Verifying the validity of traffic status information

• US 7,353,107 B2
• Filed: 06/16/2006
• Issued: 04/01/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
• Original Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
• Inventors: Breitenberger, Susanne, Hauschild, Martin
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TAN QUANG
• Application Number:
  US11/453,921
• Publication Number:
  US 20070005229A1
• Time in Patent Office: 655 Days
• Field of Search: 701117-119, 340/905, 340/915, 340/917, 340/995.13, 455/414.2, 455/414.3
• US Class Current: 701/117
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0104 Measuring and analyzing of parameters relative to traffic conditions
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/20 Monitoring the location of vehicles belonging to a group, e.g. fleet of vehicles, countable or determined number of vehicles

Abstract

A method for providing traffic status information as part of a traffic status detection by a motor vehicle, in particular traffic information for detecting traffic jams is provided. To provide high-quality traffic status information at an acceptable cost, it is proposed that a first step should verify whether the vehicle is currently participating in public road traffic. A second step verifies whether the vehicle has been operated otherwise for more than a predetermined period of time, and optionally in a third step the traffic status detection is interrupted.

Claims

1. Method of providing traffic status information as part of a traffic status detection by a motor vehicle, for determining a traffic situation, including detecting a traffic jam, the method comprising the acts of:

verifying whether the vehicle is currently participating in public road traffic,

verifying whether the vehicle has been operated in other than public road traffic for longer than a predetermined period of time, and

interrupting the traffic status detection, if the vehicle is being operated in other than public road traffic.

2. Method as claimed in claim 1, wherein for the determination of whether the vehicle is being operated in other than public road traffic, a verification is performed to ascertain whether a door of the vehicle has been opened or whether a so-called point of interest is in the velocity of the vehicle or whether there has been a high steering activity of the vehicle or whether the reverse gear or neutral gear of the vehicle has been engaged or whether the vehicle is moving off-road or whether the parking brake has been activated or whether the airbag has been deployed, and if at least one of these events has occurred, a counter starts running, determining since when at least one of these events has been occurring without interruption and a corresponding counter reading is provided.

3. Method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the counter reading on the counter is compared with a predetermined first value and if the counter reading falls below the predetermined first value, the traffic status detection is suspended while retaining the previous results of the traffic status detection.

4. Method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the counter reading on the counter is compared with the predetermined first value and if the reading exceeds the predetermined first value or a predetermined second value, the traffic status detection is restarted, deleting the previous results of the traffic status detection.

5. Method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the counter reading on the counter is reset at the value “

0,”

if the determination as to whether the vehicle is being operated in other than public road traffic has turned out negative.

6. Method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the traffic status detection is continued if the determination as to whether the vehicle is being operated in other than public road traffic has turned out negative.

7. Method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the counter reading on the counter is compared with the predetermined first value and if the reading exceeds the predetermined first value or a predetermined second value, the traffic status detection is restarted, deleting the previous results of the traffic status detection.

8. Method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the counter reading on the counter is reset at the value “

0,”

if the determination as to whether the vehicle is being operated in other than public road traffic has turned out negative.

9. Method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the traffic status detection is continued if the determination as to whether the vehicle is being operated in other than public road traffic has turned out negative.

10. Method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the counter reading on the counter is reset at the value “

0,”

if the determination as to whether the vehicle is being operated in other than public road traffic has turned out negative.

11. Method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the traffic status detection is continued if the determination as to whether the vehicle is being operated in other than public road traffic has turned out negative.

12. Method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the traffic status detection is continued if the determination as to whether the vehicle is being operated in other than public road traffic has turned out negative.

13. System for transmitting traffic status data from a first vehicle to a second vehicle, in modified form, via an ad hoc network or from a central traffic information office to one or more vehicles, by broadcast, the system comprising:

a device configured to verify whether the first vehicle is currently participating in public road traffic, verify whether the first vehicle has been operated in other than public road traffic for longer than a predetermined period of time, and interrupt the traffic status detection if the first vehicle is being operated in other than public road traffic.

14. Device in a motor vehicle for generating and sending traffic status information, wherein the device is configured to verify whether the first vehicle is currently participating in public road traffic, verify whether the first vehicle has been operated in other than public road traffic for longer than a predetermined period of time, and interrupt the traffic status detection if the first vehicle is being operated in other than public road traffic.

15. Computer program product including a computer-readable medium encoded with a computer program for use in a motor vehicle for generating and sending traffic status information, the compute:

r program comprising instructions for;

verifying whether the vehicle is currently participating in public road traffic,

verifying whether the vehicle has been operated in other than public road traffic for longer than a predetermined period of time, and

interrupting the traffic status detection, if the vehicle is being operated in other than public road traffic.

16. Computer program product of claim 15, wherein for the determination of whether the vehicle is being operated in other than public road traffic, a verification is performed to ascertain whether a door of the vehicle has been opened or whether a so-called point of interest is in the velocity of the vehicle or whether there has been a high steering activity of the vehicle or whether the reverse gear or neutral gear of the vehicle has been engaged or whether the vehicle is moving off-road or whether the parking brake has been activated or whether the airbag has been deployed, and if at least one of these events has occurred, a counter starts running, determining since when at least one of these events has been occurring without interruption and a corresponding counter reading is provided.

17. Computer program product of claim 15, wherein the counter reading on the counter is compared with a predetermined first value and if the counter reading falls below the predetermined first value, the traffic status detection is suspended while retaining the previous results of the traffic status detection.

18. Computer program product of claim 15, wherein the counter reading on the counter is compared with the predetermined first value and if the reading exceeds the predetermined first value or a predetermined second value, the traffic status detection is restarted, deleting the previous results of the traffic status detection.

19. Computer program product of claim 15, wherein the counter reading on the counter is reset at the value “

0,”

if the determination as to whether the vehicle is being operated in other than public road traffic has turned out negative.

20. Computer program product of claim 15, wherein the traffic status detection is continued if the determination as to whether the vehicle is being operated in other than public road traffic has turned out negative.