TRAFFIC ADJUSTMENT FOR VARIABLE NETWORK STATE

• US 20160225259A1
• Filed: 02/04/2015
• Published: 08/04/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HERE Global B.V. (HERE Holding Corporation)
• Original Assignee: HERE Global B.V. (HERE Holding Corporation)
• Inventors: Stephens, Paul, Harris, John M., Modica, Leo, Moore, Brian
• Granted Patent: US 9,928,741 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0112 from the vehicle, e.g. floating car data [FCD]
• 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 1/0145 for active traffic flow control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/081 Plural intersections under common control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/095 Traffic lights
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096716 where the received information does not generate an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096741 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: H04W 28/021 in wireless networks with changing topologies, e.g. ad-hoc networks self-organizing networks H04W84/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0226 based on location or mobility handoff or reselection H04W36/00; mobile application services making use of the location of users or terminals H04W4/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0247 based on conditions of the access network or the infrastructure network central resource management H04W28/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

A traffic adjustment or a traffic command, for example, is based on data congestion on a cellular network. Position data is received from a mobile device. A portion of a cellular network that corresponds to the position data is selected. The portion of the cellular network may be the geographic area covered by a cell. The network state of the portion of the cellular network is identified. A traffic device is also identified. The traffic device may be a traffic light or a variable speed sign. The traffic adjustment or traffic command for the traffic device is calculated based on the network state.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving position data for a mobile device;

selecting a portion of a cellular network based on the position data;

identifying a network state of the portion of the cellular network;

identifying a traffic device based on the position data or the selected portion of the cellular network; and

generating, at a processor, a traffic adjustment for the traffic device in response to the network state.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the network state is at least partially based on a throughput of a mobile device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the network state reflects a customer experience on the cellular network or a quality of a signal from the cellular network.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the traffic device includes a traffic signal or a variable sign.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the variable sign is configured to display a speed limit as a function of the network state for the traffic adjustment.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the variable sign is configured to display a message based on the network state for the traffic adjustment.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the traffic signal is configured to increase or decrease a wait time as a function of the network state for the traffic adjustment.

8. The method of claim 4, wherein the traffic signal introduces a delay for a highway ramp based on the network state for the traffic adjustment.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the network state is a bandwidth for the mobile device on the cellular network.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the network state includes a presence of a heavy user or a number of heavy users.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating a driving command in response to the network state.

12. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code for one or more programs;

the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least perform;

identifying a network state of a portion of a cellular network;

identifying a vehicle traffic device or a pedestrian traffic device; and

generating a traffic adjustment for the vehicle traffic device or the pedestrian traffic device in response to the network state.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the vehicle traffic device or the pedestrian traffic device includes a traffic light or a variable sign.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the variable sign is configured to display a speed limit as a function of the network state for the traffic adjustment or.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the traffic light is configured to increase or decrease a wait time as a function of the network state for the traffic adjustment.

16. A method comprising:

generating location data indicative of a geographic location of a mobile device;

generating network state data indicative of a connectivity of the mobile device; and

sending the location data and the network state data to a traffic controller,

wherein a traffic device is adjusted based on the location data and the network state data.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the traffic device is a traffic light that adjusts a wait time based on the network state data.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the traffic device is a variable speed sign that adjusts a speed limit based on the network state data.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

receiving a driving command message from the traffic controller.

20. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code for one or more programs;

the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least perform;

identifying a traffic device for a vehicle or a pedestrian; and

generating a traffic adjustment for the traffic device as a function of network activity or potential network activity at a portion of a cellular network.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the potential network activity is determined by identifying one or more mobile devices.