METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR A TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT NETWORK

• US 20100254282A1
• Filed: 04/01/2010
• Published: 10/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Iteris Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Trafficcast International Incorporated
• Inventors: Courtney, Tim, CHAN, Peter, Ottenheimer, Afan, Campbell, Neal J., Hauk, Eric
• Granted Patent: US 8,510,025 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/253
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0116 from roadside infrastructure, e.g. beacons
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/012 from other sources than vehicle or roadside beacons, e.g. mobile networks
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0133 for classifying traffic situation
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0141 for traffic information dissemination
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/052 with provision for determining speed or overspeed speed measuring in general G01P
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096716 where the received information does not generate an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/09675 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: H04W 24/08 Testing, supervising or monitoring using real traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/00 Network topologies

Abstract

A system for collecting traffic data includes at least one first node, at least one second node, and a central processing station. The first node includes a cellular communications module and a first networking communications module connected to a first processor. The second node includes a second networking communications module and a device detection module connected to a second processor. The at least one first node and the at least one second node form a network. The device detection module detects devices associated with traffic. The central processing station can be linked to the at least one first node via the cellular communications module. The at least one second node communicates information associated with the devices associated with traffic to the at least one first node. The at least one first node communicates the information associated with the devices associated with traffic to the cellular communications module.

Claims

1. A system for collecting traffic data, comprising:

at least one first node comprising;

a cellular communications module connected to a first processor; and

a first networking communications module connected to the first processor; and

at least one second node comprising;

a second networking communications module connected to a second processor, wherein the at least one first node and the at least one second node form a network via the first networking communications module and the second networking communications module; and

a device detection module connected to the second processor that detects devices associated with traffic; and

a central processing station linked to the at least one first node via the cellular communications module,

wherein the at least one second node communicates information associated with the devices associated with traffic to the at least one first node via the network, and wherein the at least one first node communicates the information associated with the devices associated with traffic to the cellular communications module.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the device detection module is a BlueTooth device detection module.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the first and second networking communications modules are ZigBee communications modules.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the information associated with the devices comprises a device identifier.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the device identifier comprises a media access control address.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the information associated with the devices comprises a time stamp.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the central processing station is configured to calculate at least one of a speed of one of the devices associated with traffic, a directionality of one of the devices associated with traffic, and a travel time of one of the devices associated with traffic.

8. The system of claim 7, further comprising an application server configured to determine traffic congestion of a road based on at least one of a speed of the devices associated with traffic, a directionality of the devices associated with traffic, and a travel time of the devices associated with traffic.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the application server is configured to generate a traffic display indicating at least one of levels of congestion on the road, speed of traffic on the road, and travel time on the road.

10. The system of claim 7, further comprising an application server configured to:

receive a device identifier and a node location;

match the device identifier to a user identifier; and

associate the user identifier with the node location.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising a display configured to indicate a location of an object based on the user identifier and the node location.

12. An apparatus for collecting traffic data, comprising:

a cellular communications module connected to a processor;

a networking communications module connected to the processor; and

a device detection module connected to the processor configured to detect devices associated with traffic,

wherein the networking communications module is configured to communicate information associated with the devices associated with traffic to a central processing station.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the device detection module is a BlueTooth device detection module.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the networking communications module is a ZigBee communications module.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the information associated with the devices comprises a device identifier.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the device identifier comprises a media access control address.

17. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the information associated with the devices comprises a time stamp.

18. A method for tracking objects, comprising:

receiving a device identifier from a first node; and

associating the device identifier with a location of the first node;

wherein the device identifier is associated with a communication link of a device.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

receiving a first time stamp associated with the device identifier and the first node;

receiving a second time stamp associated with the device identifier and a second node; and

tracking the motion of the device based on the first time stamp, the second time stamp, the location of the first node, and the location of the second node.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

transmitting information associated with a location of the device to a display;

wherein device identifier comprises a media access control address;

the communication link comprises a BlueTooth link; and

the first node and the second node are each configured to discover the communication link associated with the device.