Qualitative relations between moving objects in a network changing its topological relations

The Qualitative Trajectory Calculus on Networks (QTCN) defines qualitative relations between two continuously moving point objects (MPOs) moving along a network. As prevailing in other research, this network is presumed static in QTCN. Actually, in many cases, networks are dynamic entities. For example in a road network, the opening of a bridge can temporarily close the connection between two junctions; traffic jams and traffic lights increase the time needed to travel from A to B  . Therefore, it is interesting to examine what happens with qualitative relations between two continuously moving point objects if there are changes in the network. In this paper, we introduce QTCDN′QTCDN′, being the Qualitative Trajectory Calculus on Changing Networks able to handle topological network changes. Potential applications of the calculus in transportation are highlighted, clearly illustrating the usefulness of the calculus.