GPS-Generated Traffic Information

• US 20090309758A1
• Filed: 06/10/2009
• Published: 12/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Uber Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Triangle Software LLC (Pelmorex, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gueziec, Andre
• Granted Patent: US 7,880,642 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/905
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/30 Map- or contour-matching
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3407 specially adapted for specific applications
• 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: G01C 21/36 Input/output arrangements for on-board computers
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3694 Output thereof on a road map
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 5/04 Inference or reasoning models
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0125 Traffic data processing
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0129 for creating historical data or processing based on historical data
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/093 Data selection, e.g. prioritizing information, managing message queues, selecting the information to be output
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0967 Systems involving transmission of highway information, e.g. weather, speed limits transmission of navigation instructions to the vehicle G08G1/0968
• 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 1/09675 where a selection from the received information takes place in the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096775 where the origin of the information is a central station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096816 where the complete route is transmitted to the vehicle at once
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096822 where the segments of the route are transmitted to the vehicle at different locations and times
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096827 where the route is computed onboard
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096866 where the complete route is shown to the driver
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096888 where input information is obtained using learning systems, e.g. history databases
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3822 specially adapted for use in vehicles H04B1/3827 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/025 : using location based information parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 : Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a traveler information monitoring and dissemination system. The system disclosed herein provides real time information to a traveler, wherein the real time information may be pre-selected by the traveler. The system ensures consistent and quality data are produced and issued to the traveler.

Claims

1. A method for disseminating road traffic information, the method comprising:

receiving a latitude and longitude of a user in transit;

accessing a segment database to acquire segment information including segment latitude and longitude information for a plurality of segments, the plurality of segments including a segment proximate to the latitude and longitude of the user and at least one segment incident to the proximate segment;

identifying a segment presently being traversed by the user based on the latitude and longitude of the user in transit, the proximate segment, and a vector of the user in transit, the vector relative to the incident segment; and

publishing indicia of road traffic conditions corresponding to the segment presently being traversed.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the latitude and longitude of the user in transit is generated by a global positioning system (GPS) compatible transceiver, and the indicia of road traffic conditions are published via a display interface coupled to the GPS transceiver.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the latitude and longitude of the user in transit is generated based on time difference of arrival between base stations in a cellular network, and the indicia of road traffic conditions are published via a display interface coupled to a mobile device accessing the cellular network.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the indicia of road traffic conditions include graphical icons representing specific types of incidents in a particular traffic area, the indicia of road traffic conditions published via a display interface.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising formatting the indicia of road traffic conditions for display on a mobile device, the indicia of road traffic conditions published via a display interface at the mobile device.

6. A computer-readable storage medium having embodied thereon a program, the program being executable by a processor to perform a method for disseminating road traffic information, the method comprising:

receiving a latitude and longitude of a user in transit, wherein the latitude and longitude of the user in transit is generated by a global positioning system (GPS) compatible transceiver or is based on time difference of arrival between base stations in a cellular network;

accessing a segment database to acquire segment information including segment latitude and longitude information for a plurality of segments, the plurality of segments including a segment proximate to the latitude and longitude of the user and at least one segment incident to the proximate segment;

identifying a segment presently being traversed by the user based on the latitude and longitude of the user in transit, the proximate segment, and a vector of the user in transit, the vector relative to the incident segment; and

publishing indicia of road traffic conditions corresponding to the segment presently being traversed, wherein the indicia of road traffic conditions include graphical icons representing specific types of incidents in a particular traffic area.

7. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 6, wherein the method further comprises formatting the indicia of road traffic conditions for display on a mobile device.