Abstract:
A traffic monitoring system includes a plurality of road monitoring devices and a traffic control center electronically coupled to the road monitoring devices. Each road monitoring device has specific transmittable position information stored therein. The traffic control center has stored transmittable images of a plurality of vehicle types and stored transmittable images of the plurality of roads to be monitored. When one or more vehicles passes one of the road monitoring devices, the road monitoring device receives a vehicle identification code from each vehicle, calculates position information of each vehicle and transmits the road monitoring device position information, each vehicle identification code and the vehicle position information for each vehicle to the traffic control center. The traffic control center configures a three dimensional traffic image from all of the vehicle images of the one or more vehicles passing the one of the road monitoring devices.

Description:
FIELD 
     The subject matter herein generally relates to a traffic monitoring system and a traffic monitoring method. 
     BACKGROUND 
     A conventional traffic monitoring system is a video-based traffic monitoring system. A camera mounted on a structure, such as the streetlight pole, looking over the traffic scene serves as the sensor device for the capturing of traffic images. The captured analogue video images are then transmitted to a processor which converts the analogue video into digital form. The digitized images will then be processed and analyzed for the extraction of traffic information using image processing techniques. The extracted information can then be transmitted to an external user, such as a traffic control center, for traffic monitoring/control. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Implementations of the present technology will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the attached figures. 
         FIG. 1  is a diagrammatic view one embodiment of a traffic monitoring system. 
         FIG. 2  is a diagrammatic view of a vehicle terminal device of the traffic monitoring system in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a diagrammatic view of a road monitoring device of the traffic monitoring system in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 4  is a diagrammatic view of positioning vehicle of the traffic monitoring system in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 5  is a diagrammatic view of a traffic control center of the traffic monitoring system in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 6  is flowchart of an embodiment of a method of monitoring traffic. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     It will be appreciated that for simplicity and clarity of illustration, where appropriate, reference numerals have been repeated among the different figures to indicate corresponding or analogous elements. In addition, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments described herein. However, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that the embodiments described herein can be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, methods, procedures and components have not been described in detail so as not to obscure the related relevant feature being described. Also, the description is not to be considered as limiting the scope of the embodiments described herein. The drawings are not necessarily to scale and the proportions of certain parts have been exaggerated to better illustrate details and features of the present disclosure. 
     Several definitions that apply throughout this disclosure will now be presented. 
     The term “coupled” is defined as connected, whether directly or indirectly through intervening components, and is not necessarily limited to physical connections. The connection can be such that the objects are permanently connected or releasably connected. The term “comprising” when utilized, means “including, but not necessarily limited to”; it specifically indicates open-ended inclusion or membership in the so-described combination, group, series and the like. 
     The present disclosure is described in relation to a traffic monitoring system and a traffic monitoring method. 
       FIG. 1  illustrates a traffic monitoring device  100  including a vehicle terminal device  10  mounted on a vehicle, one or more road monitoring devices  20  positioned along a road, and a traffic control center  30  electrically coupled to the road monitoring device  20 . 
       FIG. 2  illustrates that the vehicle terminal device  10  can include a vehicle central processing unit (CPU) module  110 , and a vehicle infrared signal transmit module  120 , a vehicle infrared signal receiving module  130 , a vehicle memory module  140 , a vehicle display module  150 , and a vehicle global position system (GPS) module  160  electrically connected to the vehicle CPU module  110 . The vehicle terminal devices  10  can be mounted on all of the vehicles. The vehicle infrared signal transmit module  120  can be configured to transmit infrared signal, and the vehicle infrared signal receiving module  130  can be configured to receive the infrared signal. The vehicle memory module  140  can be configured to store a vehicle identification code of this vehicle, three dimensional images of all styles of vehicles, and three dimensional images of roads. The vehicle identification code is unique and can include all registration information of the vehicle, such as color, model, manufacture, vehicle made date, registration area, and information of vehicle owner. The vehicle CPU module  110  can be configured to control the vehicle infrared signal transmit module  120  and the vehicle infrared signal receiving module  130 , process the infrared signal, and supply information stored in the vehicle memory module  140  to the display module  150 . The vehicle GPS module  160  can be configured to acquire a GPS time. 
