Systems and methods for connected and automated vehicle highway systems dedicated lane management and control

Abstract

Provided herein is technology relating to roadway design and traffic control systems and methods for connected and automated vehicle and highway (CAVH) systems, and particularly, but not exclusively, to systems and methods for controlling switching of vehicles between automated mode and human-driven mode, systems and methods for vehicle merging, diverging, and overtaking on automated lanes of multiple lane highways, systems and methods for emergency management and roadside assistance on automated lanes, and/or systems and methods for managing automated vehicle lanes on urban major and minor expressways.

1 - 107 . (canceled) 
     
     
         108 . A road design and traffic control system for a connected and automated vehicle and highway (CAVH) system, said road design and traffic control system comprising:
 a vehicle mode control subsystem configured to control mode switching of automated vehicle (AV) driving modes from an automated mode to a human-driven mode and from a human-driven mode to an automated mode;   a merging, diverging, and overtaking subsystem configured to control vehicle merging, diverging, and overtaking on automated lanes of multi-lane highways;   an emergency management subsystem configured to manage emergencies on roads and provide roadside assistance; and   a lane management subsystem configured to manage lanes dedicated for automated vehicle travel.   
     
     
         109 . The road design and traffic control system of  claim 108  further comprising buffer zones and mode switching zones, wherein said buffer zone provides a road segment for vehicle acceleration and/or vehicle deceleration and wherein said mode switching zone provides a road segment for vehicles to switch modes from human-driven mode to automated mode and/or from automated mode to human-driven mode. 
     
     
         110 . The road design and traffic control system of  claim 108  further comprising AVs configured to operate in an automated mode or a human-driven mode. 
     
     
         111 . The road design and traffic control system of  claim 108 , wherein vehicle management and control is provided by a CAVH system. 
     
     
         112 . The road design and traffic control system of  claim 109  configured to perform:
 a first mode switching method for AVs switching modes from human-driven mode to automated mode, said first mode switching method comprising:
 sending a mode switching request from a vehicle in a mode switching zone to the road design and traffic control system; 
 determining by the road design and traffic control system if the vehicle meets the mode switching requirements; and 
 assuming control of the vehicle by the CAVH system and driving the vehicle through the buffer zone to an automated lane if the mode switching requirements are met by the vehicle, or 
 assuming control of the vehicle by a human driver and driving the vehicle into a human-driven lane if the mode switching requirements are not met; and/or 
 a second mode switching method for AVs switching modes from automated 
 mode to human-driven mode, said second mode switching method comprising:
 sending a mode switching request from a vehicle in a buffer zone to the road design and traffic control system; and 
 assuming control of the vehicle by a human driver in a mode switching zone and driving the vehicle into a human-driven lane. 
 
 
 
     
     
         113 . The road design and traffic control system of  claim 108 , wherein said vehicle mode control subsystem is configured to perform:
 an automated lane access control method, said method comprising:
 providing an AV identification detector at the entrance of an automated lane; 
 determining by the AV identification detector if an approaching vehicle is an AV; and 
 permitting access to the automated lane and assuming control of the vehicle by the road design and traffic control system if said approaching vehicle is an AV or denying access to the automated lane if said approaching vehicle is not an AV; and/or 
   an automated lane exit control method, said method comprising:
 identifying by the AV or road design and traffic control system one or more exits from an automated lane; 
 optionally identifying an optimal exit from the one or more exits from said automated lane; 
 controlling the AV by the road design and traffic control system to drive through a buffer zone and mode switching zone; 
 exiting the automated lane; and 
 entering a human-driven lane. 
   
     
     
         114 . The road design and traffic control system of  claim 108 , wherein said merging, diverging, and overtaking subsystem comprises:
 a mode switching management component configured to manage mode switching of AVs entering automated lanes and exiting automated lanes;   a tidal lane traffic flow component configured to control tidal lane traffic flow;   a merge/diverge component configured to manage merging of AVs into traffic on automated lanes and diverging of AVs from traffic on automated lanes; and/or   an overtaking component configured to manage overtaking by AVs and human-driven vehicles.   
     
     
         115 . The road design and traffic control system of  claim 108  wherein a CAVH system comprises RSUs for bidirectional communication between AVs and road infrastructure; roadside sensing; and for positioning and control of AVs. 
     
     
         116 . The road design and traffic control system of  claim 108 , wherein said merging, diverging, and overtaking subsystem is configured to control access of human-driven vehicles to automated lanes using dynamic lane markings between automated lanes and human-driven lanes. 
     
     
         117 . The road design and traffic control system of  claim 116  wherein:
 a lane marking comprising a repeating pattern of two short segments and one long segment indicates that a lane is an automated lane and that human-driven vehicles are permitted to access said automated lane; 
 a lane marking comprising a broken line comprising short segments of the same size indicates that the lane is a reversible automated lane and that human-driven vehicles are permitted to access said automated lane; and/or 
 a lane marking comprising a solid line indicates that the lane may not be accessed by human-driven vehicles. 
 
     
     
         118 . The road design and traffic control system of  claim 108  wherein said emergency management subsystem is configured to:
 dispatch emergency vehicles; confirm the existence of an emergency; respond to an emergency; and/or clear responding, patrol, and/or emergency vehicles from the emergency site; and/or 
 provide emergency management and roadside assistance on automated lanes. 
 
     
     
         119 . The road design and traffic control system of  claim 108  wherein said lane management subsystem is configured to:
 manage dedicated lanes for AVs on major roads and minor roads; and 
 manage vehicles, buffer zones, mode switching zones, waiting zones, waiting/switching zones, CAVH signalized intersections, direction switching zones, and/or vehicle classification. 
 
     
     
         120 . The road design and traffic control system of  claim 119  wherein said vehicles are AVs and/or human-driven vehicles, wherein said AVs have an automated mode and a human-driven mode. 
     
     
         121 . The road design and traffic control system of  claim 119  wherein:
 said buffer zone is a CAVH road segment comprising at least a portion of an automated lane and at least a portion of a human-driven lane and is provided for vehicles to accelerate and/or decelerate; 
 said mode switching zone is an automated mode to human-driven mode switching zone or is a human-driven mode to automated mode switching zone; 
 said waiting zone is used for vehicles to wait for a passing signal; 
 said waiting/switching zone is used for vehicles to wait for a passing signal and/or for mode switching; 
 said direction switching zone is provided on a human-driven lane prior to a traffic light to indicate to drivers to switch directions; and/or 
 said CAVH signalized intersection is an intersection of a human-driven lane and an automated lane. 
 
     
     
         122 . The road design and traffic control system of  claim 119  wherein said vehicle classification is provided by the CAVH system for vehicles on an automated lane. 
     
     
         123 . The road design and traffic control system of  claim 108 , wherein said lane management subsystem comprises:
 a lane designation and switching module configured to:
 manage designating lanes as automated lanes or human-driven lanes; and/or 
 manage switching lanes from automated lanes to human-driven lanes or from human-driven lanes to automated lanes; 
   a merging and diverging module configured to manage merging of vehicles into lanes and diverging of vehicles from lanes; and/or   a signalized intersection module configured to control traffic on automated lanes and/or human-driven lanes that meet at a signalized intersection.   
     
     
         124 . The road design and traffic control system of  claim 108  wherein said lane management subsystem is configured to perform traffic signal optimization at an intersection and/or manage vehicles at an intersection. 
     
     
         125 . A method for managing vehicle modes; vehicle mode switching; vehicle merging, diverging, and/or overtaking; emergency response and roadside assistance, and/or automated lanes, said method comprising providing a road design and traffic control system of  claim 108 .