Distributed system and method for detecting traffic patterns

• US 20010027373A1
• Filed: 05/11/2001
• Published: 10/04/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines SA (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Inventors: Day, Paul Reuben, Bates, Cary Lee, Santosuosso, John Matthew, Ryan, Jeffrey Michael
• Granted Patent: US 6,385,531 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/117
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3492 employing speed data or traffic data, e.g. real-time or historical traffic control systems for road vehicles involving transmission of navigation instructions to the vehicle G08G1/0968
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/01 Detecting movement of traffic to be counted or controlled G08G1/07 - G08G1/14 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096716 where the received information does not generate an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096758 where no selection takes place on the transmitted or the received information
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096791 where the origin of the information is another vehicle

Abstract

A computer system for determining traffic patterns and congestion and using the determined traffic patterns and congestion to determine an appropriate route using a global positioning system and related route map calculator. A vehicle is provided with an onboard computer system adapted to determine travel time of a vehicle in a road segment and calculate a route based on this information. In addition, this information can be distributed to or otherwise shared with other vehicles and similar information can be received from other vehicles to provide a distributed network for generating and sharing experienced traffic patterns. The information can also be used to predict traffic patterns as well.

Claims

1. A computer system disposable on a vehicle, comprising:

(a) one or more traffic information receivers and transmitters configured to receive and transmit traffic condition information;

(b) a system location receiver configured to determine a position of the system; and

(c) a signal processing unit comprising a processor and a memory coupled to the one or more traffic information receivers and transmitters and the system location receiver, wherein the signal processing unit is configured to perform the steps comprising;

(i) determining a first and a second position of the system along a road segment;

(ii) determining an elapsed time between the first and second positions of the computer system; and

(iii) determining whether the elapsed time indicates a congested traffic condition along the road segment by comparing the elapsed time with a stored time value for the road segment.

2. The computer system of

claim 1

, wherein the signal processing unit is further configured to store information about congested traffic conditions along a plurality of road segments.

3. The computer system of

claim 1

, wherein the one or more traffic information receivers are further configured to receive information about road segments from one or more remote computer systems.

4. The computer system of

claim 1

, wherein the signal processing unit is further configured to transmit information about the road segment to one or more remote computer systems via the one or more traffic information transmitters.

5. The computer system of

claim 2

, wherein the signal processing unit is further configured to store the traffic condition information in a database and determine a route using the information stored in the database.

6. The computer system of

claim 1

, wherein the signal processing unit is configured to selectively broadcast traffic condition information for one or more road segments.

7. The computer system of

claim 1

, wherein the signal processing unit is further configured to determine at least the rate of travel of the computer system and compare the determined rate of travel to an acceptable travel rate to determine if the rate of travel is acceptable;

wherein the signal processing unit is configured to broadcast the traffic condition information via the one or more traffic information transmitters if the rate of travel is not acceptable.

8. The computer system of

claim 7

, wherein the signal processing unit is coupled to a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver configured to determine one or more positions of the computer system.

9. A method for processing traffic pattern information in a computer system disposed on a first vehicle, comprising:

determining a first position for the first vehicle in a road segment at a first time;

determining a second position for the first vehicle in a road segment at a second time;

determining an elapsed time by comparing the first time and the second time; and

determining whether a congested traffic condition exists for the road segment according to the elapsed time.

10. The method of

claim 9

, wherein determining the traffic condition comprises comparing the elapsed time to a threshold time.

11. The method of

claim 10

, wherein the threshold time is based on a speed limit and a length for the road segment.

12. The method of

claim 9

, further comprising determining if congested traffic condition information should be broadcast when a congested traffic condition exists.

13. The method of

claim 12

, wherein the traffic condition information is broadcast if confirmation information has been received from a remote source indicating that the remote source has detected the congested traffic condition.

14. The method of

claim 9

, further comprising:

if a congested traffic condition exists, storing congested traffic condition information to a first hand history data structure;

determining whether the information contained in the first hand history data structure should be broadcast, the determination, comprising determining whether information about the road segment has been verified.

