Determination of an average traffic speed

• US 10,068,470 B2
• Filed: 05/06/2016
• Issued: 09/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HERE Global B.V. (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: HERE Global B.V. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Pundurs, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Jelani A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Martinez Borrero, Luis A
• Application Number:
  US15/148,126
• Publication Number:
  US 20170323563A1
• Time in Patent Office: 851 Days
• Field of Search: 701117, 701119, 701118, 701 22, 701410, 701423, 701 2, 701409, 701468
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0112 from the vehicle, e.g. floating car data [FCD]
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0129 for creating historical data or processing based on historical data
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0141 for traffic information dissemination
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/052 with provision for determining speed or overspeed speed measuring in general G01P
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/091 Traffic information broadcasting broadcasting communication H04H

Abstract

Navigation devices, services, and methods are provided for determining an average traffic speed for a path segment using probe data from a plurality of navigation devices. The method for determining an average traffic speed may include retrieving probe data from a plurality of navigation devices, each navigation device traveling over at least a portion of a defined path segment for at least a portion of a defined time interval, wherein the probe data for each navigation device comprises an instantaneous velocity of the navigation device. The method may further include calculating a total distance traveled and a total time traveled by the plurality of navigation devices over the path segment and within the time interval using the instantaneous velocities from the retrieved probe data. The average traffic speed may then be determined based on the calculated total distance traveled and total time traveled.

Claims

1. A method for determining an average traffic speed from a plurality of navigation devices, the method comprising:

providing a path segment having a starting location and an ending location;

providing a time interval having a staring time and an ending time;

retrieving probe data, by a processor, from the plurality of navigation devices, each navigation device traveling over at least a portion of the path segment for at least a portion of the time interval, wherein the probe data for each navigation device comprises an instantaneous velocity of the navigation device;

calculating, by the processor, a total distance traveled and a total time traveled by the plurality of navigation devices over the path segment and within the time interval using the instantaneous velocities from the retrieved probe data; and

determining, by the processor, the average traffic speed for the path segment and time interval based on the calculated total distance traveled and the total time traveled,

wherein the average traffic speed is determined using the following formula;

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the probe data for each navigation device further comprises a geographic location of the navigation device, and a timestamp associated with the geographic location and the instantaneous velocity, and

wherein the calculating of the total distance traveled and the total time traveled also uses the geographic locations and the timestamps from the retrieved probe data.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the retrieved probe data from at least one navigation device having a partial navigation path within the path segment and time interval that includes a maximum of one of the following:

(1) a beginning of the partial navigation path at the starting location of the path segment, (2) a beginning of the partial navigation path at the starting time of the time interval, (3) an ending of the partial navigation path at the ending location of the path segment, or (4) an ending of the partial navigation path at the ending time of the time interval.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the calculating the total distance traveled and the total time traveled comprises computing an expectation value for an average distance traveled and an average time traveled based on a uniform probability distribution in location and time across the path segment and the time interval.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the expectation value is computed using historical probe data.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting, over a connected network, the determined average traffic speed to an end-user computing device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the starting location, the ending location, the starting time, the ending time, or a combination thereof is provided by an end-user computing device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the path segment is at least 100 meters and the time interval is at least one minute.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the constant value for a is 3.

9. A method for determining and transmitting an average traffic speed from a plurality of navigation devices, the method comprising:

providing a path segment having a starting location and an ending location;

providing a time interval having a staring time and an ending time, wherein the path segment and time interval are defined by an end-user computing device in communication with a processor;

retrieving probe data, by the processor, from the plurality of navigation devices, each navigation device traveling over at least a portion of the path segment for at least a portion of the time interval, wherein the probe data for each navigation device comprises an instantaneous velocity of the navigation device, a geographic location of the navigation device, and a timestamp associated with the geographic location and the instantaneous velocity;

calculating, by the processor, a total distance traveled and a total time traveled by the plurality of navigation devices over the path segment and within the time interval using the instantaneous velocities of the plurality of navigation devices;

determining, by the processor, the average traffic speed for the path segment and time interval based on the calculated total distance traveled and the total time traveled; and

transmitting, over a connected network, the determined average traffic speed to the end-user computing device,

wherein the average traffic speed is determined using the following formula;

10. An apparatus for determining an average traffic speed from a plurality of navigation devices, the apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code for one or more programs;

the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least perform;

retrieve probe data from the plurality of navigation devices, each navigation device traveling over at least a portion of a path segment for at least a portion of a time interval, wherein the path segment comprises a starting location and an ending location and the time interval comprises a starting time and an ending time, and wherein the probe data for each navigation device comprises an instantaneous velocity of the navigation device, a geographic location of the navigation device, and a timestamp associated with the geographic location and the instantaneous velocity;

calculate a total distance traveled and a total time traveled by the plurality of navigation devices over the path segment and within the time interval using the instantaneous velocities of the plurality of navigation devices; and

determine the average traffic speed for the path segment and time interval based on the calculated total distance traveled and the total time traveled,

wherein the average traffic speed is determined using the following formula;

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to cause the apparatus to further perform:

transmit, over a connected network, the determined average traffic speed to an end-user computing device.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the retrieved probe data from at least one navigation device having a partial navigation path within the path segment and time interval that includes a maximum of one of the following:

(1) a beginning of the partial navigation path at the starting location of the path segment, (2) a beginning of the partial navigation path at the starting time of the time interval, (3) an ending of the partial navigation path at the ending location of the path segment, or (4) an ending of the partial navigation path at the ending time of the time interval.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the calculating the total distance traveled and the total time traveled comprises computing an expectation value for an average distance traveled and an average time traveled based on a uniform probability distribution in location and time across the path segment and the time interval.

15. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the starting location, the ending location, the starting time, the ending time, or a combination thereof is provided by an end-user computing device.

17. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the vehicle is an autonomous vehicle.

18. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the vehicle is a highly automated vehicle.

14. An apparatus for determining an average traffic speed from a plurality of navigation devices, the apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code for one or more programs;

the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least perform;

retrieve probe data from the plurality of navigation devices, each navigation device traveling over at least a portion of a path segment for at least a portion of a time interval, wherein the path segment comprises a starting location and an ending location and the time interval comprises a starting time and an ending time, and wherein the probe data for each navigation device comprises an instantaneous velocity of the navigation device, a geographic location of the navigation device, and a timestamp associated with the geographic location and the instantaneous velocity;

calculate a total distance traveled and a total time traveled by the plurality of navigation devices over the path segment and within the time interval using the instantaneous velocities of the plurality of navigation devices;

determine the average traffic speed for the path segment and time interval based on the calculated total distance traveled and the total time traveled

wherein the average traffic speed is determined using the following formula;

19. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the vehicle is an autonomous vehicle or a highly automated vehicle.