System for providing traffic information
First Claim
1. A system for providing current traffic conditions, said system comprising:
- a plurality of mobile units each adapted to provide a current location;
a wireless communication network accessible by said mobile units to report the current locations;
a data network linked to said wireless communication network; and
a processing unit linked to said data network to receive said current locations, said processing unit being adapted to compute a traffic level indicator derived from said current locations of said mobile units.
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Abstract
A system for providing traffic information to a plurality of mobile users connected to a network. The system comprises a plurality of traffic monitors, each comprising at least a traffic detector and a transmitter, the traffic detector generating a signal in response to vehicular traffic and the transmitter transmitting the signal. A receiver receives the signals from the traffic monitors. A computer system is connected to the receiver and is further connected to the network. The computer system in response to a request signal received from one of the users transmits in response thereto information representative of the signals transmitted by the traffic monitoring units. Alternative systems for gathering traffic information are disclosed.
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Citations
60 Claims
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1. A system for providing current traffic conditions, said system comprising:
- a plurality of mobile units each adapted to provide a current location;
a wireless communication network accessible by said mobile units to report the current locations;
a data network linked to said wireless communication network; and
a processing unit linked to said data network to receive said current locations, said processing unit being adapted to compute a traffic level indicator derived from said current locations of said mobile units.
- a plurality of mobile units each adapted to provide a current location;
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2. A system for providing traffic information to a plurality of users connected to a network, comprising:
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(a) a plurality of traffic monitors, each said traffic monitor including a detector that provides a signal including data representative of vehicular movement;
(b) a receiver, remotely located from said traffic monitor that receives said signals from said traffic monitors; and
(c) a computer system interconnected with said receiver and said network;
(d) a plurality of user devices including a display and a communicating device; and
(e) said computer system, in response to a request for traffic information from one of said user devices, providing in response thereto to said one of said user devices traffic information based upon said signals provided by said traffic monitors;
(f) wherein said traffic information provided by said computer system is displayed graphically on said display; and
(g) wherein said computer system has a map database, and said computer system, in response to said request for information, transmits map information representative of a portion of said map database, and said map information representative of said map database is displayed graphically together with said traffic information. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A system for providing traffic information to a plurality of mobile users connected to a network, comprising:
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(a) a plurality of vehicles, each said vehicle including a mobile user station, said mobile user station providing a signal including data representative of a location of said mobile user station and at least one of a speed of said vehicle and an identification code of said mobile user station, and a transmitter transmitting said signal;
(b) a receiver that receives said signals transmitted by said user stations;
(c) a computer system interconnected with said receiver and said network, said computer system, in response to a request for information from one of said mobile user stations, providing in response thereto to said one of said mobile user stations information representative of said signals transmitted by said mobile user stations;
(d) wherein said vehicle mobile user station further comprises a display and said information transmitted by said computer system is displayed graphically on said display; and
(e) wherein said computer system has a map database, and said computer system, in response to said request for information, transmits information representative of a portion of said map database, and said information representative of said map database is displayed graphically. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A system for providing traffic information to a plurality of users connected to a network, comprising:
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(a) a plurality of user devices, each user device including a display;
(b) a computer system interconnected with another user device and said network, said computer system being capable of sending and receiving signals to and from said user devices;
(c) said computer system including a map database and a traffic information database, said traffic information database containing data representative of traffic at a plurality of locations;
(d) at least one of said user devices providing a request to said computer system for information together with a respective location of said one of said user devices, and in response thereto, said computer system providing to said one of said user devices, information representative of selected portions of said map database and selected portions of said traffic information database based on said respective location of said one of said user devices; and
(e) said one of said user devices displaying graphically on said display information representative of said selected portions of said map database and said selected portions of said traffic information database. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A system for providing traffic information to a plurality of users connected to a network, comprising:
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(a) a plurality of mobile user stations, each of said mobile user stations providing a signal from said mobile user station, transmitting said signal;
(b) a receiver that receives said signals transmitted by said mobile user stations; and
(c) a computer system interconnected with said receiver and said network, said computer system determining the location of said mobile user stations based upon said signals, said computer system, in response to a request for information from one of said mobile user stations, providing in response thereto to said one of said mobile user stations information representative of said signals transmitted by said mobile user stations in the form of traffic information. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. A system for providing traffic information to a plurality of mobile users connected to a network, comprising:
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(a) a plurality of mobile user stations, each mobile user station being associated with a display, and a communicating device to allow each of said mobile user stations to send and receive signals;
(b) a computer system interconnected with another communicating device and a network, said computer system being capable of sending and receiving signals to and from said mobile user stations;
(c) said computer system including a traffic information database, said traffic information database containing data representative of traffic at a plurality of locations;
(d) at least one of said mobile user stations providing a request to said computer system for traffic information, a location of said one of said mobile user stations available to said computer system and in response to said request, said computer system updating said traffic information database based on said location of said one of said mobile user stations and providing to said one of said mobile user stations information representative of selected portions of said traffic information database based on said respective location of said one of said mobile user stations; and
(e) said one of said mobile user stations displaying graphically on said display information representative of selected portions of said traffic information database. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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37. A system for providing traffic information to a plurality of mobile users connected to a network, comprising:
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(a) a plurality of mobile user stations, each mobile user station being associated with a display, and a communicating device to allow each of said mobile user stations to send and receive signals;
(b) a computer system interconnected with another communicating device and said network, said computer system being capable of sending and receiving signals to and from said mobile user stations;
(c) said computer system including a map database and a traffic information database, said traffic information database containing data representative of traffic at a plurality of locations;
(d) a respective location of at least one of said mobile user stations available to said computer system based upon data from said respective mobile user stations, and in response thereto, said computer system updating said traffic information database based on said location of said one of said mobile user stations; and
(e) said computer system comparing said respective location of said one of said mobile user stations with said map database before updating said traffic information database. - View Dependent Claims (38, 39, 40, 41)
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42. A system for providing traffic information to a plurality of mobile users, comprising:
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(a) a plurality of mobile user stations, each of said mobile user stations being associated with a respective display, a respective receiving device to allow each of said mobile user stations to receive signals, and a respective global positioning system device for determining a geographic location of said mobile user station;
(b) a computer system associated with a transmitting device, said computer system being capable of sending signals to said mobile user stations;
(c) said computer system including a traffic information database, said traffic information database containing data representative of traffic at a plurality of locations;
(d) said computer system providing to said mobile user stations information representative of said traffic information database; and
(e) said mobile user stations displaying graphically on said display information representative of selected portions of said traffic information database based on said geographic location of said mobile user station. - View Dependent Claims (43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60)
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Specification