       FIG. 3  illustrates that the road monitoring device  20  can include a CPU module  210 , and an infrared signal receiving module  220 , an infrared signal transmitting module  230 , a memory module  240 , and a GPS module  250  electrically connected to the CPU module  210 . The CPU module  210  can be configured to control the infrared signal receiving module  220  and the infrared signal transmitting module  230 , and calculate vehicle position information according to the infrared signal received by the infrared signal receiving module  220 . The memory module  240  can be configured to store the position information of the road monitoring device  20 . The GPS module  250  can be configured to acquire GPS time. The road monitoring device  20  can be coupled to the traffic control center  30 . In at least one embodiment, the road monitoring device  20  can be electrically connected to the traffic control center  30  by optical fiber. The road monitoring device  20  can be communicated with the vehicle terminal device  10  through the infrared signal transmitting/receiving modules. The road monitoring device  20  can be one or more, and positioned along the monitored road. 
       FIG. 4  illustrates that the infrared signal receiving module  220  can include a receiving chip  221  and a receiving hole  222  opposite the receiving chip  221 . The receiving hole  222  can be arranged coaxially with a central axis  223  of the receiving chip  221 . The receiving chip  221  can receive the signal transmitted from the vehicle infrared signal transmit module  120  via the receiving hole  222 . 
       FIG. 5  illustrates that the traffic control center  30  can include a CPU  310 , a memory device  320 , and a display device  330 . The CPU  310  can be configured to process the position information of the road monitoring device  20 , the vehicle information, and the vehicle position information. The storage device  320  can be configured to store three dimensional images of all styles of vehicles and roads. The CPU  310  can call out the three dimensional images of the vehicle and the road according to the vehicle information and the position information of the road monitoring device  20 , and configure a three dimensional image including the vehicles images and the roads images. The display device  330  can be configured to display the three dimensional traffic images. 
     In at least one embodiment, the vehicle storage module  140 , the storage module  240 , and the storage device  320  can be selected from a hard disk, a flash memory, and a memory card. 
       FIG. 6  illustrates a method for monitoring traffic using the traffic monitoring system  100 . Referring to  FIG. 6 , a flowchart is presented in accordance with an example embodiment which is being thus illustrated. The example method is provided by way of example, as there are a variety of ways to carry out the method. The method described below can be carried out using the configurations illustrated in  FIGS. 1 through 5 , for example, and various elements of these figures are referenced in explaining example method. Each block shown in  FIG. 6  represents one or more processes, methods or subroutines, carried out in the example method. Additionally, the illustrated order of blocks is by example only and the order of the blocks can change according to the present disclosure. The example method can begin at block  101 . 
     At block  101 , the vehicle terminal device  10  can enter a standby mode after the vehicle started. When one or more vehicles pass one of the plurality of the road monitoring device  20 , the vehicle GPS module  160  can acquire a GPS time synchronize with the road monitoring device  20 , and the vehicle infrared signal transmit module  120  of the vehicle terminal device  10  can transmit an infrared signal to the road monitoring device  20  positioned on the road. The infrared signal can contain the vehicle identification code and a signal transmitting time of T 0 . 
     At block  102 , the infrared signal receiving module  220  of the road monitoring device  20  can receive the infrared signal transmitted by the vehicle terminal device  10 . At the same time, the CPU module  210  can calculate accurate spatial locations of the vehicle for precision positioning. 
       FIG. 4  illustrates the positioning principle. In positioning an angle between the vehicle and the road monitoring device  20 , the signal transmitted by the infrared signal transmitting module  120  can be specific code sequences, and pass through the receiving hole  222 , and then received by the receiving chip  221  at a receiving point O. The CPU module  210  can distinguish the specific code sequences and exclude other clutter infrared signals. The CPU module  210  can get a two-dimensional coordinate of the receiving point O relative to the central axis  223 , and then calculate a distance L 1  between the receiving point O and the central axis  223 . As a distance L 2  between the receiving chip  221  and the receiving hole  222  can be predetermined, the CPU module  210  can calculate an angle θ formed between the vehicle infrared signal transmitting module  120  and the central axis  223  of the receiving chip  221  by θ=arctan(L 1 /L 2 ). Therefore, the angle between the vehicle and the road monitoring device  20  can be calculated. 
