Traffic information gathering via cellular phone networks for intelligent transportation systems

• US 20030014181A1
• Filed: 07/10/2001
• Published: 01/16/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Makor Issues & Rights Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Makor Issues & Rights Ltd.
• Inventors: Myr, David
• Granted Patent: US 6,577,946 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/117
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0104 Measuring and analyzing of parameters relative to traffic conditions
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/20 Monitoring the location of vehicles belonging to a group, e.g. fleet of vehicles, countable or determined number of vehicles

Abstract

Location information obtained and continuously updated from vehicular-based cellular phones is collected, processed and used as a basis for input to Intelligent Transportation Systems, in particular to Real Time Urban Traffic Guidance for Vehicular Congestion and Intelligent Traffic Control Systems. Location information that forms the basis of the present invention is obtainable from wireless location systems such as GSM in Europe, CDMA in the USA, or PDC in Japan, and depends on supporting technologies, which are in the process of perpetual improvement. Relying on cellular networks location system capabilities to provide moderately reliable position information, the records of vehicle phones coordinates, timing, etc., are collected, updated and stored in the Traffic Service Center database. Those records together with digital maps are fed into mathematical models and algorithms that construct lists of vehicles traveling on various road sections, traffic loads at particular road sections, real time travel times along all road sections resulting from traffic congestion in particular areas, turning loads for signal intersections, and other key parameters necessary for real time functioning of Intelligent Transportation Systems, in particular of Intelligent Traffic Control Systems, Route Guidance Systems, etc.

Claims

1. The system for mobile wireless acquisition of dynamic traffic information into a Traffic Service Center from a GSM or other cellular network provider in a regional roadway system comprising the steps of:

continuously or periodically obtaining the data on cell phone positions and the corresponding signal times of plurality of cell phones in the regional network in a specific real time frame;

assigning artificial reference IDs to all cell phones, and storing them in the Traffic Service Center database together with the corresponding recorded signal times, position coordinates, and other relevant information;

estimating for each particular cell phone signal whether the corresponding cell phone terminal is located in a traveling vehicle;

setting up a separate list of all cell phones currently identified as located in traveling vehicles.

2. The system according to claim 1 in the Traffic Service Center for compiling and updating a profile on a sequence of real time positions of each cell phone located in a traveling vehicle comprising the steps of:

positioning each cell phone located in a traveling vehicle onto an appropriate road section at each particular moment according to its position coordinates relative to nearby road sections;

eliminating untenable cell phone positions (outlying positions) by analyzing series of recently recorded positions and correlating them with nearby road sections;

making imputations for missing cell phone positions by analyzing series of recently recorded positions and correlating them with nearby road sections.

3. The system according to claims 1 and 2 in the Traffic Service Center for calculating and updating a continuous path for each cell phone located in a traveling vehicle comprising the steps of:

calculating feasible continuous paths for all cell phones located in traveling vehicles within a given time period;

determining directions of movement of those cell phones within a given time period along corresponding road sections;

estimating average traveling velocities of cell phones traveling along corresponding road sections within a given time period.

4. The system according to claims 1-3 in the Traffic Service Center for compiling and updating a profile on a real time path of each vehicular cluster entity comprising the steps of:

identifying multiple phones in a common vehicle and combining them into a single vehicular cluster entity based on closely located positions at corresponding time moments and common direction of movement;

calculating representative positions for each vehicular cluster on the basis of the continuous paths of its cell phones on a corresponding road section;

calculating feasible continuous paths for vehicular clusters within a given time period;

determining directions of movement of those vehicular clusters within a given time period along corresponding road sections;

estimating average traveling velocities of those vehicular clusters traveling along corresponding road sections within a given time period;

storing the relevant position data for each individual vehicular cluster traveling along given road section in the temporary database for the purpose of maintaining vehicle'"'"'s recent path information.

5. The system according to claims 1-4 in the Traffic Service Center for evaluating and updating traffic situations at all road sections and traffic intersections in a regional road system comprising the steps of:

continuously maintaining and updating for each road section the list of vehicles presently moving on that road section together with other relevant information;

continuously maintaining and updating for each road section the list of vehicles that recently exited it together with other relevant information;

continuously maintaining and updating for each road section an estimate of averaged recent travel time for that section;

continuously estimating and updating the current status of the traffic situation and traffic flow at each road section;

calculating turning movements and turning proportions of vehicles on all road sections and on adjacent traffic intersections;

estimating the ratio of vehicles with cell phones to the total number of travelling vehicles in a specific region at the present time and using it for estimating numbers of moving vehicles along various road sections and traffic intersections.

6. The system according to claims 1-5 in the Traffic Service Center for real time updating of the Traffic Service Center database and maintaining its continuous interaction with Automatic Traffic Signal Control Systems and other third parties comprising the steps of:

correlating all traffic information obtained and calculated as described in claims 1-5 with the information available from other traffic acquisition systems for relevant road sections;

providing real time interactive communication between the Traffic Service Center and the Automatic Traffic Signal Control Systems and other third parties;

communicating and distributing the traffic flow information to the Automatic Traffic Signal Controllers, Automatic Traffic Signal Control Systems, and other third parties.

7. The system according to claims 1-5 in the Traffic Service Center for gathering and updating real time urban traffic congestion data comprising the steps of:

collecting, processing and storing real time road traffic data for various road sections in a given geographical region;

collecting, processing and storing real time road traffic data for various geographical regions;

continuously updating real time data on the Traffic Service Center database;

communicating data to various client applications such as on-vehicle navigation systems, Internet based traffic information services, etc.

8. The system according to claims 1-5 in the Traffic Service Center for compiling historical statistical data on road sections in a regional road system comprising the steps of:

compiling and processing historical statistical traffic data on road sections and traffic intersections on the hourly, daily, weekly and monthly basis;

compiling short term and long term predictions of traffic volumes and travel times for road sections and traffic intersections in the given region.