Method and system for determining displacement time of a mobile user terminal equipment

• US 7,184,779 B2
• Filed: 10/04/2002
• Issued: 02/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Vodafone Holding GmbH (Vodafone Group PLC)
• Original Assignee: Vodafone Holding GmbH (Vodafone Group PLC)
• Inventors: Alger, Michael, Lang, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Gary, Erika A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Afshar, Kamran
• Application Number:
  US10/492,322
• Publication Number:
  US 20050037772A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,607 Days
• Field of Search: 455/404.2, 4554561-4563, 4554565-4566, 4554561-457, 455/403, 455/422.1, 455/432.1, 455440-441, 455/569.2, 701/204, 701/207, 701/208, 701/209, 701213-214, 701201-202, 340/988, 340/989, 340/994, 340/995.19, 342/357.08, 342/357.09, 342/357.1, 342/357.13, 342/357.11
• US Class Current: 455/456.5
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/42 Determining position
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/04 using counting means or digital clocks
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0112 from the vehicle, e.g. floating car data [FCD]
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0133 for classifying traffic situation
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0141 for traffic information dissemination
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/006 with additional information processing, e.g. for direction or speed determination

Abstract

A method as well as a system are described for determining the travel time of at least one mobile user end device between a starting point (A) and an end point (E) that is spatially separated from it. To this end, specific pieces of information of at least one mobile user end device located at the starting point (A) and at the end point (E) are determined and each linked to a time marker. The specific pieces of information of the mobile user end devices are compared with one another electronically in at least one central processing unit. When the specific pieces of information of a mobile user end device are in agreement at the starting point (A) as well as at the end point (E), the time difference between the time markers is formed electronically in the central processing unit and the travel times are determined therefrom. The method can be carried out advantageously by the use of a cellular mobile wireless system (10), wherein the starting point (A) and the end point (E) are each formed by corresponding cells (12, 13) of the mobile wireless system (10). The determination of the travel time results from the data of the mobile wireless system (10).

Claims

1. A method for determining the travel time of mobile user end devices in a pre-determined distance segment (S) between a pre-determined starting point (A) and a pre-determined end point (E) that is spatially separated from it, this method being characterized in accordance with the invention by the following steps:

a) the pre-determined starting point (A) is designed as a cell (12) of a mobile wireless system (10) and the pre-determined end point (E) is designed as another cell (13) of the mobile wireless system (10) that is spatially separated from it;

b) specific pieces of information of at least one mobile user end device located at a starting point (A) are determined and each is linked to a time marker (TA);

c) specific pieces of information of at least one mobile user end device located at the end point (E) are determined and each is linked to a time marker (TE) wherein the time marker-linked, specific pieces of information or action profiles of each mobile user end device or the travel times determined therefrom are filed in the form of comparison data at least temporarily in a comparison file;

d) the specific pieces of information of at least one mobile user end device located at the starting point (A) and at the end point (E) are compared with one another electronically in at least one central processing unit; and

e) when there is agreement between the specific pieces of information of a mobile user end device at the starting point (A) and at the end point (E), the time difference (TE−

TA) between the time marker (TE) and the time marker (TA) is formed and the travel time is determined from it electronically in the central processing unit.

2. The method according to claim 1, further characterized in that this is carried out by use of an information transmitting system, in particular a communication system, whereby the travel time is determined from specific data of the mobile user end devices of the information transmitting system.

3. The method according to claim 1, further characterized in that this is carried out by use of a mobile wireless system (10), in particular a cellular mobile wireless system, wherein the mobile user end devices are designed as mobile phones and wherein the travel time is determined from specific data of the mobile phone.

4. The method according to claim 1, further characterized in that the specific pieces of information of the at least one mobile user end device located at the starting point (A) and at the end point (E) are transmitted to the central processing unit or are generated electronically in the central processing unit.

5. The method according to claim 1, further characterized in that the starting point (A) and the end point (E) is fixed in the form of a geographical value.

6. The method according to claim 3, further characterized in that the starting point (A) and the end point (E) is fixed in the form of a geographical value.

7. The method according to claim 3, further characterized in that the starting point (A) and the end point (E) is fixed in the form of a geographical value and further characterized in that the starting point (A) is designed as a first boundary of a cell (11) of the mobile wireless system (10) and that the end point (E) is designed as a second boundary of the same cell (11).

8. The method according to claim 1, further characterized in that an action profile is determined for the at least one mobile user end device at the starting point (A) and for the at least one mobile user end device at the end point (E) from specific pieces of information for these and that each action profile is linked to a time marker (TA, TE).

