System and method for location based traffic reporting

• US 6,587,777 B1
• Filed: 10/23/2000
• Issued: 07/01/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: St. Pierre, Robert P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Trost, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): MOORMAN, EARL J
• Application Number:
  US09/694,707
• Time in Patent Office: 981 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456, 455/457, 455/412, 455/45, 455/184.1, 455/186.1, 701/117, 701/213
• US Class Current: 701/117
• 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

Abstract

The illustrated embodiment of the present invention provides an efficient means of obtaining traffic information selectively tailored to a motor vehicle'"'"'s current location. It allows additional detail to be transmitted to the occupant of a motor vehicle as a result of a smaller geographic area being reported. The use of the current motor vehicle location allows the present invention to omit extraneous information that is of limited interest to the occupant of the motor vehicle because it is outside the intended path of travel. The illustrated embodiment also allows for a dynamic real time updating of traffic conditions as they change over the course of time.

Claims

1. In a network located in a motor vehicle, said network including a global positioning satellite receiver, a separate display device, and a first server located within said motor vehicle, a method comprising the steps of:

providing a second server located outside of said motor vehicle, said second server connected to a database of information on current traffic conditions and to a Wide Area Network (WAN);

transmitting a request for traffic information accompanied by the current motor vehicle location to said second server via said first server;

said request for traffic information specifying a size of an area adjacent to the motor vehicle through the inclusion of a distance parameter in said request for traffic information, said area being the locations for which traffic information is requested; and

receiving a response containing current traffic information for said current motor vehicle location and said specified area from said second server.

2. The method of claim 1, said method comprising the further step of:

receiving a current compass heading and current speed of said motor vehicle from said global positioning satellite receiver; and

incorporating said current compass heading and said current speed of said motor vehicle as part of said request for traffic information.

3. The method of claim 1, said method comprising the further steps of:

specifying a length of time to receive traffic information updates through the use of a duration parameter contained in said request for traffic information, said duration parameter indicating the amount of time said request for traffic information will remain active; and

storing said request for information in a memory queue.

4. In a network located in a motor vehicle, said network including a global positioning satellite receiver, a separate display device, and a first server located within said motor vehicle, a method comprising the steps of:

providing a second server located outside of said motor vehicle, said second server interfaced with a database of information on current traffic conditions and the Internet;

transmitting a request for traffic information accompanied by the current motor vehicle location to said second server via said first server, said request specifying a length of time to receive traffic information updates through the use of a duration parameter contained in said request for traffic information, said duration parameter indicating the amount of time said request for traffic information will remain active, said request for information being stored in a memory queue accessible to said second server;

receiving a response containing current traffic information for said current motor vehicle location from said second server;

examining said memory queue in response to said traffic information database receiving updated traffic information to determine if any requests for traffic information are still active, said examining comprising scrutinizing said duration parameter of each request for traffic information; and

discarding from said memory queue any request for traffic information which has an expired duration parameter, said expired duration parameter being less than the elapsed amount of time between the time of the request for traffic information and the time of said examining.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein a request for traffic information in said memory queue has not expired and said method comprises the further step of:

comparing location information contained in said request for traffic information with the location contained in said new traffic information.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein said comparing of location information adjusts the location contained in said request for traffic information by a current speed and a current compass heading of the motor vehicle and the elapsed amount of time since the original request for traffic information.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein a location indicated in said new traffic information is included in an area for which traffic information was requested, said area specified in the request for traffic information as the motor vehicle location offset with a distance parameter, said method further comprising the step of:

sending updated traffic information to said motor vehicle from said second server.

8. The method of claim 4, comprising the further step of:

conveying said traffic information to an occupant of said motor vehicle.

9. The method of claim 4, comprising the further step of:

specifying a size of an area adjacent to the motor vehicle in the request for traffic information through the use of a distance parameter in the request for traffic information, said area being the locations for which traffic information is requested.

