GPS-generated traffic information

• US 7,557,730 B2
• Filed: 05/21/2007
• Issued: 07/07/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Uber Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Triangle Software LLC (Pelmorex, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gueziec, Andre
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Tai T
• Application Number:
  US11/751,628
• Publication Number:
  US 20080109153A1
• Time in Patent Office: 778 Days
• Field of Search: 340/905, 340/906, 340/907, 340/995.24, 340/995.27, 340/994, 340/988, 701/117, 701/200, 701/204, 701/201
• US Class Current: 340/905
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/30 Map- or contour-matching
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3407 specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3492 employing speed data or traffic data, e.g. real-time or historical traffic control systems for road vehicles involving transmission of navigation instructions to the vehicle G08G1/0968
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/36 Input/output arrangements for on-board computers
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3694 Output thereof on a road map
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 5/04 Inference or reasoning models
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0125 Traffic data processing
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0129 for creating historical data or processing based on historical data
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/093 Data selection, e.g. prioritizing information, managing message queues, selecting the information to be output
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0967 Systems involving transmission of highway information, e.g. weather, speed limits transmission of navigation instructions to the vehicle G08G1/0968
• 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 1/09675 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
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096816 where the complete route is transmitted to the vehicle at once
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096822 where the segments of the route are transmitted to the vehicle at different locations and times
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096827 where the route is computed onboard
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096866 where the complete route is shown to the driver
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096888 where input information is obtained using learning systems, e.g. history databases
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3822 specially adapted for use in vehicles H04B1/3827 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/025 : using location based information parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 : Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a traveler information monitoring and dissemination system. The system disclosed herein provides real time information to a traveler, wherein the real time information may be pre-selected by the traveler. The system ensures consistent and quality data are produced and issued to the traveler.

Claims

1. A system for disseminating road traffic information, comprising:

memory configured to store traffic data received from a plurality of data sources;

a data processing engine stored in memory and executable by a processor to generate quality traffic data, the quality traffic data based on the traffic data from the plurality of data sources, wherein the quality traffic data is as complete and timely as is presently available; and

a publishing engine stored in memory and executable by a processor to generate a traffic report based on the quality traffic data, wherein the traffic report includes traffic area images of a particular traffic area and a plurality of computer-generated traffic route images that follow the natural path of real-world traffic routes in the particular traffic area, the plurality of computer-generated traffic route images overlaid on the traffic area images for publication on a display.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a graphical icon engine executable by a processor to display a graphical icon in the traffic report.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the graphical icon represents a specific type of incident in the particular traffic area.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the graphical icon is accompanied by textual description.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the specific type of incident includes a traffic accident.

6. The system of claim 3, wherein the specific type of incident includes an obstruction in a real-world traffic route.

7. The system of claim 3, wherein the specific type of incident includes a disabled vehicle in a real-world traffic route.

8. The system of claim 3, wherein the specific type of incident includes an event.

9. The system of claim 3, wherein the specific type of incident includes a closure of a real-world traffic route.

10. The system of claim 3, wherein the graphical icon is accompanied by a list of incidents in the particular traffic area.

11. The system of claim 3, wherein the graphical icon corresponds to a color representative of the severity of the specific type of incident.

12. The system of claim 3, wherein the graphical icon is displayed in the traffic report at coordinates in the particular traffic area corresponding to the real-world location of the incident.

13. The system of claim 3, wherein the size of the graphical icon corresponds to the severity of the specific type of incident.

14. The system of claim 2, further comprising an abbreviation engine stored in memory and executable to format the traffic report for display on a mobile device.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the traffic data includes latitude and longitude information of a user in transit and identifies the location of the user with respect to a plurality of segments stored in a segment database.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the latitude and longitude information is acquired from a global positioning system (GPS) compatible transceiver.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the latitude and longitude information is acquired from cellular base stations in communication with a cellular device associated with the user in transit.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the traffic report further includes time sensitive traveler information.