TRAFFIC CAUSALITY

• US 20140278032A1
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Published: 09/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Inrix Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Inrix Incorporated
• Inventors: Scofield, Christopher L.
• Application Number:
  US13/839,039
• Publication Number:
  US 20140278032A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/118
• 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 1/0141 for traffic information dissemination
• 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

Abstract

One or more techniques and/or systems for providing congestion information for a road segment presently experiencing traffic congestion and/or likely to experience traffic congestion in the future are provided. In some embodiments, traffic models are configured to determine road segments where traffic congestion is likely to occur, to determine a cause of traffic congestion, and/or to determine the effect of such traffic congestion (e.g., the duration of such traffic congestion, the expected time delays due to such traffic congestion, etc.). Congestion information indicative of the cause of congestion and/or the effect(s) of such traffic congestion, for example, may be provided to a user to explain to the user why the congestion is occurring, to describe one or more road segments to avoid, and/or to explain why a particular route was selected as a preferred route to a destination, for example.

Claims

1. A system for providing congestion information for a road segment, comprising:

an event identifier configured to identify one or more events that are at least one of a cause of traffic congestion along the road segment or likely to be a cause of traffic congestion along the road segment in the future; and

a publication component configured to provide congestion information to a user indicative of the one or more events.

2. The system of claim 1, comprising:

a notification component configured to receive information indicative of present traffic congestion along the road segment.

3. The system of claim 1, event identifier configured to:

evaluate a first output of a first traffic model to determine a first likelihood that a first event is contributing to the traffic congestion; and

evaluate a second output of a second traffic model to determine a second likelihood that a second event is contributing to the traffic congestion.

4. The system of claim 3, the event identifier configured to compare the first output to the second output to determine the likelihood that at least one of the first event or the second event is at least one of the cause of traffic congestion or likely to be a cause of the traffic congestion in the future.

5. The system of claim 1, the congestion information indicative of an expected time delay along the road segment.

6. The system of claim 1, the congestion information indicative of an expected time when the traffic congestion along the road segment will dissipate.

7. The system of claim 1, comprising a user monitoring component configured to determine a spatial relationship between the user and at least some of the one or more events, and the congestion information describing the spatial relationship.

8. The system of claim 1, the congestion information including multimedia data corresponding to at least some of the one or more events.

9. The system of claim 1, the publication component configured to provide updated congestion information to the user based upon a change in at least some of the one or more events.

10. A method for providing congestion information for a road segment, comprising:

receiving information indicative of traffic congestion along the road segment;

evaluating one or more traffic models to predict a cause of the traffic congestion; and

providing the congestion information to a user indicative of the cause of the traffic congestion.

11. The method of claim 10, comprising:

receiving a request from a user to determine the cause of the traffic congestion.

12. The method of claim 10, the receiving comprising:

receiving the information from one or more traffic sensors.

13. The method of claim 10, the evaluating comprising:

computing, by a first traffic model, a first probability that a first event is contributing to the traffic congestion; and

computing, by a second traffic model, a second probability that a second event is contributing to the traffic congestion.

14. The method of claim 13, the evaluating comprising:

comparing the first probability to the second probability to determine a likelihood that at least one of the first event or the second event is the cause of the traffic congestion.

15. The method of claim 10, the congestion information indicative of an expected time delay along the road segment.

16. The method of claim 10, the congestion information indicative of an expected time when the traffic congestion will dissipate.

17. The method of claim 10, the congestion information provided to the user via a client device configured to provide the congestion information at least one of visually, aurally, or tactilely.

18. The method of claim 10, comprising:

receiving information indicative of a change in the event; and

providing updated congestion information to the user based upon the change in the event.

19. A computer readable medium comprising processor executable instructions that when executed via a processing unit perform a method for providing congestion information for a road segment, comprising:

identifying an event that is causing traffic congestion along the road segment;

providing congestion information to a user indicative of the event;

receiving information indicative of a change in the event; and

providing updated congestion information to the user based upon the change in the event.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 19, comprising:

determining a spatial relationship between the user and the event and the congestion information describing the spatial relationship.