Method of collecting traffic information, and system for performing the method

• US 5,402,117 A
• Filed: 11/29/1993
• Issued: 03/28/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: US Philips Corporation (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: US Philips Corporation (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Zijderhand, Frans
• Primary Examiner(s): Williams, Hezron E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Oda, Christine K.
• Application Number:
  US08/160,320
• Time in Patent Office: 484 Days
• Field of Search: 340/904, 340/907, 340/901, 340/905, 340/934, 340/988, 364/424.02, 364/444, 364/436, 364/437, 379/59
• US Class Current: 340/905
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096827 where the route is computed onboard

Abstract

Via a cellular radio communication system, measured values are transmitted from vehicles to a computer. The measured values are chosen so that they can be used to determine Origin-Destination matrices without infringing upon the privacy of the users.

Claims

1. A method of collecting, processing and disseminating traffic flow information for a predefined geographic area serviced by a cellular radio system, said method comprising the steps of:

a. transmitting, from a plurality of cellular-radio-equipped vehicles travelling in the predefined geographic area to a cellular radio receiver in the cellular radio system, position information periodically identifying the respective positions of said cellular-radio-equipped vehicles relative to predetermined reference positions in said predefined geographic area;

b. processing the position information at a central processor in communication with the cellular radio receiver to produce an origin-destination matrix representative of the rates of travel of the cellular-radio-equipped vehicles along predefined route segments in the predefined geographic area;

c. transmitting, from a cellular radio transmitter in communication with the central processor to the cellular-radio-equipped vehicles travelling in the predefined geographic area, traffic-flow-rate information derived from the origin-destination matrix.

2. A method as in claim 1 where the predetermined reference positions comprise road junctions in the predefined geographic area.

3. A method as in claim 2 where the position information transmitted by each of the cellular-radio-equipped vehicles includes information identifying when said vehicle is present at each of the road junctions.

4. A method as in claim 2 where the position information transmitted by each of the cellular-radio-equipped vehicles includes information representing time spent travelling a completed one of the predefined route segments.

5. A traffic information system for collecting, processing and disseminating traffic flow information for a predefined geographic area serviced by a cellular radio system, said traffic information system comprising:

a. a cellular radio receiver for receiving, from a plurality of cellular-radio-equipped vehicles travelling in the predefined geographic area, position information periodically identifying the respective positions of said cellular-radio-equipped vehicles relative to predetermined reference positions in said predefined geographic area;

b. a central processor in communication with the cellular radio receiver for processing the position information to produce an origin-destination matrix representative of the rates of travel of the cellular-radio-equipped vehicles along predefined route segments in the predefined geographic area;

c. a cellular radio transmitter in communication with the central processor for transmitting, to the cellular-radio-equipped vehicles travelling in the predefined geographic area, traffic-flow-rate information derived from the origin-destination matrix.

6. A traffic information system as in claim 5 where the predetermined reference positions comprise road junctions in the predefined geographic area.

7. A traffic information system as in claim 6 where the position information transmitted by each of the cellular-radio-equipped vehicles includes information identifying when said vehicle is present at each of the road junctions.

8. A traffic information system as in claim 6 where the position information transmitted by each of the cellular-radio-equipped vehicles includes information representing time spent travelling a completed one of the predefined route segments.