Patent ID: 9396657
Filing Date: 2016-07-19
CPC Classification: G08G

Claim Text:
1. A computer-implemented traffic signal control emulation method comprising: provisioning a digital processor for executing a computer software emulator process; loading and executing a computer software emulator process in the processor to emulate operation of a field traffic signal controller (FSC) at a physical location and its associated timing parameters; acquiring call data and signal status data provided by the FSC responsive to detector inputs to the FSC during a selected collection period, and storing the acquired call data in a database accessible to the processor; identifying a signal status at a last sync point of the FSC in the database; in the processor, initializing the emulator process to an initial state; in the processor, advancing the emulator process from the initial state to a second state, the second state corresponding to the last sync point of the FSC; in the processor, further advancing the emulator process from the second state, based on the acquired call data for a time period from the last sync point to a current time, so that at the current time the FSC and the emulator process are synchronized to a current time state; predicting future detection data for the FSC based on a statistical analysis of a stored collection of long-term past field detection data acquired solely from the FSC; providing for the emulator process to access the predicted future detection data; in the processor, fast forwarding the emulator process from the current time state, based on the predicted future detection data; terminating the emulator process at a future time state; predicting a signal status based on the future time state of the emulator; and communicating a result based on the predicted signal status to a vehicle or a vehicle operator.