Traffic control system employing location based services

• US 20080303694A1
• Filed: 06/05/2007
• Published: 12/11/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Frank Ury
• Original Assignee: Frank Ury
• Inventors: Ury, Frank
• Application Number:
  US11/810,580
• Publication Number:
  US 20080303694A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/907
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/07 Controlling traffic signals
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/127 to a central station ; Indicators in a central station

Abstract

A traffic control system employing location based services is disclosed. The system includes a wireless device disposed in each of a plurality of vehicles, the wireless device operable to log onto a wireless network and transmit the location based services, and a master traffic controller coupled to the wireless network and operable to receive the location based services. A method of traffic control employing location based services includes the steps of (a) logging a vehicle onto a wireless network; (b) computing a network address for the vehicle; (c) receiving location based services data for the vehicle; (d) predicting and optimizing traffic flow based on the received location based services data; (e) switching traffic signals based upon the predicted and optimized traffic flow; and (f) repeating steps (a) through (f) at a pre-determined frequency.

Claims

1. A traffic control system employing location based services comprising:

a wireless device disposed in each of a plurality of vehicles, the wireless device operable to log onto a wireless network and transmit the location based services; and

a master traffic controller coupled to the wireless network and operable to receive the location based services.

2. The traffic control system of claim 1, wherein the wireless network represents a traffic flow network.

3. The traffic control system of claim 1, wherein the location based services includes vehicle data.

4. The traffic control system of claim 3, wherein the data includes a vehicle location.

5. The traffic control system of claim 3, wherein the data includes a vehicle direction of travel.

6. The traffic control system of claim 3, wherein the data includes a vehicle speed.

7. The traffic control system of claim 1, wherein the master traffic controller is operable to predict and optimize traffic flow based upon the received location based services.

8. The traffic control system of claim 1, wherein the wireless device is operable to transmit a user supplied vehicle destination to the master traffic controller.

9. The traffic control system of claim 8, wherein the master traffic controller is operable to predict and optimize traffic flow based upon the received location based services and the vehicle destination.

10. A traffic control method employing location based services comprising the steps of:

(a) logging a vehicle onto a wireless network;

(b) computing a network address for the vehicle;

(c) receiving location based services data for the vehicle;

(d) predicting and optimizing traffic flow based on the received location based services data;

(e) switching traffic signals based upon the predicted and optimized traffic flow; and

(f) repeating steps (a) through (f) at a pre-determined frequency.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising receiving a destination data from each vehicle and using the destination data in step (d).

12. The method of claim 10, wherein each vehicle comprises a wireless device operable to log onto the wireless network.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein steps (b) through (e) are executed by a master traffic controller operable to represent a traffic network.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the location based services includes vehicle data.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the vehicle data includes a vehicle location.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the vehicle data includes a vehicle direction.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the vehicle data includes a vehicle speed.

18. A traffic control method employing location based services comprising the steps of:

(a) logging a vehicle onto a wireless network;

(b) computing a network address for the vehicle;

(c) receiving location based services data for the vehicle;

(d) receiving a vehicle destination;

(e) predicting and optimizing traffic flow based on the received location based services data and the vehicle destination;

(f) switching traffic signals based upon the predicted and optimized traffic flow; and

(g) repeating steps (a) through (f) at a pre-determined frequency.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein each vehicle comprises a wireless device operable to log onto the wireless network.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the location based services includes vehicle data including a vehicle location, direction and speed.