Patent ID: 11900800
Assignee: HERE GLOBAL B.V.
Field: Control (Instruments)
Classification: CPC G | IPC G

Claim 0:
1. A method for determining an estimated traffic congestion status of a tunnel, the method comprising:
using a location sensor of a vehicle to collect probe data associated with at least one vehicle travelling in a network geometry topology including the tunnel, wherein the probe data is collected as a transmission of real-time data packets from the vehicle;
based on the transmission of the real-time data packets of the probe data being impeded by the vehicle driving in the tunnel, classifying a first probe point collected upstream of the tunnel as a first starting point of a tunnel path, wherein the first probe point is nearest to an entrance of the tunnel;
based on the real-time data packets being capable of transmission after the vehicle traverses the tunnel, classifying a second probe point collected downstream of the tunnel as a first endpoint of the tunnel path, wherein the second probe point is nearest to the exit of the tunnel;
calculating the tunnel path based, at least in part, on the first probe point nearest to the entrance of the tunnel and the second probe point nearest to the exit of the tunnel;
based on the transmission of the real-time data packets of the probe data being impeded by the vehicle driving in the tunnel, classifying a third probe point collected upstream of the tunnel as a second starting point of a super path, wherein the third probe point is further in distance to the entrance of the tunnel than the first probe point;
based on the real-time data packets being capable of transmission after the vehicle traverses the tunnel, classifying a fourth probe point collected downstream of the tunnel as a second endpoint of the super path, wherein the fourth probe point is further in distance to the exit of the tunnel than the second probe point;
calculating the super path based, at least in part, on the third probe point further in distance to the entrance of the tunnel and the fourth probe point further in distance to the exit of the tunnel;
comparing the first probe point, the second probe point, the third probe point, and the fourth probe point against a network geometry topology data to validate the collected probe data;
collecting timestamp information, location information, or a combination thereof at respective probe points at the upstream of the tunnel, the downstream of the tunnel, or a combination thereof;
determining an average tunnel speed based, at least in part, on the timestamp information, the location information, or a combination thereof; and
determining the estimated traffic congestion level associated with the tunnel path, and the super path based, at least in part, on the average speed information.