Traffic monitoring system and method

• US 6,505,114 B2
• Filed: 02/16/2001
• Issued: 01/07/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Strategic Design Federation W, LLC
• Original Assignee: Sergio Luciani
• Inventors: Luciani, Sergio
• Primary Examiner(s): Zanelli, Michael J.
• Application Number:
  US09/784,038
• Publication Number:
  US 20020107634A1
• Time in Patent Office: 690 Days
• Field of Search: 701/117, 701/207, 701/209, 701/119, 701/300, 455/456, 455/457, 340/990, 340/993, 340/995
• US Class Current: 701/117
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0104 Measuring and analyzing of parameters relative to traffic conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/006 with additional information processing, e.g. for direction or speed determination

Abstract

A method and system for traffic monitoring and prediction of traffic intensity. The method comprises the steps of determining at least twice, within a specified time interval, geographical positions of a plurality of mobile devices in a mobile telecommunications network. This is done by means of measuring at least one property of signals transmitted between the mobile devices and base stations in the mobile telecommunications network. At least a subset of the geographical positions are compared with a route of a road provided in a route database in order to identify mobile devices having routes corresponding to at least a part of the road route. A velocity for the identified mobile devices based on the at least two positions, and the calculated velocity of at least one identified mobile device is compared with a reference velocity of the road in order to predict traffic intensity on the road. A system for short range monitoring is also provided.

Claims

1. A method for traffic monitoring, comprising the steps of:

determining at least twice, within a specified time interval, geographical positions of a plurality of mobile devices in a mobile telecommunications network by means of measuring at least one property of signals transmitted between said mobile devices and base stations in said mobile telecommunications network;

comparing at least a subset of said geographical positions with a route of a road provided in a route database in order to identify mobile devices having routes corresponding to at least a part of said road route;

calculating a velocity for said identified mobile devices based on said at least two positions;

identifying slow-moving mobile devices having a velocity being below an exclusion velocity limit; and

comparing said calculated velocity of at least one identified mobile device that is not one of the slow-moving mobile devices with a reference velocity of said road in order to predict traffic intensity on said road.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein said step of determining positions is network based, and the measuring of signals is performed by means located in the base station.

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein only signals sent from said mobile devices are measured.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein said step of determining positions is performed centrally.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein said identified mobile device of which velocity is compared, is the mobile device having the highest velocity.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein said step of comparing velocity includes the step of comparing velocities of a plurality of identified mobile devices with said reference velocity.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein said reference velocity is the maximum allowed velocity on said road.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein said reference velocity is a historical average velocity of said road.

9. A method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of:

presenting a graphical map of road routes having the traffic intensity on a road route represented by colors describing the level of intensity.

10. A method according to claim 1, wherein said route database comprises information about the geographical relationship between road routes an positions of base stations in a mobile telecommunications network.

11. A system for traffic monitoring comprising:

positioning means for determining a least twice, within a specified time interval, geographical positions of a plurality of mobile devices in a mobile telecommunications network by means of measuring at least one property of signals transmitted between said mobile devices and base stations in said mobile telecommunication network;

means for comparing at least a subset of said geographical positions with a route of a road provided in a route database in order to identify mobile devices having routes corresponding to at least a part of said road route;

means for calculating a velocity for said identified mobile devices based on said at least two positions;

means for identifying slow-moving mobile devices having a velocity being below an exclusion velocity limit; and

means for comparing said calculate velocity of at least one identified mobile device that is not one of the slow-moving mobile devices with a reference velocity of said road in order to predict traffic intensity on said road.

12. A system for traffic monitoring of a road comprising:

at least one fixed transceiver located near said road having a coverage area covering essentially the full width of said road, being adapted to communicate with a transceiver located in a vehicle moving on said road;

means for measuring the time difference between establishing of contact and loss of contact with a transceiver moving through said coverage area;

means for calculating a velocity of said moving transceiver based on said tire difference and information about said coverage area; and

means for comparing a calculated velocity of at least one moving transceiver with a reference velocity of said road in order to predict traffic intensity on said road.

13. A system according to claim 12, wherein said fixed transceiver and said moving transceiver are BLUETOOTH™

units.

14. A system according to claim 12 or 13, wherein said coverage area is a substantially rectangular shaped band substantially perpendicular to the direction of said road, and said band being provided by a directed antenna.

15. A system according to claim 12 or 13, comprising two fixed BLUETOOTH™

units located between the lanes of opposite directions having their antennas directed towards respective roadside.