Method for obtaining traffic information using billing information of mobile terminal

• US 7,546,201 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2004
• Issued: 06/09/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: SK Telecom Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: SK Telecom Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Lee, Jae-young, Jang, Hee-sook, Lee, Chung-hak, Chung, Chi-ik
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Cuong H
• Application Number:
  US10/563,936
• Publication Number:
  US 20070162327A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,806 Days
• Field of Search: 701/117, 701/119, 701/200, 340/933, 340/988, 340/995.25, 340/995.27, 731/78.R
• US Class Current: 701/117
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/28 with correlation of data from several navigational instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 15/063 using wireless information transmission between the vehicle and a fixed station identification of vehicles G08G
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0104 Measuring and analyzing of parameters relative to traffic conditions
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0962 having an indicator mounted inside the vehicle, e.g. giving voice messages
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096716 where the received information does not generate an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096741 where the source of the transmitted information selects which information to transmit to each vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096775 where the origin of the information is a central station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096811 where the route is computed offboard
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096883 where input information is obtained using a mobile device, e.g. a mobile phone, a PDA

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for obtaining traffic information using billing information of a mobile terminal. The method can prevent crosstalk between a vehicle on a highway and a vehicle on a local road parallel to the highway and obtain correct traffic information associated with the highway, when obtaining information indicative of a road traffic state in real time by obtaining a unique number of the mobile terminal from the billing information and tracking a moving time of a corresponding mobile terminal between base stations where the mobile terminal attempts a telephone call on the highway.

Claims

1. A method for obtaining traffic information of a highway using billing information of a mobile terminal by extracting unique information of the terminal from call data when the terminal entering the highway attempts a telephone call, tracking a moving path and time between base stations and producing an average speed per hour, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) when sample objects enters a section, parallel to a local road, containing a base station providing a communication service to an area of a tollgate, increasing the number of sample objects to a predetermined multiple of the reference number of objects;

(b) tracking moving paths and moving time periods of the sample objects extracted at the step (a) between the base stations and producing an average speed per hour between the base stations;

(c) when a speed difference in an area of the base station providing the communication service to the area of the tollgate is reduced by a predetermined speed or more, removing a corresponding sample object; and

(d) maintaining the number of sample objects as the reference number of objects, in an area of a base station out of the area of the tollgate in the section parallel to the local road.

2. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the predetermined multiple at the step (a) is two.

3. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein at least one new sample object before the section parallel to the local road is extracted and the number of sample objects is increased at the step (a).

4. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the speed difference reduced by a predetermined speed or more at the step (c) is 10%.

5. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the corresponding sample object is removed from the number of sample objects increased to the predetermined multiple if the number of sample objects is larger than the reference number of objects when the number of sample objects is maintained as the reference number of objects at the step (d).

6. The method as set forth in claim 5, wherein the removed sample object is listed, and is first extracted when the number of sample objects is insufficient.

7. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein at least one sample object is extracted from objects driven on the highway if the number of sample objects is smaller than the reference number of objects when the number of sample objects is maintained as the reference number of objects at the step (d).

8. The method as set forth in claim 7, wherein the objects driven on the highway are extracted from objects with which a setup operation in a different base station installed on the local road before the section parallel to the local road is not carried out the predetermined number of times.