Method and system for providing personalized traffic alerts

• US 6,590,507 B2
• Filed: 03/05/2001
• Issued: 07/08/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: HRL Laboratories LLC (The Boeing Co.)
• Original Assignee: HRL Laboratories LLC (The Boeing Co.)
• Inventors: Burns, Ronnie
• Primary Examiner(s): SWARTHOUT, BRENT
• Application Number:
  US09/800,916
• Publication Number:
  US 20020121989A1
• Time in Patent Office: 855 Days
• Field of Search: 340/905, 340/995, 340/995.13, 701/117, 701/213, 701/202, 701/208
• US Class Current: 340/995.13
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096827 where the route is computed onboard
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096888 where input information is obtained using learning systems, e.g. history databases
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/164 Centralised systems, e.g. external to vehicles

Abstract

A method and system for providing personalized traffic alerts to a user by automatic processing of vehicle position and traffic alert conditions. The system employs at least one user portion and a server portion, wherein the server portion provides the user portion with traffic alert information. The user portion comprises a receiver, a position locator, a processor, a memory storage area, and an output device. The processor calculates the vehicle trajectory and in addition, the processor can predict the vehicle route based on the calculated vehicle trajectory, and historical routes in the memory storage area. The processor also correlates relevant traffic alerts by comparing the traffic alert information with the calculated vehicle trajectory or the predicted vehicle route. In another embodiment, the user portion further includes an input device for user determined routes and personalized user parameters for route weighting factors in predicting the vehicle route as well as traffic alert cone parameters and time to intersect traffic alert parameters for providing user selectable thresholds for generating pertinent essential and personalized traffic alerts.

Claims

1. A traffic alert user portion for receiving collected, compiled, and transmitted traffic alert information including traffic alert location from a traffic alert server portion, the traffic alert user portion comprising:

a. a receiver in communication with the server portion for receiving the traffic alert information;

b. a position locator for determining a time-stamped position of the user portion;

c. a user portion processor operationally connected with the receiver and the position locator to receive the traffic alert information and the time-stamped position of the user portion, to calculate a vehicle trajectory and a velocity based on the time-stamped position, and to correlate a traffic alert along the calculated vehicle trajectory;

d. a memory storage area including a historical route database wherein the memory storage area is operationally connected with the user portion processor to store and retrieve historical route data;

e. a predicted vehicle route determined within the user portion processor by analyzing the historical route database to locate a potential match with the calculated vehicle trajectory, and when the potential match is found, the potential match becomes the predicted vehicle route used, otherwise, the calculated vehicle trajectory is used as the predicted vehicle route;

f. an output device operationally connected with the user portion processor to alert a user when the traffic alert is correlated;

g. a sum of the time-stamped positions is stored by the user portion processor in the historical route database in the memory storage area upon the occurrence of an end event;

h. a personalized user parameter database including a user determined route, and at least one route weighing factor are stored within the memory storage area;

i. an input device operationally connected with the user portion processor for entering the personalized user parameters into the user portion processor for subsequent storage in the memory storage area; and

wherein

j. the user portion processor further determines the predicted vehicle route by comparing within the user portion processor the user determined route, the historical route database, and the calculated vehicle trajectory using the route weighing factor entered by the user to determine the weight to give each comparison in selecting from the group consisting of the user determined route, the historical route database, and the calculated vehicle trajectory.

2. A traffic alert user portion as set forth in claim 1, wherein the traffic alert user portion further comprises:

a. a personalized user parameter database including, traffic alert cone parameters, and a time to intersect traffic alert for warning are stored within the memory storage area; and

b. the traffic alert can be further personalized by the user portion processor by including the personalized user parameters of the traffic alert cone parameters, and the time to intersect traffic alert for warning in the correlations to determine whether to issue a traffic alert.

