Traffic flow change monitoring system

Claim 2

A traffic flow monitoring system comprising: a signal generating means for producing an output signal in response to vehicle perception signals generated by a vehicle perceiving sensor means disposed on a road; vehicle perception data compilation means for producing vehicle perception data from said output signal; vehicle perception data classification means for ranking said vehicle perception data; inter-vehicle distance data compilation means for producing inter-vehicle distance data rom said output signal; inter-vehicle distance data classification means for ranking said inter-vehicle distance data; and judgement means for judging a change in traffic flow by performing a comparison of results of the ranking of said vehicle perception data and the ranking of said inter-vehicle distance data with a combinative decision value and monitoring a time-dependent change in a result of said comparison.

Claim 3

A traffic flow change monitoring system comprising: a signal detection section for detecting a vehicle perception signal from a vehicle perceiving sensor on each of traffic lanes at each measuring spot; inter-lane change judgement means for judging a relative change in traffic flow between the traffic lanes at each measuring spot on the basis of the vehicle perception signals detected by said signal detection section; speed-by-location data generation means for producing vehicle speed data at each measuring spot on the basis of the vehicle perception signals perceived by said signal detection section; condition-by-location judgement means for judging the condition of a traffic flow at each measuring spot on the basis of the vehicle speed data at each measuring spot produced by said speed-by-location data generation means; sectional comprehensive judgement means for judging the condition of a traffic flow in a section inclusive of a plurality of measuring spots in accordance with the results of judgement by said inter-lane change judgement means and said condition-by-location judgement means; and change judgement means for judging a change in traffic flow in accordance with the result of judgement by said sectional comprehensive judgement means.

Claim 4

A traffic flow change monitoring system comprising: a signal detection section for detecting a vehicle perception signal from a vehicle perceiving sensor on each of traffic lanes at each measuring spot; inter-lane change judgement means for judging a relative change in traffic flow between the traffic lanes at each measuring spot on the basis of the vehicle perception signals detected by said signal detection section; speed-by-location data generation means for producing vehicle speed data at each measuring spot on the basis of the vehicle perception signals perceived by said signal detection section; condition-by-location judgement means for judging the condition of a traffic flow at each measuring spot on the basis of the vehicle speed data at each measuring spot produced by said speed-by-location data generation means; sectional comprehensive judgement means for judging the condition of a traffic flow in a section inclusive of a plurality of measuring spots in accordance with the results of judgement by said inter-lane change judgement means and said condition-by-location judgement means; and change judgement means for judging a change in traffic flow in accordance with the result of judgement by said sectional comprehensive judgement means.