FORMAT FOR PROVIDING TRAFFIC INFORMATION AND A METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR USING THE FORMAT

• US 20070019562A1
• Filed: 06/14/2006
• Published: 01/25/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kim, Young, Joe, Moon, Jung, Mun
• Granted Patent: US 8,711,850 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/252
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/36 Input/output arrangements for on-board computers
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0104 Measuring and analyzing of parameters relative to traffic conditions
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/091 Traffic information broadcasting broadcasting communication H04H
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/55 for traffic information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/51 of receiving stations
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/64 for providing detail information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/65 for using the result on users' side
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/70 using geographical information, e.g. maps, charts or atlases

Abstract

A method for identifying traffic information includes receiving traffic data including a first identifier, an amount of time currently taken to traverse 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 current travel time 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 an amount of time. 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 and identifying traffic information based on the determined current travel time information and the determined location information.

Claims

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

receiving traffic data including a first identifier, an amount of time currently taken to traverse 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 current travel time 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 an amount of time;

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 current travel time information and the determined location information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining current travel time information includes accessing received data corresponding to, among other items, results of measurements made with respect to traffic previously traversing the link, and computing an amount of travel time based on the received data.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining current travel time information involves accessing information provided within the received traffic data and recognizing that data as the amount of travel time.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving information corresponding to a message management structure including information corresponding to a generation time of information reflected in the traffic data.

5. The method of claim 4, 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.

6. The method of claim 5, 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 current travel time amount for the particular link.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the current travel time information and the location information are determined in a single step.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the location information is determined before the current travel time information is determined.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving traffic data includes decoding the traffic data such that the received traffic data is decoded traffic data.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving information corresponding to a current travel time amount includes receiving a value associated with a text description of an amount of travel time, and determining, with the received value, the text description.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving information corresponding to a current of travel time amount includes receiving a current amount of travel time for the link including a text descriptor.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the amount of time currently taken to traverse a particular link reflects the current travel time amount.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the amount of time currently taken to traverse the link is reflected in a number of seconds.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the amount of time currently taken to traverse the link is reflected in a unit of time that is smaller than a second.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the amount of time is reflected in one or more bytes, each byte including a first portion of the byte which determines a value in terms of minutes and a second portion of the byte, consisting of five or less bits, which determines a number of tens of seconds.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving an amount of time includes receiving a flag value that determines whether associated data is in terms of either a first unit or a second unit.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving an amount of time includes receiving a flag value that determines whether associated data will include one or more additional packets of information.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the flag value indicates that the associated data will be delivered with a single additional byte.

17. The method of 16, wherein the first unit is minutes and the second unit is seconds.

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

extracting a traffic information message including message segments;

extracting a first component including status information from the extracted traffic information message;

extracting, from the first component, congestion information for a link from the status information;

extracting a second component including status information from the extracted traffic information message;

extracting, from the second component, speed information for a link from the status information;

extracting a third component including status information from the extracted traffic information message;

extracting, from the third component, travel time information for a link from the status information;

identifying, based on the extracted information, congestion information, speed information, and travel time information for the link.

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

an interface configured to receive traffic data including a first identifier, information corresponding to an amount of time currently taken to traverse 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;

determining current travel time 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 an amount of time;

determine received traffic data includes an amount of time 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 current travel time information and the determined location information.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, 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.

23. The apparatus of claim 21, 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.

24. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the processor is configured to receive information corresponding to a data length of the received data.

25. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine the amount of travel time for a particular link only if the first identifier enables a determination that the traffic data relates to a current travel time for a particular link.