Method for monitoring cellular communication, and system therefor

• US 6,947,835 B2
• Filed: 06/28/2001
• Issued: 09/20/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Cellint Traffic Solutions Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Joseph Kaplan, Ofer Avni
• Inventors: Avni, Ofer, Kaplan, Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Donnelly, Arthur D.
• Application Number:
  US10/311,816
• Publication Number:
  US 20030100317A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,545 Days
• Field of Search: 701/207, 701/25, 701/32, 701/200, 701/213, 701/214, 455/436, 455/437, 455/439, 370/328
• US Class Current: 701/207
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0104 Measuring and analyzing of parameters relative to traffic conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/006 with additional information processing, e.g. for direction or speed determination

Abstract

A system and method that continuously extracts traffic load and speed on roads within the coverage area of a cellular network. The data is extracted directly from the higher level of communications in a cellular network without using any external sensors. The cellular data used by the system includes cell handover sequences as the major input. The method consists of a learn phase in which a vehicle with a location device (say GPS system) travels across the covered routes and collects the cellular data and location data in parallel. In the continuous data collection stage the cellular data is processed and correlated to the data collected in the learn phase to yield the route and exact location of the vehicle on it. Each such two locations yield the travel distance and time, and thus the driving speed in this route section. This procedure is performed continuously across the covered area to yield the traffic load and speed.

Claims

1. A method for correlating a car with the road on which it travels based on cellular communication, the method comprising the steps of:

creating a learnt database consisting of data extracted from the cellular system, correlated with the physical location of the cellular phone at the timing of each data extraction as a location reference, the location reference matching a map of the area; and

conducting analysis of new data generated by any mobile unit from drives that do not contain location reference in conjunction with the learnt database to match a sequence of reports to a specific route.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein the data is comprised of handover data.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein the data extracted from the cellular network is comprised of:

handover data; and

signal level data.

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein the analysis comprising the steps of:

conducting analysis of new handover sequences from new drives that do not contain location reference in conjuction with the learnt database and dividing the new handover sequences into two categories;

a) handover sequences that conform to a single route on the learnt database; and

b) handover sequences that conform to more than one route in the learnt database;

for the handover sequences that conform to more than one route, indentifying the specific route by a screening processes; and

assigning the route to the sequence of handovers.

5. The method according to claim 1 wherein the method is used for measuring time of driving for each route section based on cellular communication, further comprising the steps of:

correlating a series of handovers to a specific route as described in claim 1; and

continuously extracting travel time for route sections, by using the timings of handovers and calculating time difference between them, and accumulating them in a database.

6. The method according to claim 1 wherein the method is used for generating a traffic speed database based on cellular communication, further comprising the steps of:

correlating a series of handovers to a specific route as described in claim 1;

continuously gathering traffic speed for route sections, by using the timings of handovers and the length of the route section between them, and accumulating them in a database.

7. The method according to claim 1 wherein a statistical database is created storing statistical information for each route section per time interval per day;

said database enabling to derive the load on each route section in different times and including the following data for each time interval of each day;

number of calls;

speed; and

time of travel.

8. The method according to claim 1 wherein information is derived from a mobile unit engaged in a call.

9. The method according to claim 1 wherein information is derived from a mobile unit not engaged in a call.

10. The method according to claim 1 wherein information is derived from a mobile unit not engaged in a call as a respond to queries.

11. A method for correlating a car with the road on which it travels based on cellular communication, the method comprising the steps of:

creating a learnt database consisting of data extracted from the cellular system, correlated with the physical location of the cellular phone at the timing of each data extraction as a location reference, the location reference matching a map of the area;

sending new data available in a mobile unit to another phone for collection and analysis; and

conducting analysis of this data in conjunction the learnt database to match a sequence of reports of the new data to a specific route.

12. The method according to claim 11 wherein the information is sent from the mobile unit using WAP.

13. The method according to claim 11 wherein the information is sent from the mobile unit as an SMS.

14. A method for correlating a vehicle with the road on which it travels based on cellular communication, without the need to install hardware on base stations, the method comprising the steps of:

gathering data available on the cellular network and its location matching a map of the area, along routes within the designated area, and creating a learnt database; and

conducting analysis of new data, generated by any mobile unit, from drives that do not contain location reference in conjunction with the learnt database to match a sequence of reports to a specific route.