EVENT-BASED TRAFFIC ROUTING

• US 20140278031A1
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Published: 09/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Inrix Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Inrix Incorporated
• Inventors: Scofield, Christopher L., Daymond, Mark
• Granted Patent: US 9,437,107 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/118
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3461 Preferred or disfavoured areas, e.g. dangerous zones, toll or emission zones, intersections, manoeuvre types, segments such as motorways, toll roads, ferries
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3492 employing speed data or traffic data, e.g. real-time or historical traffic control systems for road vehicles involving transmission of navigation instructions to the vehicle G08G1/0968
• 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 1/0129 for creating historical data or processing based on historical data
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0133 for classifying traffic situation
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096741 where the source of the transmitted information selects which information to transmit to each vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096775 where the origin of the information is a central station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096844 where the complete route is dynamically recomputed based on new data
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096888 where input information is obtained using learning systems, e.g. history databases

Abstract

One or more techniques and/or systems are provided for to creating an avoidance zone spatially proximate a venue, where the avoidance zone is created based upon identifying road segments where increased traffic congestion is expected due to an event at the venue. Information pertaining to the avoidance zone, such as a description of road segments to avoid and/or expected travel delays, may be provided to a route planner configured to develop vehicle routes. In this way, the route planner can take into consideration the impact of events on one or more road segments when planning a route.

Claims

1. A method for traffic avoidance comprising:

receiving information describing an event that is to occur at a venue;

identifying one or more road segments where a degree of traffic congestion above a specified threshold is forecasted due to the event; and

generating an avoidance zone spatially proximate the venue based upon at least some of the one or more identified road segments.

2. The method of claim 1, comprising developing a model to identify the one or more road segments, the model receiving as inputs data corresponding to a history of events at the venue and data corresponding to a history of traffic patterns for the one or more road segments.

3. The method of claim 1, the degree of traffic congestion defined in terms of vehicle speed, and the identifying comprising:

identifying a road segment where vehicle speed is expected to decrease by a specified percentage due to the event relative to a reference speed for the road segment.

4. The method of claim 1, the degree of traffic congestion defined in terms of vehicle volume, and the identifying comprising:

identifying a road segment where vehicle volume is expected to increase by a specified percentage due to the event relative to a reference volume for the road segment.

5. The method of claim 1, the degree of traffic congestion defined in terms of vehicle density, and the identifying comprising:

identifying a road segment where vehicle density is expected to increase by a specified percentage due to the event relative to a reference density for the road segment.

6. The method of claim 1, the generating comprising:

identifying a first point along a first road segment of the one or more road segments where the degree of traffic congestion is forecasted to transition to a first value above the specified threshold; and

identifying a second point along a second road segment of the one or more road segments where the degree of traffic congestion is forecasted to transition to a second value above the specified threshold.

7. The method of claim 6, the generating comprising:

defining a perimeter of the avoidance zone based upon the first point and the second point.

8. The method of claim 7, the perimeter being non-circular.

9. The method of claim 1, comprising:

computing a route for navigating a user between a starting location and an ending location as a function of the avoidance zone.

10. The method of claim 9, where the route is different than a route that would be computed for navigating the user between the starting location and the ending location if the event were not occurring.

11. The method of claim 1, comprising:

notifying a user to avoid one or more road segments comprised within the avoidance zone and explaining a cause of the avoidance zone.

12. A system for routing a vehicle, comprising:

a zone creation component configured to generate an avoidance zone describing one or more road segments where increased traffic congestion is forecasted due to an event at a venue; and

a publication component configured to publish information pertaining to the avoidance zone to a route planner configured to generate a route for the vehicle from a starting location to an ending location.

13. The system of claim 12, the published information comprising a time window in which the increased traffic congestion is expected.

14. The system of claim 12, comprising a modeling component configured to develop a model for identifying a road segment where a degree of traffic congestion above a specified threshold is forecasted to occur due to the event.

15. The system of claim 14, the zone creation component configured to generate the avoidance zone based upon the identified road segment.

16. The system of claim 14, the modeling component configured to forecast the degree of traffic congestion for the road segment based upon a history of events at the venue and a history of traffic patterns for the road segment.

17. The system of claim 12, the publication component configured to publish the information to a client device associated with a user.

18. The system of claim 12, the zone creation component configured to update the avoidance zone based upon a change to one or more conditions associated with the event.

19. The system of claim 12, the route planner configured to compute an arrival time for arriving at the ending location as a function of the avoidance zone.

20. A computer readable medium comprising processor executable instructions that when executed via a processing unit perform a method, comprising:

receiving information describing an event that is to occur at a venue;

identifying one or more road segments where a degree of traffic congestion above a specified threshold is forecasted due to the event; and

generating an avoidance zone spatially proximate the venue based upon at least some of the one or more identified road segments.