Methods and systems for reporting automotive traffic conditions in response to user-specific requests
DCFirst Claim
Patent Images
1. A traffic reporting system comprising:
- a subscriber database for maintaining subscriber account information including subscriber identification information;
a traffic information database for receiving updates of traffic information and storing the received information; and
a traffic information interface for providing traffic information from the traffic information database,wherein the system identifies a subscriber in response to subscriber identification information in the subscriber database, wherein if a user is identified as a subscriber, the system provides traffic information to the subscriber, and if the user is identified as a non-subscriber, the system plays an automated message and disconnects communication with the user.
7 Assignments
Litigations
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The method and system described herein provides an interface for accessing a database containing information pertaining to traffic conditions. Using the interface, a driver can receive traffic conditions potentially affecting the driver'"'"'s particular commute, just prior to the time at which the driver chooses between one or more routes for the commute. Several embodiments are disclosed in accordance with the present invention by which the driver can easily receive timely traffic information from the interface via the driver'"'"'s wireless communications device, such as a wireless telephone.
30 Citations
32 Claims
-
1. A traffic reporting system comprising:
-
a subscriber database for maintaining subscriber account information including subscriber identification information; a traffic information database for receiving updates of traffic information and storing the received information; and a traffic information interface for providing traffic information from the traffic information database, wherein the system identifies a subscriber in response to subscriber identification information in the subscriber database, wherein if a user is identified as a subscriber, the system provides traffic information to the subscriber, and if the user is identified as a non-subscriber, the system plays an automated message and disconnects communication with the user. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
-
-
10. A computer program product for providing traffic information from a traffic database to a subscriber over a wireless network, the computer program product comprising:
-
a storage medium readable by a processing circuit and storing instructions for execution by the processing circuit for facilitating a method comprising; receiving a communication from a user; determining whether the user is a subscriber, wherein if the user is a subscriber, the method further comprises receiving the subscriber'"'"'s present and intended destination locations to request traffic information, and calculating an efficient route to travel between the locations, based upon traffic information stored in a traffic database, and wherein if the user is not a subscriber, the method further comprises playing an automated message and disconnecting the communication. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13)
-
-
14. A computer program product for providing traffic information from a traffic database to a subscriber over a wireless network, the computer program product comprising:
-
a storage medium readable by a processing circuit and storing instructions for execution by the processing circuit for facilitating a method comprising; receiving a communication from a user; and determining whether the user is a subscriber, wherein if the user is a subscriber, the method further comprises receiving the subscriber'"'"'s responses to one or more automated prompts; retrieving a starting and destination location from a subscriber database based upon the subscriber'"'"'s responses; and calculating a most efficient route to travel between the locations, based upon traffic information stored in a traffic database, wherein if the user is not a subscriber, the method further comprises playing an automated message and disconnecting the communication. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
wherein the subscriber pre-configures the subscriber database for a plurality of trips between different starving and destination locations.
-
-
18. The computer program product for providing traffic information according to claim 17, wherein the subscriber identifies the trip in response to the automated prompts to receive an indication of the most efficient route from the plurality of routes entered into the subscriber database and corresponding to the particular trip, based upon current traffic information.
-
19. The computer program product for providing traffic information according to claim 18, wherein the subscriber identifies the trip by depressing one or more keys on a subscriber'"'"'s wireless telephone corresponding to the code for the trip.
-
20. The computer program product for providing traffic information according to claim 18, wherein the subscriber identifies the trip by speaking the name of the trip corresponding to the trip name stored in the subscriber database, and wherein the name of the trip is recognized by speech recognition.
-
21. A computer program product for providing traffic information from a traffic database to a subscriber over a wireless network, the computer program product comprising:
-
a storage medium readable by a processing circuit and storing instructions for execution by the processing circuit for facilitating a method comprising; receiving a communication from a user; and determining whether the user is a subscriber, wherein if the user is a subscriber the method farther comprises receiving the subscribers responses to one or more automated prompts; identifying a portion of a roadway based upon the subscriber'"'"'s responses and information stored in the subscriber database; and retrieving traffic information for the portion of the roadway based upon information maintained in a traffic database, and wherein if the user is not a subscriber, the method further comprises playing an automated message and disconnecting the communication. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24)
-
-
25. A computer program product for providing traffic information from a traffic database to a subscriber over a wireless network, the computer program product comprising:
-
a storage medium readable by a processing circuit and storing instructions for execution by the processing circuit for facilitating a method comprising; receiving a communication from a user; and determining whether the user is a subscriber, wherein if the user is a subscriber, the meted further comprises detecting that the subscriber requested to receive traffic information at a present time; retrieving an indication of the traffic information requested by the subscriber from a subscriber database; retrieving the requested traffic information from a traffic database; and transmitting a short text message to be received by a user, wherein the requested traffic information is reported to the subscriber in the short text message, and wherein if the user is not a subscriber, the method further comprises playing an automated message and disconnecting the communication. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
wherein the information, entered into the subscriber database is associated with a telephone number of a wireless telephone of the subscriber.
-
-
27. The computer program product for providing traffic information according to claim 26, wherein the subscriber additionally enters an estimated time and date of travel into the subscriber database.
-
28. The computer program product for providing traffic information according to claim 27, wherein a subset of information entered into the subscriber database is entered into a scheduler database, which detects when to report particular traffic information to each respective subscriber.
-
29. The computer program product for providing traffic information according to claim 26, further comprising instructions for execution by the processing circuit for facilitating:
automatically reporting traffic information when the subscriber'"'"'s wireless telephone registers in a predetermined cellular location.
-
30. The computer program product for providing traffic information according to claim 26, further comprising instructions for execution by the processing circuit for facilitating:
automatically reporting traffic information when the subscriber reaches a predetermined location as detected by a GPS receiver.
-
31. The computer program product for providing traffic information according to claim 26, wherein the traffic information that is reported is an indication as to which of the at least to routes identified into the subscriber database is the most efficient route.
-
32. The computer program product for providing traffic information according to claim 25, wherein the subscriber pre-configures the subscriber database by entering a first and second location along a roadway, wherein the information entered into the subscriber database is associated with a telephone number of a wireless telephone of the subscriber, end the traffic information that is reported is an indication of the traffic conditions between the first and second locations along the roadway.
Specification