     In positioning a distance between the vehicle and the road monitoring device  20 , the vehicle infrared signal transmitting module  120  can transmit the signal including the signal transmitting time of T 0 , and the infrared signal receiving module  220  can receive the signal and record the signal receiving time of T 1 . Then, the CPU module  210  of the road monitoring device  20  can calculate an linear distance between the vehicle transmitting module  120  and the road monitoring device  20  by measuring the differential time between signal transmitting time T 0  and signal receiving time T 1 . Therefore, the vehicle position information can be calculated. 
     At block  103 , the position information of the road monitoring device  20  stored in the storage module  240 , the vehicle identification code, and the calculated vehicle position information can be transmitted to the traffic control center  30  by the road monitoring device  20 . The traffic control center  30  can receive the signal including the position information of the road monitoring device  20  and the vehicle, and the vehicle identification code, and then call out the corresponding three dimensional images of the corresponding vehicle mode and the road according to the vehicle identification code and the position information of the road monitoring device  20 . At block  104 , The CPU  310  of the traffic control center  30  can configure a three dimensional image of each vehicle and each vehicle position based on the stored vehicle types and the stored images of the monitored roads. 
     At block  105 , the traffic monitoring center  30  can configure a three dimensional traffic image from all of the vehicle images of the one or more vehicles passing the one of the plurality of road monitoring devices  20 . The three dimensional image of the road can be displayed on the display module  330 , thus the traffic of the road can be real time monitored. The three dimensional images of the traffic can be zoom in and out, and rotated. 
     The signal of the composited three dimensional image of the traffic can be transmitted to the road monitoring device  20  by the traffic control center  30 , and the vehicle infrared signal receiving module  130  of each vehicle can receive the signal transmitted by the road monitoring device  20 . The vehicle CPU module  110  can process the signal and call out the three dimensional images of all styles of vehicles and the road, and then configure a three dimensional images of the traffic. The vehicle display module  150  can display the three dimensional images of the traffic, so drivers can watch the three dimensional images of the traffic on the vehicle display module  150  especially in poor visibility conditions. 
     The traffic monitoring system  100  can further send warning signals to vehicles through the road monitoring device  20  when a traffic accident occurred, or a traffic violation occurred. The traffic monitoring system  100  can be connected with the Internet, and vehicle owners can look at the traffic. Moreover, the vehicle terminal device  10  can send a signal to the monitor center  30  when the vehicle is broken. 
     The traffic monitoring system  100  can identify the vehicles, so the traffic control center  30  can send different signals to each road monitor device  20 , and the road monitor device  20  can send corresponding signal to the vehicles on the road. Therefore, the vehicles on specific road can be guided. 
     In other embodiments, the infrared signal receiving module  220 , the infrared signal transmitting module  230 , and the storage module  240  of the road monitoring device  20  can be controlled by the CPU  310  of the traffic control center  30 . 
     The traffic monitoring system can receive signals transmitted by the vehicle terminal devices and accurately position the vehicles. The traffic monitoring system can configure three dimensional images of the traffic to monitor the traffic, send traffic signal to the vehicles, and the vehicles can composite three dimensional images of the traffic. The traffic monitoring system can realize vehicle tracking and vehicle navigation. As the three dimensional images are stored in the traffic control center and the vehicle terminal devices, they can be called out by sending and receiving signal, and the traffic monitoring system can be high intelligent and low-cost. 
     The embodiments shown and described above are only examples. Many details are often found in the art such as the other features of a traffic monitoring system and a traffic monitoring method. Therefore, many such details are neither shown nor described. Even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present technology have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the present disclosure, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in the detail, especially in matters of shape, size and arrangement of the parts within the principles of the present disclosure up to, and including the full extent established by the broad general meaning of the terms used in the claims. It will therefore be appreciated that the embodiments described above may be modified within the scope of the claims.