9. The method according to claim 8, further characterized in that the action profile is determined in the mobile user end device associated therewith or in the central processing unit.

10. The method according to claim 1, further characterized in that the central unit has at least one computing unit with one or more electronic computers and that the travel time is determined electronically in the at least one computing unit.

11. The method according to claim 1, further characterized in that the comparison data are subjected to a weighting step in the central processing unit.

12. The method according to claim 1, further characterized in that, in the central unit, a geographical or user-specific assignment is generated on the basis of the comparison data.

13. The method according to claim 1, further characterized in that the time marker-linked, specific pieces of information or action profiles of each mobile user end device or the travel times determined therefrom or the comparison data generated therefrom are compared with corresponding reference values within the central processing unit.

14. The method according to claim 1, further characterized in that the travel time is determined in a continual manner and in that the travel time is updated in a continual manner.

15. A method for determining the travel time of at least one mobile user end device between a starting point and a destination point that is spatially separated from it, characterized in that the distance between the starting point and the destination point is subdivided into two or more distance segments (S), each having a starting point (A) and an end point (E), in that the travel time within each distance segment (S) is determined according to claim 1, in that the individual travel times of the distance segments are summed up in the central processing unit, and in that the total travel time is determined from the sum of the individual travel times.

16. The method according to claim 15, further characterized in that the individual travel times of the distance segments (S) are determined in a continual manner and in that the total travel time is updated in a continual manner on the basis of the travel times within the distance segments (S).

17. The method according to claim 1, farther characterized in that, in the central unit, traffic information is generated on the basis of the determined travel time(s) or the determined total travel time(s).

18. The method according to claim 1, further characterized in that the time marker-linked, specific pieces of information or action profiles of each mobile user end device or the travel times determined therefrom or the comparison data generated therefrom or the total travel times determined or the traffic information generated are transmitted form the central processing unit to selected or to all mobile user end devices.

19. A system for determining the travel time of at least one mobile user end device between a starting point (A) and an end point (E) that is spatially separated from it and/or for determining the travel time of at least one mobile user end device between a starting point and a destination point that is spatially separated from it, wherein the distance between the starting point and the destination point is subdivided into one or more distance segments (S), each having a starting point (A) and an end point (E), characterized by a means for carrying out the process according to one of claims 1–

3, 4–

10 or 11–

18.

20. A computer program product with a program medium that can be read on a computer and that, when the program is loaded, has a program means for carrying out the method according to one of claims 1–

3, 4–

10 or 11–

18.

21. A method for determining the travel time of mobile user end devices between a starting point (A) and an end point (E) that is spatially separated from it, this method being characterized in accordance with the invention by the following steps:

a) specific pieces of information of at least one mobile user end device located at a starting point (A) are determined and each is linked to a time marker (TA);

b) specific pieces of information of at least one mobile user end device located at the end point (E) are determined and each is linked to a time marker (TE);

c) the specific pieces of information of at least one mobile user end device located at the starting point (A) and at the end point (E) are compared with one another electronically in at least one central processing unit;

d) when there is agreement between the specific pieces of information of a mobile user end device at the starting point (A) and at the end point (E), the time difference (TE−

TA) between the time marker (TE) and the time marker (TA) is formed and the travel time is determined from it electronically in the central processing unit; and

e) the time marked-linked, specific pieces of information or action profiles of each mobile user end device or the travel times determined therefrom are filed in form of comparison data at least temporarily in a comparison file.

22. A method for determining the travel time of mobile user end devices between a starting point (A) and an end point (E) that is spatially separated from it, this method being characterized in accordance with the invention by the following steps:

a) specific pieces of information of at least one mobile user end device located at a starting point (A) are continuously determined and each is linked to a time marker (TA);

b) specific pieces of information of at least one mobile user end device located at the end point (E) are continuously determined and each is linked to a time marker (TE) wherein the time marker-linked, specific pieces of information of each mobile user end device or the travel times determined therefrom are filed in the form of comparison data at least temporarily in a comparison file;

c) the specific pieces of information of at least one mobile user end device located at the starting point (A) and at the end point (E) are continuously compared with one another electronically in at least one central processing unit;

d) when there is agreement between the specific pieces of information of a mobile user end device at the starting point (A) and at the aid point (E), the time difference (TE−

TA) between the time marker (TE) and the time marker (TA) is formed and the travel time is determined from it electronically in the central processing unit.