Traffic information transmitting system, traffic information collecting and distributing system and traffic information collecting and distributing method

• US 6,473,688 B2
• Filed: 06/25/2001
• Issued: 10/29/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Inventors: Kohno, Atsushi, Kaneko, Kazuma
• Primary Examiner(s): Camby, Richard M.
• Application Number:
  US09/887,529
• Publication Number:
  US 20020049527A1
• Time in Patent Office: 491 Days
• Field of Search: 701/117, 701/118, 701/119, 701/208, 701/209, 701/211, 701/213, 701/24, 340/933
• US Class Current: 701/117
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0104 Measuring and analyzing of parameters relative to traffic conditions
• 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: G08G 1/096783 where the origin of the information is a roadside individual element
• 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 traffic information detecting and distributing system including receiver for receiving current position information transmitted from a traffic information transmitting system for detecting and transmitting the current position information of a moving object, a traffic information collector for forming traffic information based on the current position information received, a traffic information distributor for distributing the traffic information to a traffic information user, a user identifier for identifying the traffic information user based on traffic information user identifying information, and a charging system for a charging the traffic information user for the traffic information used, based on the user identifying information. A traffic information transmitting system, a traffic information collecting and distributing system, and a traffic information collecting and distributing method provide traffic information over a wide range and properly charge for the traffic information use.

Claims

1. A traffic information collecting and distributing system comprising:

a traffic information transmitting system for detecting and transmitting current position information for a moving object;

receiving means for receiving the current position information transmitted by the traffic information transmitting system;

traffic information forming means for forming traffic information based on the current position information received by the receiving means;

traffic information distribution means for distributing the traffic information to a traffic information user;

user identifying means for identifying the traffic information user with traffic identifying information; and

charging means for making a charge to the traffic information user based on the traffic information user identifying information.

2. The traffic information collecting and distributing system according to claim 1 wherein the receiving means successively receives the current position information transmitted from the traffic information transmitting system.

3. The traffic information collecting and distributing system according to claim 1 wherein traffic information transmitting system identifying information is transmitted from the traffic information transmitting system and the charge is changed based on the traffic information transmitting system identifying information.

4. The traffic information collecting and distributing system according to claim 3 wherein the traffic information transmitting system identifying information relates to product information of the traffic information transmitting system.

5. The traffic information collecting and distributing system according to claim 3 wherein the traffic information transmitting system identifying information relates to presence or absence of the current position information.

6. The traffic information collecting and distributing system according to claim 1 wherein the charging means controls a quality and amount of traffic information distributed by the traffic information distributing means for respective traffic information users and make the charge in accordance with one of the quality and amount.

7. The traffic information collecting and distributing system according to claim 1 wherein the traffic information distributing means adds additional information to the traffic information formed by the traffic information forming means and distributes the additional information to the traffic information user and the charging means changes charge in accordance with the additional information.

8. The traffic information collecting and distributing system according to claim 7 wherein the additional information is advertisement information and the charging means makes the charge to a provider of the advertisement information.

9. The traffic information collecting and distributing system according to claim 1 wherein the receiving means receives accumulated current position information at respective period.