Title: A simulation tool for in-vehicle navigation systems evaluation

Authors: Hongcheng Gan; June Wei

Addresses: Business School, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, 516, JunGong Road, Shanghai 200093, China ' Department of Management and Management Information Systems, College of Business, University of West Florida, Building 76 Room 116, 11000 University Parkway, Pensacola FL 32514, USA

Abstract: This paper proposes a generic macroscopic traffic simulation model-based evaluation tool for freeway networks equipped with In-Vehicle Navigation Systems (IVNS). The tool includes three modules: 1) a freeway network traffic simulation module, 2) a route recommendation generation module executing feedback Dynamic Traffic Assignment (DTA) to calculate splitting rate for in-vehicle navigation-related bifurcation nodes, 3) a control benefits evaluation module providing useful output including link-level traffic states, splitting rates, route travel times, animated network condition map and network performance indexes. A simulation study of a test network showed the tool is effective and useful for better understanding the complex dynamic behaviour of networks equipped with IVNS and for testing and optimising routing strategies.

Keywords: IVNS; in-vehicle navigation systems; macroscopic traffic simulation; mobile communications; freeway networks; route recommendation; DTA; dynamic traffic assignment; travel times; vehicle navigation; motorway networks; freeways; motorways; animation; modelling.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMC.2012.048112

International Journal of Mobile Communications, 2012 Vol.10 No.3, pp.265 - 280

Published online: 22 Jul 2012 *

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