WIRELESS CLIENT0-SERVER NAVIGATOR TRAFFIC METHODS

• US 20080275641A1
• Filed: 05/02/2008
• Published: 11/06/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ZAMA Innovations LLC
• Original Assignee: Ian Cummings
• Inventors: Cummings, Ian
• Granted Patent: US 9,766,087 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/204
• 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 1/096844 where the complete route is dynamically recomputed based on new data

Abstract

A wireless client-server (WCS) navigator provides routes optimized for travel time based on traffic flow rate and incident data, inexpensively and in a timely manner. A server, having a database of geographical information including road segments at a server, receives information representing traffic flow rates or traffic incidents along the road segments. This allows a route to be generated that is optimized to minimize travel time along the road segments based upon the traffic flow rates or traffic incidents. The route is then transmitted to a mobile client. Typically, though not necessarily, the route is generated in response to a request from a mobile client. Some travel time estimates may be based on historical traffic flow rate data or speed limit data rather than current information. Traffic flow rate or traffic incident data associated with the transmitted route may be transmitted to a client along with the route. The traffic flow rate information may be used to create estimates of time of arrival at a destination or points along the route. The points along the route may include, for example, points at which a maneuver such as a turn should be performed in conjunction with the route.

Claims

1. A method of generating a route with a wireless client-server navigator, comprising the steps of:

providing a database of geographical information including road segments at a server;

receiving information at the server representing traffic flow rates or traffic incidents along the road segments;

generating a route optimized to minimize travel time along the road segments based upon the traffic flow rates or traffic incidents; and

transmitting the route to a mobile client.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the route is generated in response to a request from a mobile client.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein some travel time estimates are based on historical traffic flow rate data or speed limit data rather than current information.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein traffic flow rate or traffic incident data associated with the transmitted route is transmitted to a client along with the route.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the traffic flow rate information is used to create estimates of time of arrival at a destination or points along the route.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein points along the route include points at which a maneuver should be performed in conjunction with the route.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein:

a notification is provided in advance of the maneuver; and

the timing of the notification is based upon the estimates of time of arrival at a destination or points along the route.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein, along with the notification, an estimate is presented as to the time or distance before the maneuver is to be performed.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein:

when traffic flow rate data or traffic incident data arrives at the server after a route has been provided to a client;

the server recalculates a time-optimized route based on previous and new traffic flow rate data and/or traffic incident data; and

if the newly calculated route differs from the route previously sent to a mobile client,

a newly calculated route is sent to the client.

10. A method of notifying a user of a vehicle navigation system that a maneuver should be performed, comprising the steps of:

estimating the time of arrival to the location of the maneuver based upon speed and distance to the location; and

notifying the user as a function of the estimate.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the maneuver is a turn of the user'"'"'s vehicle.