System and method for monitoring the movement of one or more vehicles

• US 7,599,788 B1
• Filed: 12/07/2005
• Issued: 10/06/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nextel Communications Inc (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Nextel Communications Inc (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Banerjee, Salil, Seid, Howard Alan, Chaudhuri, Sid
• Primary Examiner(s): Beaulieu; Yonel
• Application Number:
  US11/295,644
• Time in Patent Office: 1,399 Days
• Field of Search: 701/200, 701117-119, 701213-215, 342/357.06, 342/357.12, 705/14
• US Class Current: 701/117
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0208 Trade or exchange of goods or services in exchange for incentives or rewards
• 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 1/096816 where the complete route is transmitted to the vehicle at once
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/09685 where the complete route is computed only once and not updated

Abstract

A system and method is provided to allow users to receive and transmit real-time traffic flow information. A service provider can utilize information gathering infrastructure to receive, store, and transmit the real-time traffic data to groups or individual users. An information-generating subscriber can provide information required to determine road traffic conditions using a cellular telephone. A system of incentives is provided to overcome the reluctance of users to transmit their individual traffic data to the service provider by assigning some amount of positive points for data transmission to a central network. Users who choose only to receive data are assigned some amount of negative points. Points are converted during the billing process to fees for using the system, whereby users who both transmit and receive data ultimately pay less for utilizing the system than users who choose only to receive data.

Claims

1. A method of monitoring movement of one or more vehicles, comprising the acts of:

receiving traffic flow information from an information generator;

awarding points to the information generator in response to said receiving;

storing said traffic flow information;

transmitting said traffic flow information to an information receiver;

deducting points from the information receiver in response to the transmitting; and

storing a record of said receiving and said transmitting.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the traffic flow information is recently updated or continuously updated.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said traffic flow information is received or transmitted via wireless device, GPS-enabled device, public switched telephone network, the Internet, radio station, radio transceiver, voice, and/or electronic traffic sign.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said traffic flow information is received from sensors within a roadway or a camera.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said traffic flow information is converted into the desired format prior to said act of transmitting.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said traffic flow information comprises automobile traffic data or pedestrian traffic data.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said traffic flow information comprises electronic transmissions comprising one or more of location data, speed data, photographs, video, or spoken word.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein an average of said traffic flow data is calculated.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said traffic flow data comprises an average speed of vehicles or pedestrians in the geographic area of said information generator.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said act of receiving comprises the act of receiving said traffic flow information from a combination of two or more devices.

11. A method of monitoring movement of one or more vehicles, comprising the acts of:

receiving traffic flow information from an information generator;

storing said traffic flow information;

assigning positive points to said information generator in response to the receiving;

transmitting said traffic flow information to an information receiver; and

assigning negative points to said information receiver in response to the transmitting.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said positive and negative points are utilized for billing purposes.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein said positive points are variable in relation to the manner in which said act of receiving traffic flow information from said information generator is accomplished.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein said negative points are variable in relation to the manner in which said act of transmitting traffic flow information to said information receiver is accomplished.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein said traffic flow information comprises one or more of location data, speed data, photographs, video, or spoken word.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein an average of said traffic flow information is calculated.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein said traffic flow information comprises an average speed of vehicles in the geographic area of said information generator.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein said traffic flow information is converted into a desired format prior to said act of transmitting.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein said traffic flow information comprises automobile traffic data or pedestrian traffic data.