Traffic Broadcast System

• US 20120209487A1
• Filed: 02/16/2011
• Published: 08/16/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
• Original Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
• Inventors: Busch, Alexander
• Granted Patent: US 8,504,270 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/70
• 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 1/0145 for active traffic flow control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/094 Hardware aspects; Signal processing or signal properties, e.g. frequency bands
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096716 where the received information does not generate an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096725 where the received information generates 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

Abstract

A traffic broadcast system includes a traffic broadcast module, a traffic receiver module, and a display module. The traffic broadcast module includes a traffic database module for gathering traffic data and an electronic device capable of transmitting broadcast signals of the traffic data across a broadcast area. The vehicle having a traffic receiver module that receives and analyzes broadcast signals having traffic data relevant to the vehicle with respect to the vehicle'"'"'s position and direction. The display module having a key for a speedometer that informs a user of the vehicle a speed range to maintain a right of way through a next upcoming light.

Claims

1. A traffic broadcast system for broadcasting traffic information, comprising:

a traffic broadcast module having a traffic database module for gathering traffic data and an electronic device capable of transmitting broadcast signals of the traffic data across a broadcast area;

a vehicle having a traffic receiver module that receives and analyzes broadcast signals having traffic data relevant to the vehicle with respect to the vehicle'"'"'s position and direction; and

a display module having a key for a speedometer that informs a user of the vehicle a speed range to maintain a right of way through a next upcoming light.

2. The traffic broadcast system according to claim 1, wherein the traffic broadcast module connects to at least two intersection control modules.

3. The traffic broadcast system according to claim 2, wherein the traffic broadcast module further connects to the at least two intersection control modules.

4. The traffic broadcast system according to claim 1, wherein the electronic device capable of transmitting broadcast signals is a transceiver for a cellular network.

5. The traffic broadcast system according to claim 4, wherein the transceiver disseminates broadcast signals in all directions, the broadcast signals includes information such as light schedules, density, and emergency issues within the broadcast area.

6. The traffic broadcast system according to claim 1, wherein the broadcast signals are sent with other digital signals on digital sub channels to transmit more than one independent data transmission at the same time.

7. The traffic broadcast system according to claim 6, wherein the traffic receiver module receives the broadcast signals S in FM HD format.

8. The traffic broadcast system according to claim 1, wherein the traffic receiver module comprises a vehicle receiver module for receiving broadcast signals and a vehicle positioning system for determining the vehicle'"'"'s position and direct with respect to the broadcast area.

9. The traffic broadcast system according to claim 8, wherein the traffic receiver module further comprises a mobile device that receives and analyzes broadcast signals using the vehicle positioning system and sends analyzed traffic data which is relevant to the vehicle to the vehicle receiver module for further processing.

10. The traffic broadcast system according to claim 1, wherein the traffic receiver module includes a vehicle processing unit that determines an upcoming light schedule according to the traffic data sent in the broadcast signals S and is displayed in a status section of the display module.

11. The traffic broadcast system according to claim 10, wherein a status of upcoming lights is shown in the display module.

12. The traffic broadcast system according to claim 11, the status section informs the user on far the vehicle is from each upcoming light using distance or time measurements.

13. The traffic broadcast system according to claim 11, the status section informs the user on how long it will take to reach each upcoming light based on current position and velocity.

14. The traffic broadcast system according to claim 11, the display module lists issued emergency warnings which can be scan by the user using a general user interface.

15. The traffic broadcast system according to claim 10, the display module further includes a distance section that displays a distance until a next upcoming light L₁.

16. The traffic broadcast system according to claim 1, wherein the key lists a range of vehicle speeds where the vehicle would not receive a clear right of way through the next upcoming light is maintained.

17. A traffic broadcast system for broadcasting traffic data, comprising:

a traffic broadcast module for gathering and sending broadcast signals; and

a vehicle having a traffic receiver module that receives and analyzes broadcast signals having traffic data relevant to the vehicle with respect to the vehicle'"'"'s position and direction; and

a vehicle-processing unit that sends commands to a vehicle control module;

wherein the vehicle control module assists in reducing the speed of the vehicle based on the traffic data relevant to the vehicle with respect to the vehicle'"'"'s position, direction, and present speed.

18. The traffic broadcast system according to claim 17, wherein the traffic broadcast module connects to at least two intersection control modules.

19. The traffic broadcast system according to claim 18, wherein the traffic broadcast module further connects to the at least two intersection control modules.

20. The traffic broadcast system according to claim 17, wherein the electronic device capable of transmitting broadcast signals is a transceiver for a cellular network creating a broadcast area.

21. The traffic broadcast system according to claim 20, wherein the transceiver disseminates broadcast signals in all directions, the broadcast signals including information regarding upcoming traffic information such as light schedules, density, and emergency issues with the broadcast area.

22. The traffic broadcast system according to claim 21, wherein the broadcast signals are sent with other digital signals on digital sub channels to transmit more than one independent data transmission at the same time.

23. The traffic broadcast system according to claim 22, wherein the traffic receiver module receives the broadcast signals S in FM HD format.

24. The traffic broadcast system according to claim 17, wherein the traffic receiver module comprises a vehicle receiver module for receiving broadcast signals and a vehicle positioning system for determining the vehicle'"'"'s position and direct with respect to a broadcast area.

25. The traffic broadcast system according to claim 24, wherein the traffic receiver module further comprises a mobile device that receives and analyzes broadcast signals using the vehicle positioning system and sends analyzed traffic data which is relevant to the vehicle to the vehicle receiver module for further processing.

26. The traffic broadcast system according to claim 17, wherein the traffic receiver module includes a vehicle processing unit that determines an upcoming light schedule according to the traffic data sent in the broadcast signals S and is displayed in a status section of a display module.

27. The traffic broadcast system according to claim 17, wherein the vehicle control module utilizes existing braking assistance or active cruise control.

28. The traffic broadcast system according to claim 27, wherein the vehicle control module include an indicator to alarm and advise the user to accelerate the vehicle to avoid a traffic issue.

29. The traffic broadcast system according to claim 27, further comprising a display module having a key for a speedometer that informs a user of the vehicle a speed range to maintain a right of way through a next upcoming light.

30. A method for broadcasting traffic information to a vehicle, comprising the steps of:

collecting traffic data from an intersection control modules;

converting the traffic data into broadcast signals;

transmitting the broadcast signals over a designated broadcast area;

receiving the broadcast signals by a traffic receiver module;

determining vehicle position data and direction with respect to the designated broadcast area;

analyzing the broadcast signals for traffic data relevant to the vehicle with respect to current and immediate future traffic conditions and the vehicle position data, including light schedules and traffic obstacles; and

sending the relevant traffic data to a display module and/or vehicle control module.

31. The method for broadcasting traffic data according to claim 30, further comprising the step of:

receiving broadcast signals through a mobile device.

32. The method for broadcasting traffic data according to claim 31, further comprising the step of:

processing and analyzing the broadcast signals including vehicle positioning and direction through the mobile device; and

sending the traffic data to a vehicle processing unit in order to prepare data for the display module and/or the vehicle control module.