Method of providing travel time

• US 6,317,686 B1
• Filed: 07/21/2000
• Issued: 11/13/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Iteris Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Bin Ran
• Inventors: Ran, Bin
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Tan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hernandez, Olga
• Application Number:
  US09/621,063
• Time in Patent Office: 480 Days
• Field of Search: 701/210, 701/200, 701/117, 701/120, 73/178 R, 702/3, 709/202, 709/203, 709/217, 709/218, 709/219, 707/10, 707/102, 707/104, 707/513
• US Class Current: 701/210
• 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 1/0129 for creating historical data or processing based on historical data
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0141 for traffic information dissemination
• 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 1/096758 where no selection takes place on the transmitted or the received information
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096775 where the origin of the information is a central station

Abstract

A traffic information system for predicting travel times utilizes Internet based collecting and disseminating of information. The system accounts for vehicle type, driver specific disposition, and its predictions of future traffic account for the effects of predictable events, particularly weather, on traffic patterns. The traffic information system includes a computer model of a transportation route map, the route map having a multiplicity of possible destinations points connected by route segments. An equation is developed for each route segment, the equation incorporating variables and constants which relate to the fixed and variable parameters which are indicative of the time it will take to travel along a particular route segment. Predicted travel time along the route segment can be improved over historical data for a time in the future for which there are reasonably accurate weather predictions. Incorporation of the effect of predicted weather on travel time over a route segment can be accomplished by developing a correlation between weather conditions and decreased traffic speeds. Personalized prediction times are generated by taking into account the vehicle type and level of agressiveness of a particular driver.

Claims

1. A method of predicting traffic conditions on a route segment at a future time comprising the steps of:

for a selected future time, determining the expected nominal route velocity for a selected route segment;

for the selected route segment determining at least one weather prediction region which contains the route segment;

for the selected future time determining predicted weather conditions within the at least one weather prediction region;

producing an adjusted route velocity for the route segment by applying a function to the nominal route velocity which includes as parameters the predicted weather conditions within the at least one weather prediction region to produce an adjusted route velocity which is less than the nominal route velocity.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the weather prediction regions are counties.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the function comprises a lookup table containing factors of a value of less than one for specific forecasted weather conditions.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein weather prediction with respect to the weather prediction region is obtained over the Internet.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the adjusted route velocity comprises a range which is consistent with the probabilistic range of the predicted weather conditions.

6. A method of providing predicted trip times between an origin and a destination comprising the steps of:

receiving over the Internet a request for travel time, including an origin, a destination, a trip start time, and a user identifier;

determining a route between the origin and the destination, comprised of at least one route segment;

determining a predicted speed over the at least one route segment based on historical data for travel speeds over said route segment during good driving weather during a similar time period;

determining at least one weather prediction region encompassing the route between the origin and the destination;

determining predicted weather conditions within the weather prediction region at the time in proximity to the start time;

for the predicted weather conditions determine a weather delay factor;

determining a predicted trip time based on historical data for travel speeds, adjusted by the weather delay factor;

transmitting the predicted trip time in association with the user identifier.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the weather prediction regions are counties.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein the weather delay factor is determined with a lookup table containing factors having a value of less than one for specific forecasted weather conditions.

9. The method of claim 6 wherein weather predicted conditions with respect to the weather prediction region is obtained over the Internet.

10. The method of claim 6 wherein the predicted trip time comprises a range of times which is consistent with the probabilistic range of the predicted weather conditions.

11. A method of providing predicted trip times between an origin and a destination comprising the steps of:

receiving over the Internet a request for travel time, including an origin, a destination, a trip start time, a user identifier, and a user specific factor;

determining a route between the origin and the destination, comprised of at least one route segment;

determining at least one weather prediction region encompassing the route between the origin and the destination;

determining a predicted speed over the at least one route segment, based on the start time;

determining a predicted trip time adjusted by the user specific factor;

transmitting the predicted trip time in association with the user identifier.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the user specific factor is a type of vehicle being driven by the user.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the user specific factor is a behavioral characteristic of the user.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein the step of determining a predicted trip time includes:

determining predicted weather conditions within the weather prediction region at a time in proximity to the start time;

for the predicted weather conditions determining a weather delay factor; and

determining the predicted trip time, and adjusting by the weather delay factor.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the function comprises a lookup table containing factors having a value of less than one for specific forecasted weather conditions.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein weather prediction with respect to the weather prediction region is obtained over the Internet.

17. The method of claim 14 wherein the adjusted route velocity comprises a range which is consistent with the probabilistic range of the predicted weather conditions.

18. The method of claim 14 wherein the weather prediction regions are counties.

19. A method of providing predicted trip times between an origin and a destination comprising the steps of:

receiving over the Internet a request from the user for travel time, including an origin, a destination, a trip start time, and a user identifier;

determining a route between the origin and the destination, comprised of at least one route segment;

determining a predicted speed over the at least one route segment based on historical data for travel speeds over said route segment during a similar time period;

determining at least one scheduled event causing a traffic flow on the route segment between the origin and the destination;

for the predicted event determining a delay factor;

determining a predicted trip time based on historical data for travel speeds, adjusted by the delay factor;

transmitting the predicted trip time in association with the user identifier to the user.

20. A method of providing predicted trip times between an origin and a destination comprising the steps of:

receiving over the Internet a request for travel time, including an origin, a destination, a trip start time, and a user identifier;

determining a route between the origin and the destination, comprised of at least one route segment;

determining a predicted traffic flow over the at least one route segment based on historical data for traffic flow over said route segment during a similar time period;

determining at least one scheduled event causing decreased capacity on the route segment between the origin and the destination;

for the predicted event determining a delay factor, based on predicted traffic flow and a historic capacity adjusted by the event caused decreased capacity;

determining a predicted trip time based on historical data for travel speeds, adjusted by the delay factor;

transmitting the predicted trip time in association with the user identifier.