System and method for analyzing traffic flow

• US 20100211301A1
• Filed: 02/13/2009
• Published: 08/19/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Inthinc Technology Solutions Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Inthinc Technology Solutions Incorporated
• Inventors: McClellan, Scott
• Application Number:
  US12/379,152
• Publication Number:
  US 20100211301A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/119
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0104 Measuring and analyzing of parameters relative to traffic conditions

Abstract

A system and method for analyzing traffic flow comprises receiving location reports from a plurality of mobile devices, each of the location reports identifying a current location and current speed for a particular mobile device. For each of the location reports, the system identifies a current street from a street mapping database using the current location. The system stores the current speeds for the mobile devices so that each of the current speeds is associated with a street in the street mapping database. The current speeds may be stored in the street mapping database or in a separate database that is linked to the street mapping database.

Claims

1. A central monitoring server for performing a method of analyzing traffic flow, the method comprising:

receiving a location report from each of a plurality of mobile devices, each location report identifying a current location and current speed for a corresponding mobile device;

identifying a particular street from a street mapping database using the current location identified in one or more location reports; and

storing one or more current speeds for the mobile devices so that each current speed is associated with the particular street in the street mapping database.

2. The central monitoring server of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

storing the current speed in a separate database that is linked to the street mapping database.

3. The central monitoring server of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

comparing the one or more current speeds associated with the particular street to a posted speed limit for the particular street.

4. The central monitoring server of claim 3, wherein the method further comprises:

selecting a threshold amount for the particular street.

5. The central monitoring server of claim 4, wherein the method further comprises:

identifying current speeds that are more than the threshold amount below the posted speed limit for the particular street.

6. The central monitoring server of claim 5, wherein the method further comprises:

designating the particular street as having slow traffic if a preset number of current speeds for the particular street are more than the threshold amount below the posted speed limit for the particular street.

7. A method for monitoring traffic flow, comprising:

receiving a message from each of a plurality of wireless devices, the messages identifying a speed and a location of the wireless device;

storing one or more wireless device speeds associated with a particular street, the particular street being identified using the location of one or more wireless devices; and

computing an observed speed limit for the particular street using the stored wireless device speeds.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

comparing the observed speed limit to a posted speed limit of the particular street; and

determining a road condition based on the comparison.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the determination of the road condition further comprises:

identifying if the observed speed limit is greater than the posted speed limit.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the determination of the road condition further comprises:

identifying if the observed speed limit is less than the posted speed limit.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the determination of the road condition further comprises:

identifying if the observed speed limit is less than the posted speed limit by at least a specified amount.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

marking the particular street in a street mapping database if the observed speed limit for the particular street is less than the posted speed limit by more than a specified amount.

13. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

averaging two or more of the stored wireless device speeds to compute the observed speed limit.

14. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

providing the observed speed limit for the particular street in response to a query.

15. One or more computer-readable media having computer-usable instructions stored thereon for performing a method of estimating a speed limit on a street, comprising:

receiving current speed reports from wireless devices;

associating the wireless devices with a street;

computing an observed speed limit for the street using the current speed reports, wherein two or more of the current speed reports received within a specified period are averaged to compute the observed speed limit.

16. The media of claim 15, further comprising:

receiving a current location report with each current speed report from the wireless devices; and

associating the current speed reports to the street using the current location report.

17. One or more computer-readable media having computer-usable instructions stored thereon for performing a method of identifying a location of a street, comprising:

receiving current location reports from wireless devices;

searching a street mapping database using location data in the current location reports;

identifying selected location data that does not correspond to streets in the street mapping database; and

analyzing the selected location data to identify geographic areas that correspond to streets that are not found in the street mapping database.

18. The media of claim 17, further comprising:

identifying a path between two existing streets in the street mapping database, the location of the path designated by the selected location data.

19. The media of claim 18, further comprising:

adding the path to the street mapping database as a new street.