Pedestrian tracking at a traffic intersection to identify vulnerable roadway users for traffic signal timing, pedestrian safety, and traffic intersection control

A method of pedestrian tracking for traffic signal control at a roadway intersection, comprising:

• within a computing environment including one or more hardware and software components, executed in conjunction with at least one specifically-configured processor configured to perform a plurality of data processing functions, the plurality of data processing functions including:
• analyzing a plurality of pixels in a field of view of a traffic detection zone at a roadway intersection to a) identify a safe passage zone for vulnerable roadway users at the roadway intersection, wherein a left edge and a right edge of the field of view define at least a portion of the safe passage zone, and b) to detect a pedestrian in the field of view;
• measuring pedestrian movement through the safe passage zone, by continually tracking pedestrian position as the pedestrian moves through the field of view, and continually estimating a current pedestrian speed as the pedestrian moves through the field of view;
• determining a distance to the end of the safe passage zone from the pedestrian position, and dividing the distance to end of the safe passage zone by the current pedestrian speed to calculate an estimated pedestrian time of arrival at the end of the safe passage zone;
• comparing the estimated pedestrian time of arrival at the end of the safe passage zone with an estimated time remaining for a pedestrian signal determined from an allotted time for crossing the roadway intersection, the allotted time defined by one or both of a total pedestrian signal crossing time and a start time of a pedestrian signal indicating safe passage for a pedestrian at the roadway intersection, to predict a pedestrian's ability to cross the safe passage zone within the allotted time;
• determining a state of the pedestrian's presence in the field of view from the predicted ability to cross the safe passage zone within the allotted time;
• and
• sending one or more instructions to a traffic signal controller, the one or more instructions including at least one controller signal to set a state of one or more traffic signal lights at each approach of the roadway intersection in response to the state of the pedestrian's presence in the field of view.

A system, comprising:

• a computing environment including at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having program instructions stored therein and a computer processor operable to execute the program instructions within one or more hardware and software components configured to perform data processing functions to track pedestrian activity for traffic signal control at a roadway intersection, the one or more hardware and software components including:
• a data ingest component configured to receive input data representing a field of view of a traffic detection zone at the roadway intersection, and traffic signal timing information for the roadway intersection, the input data representing the field of view of the traffic detection zone at the roadway intersection captured by one or more sensors in or near a traffic intersection;
• a pedestrian zone identification component configured to analyze a plurality of pixels in the field of view to identify a safe passage zone for vulnerable roadway users at the roadway intersection, wherein a left edge and a right edge of the field of view define at least a portion of the safe passage zone;
• a pedestrian detection and prediction component configured to a) detect a pedestrian in the field of view, b) measure pedestrian movement through the safe passage zone by continually tracking pedestrian position as the pedestrian moves through the field of view and continually estimating a current pedestrian speed as the pedestrian moves through the field of view, c) determine a distance to the end of the safe passage zone from the pedestrian position by dividing the distance to end of the safe passage zone by the current pedestrian speed to calculate an estimated pedestrian time of arrival at the end of the safe passage zone, and d) compare the estimated pedestrian time of arrival at the end of the safe passage zone with an estimated time remaining for a pedestrian signal determined from the traffic signal timing information, the traffic signal timing information including an allotted time for crossing the roadway intersection that is defined by one or both of a total pedestrian signal crossing time and a start time of a pedestrian signal indicating safe passage for a pedestrian at the roadway intersection, to predict a pedestrian's ability to cross the safe passage zone within the allotted time;
• and
• an output data component configured to determine a state of the pedestrian's presence in the field of view from the predicted ability to cross the safe passage zone within the allotted time, and send one or more instructions to a traffic signal controller, the one or more instructions including at least one controller signal to set a state of one or more traffic signal lights at each approach of the roadway intersection in response to the state of the pedestrian's presence in the field of view.