Method and system for developing traffic messages

• US 7,139,659 B2
• Filed: 10/28/2005
• Issued: 11/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/2003
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: HERE Global B.V. (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Navteq North America LLC (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: McGrath, Timothy, Groth, Eric, Mbekeani, Lumumba
• Primary Examiner(s): Zanelli, Michael J.
• Application Number:
  US11/261,870
• Publication Number:
  US 20060064237A1
• Time in Patent Office: 389 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 701/117
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0104 Measuring and analyzing of parameters relative to traffic conditions
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096716 where the received information does not generate an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/09675 where a selection from the received information takes place in the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096775 where the origin of the information is a central station

Abstract

A method for developing traffic messages for broadcast is disclosed. Data indicating a plurality of traffic conditions on a road network are obtained. For each of the traffic conditions, the data provides a start location at which the traffic condition begins and an end location at which the traffic condition ends. For each of the traffic conditions, a road length from the start location to the end location is determined. The traffic conditions are assigned a priority based upon the road lengths. The data indicating the traffic conditions are transmitted in the assigned priority as a plurality of traffic messages.

Claims

1. A method for developing traffic messages comprising:

obtaining data on a computing platform indicating a plurality of traffic conditions on a road network; and

prioritizing said traffic conditions based upon considering at least one of;

a road length affected by said traffic condition, an important highway junction of said road network is located proximate said traffic condition, co-location or connection with another of said traffic conditions, and a commute direction affected by said traffic condition, wherein said commute direction is a direction of travel in which a majority of vehicles travel at a predetermided time as compared to an opposing direction of travel.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of prioritizing considers more than one of the traffic condition information and assigns a weighting factor to each of said considered traffic condition information.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

transmitting said data indicating said traffic conditions in a sequence established by said step of prioritizing.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising

selecting a subset of said traffic conditions, wherein said traffic conditions of said selected subset having higher priority than said traffic conditions not selected;

and

transmitting a plurality of traffic messages representing said subset of said traffic conditions.

5. A method for developing traffic messages comprising:

obtaining data on a computing platform indicating a plurality of traffic conditions on a road network, for each of said traffic conditions said data provides a start location reference code representing a location at which said traffic condition begins, an end location reference code representing a location at which said traffic condition ends and an event description; and

ranking said traffic conditions into a priority based upon considering at least one of;

a road length affected by said traffic condition, an importance of said event description, a road type on which said traffic condition is located, a duration of said traffic condition and co-location or connection with another of said traffic conditions.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising:

broadcasting to a plurality of end user computer platforms a plurality of traffic messages representing said data indicating said traffic conditions according to said priority.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising providing an end user computing platform for receiving said plurality of traffic messages and processing said traffic messages according to said priority.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein a number of traffic messages broadcast is less than a total number of said traffic conditions.

9. A method for developing traffic messages comprising:

obtaining data on a computing platform indicating a plurality of traffic conditions on a road network, for each of said traffic conditions said data provides a start location at which said traffic condition begins and an end location at which said traffic condition ends;

for each of said traffic conditions, determining a road length from said start location to said end location;

assigning a priority to said traffic conditions based upon said road lengths; and

transmitting a plurality of traffic messages representing said data indicating said traffic conditions according to said assigned priority.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

providing an end user computing platform for receiving said traffic messages and processing said traffic messages according to said assigned priority.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein said step of transmitting comprising:

selecting a subset of said traffic conditions, wherein said traffic conditions of said selected subset having higher assigned priority than said traffic conditions not selected; and

transmitting said plurality of traffic messages representing said subset of said traffic conditions.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein said step of transmitting comprising:

transmitting said traffic messages representing said traffic conditions having higher assigned priority more frequently than said traffic messages representing traffic conditions having lower assigned priority.

13. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

obtaining an event description for each of said traffic conditions; and

considering said event descriptions when assigning said priority.

14. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

obtaining a duration for each of said traffic conditions; and

considering said durations when assigning said priority.

15. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

for each of said traffic conditions, identifying a road type on which said traffic condition is located; and

considering said road types when assigning said priority.

16. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

obtaining a direction affected for each of said traffic conditions; and

considering said directions when assigning said priority.

17. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

for each of said traffic conditions, identifying whether a priority location reference code is located within said traffic condition; and

considering said identified priority location reference codes when assigning said priority.

18. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

determining whether one of said traffic conditions is co-located or connected with another of said traffic conditions; and

considering said co-locations or connections when assigning said priority.

19. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

using a plurality of predetermined range of road length categories;

for each of said traffic conditions, determining which road length category said road length of said traffic condition belongs;

changing said assigned priority of said traffic conditions within each of said road length categories based upon considering traffic condition information, wherein said traffic condition information includes at least one of;

a type of traffic condition, a road type on which said traffic condition is located, a priority location is located within said traffic condition, a direction affected by said traffic condition, a duration of said traffic condition and co-location or connection with another of said traffic conditions.