Distributed GPS traffic information system

• US 20060166644A1
• Filed: 01/25/2005
• Published: 07/27/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Champion, Mark A.
• Application Number:
  US11/043,855
• Publication Number:
  US 20060166644A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/406
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096716 where the received information does not generate an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096741 where the source of the transmitted information selects which information to transmit to each vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096791 where the origin of the information is another vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/127 to a central station ; Indicators in a central station

Abstract

An embodiment of the present invention includes a technique to use distributed traffic information. A communication device is connected to a center via a wireless connection. The communication device receives global positioning system (GPS) information. The center is communicated with via the communication device using the GPS information to report a traffic condition at a vicinity of a location.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

connecting a communication device to a center via a wireless connection, the communication device receiving global positioning system (GPS) information; and

communicating with the center via the communication device using the GPS information to report a traffic condition at a vicinity of a location.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein connecting comprises

connecting the communication device to the center using one of a cellular phone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a computer, and a network device.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein communicating comprises:

transmitting information on at least one of location, time, and velocity to the center using the GPS information.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein communicating comprises:

reporting the traffic condition at the vicinity of the location using at least one of an automatic message, a verbal message, a textual message, and a visual message, the automatic message containing the GPS information.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein communicating comprises:

requesting information for the traffic condition at the vicinity of the location using at least one of an automatic message, a verbal message, a textual message, and a visual message; and

receiving the requested information from the center via at least one of an automatic message, a verbal message, a textual message, and a visual message.

6. The method of claim 3 further comprising:

receiving a compensation for the reported traffic condition.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein receiving the compensation comprises:

receiving the compensation being one of a credit for receiving information on the traffic condition, a payment, and a credit for a service.

8. The method of claim 4 further comprising:

paying for the requested information.

9. A method comprising:

connecting to a subscriber via a wireless connection; and

communicating with the subscriber regarding a traffic condition at a vicinity of a location.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein connecting comprises

connecting to the subscriber using one of a cellular phone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a computer, a server, and a network device.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein communicating comprises:

receiving information on at least one of location, time, and velocity from the subscriber using global positioning system (GPS) information.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein communicating comprises:

receiving information for the traffic condition at the vicinity of the location via at least one of an automatic message, a verbal message, a textual message, and a visual message, the encoded message containing global positioning system (GPS) information.

13. The method of claim 9 wherein communicating comprises:

receiving a request for information for the traffic condition at the vicinity of the location via at least one of an automatic message, a verbal message, a textual message, and a visual message; and

transmitting the requested information to the subscriber via at least one of an automatic message, a verbal message, a textual message, and a visual message.

14. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

paying a compensation for the reported traffic condition.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein paying the compensation comprises:

paying the compensation being one of a credit for receiving information on the traffic condition, a payment, and a credit for a service.

16. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

receiving a compensation for the requested information.

17. An article of manufacture comprising:

a machine-accessible medium including data that, when accessed by a machine, causes the machine to perform operations comprising;

connecting to a subscriber via a wireless connection; and

communicating with the subscriber regarding a traffic condition at a vicinity of a location.

18. The article of manufacture of claim 17 wherein the data causing the machine to perform connecting comprises data that, when accessed by the machine, causes the machine to perform operations comprising:

connecting to the subscriber using one of a cellular phone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a computer, a server, and a network device.

19. The article of manufacture of claim 17 wherein the data causing the machine to perform communicating comprises data that, when accessed by the machine, causes the machine to perform operations comprising:

receiving information on at least one of location, time, and velocity from the subscriber using global positioning system (GPS) information.

20. The article of manufacture of claim 17 wherein the data causing the machine to perform communicating further comprises data that, when accessed by the machine, causes the machine to perform operations comprising:

receiving a request for information for the traffic condition at the vicinity of the location via at least one of an automatic message, a verbal message, a textual message, and a visual message; and

transmitting the requested information to the subscriber via at least one of an automatic message, a verbal message, a textual message, and a visual message.

21. The article of manufacture of claim 17 wherein the data causing the machine to perform communicating comprises data that, when accessed by the machine, causes the machine to perform operations comprising:

receiving information for the traffic condition at the vicinity of the location via at least one of an automatic message, a verbal message, a textual message, and a visual message, the automatic message containing global positioning system (GPS) information.

22. The article of manufacture of claim 17 wherein the data further comprises data that, when accessed by the machine, causes the machine to perform operations comprising:

paying a compensation for the reported traffic condition.

23. The article of manufacture of claim 22 wherein the data causing the machine to perform paying the compensation comprises data that, when accessed by the machine, causes the machine to perform operations comprising:

paying the compensation being one of a credit for receiving information on the traffic condition, a payment, and a credit for a service.

24. The article of manufacture of claim 20 wherein the data further comprises data that, when accessed by the machine, causes the machine to perform operations comprising:

receiving a compensation for the requested information.

25. A system comprising:

a center having a central communication device; and

a plurality of subscribers traveling in vehicles, each of the subscribers establishing a connection to the central communication device using a subscriber communication device via a wireless connection, the subscriber communication device receiving global positional system (GPS) information, and communicating with the central communication device using the GPS information to report traffic condition at a vicinity of a location.

26. The system of claim 25 wherein each of the subscribers connects to the center using at least one of a cellular phone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a computer, and a network device.

27. The system of claim 25 wherein each of the subscribers communicates with the center by:

transmitting information on at least one of location, time and velocity to the center using the GPS information.

28. The system of claim 25 wherein each of the subscribers communicates with the center by:

reporting the traffic condition at the vicinity of the location using at least one of an automatic message, a verbal message, a text message, and a visual message, the automatic message containing the GPS information.

29. The system of claim 25 wherein each of the subscribers communicates with the center by:

requesting information for the traffic condition at the vicinity of the location using at least one of an automatic message, a verbal message, a text message, and a visual message; and

receiving the requested information from the center via at least one of an automatic message, a verbal message, a text message, and a visual message.

30. The system of claim 27 wherein each of the subscribers receives a compensation for the reported traffic condition.

31. The system of claim 30 wherein each of the subscribers receives the compensation being one of a credit for receiving information on the traffic condition, a payment, and a credit for a service.

32. The system of claim 28 wherein each of the subscribers pays for the requested information.

33. The system of claim 25 wherein the center collects information regarding traffic conditions at different locations reported by the subscribers.

34. The system of claim 33 wherein the center analyzes the collected information to determine a traffic condition at a particular location.

35. The system of claim 33 wherein the center distributes the analyzed information to a subscriber when requested.

36. The system of claim 34 wherein the center distributes the analyzed information to a server of a traffic information center.

37. The system of claim 33 wherein the center posts the analyzed information on a Website.