10. In a network located in a motor vehicle, said network located in a motor vehicle including a global positioning satellite receiver, a separate display device, and a first electronic device, a method comprising the steps of:

providing a second electronic device located outside of said motor vehicle, said second electronic device interfaced with a database of information on current traffic conditions and a second network, said second network being an external network located outside said motor vehicle;

transmitting a request for traffic information accompanied by the current motor vehicle location to said second electronic device via said first electronic device, said request specifying a length of time to receive traffic information updates through the inclusion of a duration parameter contained in said request for traffic information, said duration parameter indicating the amount of time said request for traffic information will remain active, said request being stored in a memory queue accessible to said second server;

receiving a response containing current traffic information for said current motor vehicle location from said second electronic device;

examining said memory queue to determine if any requests for traffic information are still active in response to said traffic information database receiving updated traffic information, said examining comprising scrutinizing said duration parameter of each request for traffic information; and

discarding from said memory queue any request for traffic information which has an expired duration parameter, said expired duration parameter being less than the elapsed amount of time between the time of the request for traffic information and the time of said examining.

11. The method of claim 10 said method further comprising the step of:

specifying a size of an area adjacent to the motor vehicle in said request for traffic information, said specification occurring through the inclusion of a distance parameter in said request for traffic information, said area being the locations for which traffic information is requested.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein a request for traffic information in said memory queue has not expired and said method further comprises the step of:

comparing location information contained in said request for traffic information with the location contained in said new traffic information.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein said comparing of location information adjusts the location contained in said request for traffic information by a current speed and a current compass heading of the motor vehicle and the elapsed amount of time since the original request for traffic information.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein a location indicated in said new traffic information is included in an area for which traffic information was requested, said area specified in the request for traffic information as the motor vehicle location offset with a distance parameter, said method further comprising the step of:

sending updated traffic information to said motor vehicle from said second electronic device.

15. The method of claim 10 wherein said updated traffic information is conveyed to an occupant of said motor vehicle using at least one of a scrolling LCD display, a virtual car dashboard and voice synthesization.

16. The method of claim 10 wherein said external network is one of a Wide Area Network and the Internet.

17. In a network located in a motor vehicle, said network located in a motor vehicle including a global positioning satellite receiver, a separate display device, and a first electronic device, a method comprising the steps of:

providing a second network external to said motor vehicle, said external network interfaced with a database of information on current traffic conditions;

transmitting a request for traffic information accompanied by the current motor vehicle location to said external network from said motor vehicle, said request specifying a size of an area adjacent to the motor vehicle, said specification occurring through the inclusion of a distance parameter in said request for traffic information, said area being the locations for which traffic information is requested; and

receiving a response containing current traffic information for said current motor vehicle location at said motor vehicle from said external network.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein said display device receives the current motor vehicle location from said global positioning satellite receiver prior to making said request for traffic information and incorporates said location into said request for traffic information.

19. The method of claim 17 said method further comprising the step of:

specifying a length of time to receive traffic information updates through the inclusion of a duration parameter in said request for traffic information, said duration parameter indicating the amount of time said request for traffic information is to remain active; and

storing said request for traffic information in a location accessible to said second electronic device.

20. The method of claim 19, said method further comprising the step of:

examining said stored request to determine if said request is still active in response to said traffic information database receiving updated traffic information, said examining comprising scrutinizing said duration parameter of said request for traffic information; and

discarding any request for traffic information which has an expired duration parameter, said expired duration parameter being less than the elapsed amount of time between the time of the request for traffic information and the time of said examining.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein said stored request for traffic information remains active and said method further comprises the step of:

comparing location information contained in said request for traffic information with the location contained in said new traffic information.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein said comparing of location information adjusts the location contained in said request for traffic information by a current speed and a current compass heading of the motor vehicle and the elapsed amount of time since the original request for traffic information.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein a location indicated in said new traffic information is included in an area for which traffic information was requested, said area specified in the request for traffic information as the motor vehicle location offset with a distance parameter, said method further comprising the step of:

sending updated traffic information to said motor vehicle.

24. The method of claim 17 wherein said external network is one of a Wide Area Network and the Internet.