Patent ID: 7991542
Filing Date: 2011-08-02
Classification: G01S,G08G

Abstract:
1. At a roadway mounted sensor, the roadway mounted sensor monitoring vehicles on a portion of a roadway, a method for monitoring a signalized traffic flow, the method comprising: an act of receiving sensor data, the sensor data indicating the presence of one or more vehicles within a continuous range of the monitored portion of the roadway, the received sensor data representing a portion of a signal that was transmitted by the roadway sensor into the portion of the roadway; an act of using the received sensor data to determine estimated times-of-arrival of the one or more vehicles to a traffic control point associated with the monitored portion of the roadway, two or more times while the one or more vehicles are within the continuous range; an act of determining a level of efficiency and safety for the traffic flow within the vicinity of the traffic control point based upon the estimated times-of-arrival; and an act of reporting the level of efficiency and safety to a traffic control unit that is actively controlling the monitored signalized traffic flow.