Method and system for providing an image vector-based traffic information

• US 6,233,518 B1
• Filed: 03/27/2000
• Issued: 05/15/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ji-Soo Lee
• Original Assignee: Heung-Soo Lee
• Inventors: Lee, Heung-Soo
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuchlinski, Jr., William A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): ARTHUR JEANGLAUDE, GERTRUDE
• Application Number:
  US09/509,349
• Time in Patent Office: 414 Days
• Field of Search: 701/25, 701/28, 701/117, 701/118, 701/119, 701/120, 701/207, 701/208, 701/211, 701/214, 340/901, 340/906, 340/907, 340/990, 340/995
• US Class Current: 701/117
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3691 Retrieval, searching and output of information related to real-time traffic, weather, or environmental conditions arrangements for giving variable traffic instructions G08G1/09
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0969 having a display in the form of a map

Abstract

A system and method for providing an image-based traffic information are disclosed. A plurality of time-variant real entities are converted into time-variant image vector entities and the attribute-designating statement of the time-variant image vector entity is determined based on a traffic information. Also, a plurality of time-invariant real entities are converted into a plurality of time-invariant image vector entities which constitutes a basic map. A traffic information map including at least said traffic state map is transmitted to a user device via a communication network. At user device, a basic image in accordance with the basic map is displayed on a screen of the user device and a traffic state image in accordance with the traffic state map is cumulatively displayed on the basic image.

Claims

1. A method of providing an image-based traffic information in a region having at least one time-variant real entity, comprising the steps of:

converting said time-variant real entity into a time-variant image vector entity;

generating an attribute-designating statement of the time-variant image vector entity based on a traffic information so as to form a traffic state map;

transmitting said traffic state map to a user device via a communication network; and

displaying an image in accordance with the traffic state map on a screen of the user device.

2. The method according to the claim 1, wherein said attribute-designating statement of the time-variant image vector is a color designating statement.

3. The method according to the claim 2, wherein said time-variant real entity is a road and said color designating statement is determined in accordance with a velocity of the road.

4. The method according to the claim 1, wherein said time-variant image vector entity of the traffic state map includes the attribute-designating statement, an shape-designating statement and a position-designating statement.

5. The method according to the claim 4, wherein said attribute-designating statement is composed of an attribute-designating command and an attribute value.

6. The method according to the claim 5, further comprising the step of compressing said traffic state map such that two time-variant image vector entities for one road are converted into one complex time-variant image vector entity composed of one attribute-designating, two attribute values, a shape-designating statement and a position-designating statement, wherein one of said two time-variant image vector entities is for forward direction and the other is for backward direction of the road.

7. A method of providing an image-based traffic information in a region having at least one time-variant real entity, comprising the steps of:

converting said time-variant real entity into a time-variant image vector entity;

generating an attribute-designating statement of the time-variant image vector entity based on a traffic information so as to form a traffic state map;

converting a plurality of time-invariant real entities into a plurality of time-invariant image vector entities, wherein said plurality of time-invariant real entities are also included in the region;

forming at least one basic map using said plurality of time-invariant image vector entities;

forming a traffic information map which includes at least said traffic state map;

transmitting said traffic information map to a user device via a communication network;

displaying a first image in accordance with said basic map on a screen of the user device; and

displaying a second image in accordance with said traffic state map, said second image being cumulatively displayed on the first image.

8. The method according to the claim 7, wherein said attribute-designating statement of the time-variant image vector is a color designating statement.

9. The method according to the claim 7, wherein said time-variant image vector entity of the traffic state map includes the attribute-designating statement, an shape-designating statement and a position-designating statement.

10. The method according to the claim 9, wherein said attribute-designating statement is composed of an attribute-designating command and an attribute value.

11. The method according to the claim 10, further comprising the step of compressing said traffic state map such that two time-variant image vector entities for one road are converted into one complex time-variant image vector entity composed of one attribute-designating, two attribute values, a shape-designating statement and a position-designating statement, wherein one of said two time-variant image vector entities is for forward direction and the other is for backward direction of the road.

