Retrieving and presenting dynamic traffic information

• US 7,511,634 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2005
• Issued: 03/31/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: HNTB Holdings Limited
• Original Assignee: HTNB Corporation
• Inventors: Stehle, Tommy Allen, Pallotto, Terrence Matthew, Claudon, Timm J., Simon, Christopher James
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Benjamin C
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hunnings, Travis R
• Application Number:
  US11/316,567
• Publication Number:
  US 20060143959A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,196 Days
• Field of Search: 340/905, 340/901, 340/988, 340/995.1, 340/995.12, 34099514- 17, 340/995.24, 701/117, 701/118, 701/119
• US Class Current: 340/905
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0141 for traffic information dissemination

Abstract

A system, a method and computer-readable media for presenting dynamic traffic information. A user profile is stored, and advisory data based on the user profile is gathered. The advisory data may include traffic information associated with road segments identified by the user profile. Upon receiving a user input, the advisory data is presented to a user.

Claims

1. One or more computer-readable media having computer-useable instructions embodied thereon to perform a method for presenting dynamic traffic information, said method comprising:

storing a user profile including a plurality of user settings;

maintaining a schedule of traffic events listing one or more future events expected to impact traffic conditions, said schedule further listing future placement of one or more road segments, wherein said future placement reflects expected results of planned road construction;

generating predicted traffic occupancy or usage by predicting the impact of said one or more future events and said future placement on said traffic conditions, wherein said generating includes utilizing data indicating historic traffic occupancy or usage;

gathering advisory data based on said plurality of user settings, said advisory data including traffic information associated with at least a portion of said one or more road segments, wherein said advisory data includes at least a portion of said predicted traffic occupancy or usage; and

presenting at least a portion of said advisory data incident to receiving an indication that said advisory data is to be observed by a user, wherein the presented advisory data includes at least a portion of said predicted traffic occupancy or usage.

2. The media of claim 1, wherein said plurality of user settings identifies one of more of said one or more road segments.

3. The media of claim 1, wherein said advisory data includes at least one of performance data, traveler alerts and closures data.

4. The media of claim 1, wherein said gathering advisory data includes interacting with a data store over the Internet.

5. The media of claim 1, wherein said method further comprises notifying the user of one or more alerts associated with at least one of said one or more road segments.

6. The media of claim 1, wherein said presenting at least a portion of said advisory data includes accessing a web page.

7. The media of claim 6, wherein said web page is generated incident to receiving said indication that said advisory data is to be observed by the user.

8. A system for distributing roadway traffic information, said system comprising:

a data source storing traffic data related to one or more road segments, wherein said traffic data includes at least one of performance data, traveler alerts and closures data for each of at least a portion of said one or more road segments, wherein said data source maintains a schedule of traffic events listing one or more future events expected to impact traffic and stores predicted traffic occupancy or usage generated by predicting the impact of said one or more future events on said traffic conditions, said data source further maintains data indicating future placement of at least a portion of said one or more road segments, wherein said future placement reflects expected results of planned road construction; and

an application program configured to store a user profile that identifies one or more road segments and to obtain said traffic data associated with the identified road segments from said data source, wherein said application program is further configured to provide a user interface for presenting at least a portion of said traffic data in response to a user request, and wherein the presented traffic data includes at least a portion of said predicted traffic occupancy or usage and at least a portion of said data indicating future placement.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein said application program is further configured to provide a user interface for presenting at least a portion of said traffic data in response to a user request.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein said user interface utilizes a web page to present at least a portion of said traffic data.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein said web page is dynamically generated in response to said user request.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein said application program is further configured to monitor said traffic data by recurrently communicating with said data source.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein said application program is further configured to notify a user of one or more alerts associated with at least one of the identified road segments.

14. One or more computer-readable media having computer-useable instructions embodied thereon to perform a method for distributing traffic information, said method comprising:

storing a user profile that associates one or more road segments with a user;

maintaining a schedule of traffic events listing one or more future events expected to impact traffic conditions, said schedule further listing future placement of at least a portion of one or more road segments, wherein said future placement reflects expected results of planned road construction;

generating predicted traffic occupancy or usage by predicting the impact of said one or more future events and said future placement on said traffic conditions, wherein said predicted traffic occupancy or usage is stored in a data source;

monitoring said data source to observe one or more alerts associated with at least one of said one or more road segments, wherein at least a portion of said one or more alerts indicate the predicted traffic occupancy or usage; and

when said one or more alerts are observed, notifying the user of said one or more alerts.

15. The media of claim 14, wherein said user profile includes information related to routes and advisory types.

16. The media of claim 14, wherein at least a portion of said one or more alerts relate to road closures.

17. The media of claim 14, wherein at least a portion of said one or more alerts relate to traffic performance on at least one of said one or more road segments.

18. The media of claim 14, wherein said notifying the user of said one or more alerts includes altering the visual appearance of an icon.

19. The media of claim 14, said notifying the user of said one or more alerts includes generating a message to be sent to said user.

20. The media of claim 14, wherein said monitoring said data source includes periodically communicating with said data source over the Internet.