3. A traffic alert system for personalized traffic alerts comprising:

a. a traffic alert server portion including;

i. a means for collecting a traffic alert information from numerous sources,

ii. a means for compiling the traffic alert information into a traffic alert system-readable format operationally connected with the means of collecting, and

iii. a means for transmitting the traffic alert information to a user portion with the means for communicating operationally connected with the means of compiling;

b. a traffic alert user portion in communication with the server portion including;

i. a user portion receiver in communication with the server portion to receive the transmitted traffic alert information in the user portion from the server portion,

ii. a user portion processor operationally connected with the user portion receiver to receive the received traffic alert information,

iii. an input device operationally connected with the user portion processor to allow for entry of a user determined route and personalized user parameters into the user portion processor,

iv. a position locator including a time-stamped position output operationally connected with the user portion processor for sending the time-stamped output into the user portion processor,

v. a memory storage area including a historical route database, for storing the historical route database, the personalized user parameters and the user determined route operationally connected with the user portion processor,

vi. the user portion processor further configured to determine a calculated vehicle trajectory based on the received time-stamped position, to compare the calculated vehicle trajectory with both the user determined route and the stored historical route database to determine a predicted vehicle route, to correlate a traffic alert along a route by correlating the traffic alert information locations and the predicted vehicle route, to determine a probability of a traffic alert intersect, to determine a time to intersect the traffic alert along the predicted vehicle route, and to determine if the time and the probability are within the personalized user parameters,

vii. an output device operationally connected with the user portion processor to output the traffic alert to the user, and

viii. the user portion processor further configured to sum and store the time-stamped positions along the route in the historical route database for later reference.

4. A traffic alert user portion as set forth in claim 3, wherein the traffic alert user portion further comprises:

a. a personalized user parameter database including, traffic alert cone parameters, and a time to intersect traffic alert for warning are stored within the memory storage area; and

b. the traffic alert can be further personalized by the user portion processor by including the personalized user parameters of the traffic alert cone parameters, and the time to intersect traffic alert for warning in the correlations to determine whether to issue a traffic alert.

5. A method for providing personalized traffic alerts along a vehicle route to at least one user portion, with each user portion including a receiver for traffic alert information from an information source, the receiver operationally connected with a user portion processor for calculating vehicle trajectory and correlating a traffic alert operationally connected with a position locator operationally connected a memory storage area including a historical route database operationally connected with the user portion processor operationally connected with an output device, the method comprising the steps of:

a. receiving the traffic alert information including a traffic alert location for the traffic alert information from the information source;

b. receiving a time-stamped position from the position locator;

c. calculating a vehicle trajectory based on the received time-stamped position;

d. determining a predicted vehicle route by analyzing the historical route database to locate a potential match with the calculated vehicle trajectory, and when the potential match is found the potential match becomes the predicted vehicle route, otherwise the calculated vehicle trajectory is the predicted vehicle route;

e. correlating the traffic alert along the predicted vehicle route by comparing the received traffic alert information location and the predicted vehicle route to determine if the received traffic alert information location and the predicted vehicle route coincide;

f. outputting the correlated traffic alert to the output device;

g. entering the personalized user parameters including a traffic alert cone parameters, a time to intersect traffic alert for warning, and at least one route weighing factor into the user portion processor via the input device when desired;

h. storing the entered personalized user parameters in the memory storage area;

i. receiving the user determined route into the user portion processor via the input device when desired;

j. storing the user determined route, when entered, in the user determined route database in the memory storage area;

k. determining the predicted vehicle route by analyzing the calculated vehicle trajectory, the historical route database, and the user determined route with the personalized user parameters for the route weighting factor to determine which has the highest route weighting factor and is determined to be the predicted vehicle route;

l. correlating the traffic alert information location and the predicted vehicle route to determine if the traffic alert information location and the predicted vehicle route coincide, by further correlating a traffic alert intersect probability by comparing the predicted vehicle route, the traffic alert cone parameters, and the traffic alert area with the personalized user parameters to determine if an intersection with the traffic alert is probable, and by further correlating a time to intersect the traffic alert along the predicted vehicle route by comparing the predicted vehicle route and the traffic alert information to derive the time to intersect the traffic alert and comparing the time to intersect with the personalized user parameters for the time to intersect to correlate if the time to intersect the traffic alert parameters are met;

m. outputting a signal from the output device when an intersection with a traffic alert is probable as determined in step f;

n. repeating the receiving step a through the correlating step e and the entering step g through the outputting step m until the end event; and

o. storing a sum of the time-stamped positions in the historical route database memory storage area for later use in analyzing the historical route database.