12. The method according to the claim 7, wherein said traffic information map further includes said basic map.

13. The method according to the claim 12, wherein said basic map is stored in the user device.

14. The method according to the claim 12, wherein said time-variant image vector entity of the basic map includes the attribute-designating statement, an shape-designating statement and a position-designating statement.

15. The method according to the claim 14, wherein said attribute-designating statement is composed of an attribute-designating command and an attribute value.

16. The method according to the claim 15, wherein said attribute-designating command is functioned as a delimiter or discerning between said time-invariant image vector entities.

17. The method according to the claim 7, further comprising the steps of:

retrieving at least one text information related to the region;

converting said text information into a text-shape image vector entity; and

displaying a third image in accordance with said text-shape image vector entity on the screen of the user device, said third image being also displayed cumulatively on both the first image and the second image.

18. The method according to the claim 17, wherein said traffic information map further includes said text-shape image vector entity.

19. The method according to the claim 17, wherein said steps of retrieving at least one text information related to the region and converting said text information into a text-shape image vector entity, are performed at the user device.

20. The method according to the claim 7, wherein said basic map includes a field of ‘

layer level’

representing the necessity to be displayed, and

said method further comprising the steps of;

determining a user'"'"'s layer level; and

comparing the field of ‘

layer level’

of said basic map with the user'"'"'s layer level so as to determine whether the basic map is required to be displayed, and

wherein said step of displaying a first image is performed in accordance with only the basic map required to be displayed.

21. The method according to the claim 7, further comprising the steps of:

dividing said traffic information map into a plurality of packets having a predetermined size;

forming a plurality of blocks each of which is composed of a predetermined number of packets; and

adding block identifications to said plurality of blocks, respectively,

wherein said step of transmitting the traffic information map is performed by transmitting said plurality of blocks.

22. A method of providing an image-based information of a region, comprising the steps of:

converting a plurality of time-invariant real entities into a plurality of time-invariant image vector entities, said plurality of time-invariant real entities being included in the region;

retrieving at least one text information related to the region;

converting said text information into a text-shape image vector entity;

displaying a first image in accordance with said plurality of time-invariant image vector entities on a screen of the user device; and

displaying a second image in accordance with said text-shape image vector entity on the screen of the user device, said second image being displayed cumulatively on the first image.

23. A system of providing an image-based traffic information in a region, comprising:

a time-variant components list database including a plurality of time-variant component lists each of which has at least one time-variant real entity in a specified region;

a conversion table representing correspondences of time-variant real entities and an time-variant image vector entities;

means for generating a traffic state map by converting the time-variant real entity included in a specified region into the time-variant image vector entity using said conversion table and by generating an attribute-designating statement of the time-variant image vector entity based on a traffic information; and

means for transmitting said traffic state map to a user device via a communication network.

24. The system according to the claim 23, wherein said time-variant image vector entity of the traffic state map includes the attribute-designating statement, an shape-designating statement and a position-designating statement.

25. The system according to the claim 24, wherein said attribute-designating statement is composed of an attribute-designating command and an attribute value.

26. The system according to the claim 25, further comprising means for compressing said traffic state map such that two time-variant image vector entities for one road are converted into one complex time-variant image vector entity composed of one attribute-designating, two attribute values, a shape-designating statement and a position-designating statement, wherein one of said two time-variant image vector entities is for forward direction and the other is for backward direction of the road.

27. The user device according to the claim 25, further comprising means for converting said selected additive information into a text-shape image vector entity.

28. The system according to the claim 23, further comprising a basic maps database for storing a plurality of basic maps, each of which is composed of a plurality of time-invariant image vector entities, wherein each of time-invariant real entities included in the region is represented by at least one time-invariant image vector entity.

29. The system according to the claim 28, wherein said time-variant image vector entity of the basic map includes the attribute-designating statement, an shape-designating statement and a position-designating statement.

30. The system according to the claim 29, wherein said attribute-designating statement is composed of an attribute-designating command and an attribute value.

31. The system according to the claim 30, wherein said attribute-designating command is functioned as a delimiter for discerning between said time-invariant image vector entities.

32. The system according to the claim 30, further comprising means for converting said text information and corresponding position data into a text-shape image vector entity.

33. The system according to the claim 23, further comprising an additive information database for storing a plurality of text information and corresponding position data.

