Monitoring a Mobile Device

• US 20130006510A1
• Filed: 09/11/2012
• Published: 01/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/03/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: University of Maryland
• Original Assignee: University of Maryland
• Inventors: Young, Stanley E., Tarnoff, Philip, Ganig, Nicholas J.
• Application Number:
  US13/609,368
• Publication Number:
  US 20130006510A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/119
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/00 Traffic control systems for road vehicles arrangement of road signs or traffic signals E01F9/00 ; automatic vehicle control B62D
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0104 Measuring and analyzing of parameters relative to traffic conditions
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0125 Traffic data processing
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/017 identifying vehicles G08G1/015, G08G1/054 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/095 Traffic lights
• CPC Class Codes: G16Z 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other main groups of this subclass

Abstract

Devices, systems, and methods for monitoring traffic, such as vehicle traffic on a roadway, using identification information acquired using a Bluetooth protocol. A sensor is configured to scan for discoverable Bluetooth devices within a flow of vehicle traffic and to create a log of identified Bluetooth devices. A system includes multiple sensors at known locations along a route and is operable to identify a Bluetooth device identified at multiple sensors.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of monitoring vehicle traffic along a roadway comprising:

initiating, in a sensor disposed along a roadway, a first inquiry scan according to a communications protocol;

receiving, in the sensor and at a first time, a first inquiry response according to the communications protocol from a mobile device, the first inquiry response including a device identifier that identifies the mobile device, wherein the device identifier is based on a medium access control address of the device;

storing, in the sensor, the device identifier received in the first inquiry response;

storing, in the sensor, a sensor identifier that identifies the sensor;

associating the device identifier with the sensor identifier and a first time stamp that reflects the first time;

initiating, in the sensor, a second inquiry scan according to the communications protocol;

receiving, in the sensor and at a second time, a second inquiry response according to a communications protocol from the mobile device, the second inquiry response including the device identifier;

storing, in the sensor, the device identifier received in the second inquiry response;

associating device identifier with the sensor identifier and a second time stamp that reflects the second time;

determining that the device identifier is associated with the sensor identifier at the first time and is associated with the sensor identifier at the second time; and

based on determining that the device identifier is associated with the sensor identifier at the first time as well as at the second time, deriving at least one vehicle traffic statistic based on the first time stamp and the second time stamp.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the communications protocol is based on frequency hopping.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein deriving at least one vehicle traffic statistic comprises:

deriving at least one vehicle traffic statistic based on a travel time between a location corresponding to the first time and a location corresponding to the second time.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein deriving at least one vehicle traffic statistic comprises:

performing an origin-destination (OD) analysis.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein deriving at least one vehicle traffic statistic comprises:

deriving turning movement proportions that are based on at least one of a number of vehicles going straight, a number of vehicles turning left and number of vehicles turning right.

6. A system for monitoring vehicle traffic along a roadway comprising:

a processor;

a first instruction module including instructions that are stored in a non-transitory computer-readable medium and executable by the processor and configured to cause the processor to perform operations including;

initiating, in a sensor disposed along a roadway, a first inquiry scan according to a communications protocol;

receiving, in the sensor and at a first time, a first inquiry response according to the communications protocol from a mobile device, the first inquiry response including a device identifier that identifies the mobile device, wherein the device identifier is based on a medium access control address of the device;

storing, in the sensor, the device identifier received in the first inquiry response;

storing, in the sensor, a sensor identifier that identifies the sensor;

associating the device identifier with the sensor identifier and a first time stamp that reflects the first time;

initiating, in the sensor, a second inquiry scan according to the communications protocol;

receiving, in the sensor and at a second time, a second inquiry response according to a communications protocol from the mobile device, the second inquiry response including the device identifier;

storing, in the sensor, the device identifier received in the second inquiry response; and

associating device identifier with the sensor identifier and a second time stamp that reflects the second time;

means for determining that the device identifier is associated with the sensor identifier at the first time and is associated with the sensor identifier at the second time; and

based on determining that the device identifier is associated with the sensor identifier at the first time as well as at the second time, means for deriving at least one traffic statistic based on the first time stamp and the second time stamp.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the communications protocol is based on frequency hopping.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the at least one traffic statistic includes a travel time between a location corresponding to the first time and a location corresponding to the second time.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein the at least one traffic statistic includes origin-destination (OD) analysis.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein the at least one traffic statistic includes turning movement proportions that are based on at least one of a number of vehicles going straight, a number of vehicles turning left and number of vehicles turning right.

11. A computer program product, embodied in non-transitory computer-readable media and including instructions that are executable by one or more processors, the instructions configured to cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

initiating, in a sensor disposed along a roadway, a first inquiry scan according to a communications protocol;

receiving, in the sensor and at a first time, a first inquiry response according to the communications protocol from a mobile device, the first inquiry response including a device identifier that identifies the mobile device, wherein the device identifier is based on a medium access control address of the device;

storing, in the sensor, the device identifier received in the first inquiry response;

storing, in the sensor, a sensor identifier that identifies the sensor;

associating the device identifier with the sensor identifier and a first time stamp that reflects the first time;

initiating, in the sensor, a second inquiry scan according to the communications protocol;

receiving, in the sensor and at a second time, a second inquiry response according to a communications protocol from the mobile device, the second inquiry response including the device identifier;

storing, in the sensor, the device identifier received in the second inquiry response;

associating device identifier with the sensor identifier and a second time stamp that reflects the second time;

determining that the device identifier is associated with the sensor identifier at the first time and is associated with the sensor identifier at the second time; and

based on determining that the device identifier is associated with the sensor identifier at the first time as well as at the second time, deriving at least one traffic statistic based on the first time stamp and the second time stamp.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the communications protocol is based on frequency hopping.

13. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the at least one traffic statistic includes a travel time between a location corresponding to the first time and a location corresponding to the second time.

14. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the at least one traffic statistic includes origin-destination (OD) analysis.

15. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the at least one traffic statistic includes turning movement proportions that are based on at least one of a number of vehicles going straight, a number of vehicles turning left and number of vehicles turning right.