Method and apparatus for controlling a roadway resource

Abstract

A method and computer-readable storage device and apparatus for controlling a roadway resource are disclosed. For example, the method receives from a device associated with a vehicle a request to reach a target destination by a target arrival time and a maximum payment amount to reach the target destination by the target arrival time. The method next determining a route to the target destination and determines a roadway resource along the route that is controllable. The method then sends an instruction to the device associated with the vehicle, where the instruction indicates to navigate the vehicle along the route and controls the roadway resource to enable the vehicle to reach the target destination by the target arrival time.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for controlling a roadway resource, the method comprising:
 receiving, by a processor from a device associated with a vehicle, a request to reach a target destination by a target arrival time;   determining, by the processor, a route to the target destination;   determining, by the processor, the roadway resource along the route;   sending an instruction, by the processor, to the device associated with the vehicle, wherein the instruction indicates to navigate the vehicle along the route; and   controlling, by the processor, the roadway resource to enable the vehicle to reach the target destination by the target arrival time, wherein the roadway resource comprises at least one traffic light, and wherein the controlling comprises controlling a timing of the at least one traffic light in presenting a green signal.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 tracking a movement of the vehicle along the route.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one traffic light comprises a plurality of traffic lights. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the controlling the roadway resource comprises presenting the green signal in a direction in which the vehicle is travelling as the vehicle approaches each of the plurality of traffic lights. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the roadway resource further comprises a selected lane of a road. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the controlling the roadway resource further comprises increasing a toll fee for the selected lane to reduce a number of vehicles travelling in the selected lane. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , further comprising:
 sending a further instruction to the device associated with the vehicle, wherein the further instruction indicates to navigate the vehicle in the selected lane.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the roadway resource further comprises a reversible lane. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the controlling the roadway resource further comprises directing a flow of traffic in the reversible lane in a direction in which the vehicle is travelling along the route. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the reversible lane is a reversible lane of a tunnel. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the reversible lane is a reversible lane of a bridge. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving a maximum payment amount that a user associated with the vehicle is willing to pay to reach the target destination by the target arrival time.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 calculating a cost for controlling the roadway resource; and   calculating an estimated cost to reach the target destination by the target arrival time using the route that is determined and including the cost for controlling the roadway resource.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 presenting the estimated cost to the device associated with the vehicle.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 notifying the device associated with the vehicle of the estimated cost is greater than a maximum payment amount that a user associated with the vehicle is willing to pay to reach the target destination by the target arrival time.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 gathering traffic data proximate to the roadway resource; and   determining whether an adjustment to the control of the roadway resource needs to be made based upon the traffic data.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the traffic data indicates that another vehicle requires an adjustment to the control of the roadway resource. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the route is selected from a plurality of candidate routes, wherein the route is a lowest cost route of the plurality of candidate routes. 
     
     
         19 . A computer-readable storage device storing instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations for controlling a roadway resource, the operations comprising:
 receiving, from a device associated with a vehicle, a request to reach a target destination by a target arrival time;   determining a route to the target destination;   determining the roadway resource along the route;   sending an instruction to the device associated with the vehicle, wherein the instruction indicates to navigate the vehicle along the route; and   controlling the roadway resource to enable the vehicle to reach the target destination by the target arrival time, wherein the roadway resource comprises at least one traffic light, and wherein the controlling comprises controlling a timing of the at least one traffic light in presenting a green signal.   
     
     
         20 . An apparatus for controlling a roadway resource, the apparatus comprising:
 a processor; and   a computer-readable storage device storing a instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations, the operations comprising:
 receiving, from a device associated with a vehicle, a request to reach a target destination by a target arrival time; 
 determining a route to the target destination; 
 determining the roadway resource along the route; 
 sending an instruction to the device associated with the vehicle, wherein the instruction indicates to navigate the vehicle along the route; and 
 controlling the roadway resource to enable the vehicle to reach the target destination by the target arrival time, wherein the roadway resource comprises at least one traffic light, and wherein the controlling comprises controlling a timing of the at least one traffic light in presenting a green signal.