PROVIDING TRAFFIC INFORMATION RELATING TO A PREDICTION OF CONGESTION STATUS AND USING THE SAME

• US 20060268707A1
• Filed: 05/18/2006
• Published: 11/30/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: KIM, Young In, YI, Dong Hoon, CHOI, Hyong Chol, SEO, Chu Hyun, LEE, Joon Hwi, JUNG, Mun Ho, JOE, Moon Jeung
• Granted Patent: US 7,729,335 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/232
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/067 using time frame reporting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0858 One way delays
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 Flow control; Congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/11 Identifying congestion

Abstract

A method for identifying traffic information includes receiving traffic data including a first identifier, information corresponding to a prediction of an amount of congestion for a particular link, and information corresponding to a location associated with the particular link. The first identifier enables a determination of a type of the information that is included within the received traffic data. The method also includes determining a type of information included within the received traffic data based on the first identifier and determining congestion amount prediction information based on the information included in the received traffic data only if the first identifier enables a determination that the received traffic data includes a prediction related to congestion amount. The method further includes determining location information based on the information that is included in the received traffic data corresponding to the location associated with the particular link identifying traffic information based on the determined congestion amount prediction information and the determined location information.

Claims

1. A method for identifying traffic information, the method comprising:

receiving traffic data including one or more identifiers, information reflecting a predicted amount of congestion on a link, information reflecting a predicted congestion tendency for the link, information reflecting a predicted amount of time to traverse the link, information reflected a predicted travel speed for the link, and information reflecting a location corresponding to the link, wherein the one or more identifiers enable a determination of one or more types of information that are included within the received traffic data;

determining the one or more types of information included within the received traffic data based on the identifier;

dependent upon whether the identifier enables a determination that the received traffic data includes information related to congestion amount, determining congestion amount prediction information based on the received traffic data;

dependent upon whether the identifier enables a determination that the received traffic data includes information related to congestion tendency, determining congestion tendency prediction information based on the information included in the received traffic data;

dependent upon whether the identifier enables a determination that the received traffic data includes information related to link traversal time, determining travel time prediction information based on the received traffic data;

dependent upon whether the first identifier enables a determination that the received traffic data includes information related to travel speed prediction, determining travel speed prediction information based on the received traffic data;

determining location information based on the information that is included in the received traffic data reflecting the location corresponding to the particular link; and

identifying traffic information based on the determined location information and at least one of the determined congestion amount prediction information, the determined congestion tendency prediction information, the determined travel time prediction information, and the determined travel speed prediction information.

2. A method for identifying traffic information, the method comprising:

receiving traffic data including a first identifier, information corresponding to a prediction of an amount of congestion for a particular link, and information corresponding to a location associated with the particular link, wherein the first identifier enables a determination of a type of the information that is included within the received traffic data;

determining a type of information included within the received traffic data based on the first identifier;

determining congestion amount prediction information based on the information included in the received traffic data only if the first identifier enables a determination that the received traffic data includes a prediction related to congestion amount;

determining location information based on the information that is included in the received traffic data corresponding to the location associated with the particular link; and

identifying traffic information based on the determined congestion amount prediction information and the determined location information.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein determining congestion amount prediction information includes accessing received data reflecting, among other items, results of measurements made with respect to traffic previously traversing the link, and computing a prediction for a future congestion amount based on the received data.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein determining congestion amount prediction information involves accessing information provided within the received traffic data and recognizing that data as the predicted congestion amount.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising receiving information corresponding to a message management structure including information corresponding to a generation time of information reflected in the traffic data.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the generation time included within the received message management structure relates to a plurality of message component structures that correspond to more than one of a predicted or current traffic tendency, a predicted or current amount of traffic, a predicted or current speed, or a predicted or current time to traverse a particular link.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein each message component structure further comprises an identifier specific to the type of information and the first identifier is an identifier, in a message component structure, specific to the prediction of an amount of congestion for the particular link.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising receiving information corresponding to a chronological indication associated with the predicted congestion amount revealed by the received information.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the chronological indication reflects a particular time of day for which the predicted congestion amount corresponds.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the chronological indication is reflected using the universal time co-ordinated standard.

11. The method of claim 2, wherein the congestion amount prediction information and the location information are determined in a single step.

12. The method of claim 2, wherein the location information is determined before the congestion amount prediction information is determined.

13. The method of claim 2, wherein receiving traffic data includes decoding the traffic data such that the received traffic data is decoded traffic data.

14. The method of claim 2, wherein the prediction amount congestion information reflects an average of more than one indication of congestion amount associated with the link.

15. The method of claim 2, wherein the prediction amount congestion information reflects a weighted summation of more than one indication of congestion amount associated with the link.

16. The method of claim 2, wherein receiving information corresponding to a prediction of an amount of congestion includes receiving a value associated with a text description of an amount of congestions, and determining, with the received value, the text description.

17. The method of claim 2, wherein receiving information corresponding to a prediction of an amount of congestion includes receiving a predicted congestion amount for the link including a text descriptor.

18. The method of claim 2, wherein the information corresponding to a prediction of an amount of congestion for a particular link reflects the predicted congestion amount.

19. An apparatus for identifying traffic information, the apparatus comprising:

an interface configured to receive traffic data including a first identifier, information corresponding to a prediction of an amount of congestion for a particular link, and information corresponding to a location associated with the particular link, wherein the first identifier enables a determination of a type of the information that is included within the received traffic data; and

a processor configured to;

determine a type of information included within the received traffic data based on the first identifier;

dependent upon whether the first identifier enables a determination that the received traffic data includes a prediction related to a congestion amount, determine congestion amount prediction information based on the information included in the received traffic data;

determine location information based on the information that is included in the received traffic data corresponding to the location corresponding to the particular link; and

identify traffic information based on the determined congestion amount prediction information and the determined location information.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the processor is configured to receive traffic data including information corresponding to a version number of information reflected in the traffic data, wherein the version number is associated with a specific syntax of the data where any one of multiple syntaxes may be used.

21. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the processor is configured to receive information corresponding to a message management structure including information corresponding to a generation time of information reflected in the traffic data.

22. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the processor is configured to receive information corresponding to a data length of the received data.

23. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the processor is configured to receive the predicted congestion amount reflected as one value in a set of possible values.

24. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine the prediction of an amount of congestion for a particular link only if the first identifier reveals that the traffic data relates to a prediction of an amount of congestion for a particular link.

25. A method for identifying traffic information, the method comprising:

receiving characteristic information reflecting a characteristic of a link;

receiving location information reflecting a location corresponding to the link; and

identifying traffic information based on the characteristic information and the location information.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein receiving characteristic information includes receiving prediction information reflecting a predicted congestion tendency of the link.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein receiving characteristic information includes receiving prediction information reflecting a predicted travel speed for the link.

28. The method of claim 25, wherein receiving characteristic information includes receiving information reflecting a current amount of congestion on the link.

29. The method of claim 25, wherein receiving characteristic information includes receiving prediction information reflecting a predicted amount of time to traverse the link.

30. The method of claim 25, wherein receiving characteristic information includes receiving information reflecting a current amount of time to traverse the link.

31. The method of claim 25, wherein receiving characteristic information includes receiving prediction information including a predicted congestion tendency for the link, a predicted travel speed for the link, and a predicted amount of time to traverse the link.

32. The method of claim 25, wherein receiving characteristic information includes receiving information reflecting a current amount of congestion on the link and a current amount of time to traverse the link.

33. The method of claim 25, further comprising receiving information reflecting a message management structure including an indication of a time at which information reflected in the traffic data was generated, an identifier associated with a type of information also included within the message management structure, and a data length of the message management structure.