data adjacent to the determined location of the bridge. ### Claim 17 (depends on 11) The traffic monitoring apparatus of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to align an edge of a first patch of the plurality of patches with an edge of the determined location of the bridge. ### Claim 18 A traffic monitoring method comprising: acquiring waterfall data, wherein the waterfall data includes a generation position on a roadway of a vibration, a generation time of the vibration, and an amplitude of the vibration; preprocessing the waterfall data; separating the preprocessed waterfall data into a plurality of patches, wherein a first patch of the plurality of patches has a first size, and a second patch of the plurality of patches has a second size different from the first size; and processing each of the plurality of patches to estimate at least one traffic flow property of the roadway. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18, further comprising determining a location of a bridge on the roadway. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The method of claim 19, wherein determining the location of the bridge comprises comparing the amplitude of vibration for each patch of the plurality of patches with a threshold.