34. The system according to the claim 23, further comprising a map list database for storing a plurality of map identification and corresponding covered range data.

35. The system according to the claim 23, further comprising:

means for producing a traffic information map using at least said traffic state map;

a traffic information maps database for storing said traffic information map; and

means for transmitting said traffic information map on a user'"'"'s request.

36. A user device for displaying an image-based traffic information, comprising:

a screen;

means for receiving a traffic information map from a traffic information providing server via a network, wherein said traffic information map includes at least a traffic state map composed of at least one time-variant image vector entity and an attribute-designating statement of said time-variant image vector entity is determined in accordance with a traffic information related to corresponding real entity; and

means for displaying a first image in accordance with a basic map which is composed of a plurality of time-invariant image vector entities included in a specified region and for displaying a second image in accordance with said traffic state map on said screen, said second image being cumulatively displayed on the first image.

37. The user device according to the claim 36, further comprising an input means for inputting a user'"'"'s command including a region selection command.

38. The user device according to the claim 37, further comprising a basic maps database for storing a plurality of basic maps.

39. The user device according to the claim 37, further comprising an additive information database for storing a plurality of text information and corresponding position data.

40. The user device according to the claim 39, further comprising means for converting said text information and corresponding position data into a text-shape image vector entity.

41. The user device according to the claim 37, further comprising a map list database for storing a plurality of map identification and corresponding covered range data.

42. A user device for displaying an image-based information, comprising:

a screen;

an input means for inputting a user'"'"'s command including a position name to be wanted to know;

an additive information database for storing a plurality of additive information, each of which is composed of a text string and a position data;

means for retrieving one additive information based on the user'"'"'s command;

a basic maps database for storing a plurality of basic maps each of which is composed of a plurality of time-invariant image vector entities, wherein each of time-invariant real entities included in a region is represented by at least one time-invariant image vector entity;

means for selecting at least one basic map in accordance with the retrieved additive information;

means for displaying a first image based on the selected basic map; and

means for displaying a second image based on the selected additive information.

43. A program storage device readable by a digital processing apparatus and tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the digital processing apparatus to perform method steps for providing an image-based traffic information in a region having at least one time-variant real entity, said method comprising the steps of:

converting said time-variant real entity into a time-variant image vector entity;

generating an attribute-designating statement of the time-variant image vector entity based on a traffic information so as to form a traffic state map; and

transmitting said traffic state map to a user device via a communication network.

44. A program storage device readable by a digital processing apparatus and tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the digital processing apparatus to perform method steps for providing an image-based traffic information in a region having at least one time-variant real entity, said method comprising the steps of:

converting said time-variant real entity into a time-variant image vector entity;

generating an attribute-designating statement of the time-variant image vector entity based on a traffic information so as to form a traffic state map;

converting a plurality of time-invariant real entities into a plurality of time-invariant image vector entities, wherein said plurality of time-invariant real entities are also included in the region;

forming at least one basic map using said plurality of time-invariant image vector entities;

forming a traffic information map which includes at least said traffic state map; and

transmitting said traffic information map to a user device via a communication network.

45. A method for displaying an image-based traffic information comprising the steps of:

receiving a traffic information map which includes at least a traffic state map, said traffic state map includes a plurality of time-variant image vector entities in a specified region and each of the time-variant image vector entity includes an attribute-designating statement, an shape-designating statement and a position-designating statement;

displaying a first image in accordance with a basic map on a screen, said basic map including a plurality of time-invariant image vector entities in the specified region; and

displaying a second image in accordance with said traffic state map such that said second image is cumulatively displayed on the first image.

46. A program storage device readable by a digital processing apparatus and tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the digital processing apparatus to perform method steps for displaying an image-based traffic information, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving a traffic information map which includes at least a traffic state map, said traffic state map including a plurality of time-variant image vector entities in a specified region and each of the time-variant image vector entity includes an attribute-designating statement, an shape-designating statement and a position-designating statement;

displaying a first image in accordance with a basic map on a screen, said basic map includes a plurality of time-invariant image vector entities in the specified region; and

displaying a second image in accordance with said traffic state map such that said second image is cumulatively displayed on the first image.