Large-Scale Traffic Network Control Based on Mixed Integer Non-linear System Formulation

This paper presents a new framework for traffic flow control based on an integrated model description by means of a hybrid dynamical system (HDS). The geometrical information on the traffic network is characterized by a hybrid Petri net (HPN). Then, the algebraic behavior of traffic flow is transformed into a mixed logical dynamical system (MLDS) in order to introduce an optimization technique. These expressions involve both continuous evolution of traffic flow and event driven behavior of traffic light. HPN allows us to formulate the problem easily for complicated and large-scale traffic network due to its graphical understanding. MLDS enables us to optimize the control policy for traffic light by means of its algebraic manipulability and use of model predictive control framework. Since the behavior represented by HPN can be directly transformed into corresponding MLDS, the seamless incorporation of two different modeling schemes provide a systematic design for traffic flow control