Apparatus and method for providing traffic information

• US 20060122846A1
• Filed: 08/27/2003
• Published: 06/08/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Inrix Holdings Ltd. (Inrix Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Inrix Holdings Ltd. (Inrix Incorporated)
• Inventors: Gates, Gary, Slater, Alan George, Burr, Jonathan
• Application Number:
  US10/526,034
• Publication Number:
  US 20060122846A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 342/357.310
• 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 1/0104 Measuring and analyzing of parameters relative to traffic conditions
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096811 where the route is computed offboard
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096822 where the segments of the route are transmitted to the vehicle at different locations and times
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096838 where the user preferences are taken into account or the user selects one route out of a plurality
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096861 where the immediate route instructions are output to the driver, e.g. arrow signs for next turn
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096883 where input information is obtained using a mobile device, e.g. a mobile phone, a PDA
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096888 where input information is obtained using learning systems, e.g. history databases
• 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

A system and method for providing traffic information is disclosed. In one embodiment, a method comprises, for each segment of a route between an origin point and a destination point, performing a time-dependent journey planning calculation, based on a time during which a vehicle is predicted to be travelling through the segment, to produce a segment result; forming at least one route result, the at least one route result being formed based on a plurality of the segment results; storing the at least one route result in a digital storage means; and accessing the rapid access means for use in responding to a user request for traffic information for a journey between the origin point and the destination point. In another embodiment, a method comprises pre-determining at least a portion of a recommended most economic route between an origin point and a destination point; storing the pre-determined portion of the recommended most economic route in a rapid access means in a digital storage means; and accessing the rapid access means for use in responding to a user request for traffic information for a journey between the origin point and the destination point. In another embodiment a method comprises determining, with reference to a first network of geographical boundaries and a second network of digital map nodes, a recommended most economic route between an origin point and a destination point; and transmitting the recommended most economic route to a user.

Claims

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81. A method for providing traffic information, the method comprising:

for each segment of a route between an origin point and a destination point, performing a time-dependent journey planning calculation, based on a time during which a vehicle is predicted to be travelling through the segment, to produce a segment result;

forming at least one route result, the at least one route result being formed based on a plurality of the segment results;

storing the at least one route result in a digital storage means; and

accessing the rapid access means for use in responding to a user request for traffic information for a journey between the origin point and the destination point.

82. A method according to claim 81, wherein performing the time-dependent journey planning calculation for each segment comprises determining a segment duration for traversing the segment based on a predicted vehicle speed for the segment at the time during which the vehicle is predicted to be travelling through the segment.

83. A method according to claim 82, wherein forming the at least one route result comprises summing a plurality of segment durations to produce an overall route duration.

84. A method according to claim 81, wherein performing the time-dependent journey planning calculation for each segment comprises determining a predicted vehicle speed for traversing the segment based on the time during which the vehicle is predicted to be travelling through the segment.

85. A method according to claim 84, wherein forming the at least one route result comprises averaging a plurality of predicted vehicle speeds, each corresponding to a segment, to produce an overall predicted route speed.

86. A method according to claim 81, wherein performing the time-dependent journey planning calculation is based on a time of day and a day of the week during which the vehicle is predicted to be travelling through the segment.

87. A method according to claim 86, wherein the day of the week is selected from a group comprising Bank Holiday, Day before Bank Holiday, Day after Bank Holiday, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.

88. A method according to claim 81, wherein the rapid access means comprises a look-up table.

89. A method according to claim 81, further comprising:

receiving real time data relating to real time vehicle location from a plurality of vehicle-bound probes; and

creating a matrix of vehicle speeds relative to at least a plurality of time of day divisions and a plurality of routes, based on the real time vehicle location data.

90. A method according to claim 89, wherein the plurality of vehicle-bound probes include at least one mobile telephone.

91. A method according to claim 89, further comprising:

creating a first matrix of recommended most economic routes relative to at least a plurality of time of day divisions and a plurality of routes, based on the matrix of vehicle speeds.

92. A method according to claim 91, further comprising, in creating the first matrix of recommended most economic routes, removing outlier vehicle speeds, and vehicle speeds related to unforecastable events, from the matrix of vehicle speeds using statistical analysis.

93. A method according to claim 91, wherein the first matrix of recommended most economic routes comprises a plurality of route matrix elements, each route matrix element corresponding to a pairing of an origin point with a destination point, and comprising:

a route string, a shortest distance corresponding to the route string, a time corresponding to the route string, and a cost corresponding to the route string.

94. A method according to claim 93, wherein the route matrix elements further comprise entries for a plurality of possible vehicle types.

95. A method according to claim 91, further comprising:

identifying, in real time, an area of traffic congestion between the origin point and the destination point; and

determining an alternative, second matrix of recommended most economic routes based on the identified area of traffic congestion.

96. A method according to claim 95, wherein the area of traffic congestion is identified using a database of traffic patterns.

97. A method according to claim 95, wherein the area of traffic congestion is identified by determining whether real time vehicle location data from a plurality of vehicle-bound probes correspond to a pre-determined level of variance from historic real time vehicle speeds.

98. A system for providing traffic information, the system comprising:

a route segment processor for performing, for each segment of a route between an origin point and a destination point, a time-dependent journey planning calculation based on a time during which a vehicle is predicted to be travelling through the segment, to produce a segment result;

a route result formation means for forming at least one route result, the at least one route result being formed based on a plurality of the segment results;

a rapid access means, in a digital storage means, for storing the at least one route result; and

a user request processor for accessing the rapid access means for use in responding to a user request for traffic information for a journey between the origin point and the destination point.

99. A system according to claim 98, wherein the route segment processor comprises means for determining a segment duration for traversing each segment, based on a predicted vehicle speed for the segment at the time during which the vehicle is predicted to be travelling through the segment.

100. A system according to claim 99, wherein the route result formation means comprises means for summing plurality of segment durations to produce an overall route duration.

101. A system according to claim 98, wherein the route segment processor comprises means for determining a predicted vehicle speed for traversing the segment based on the time during which the vehicle is predicted to be travelling through the segment.

102. A system according to claim 101, wherein the route result formation means comprises means for averaging a plurality of predicted vehicle speeds, each corresponding to a segment, to produce an overall predicted route speed.

103. A system according to claim 98, wherein the route segment processor comprises means for performing the time-dependent journey planning calculation based on a time of day and a day of the week during which the vehicle is predicted to be travelling through the segment.

104. A system according to claim 103, wherein the day of the week is selected from a group comprising Bank Holiday, Day before Bank Holiday, Day after Bank Holiday, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.

105. A system according to claim 98, wherein the rapid access means comprises a look-up table.