METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DETERMINING TRAFFIC DATA

• US 20100036594A1
• Filed: 08/06/2009
• Published: 02/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Clarion Co., Ltd. (Faurecia SA)
• Original Assignee: Clarion Co., Ltd. (Faurecia SA)
• Inventors: KUMAGAI, Masatoshi, YAMANE, Kenichiro
• Granted Patent: US 8,392,100 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/117
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0104 Measuring and analyzing of parameters relative to traffic conditions

Abstract

Method and apparatus for determining traffic data The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for determining traffic data. The method comprises the steps of providing statistical data relating to traffic at links of a street map, providing condition data relating to links of the street map, and determining traffic data based on the statistical data and the condition data.

Claims

1. Method for determining traffic data, comprising the steps of

providing statistical data relating to traffic at links of a street map,

providing condition data relating to links of the street map, and

determining traffic data based on the statistical data and the condition data.

2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the condition data comprises at least one of speed trap data, weather data and road works data.

3. Method according to claim 1, characterized by the step of retrieving the condition data from a server.

4. Method according to the preceding claim 1, characterized in that the step of determining traffic data comprises the step of determining whether a modification of the statistical data is required based on the statistical data and the condition data.

5. Method according to the preceding claim 1, characterized in that the step of determining traffic data comprises the steps of

determining links for which condition data is available,

determining for each of said links a modification coefficient for modifying the statistical data, and

determining traffic data based on the statistical data and the modification coefficients.

6. Method according to claim 5, characterized in that the step of determining for each of said links a modification coefficient for modifying the statistical data comprises the steps of

determining link condition data based on a link and the condition data,

determining statistical link data based on the statistical data and said link, and

determining a modification coefficient for modifying said statistical link data based on said link condition data.

7. Method for travel time prediction, comprising the steps of the method for determining traffic data according to claim 1, as well as the steps of

providing a travel start point and a travel end point, and

predicting a travel time for traveling from the travel start point to the travel end point based on the determined traffic data.

8. Method according to claim 7, with the further step of calculating an estimated time of arrival based on a current time and the predicted travel time.

9. Method for travel route recommendation, comprising the steps of the method for travel time prediction according to claim 7, as well as the steps of

predicting travel times for a plurality of routes for traveling from the travel start point to the travel end point based on the determined traffic data,

determining the route of the plurality of routes having the shortest predicted travel time, and

recommending the route with the shortest predicted travel time to a user.

10. Apparatus for determining traffic data, comprising

means for providing statistical data relating to traffic at links of a street map,

means for providing condition data relating to links of the street map, and

means for determining traffic data based on the statistical data and the condition data.

11. Apparatus according to claim 10, characterized in that the means for providing condition data is adapted to provide condition data comprising at least one of speed trap data, weather data and road works data.

12. Apparatus according to claim 10, characterized in that the means for determining traffic data comprises means for determining whether a modification of the statistical data is required based on the statistical data and the condition data,

means for determining links for which condition data is available,

means for determining for each of said links a modification coefficient for modifying the statistical data, and

means for determining traffic data based on the statistical data and the modification coefficients,

wherein the means for determining for each of said links a modification coefficient for modifying the statistical data comprises

means for determining link condition data based on a link and the condition data,

means for determining statistical link data based on the statistical data and said link, and

means for determining a modification coefficient for modifying said statistical link data based on said link condition data.

13. Apparatus for travel time prediction, comprising the means of the apparatus for determining traffic data according to claim 10 and further comprising

means for providing a travel start point and a travel end point, and

means for predicting a travel time for traveling from the travel start point to the travel end point based on the determined traffic data and means for calculating an estimated time of arrival based on a current time and the predicted travel time.

14. Apparatus for travel route recommendation, comprising the means of the apparatus for travel time prediction according to claim 13 and further comprising

means for predicting travel times for a plurality of routes for traveling from the travel start point to the travel end point based on the determined traffic data,

means for determining the route of the plurality of routes having the shortest predicted travel time, and

means for recommending the route with the shortest predicted travel time to a user.

15. A computer program product, the computer program product comprising a computer readable medium and a computer program recorded therein in form of a series of state elements corresponding to instructions which are adapted to be processed by a data processing means of a data processing apparatus. For causing said data processing means to perform the following steps:

providing statistical data relating to traffic at links of a street map,

providing condition data relating to links of the street map, and

determining traffic data based on the statistical data and the condition data.