Dynamic edge network management of vehicular traffic

Abstract

A method includes determining that a prioritized vehicle plans to traverse an intersection and receiving sensor data from a plurality of sources in a vicinity of the intersection. The method also includes, based on the sensor data, determining a traffic solution to enable the prioritized vehicle to traverse the intersection, the traffic solution identifying a traffic lane and, based on the traffic solution, controlling a traffic light to cause traffic in the traffic lane to disperse and controlling a second traffic light to instruct traffic in an adjacent traffic lane to stop. The method includes instructing the prioritized vehicle to travel via the traffic lane. The traffic in the traffic lane and the traffic in the adjacent traffic lane are traveling in a same direction.

What is claimed: 
     
         1 . A traffic control system, comprising:
 an edge computing node comprising a processing system and a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processing system, facilitate performance of operations, the operations comprising:   identifying a priority vehicle approaching a vehicle intersection;   receiving sensor data from sensors near the vehicle intersection;   based on the sensor data, controlling a first traffic light to enable a first portion of vehicle traffic at the vehicle intersection to disperse; and;   based on the sensor data, controlling a second traffic light to stop a second portion of traffic at the vehicle intersection to enable the priority vehicle to traverse the intersection.   
     
     
         2 . The traffic control system of  claim 1 , wherein the receiving the sensor data comprises:
 receiving image data.   
     
     
         3 . The traffic control system of  claim 2 , wherein the receiving image data comprises:
 receiving an image of a vehicle license plate on a vehicle near the vehicle intersection.   
     
     
         4 . The traffic control system of  claim 1 , wherein the receiving the sensor data comprises:
 receiving a wireless transmission from a vehicle near the vehicle intersection; and   identifying the vehicle based on the wireless transmission.   
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 based on the sensor data, sending information or instructions to one or more vehicles near the vehicle intersection.   
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein the sending information or instructions to one or more vehicles comprises:
 sending instructions to an autonomous vehicle, the instructions operative to control a movement of the autonomous vehicle.   
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 retrieving a vehicle profile for one or more vehicles near the vehicle intersection; and   predicting a vehicle movement, wherein the predicting is based on the vehicle profile.   
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 receiving image data from one or more sensors near the vehicle intersection; and   identifying a vehicle, wherein the identifying is based on the image data.   
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the identifying a vehicle comprises:
 identifying, in the image data, a vehicle license plate of the vehicle; and   identifying the vehicle based on the vehicle license plate.   
     
     
         10 . A method comprising:
 determining, by a processing system including a processor, a traffic solution to enable a first vehicle to traverse an intersection, the traffic solution identifying a plurality of traffic lanes at the intersection;   based on the traffic solution, controlling, by the processing system, first respective traffic lights in respective traffic lanes of the plurality of traffic lanes to enable first vehicles in a first traffic lane of the plurality of traffic lanes to disperse; and   controlling, by the processing system, second respective traffic lights to cause second vehicles in a second traffic lane to stop.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 receiving, by the processing system, sensor data from sensors near the vehicle intersection; and   determining, by the processing system, the traffic solution based on the sensor data.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 sending, by the processing system, instructions to one or more vehicles near the vehicle intersection, wherein the sending information is based on the sensor data.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 sending, by the processing system, instructions to an autonomous vehicle, the instructions operative to control a movement of the autonomous vehicle.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 identifying, by the processing system, at least some vehicles of the first vehicles and the second vehicles, wherein the identifying is based on the sensor data;   retrieving, by the processing system, driving profiles for the at least some vehicles, wherein the retrieving is based on the identifying the at least some vehicles; and   determining, by the processing system, the traffic solution based on the driving profiles.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising:
 collecting, by the processing system, sensor data comprising feedback indicative of effects of the traffic solution; and   updating, by the processing system, the driving profiles for the at least some vehicles, wherein the updating is based on the feedback.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 determining, by the processing system, a subsequent traffic solution, wherein the determining the subsequent traffic solution is based the traffic solution and the feedback.   
     
     
         17 . A non-transitory machine-readable medium, comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processing system including a processor, facilitate performance of operations, the operations comprising:
 receiving sensor data from a plurality of sensors in a vicinity of an intersection,   determining a traffic solution to enable a first vehicle to traverse the intersection, the traffic solution identifying a traffic lane, a first traffic light and a second traffic light;   based on the traffic solution, controlling the first traffic light to disperse a first traffic in the traffic lane; and   based on the traffic solution, controlling the second traffic light to stop a second traffic in an adjacent traffic lane.   
     
     
         18 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 17 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 based on the sensor data, sending instructions to one or more autonomous vehicles near the vehicle intersection, the instructions operable to control movement of the one or more autonomous vehicles.   
     
     
         19 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 17 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 based on the sensor data, identifying at least one first vehicle in the first traffic and at least one second vehicle in the second traffic;   retrieving vehicle profiles for the at least one first vehicle and the at least one second vehicle;   based on the vehicle profiles, predicting behavior of the at least one first vehicle and the at least one second vehicle; and   based on the predicting behavior, determining the traffic solution.   
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 17 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 collecting sensor data, the sensor data comprising feedback indicative of effects of the traffic solution;   updating the vehicle profiles for the at least one first vehicle and the at least one second vehicle, wherein the updating is based on the feedback; and   determining a subsequent traffic solution, wherein the determining the subsequent traffic solution is based the traffic solution and the feedback.