15. The method of

claim 9

, comprising;

if a congested traffic condition exists, storing congested traffic condition information in a history data structure as a first hand history information record;

receiving second hand congested traffic condition information from one or more remote sources;

storing the second hand congested traffic condition information in the history data structure as a second hand history information record;

determining whether to broadcast the records stored in the history data structure.

16. The method of

claim 15

, wherein determining whether to broadcast the information contained in the history data structure, comprises:

(i) for each record in the history data structure, determining an arrival time indicating when the road segment could be reached from a current location;

then

(ii) determining for each record if the arrival time is in a time slot for the record; and

(iii) confirming that the records have been verified.

17. The method of

claim 9

, further comprising:

if a congested traffic condition exists, storing congested traffic condition information in a first data structure as first hand history information;

moving the history information from the first data structure to a second data structure when a threshold condition exists; and

determining whether to broadcast the information contained in the second data structure.

18. The method of

claim 17

, wherein the threshold condition exists if a time expiration event has occurred.

19. The method of

claim 9

, further comprising receiving second hand traffic condition information from a second car.

20. The method of

claim 19

, further comprising calculating a route using the second hand traffic condition information.

21. A signal-bearing medium containing a program which, when executed by one or more processors, performs the steps comprising:

determining a first position for a first vehicle in a road segment at a first time;

determining a second position for the first vehicle in a road segment at a second time;

determining an elapsed time by comparing the first time and the second time; and

determining whether a congested traffic condition exists for the road segment according to the elapsed time.

22. The signal-bearing medium of

claim 21

, wherein the signal-bearing medium contains a Global Positioning System (GPS) program which, when executed by the by one or more processors, determines a the first and second positions.

23. The signal-bearing medium of

claim 21

, wherein determining the traffic condition comprises comparing the elapsed time to a threshold time.

24. The signal-bearing medium of

claim 23

, wherein the threshold time is based on a speed limit and a length for the road segment.

25. The signal-bearing medium of

claim 21

, further comprising determining if congested traffic condition information should be broadcast when a congested traffic condition exists.

26. The signal-bearing medium of

claim 25

, wherein the traffic condition information is broadcast if confirmation information has been received from a remote source indicating that the remote source has detected the congested traffic condition.

27. The signal-bearing medium of

claim 21

, further comprising:

if a congested traffic condition exists, storing congested traffic condition information to a first hand history data structure;

determining whether the information contained in the first hand history data structure should be broadcast, the determination, comprising determining whether information about the road segment has been verified.

28. The signal-bearing medium of

claim 27

, wherein determining whether information about the road segment has been verified comprises determining whether verification information is received subsequent to storing congested traffic condition information to the first hand history data structure, the verification information indicating a subsequent congested traffic condition.

29. The signal-bearing medium of

claim 21

, comprising;

if a congested traffic condition exists, storing congested traffic condition information in a history data structure as a first hand history information record;

receiving second hand congested traffic condition information from one or more remote sources;

storing the second hand congested traffic condition information in the history data structure as a second hand history information record;

determining whether to broadcast the records stored in the history data structure.

30. The signal-bearing medium of

claim 29

, wherein determining whether to broadcast the information contained in the history data structure, comprises:

(i) for each record in the history data structure, determining an arrival time indicating when the road segment could be reached from a current location;

then

(ii) determining for each record if the arrival time is in a time slot for the record; and

(iii) confirming that the records have been verified.

31. The signal-bearing medium of

claim 21

, further comprising:

if a congested traffic condition exists, storing congested traffic condition information in a first data structure as first hand history information;

moving the history information from the first data structure to a second data structure when a threshold condition exists; and

determining whether to broadcast the information contained in the second data structure.

32. The signal-bearing medium of

claim 31

, wherein the threshold condition exists if a time expiration event has occurred.

33. The signal-bearing medium of

claim 21

, further comprising receiving second hand traffic condition information from a second car.

34. The signal-bearing medium of

claim 21

, further comprising calculating a route using the second hand traffic condition information.