Method for transmitting local data and measurement data from a terminal, including a telematic terminal, to a central traffic control unit

• US 6,426,709 B1
• Filed: 06/09/1999
• Issued: 07/30/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: ATX Europe GmbH (Liberty Media Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Mannesmann AG (Vodafone Group PLC)
• Inventors: Fastenrath, Ulrich, Becker, Markus
• Primary Examiner(s): Hofsass, Jeffery
• Assistant Examiner(s): PHAM, TOAN NGOC
• Application Number:
  US09/319,604
• Time in Patent Office: 1,147 Days
• Field of Search: 340/992, 340/993, 340/988, 340/989, 340/990, 340/991, 370/477, 348/14.13, 707/101, 701/200, 701/201, 701/207, 701/213, 701/216
• US Class Current: 340/992
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0104 Measuring and analyzing of parameters relative to traffic conditions
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/127 to a central station ; Indicators in a central station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/20 Monitoring the location of vehicles belonging to a group, e.g. fleet of vehicles, countable or determined number of vehicles

Abstract

A reduction in telecommunications costs in the transmission of extensive data from a telematic terminal unit in a vehicle to a central station is made possible by a method for the transmission of location data implicating the location of the terminal unit in a traffic network at a point in time and of measurement data impliciting other characteristics of the traffic network at a location and/or at a time to the central traffic station, which location data and measurement data are detected by the terminal unit, particularly a telematic terminal unit for a vehicle. At least some of the data records transmitted from the terminal unit to the central traffic station contain only location data and some of the data records transmitted from the terminal unit to the central traffic station contain measurement data.

Claims

1. A method for efficiently transmitting location data impliciting a location of a terminal unit in a traffic network at a point in time and general measurement data impliciting other characteristics of the traffic network at at least one of a location and a time to a central traffic station, which location data and general measurement data are detected by a terminal unit for a vehicle, comprising the steps of:

transmitting at least some data records from the terminal unit to the central traffic station which contain only location data;

independently transmitting some data records from the terminal unit to the central traffic station which contain only general measurement data other than location data; and

compressing the location data and the general measurement data separately from one another according to different compression methods prior to transmitting.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the data records have different data record lengths which are determined by an extent of data to be transmitted.

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein the transmitting is carried out via mobile radio.

4. A method according to claim 1, including providing the location data records and the measurement data records with at least one of different location referencing and different time referencing.

5. A method according to claim 1, further including referencing a data record with only location data by one of a location and a location area.

6. A method according to claim 1, further including referencing a data record by one of a time and a time range.

7. A method according to claim 1, further including referencing transmitted data records with respect to positions in a digital map of the traffic network in the central station.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein the transmitting is carried out via radio.

9. A method according to claim 1, including initiating the transmitting of measurement data when an event of a predeterminable type occurs.

10. A method according to claim 1, including carrying out the transmitting of a data record when the terminal unit passes a predeterminable location.

11. A method according to claim 1, including carrying out a transmitting of location data when there is one of a change in direction of the terminal unit to a predeterminable extent, and there is an absence of a curve in a digital map in the terminal unit at a location of the change in direction.

12. A method according to claim 1, wherein the compressing includes a redundancy reduction of data.

13. A method according to claim 1, wherein the compressing includes a redundancy reduction of data along one of daily, weekly and yearly progress lines.

14. A terminal unit, comprising:

a program for efficiently transmitting compressed location data impliciting a location of a terminal unit in a traffic network at a point in time and compressed general measurement data impliciting other characteristics of the traffic network at at least one of a location and a time to a central traffic station, the general measurement data being compressed differently from the location data, which location data and general measurement data are detected by a terminal unit for a vehicle, at least some data records transmitted from the terminal unit to the central traffic station contain only location data, and some data records transmitted from the terminal unit to the central traffic station contain only general measurement data other than location data;

a processor for running the program;

a storage for the program; and

a communications module for conveying information to the central traffic station.

15. A terminal unit according to claim 14, and further comprising a GPS position detection device.

16. A terminal unit according to claim 14, and further comprising a digital map.

17. A terminal unit according to claim 14, and further comprising sensors operative to detect and output data about at least one of vehicle speed, sections traveled by the vehicle, position, outside temperature, and time.

18. A central traffic station, comprising:

a program for efficiently transmitting compressed location data impliciting a location of a terminal unit in a traffic network at a point in time and compressed general measurement data impliciting other characteristics of the traffic network at at least one of a location and a time to a central traffic station, the general measurement data being compressed differently from the location data, which location data and general measurement data are detected by a terminal unit for a vehicle, at least some data records transmitted from the terminal unit to the central traffic station contain only location data, and some data records transmitted from the terminal unit to the central traffic station contain general only measurement data other than location data;

a storage for the program;

a process for running the program; and

a communications module for reception of information from the terminal unit in the vehicle.

19. A central traffic station according to claim 18, and further comprising a digital map of the traffic network.

20. A central traffic station according to claim 18, and further comprising means for storing data records transmitted from the vehicle.