System and method based on short range wireless communications for notifying drivers of abnormal road traffic conditions

• US 7,760,112 B2
• Filed: 04/25/2007
• Issued: 07/20/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Marmigere, Gerard, Bauchot, Frederic
• Primary Examiner(s): Bugg; George A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fan; Hongmin
• Application Number:
  US11/739,841
• Publication Number:
  US 20070279251A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,182 Days
• Field of Search: 340/905, 340/995.13, 340/995.24, 701/119
• US Class Current: 340/905
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/092 Coding or decoding of the information
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/094 Hardware aspects; Signal processing or signal properties, e.g. frequency bands
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096716 where the received information does not generate an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096758 where no selection takes place on the transmitted or the received information
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096791 where the origin of the information is another vehicle

Abstract

The present invention predicts traffic conditions based on traffic information exchanged by means of short range wireless communications, between vehicles moving in an opposite direction. A method in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention includes: successively recording traffic information based on traffic encountered by the vehicle; sending the traffic information to vehicles moving in the opposite direction; receiving traffic information from vehicles moving in the opposite direction; consolidating the traffic information received from the vehicles; and predicting traffic conditions based on the consolidated traffic information.

Claims

1. A method executed in a vehicle, for predicting traffic conditions based on traffic information exchanged using short range wireless communications, between vehicles moving in opposite directions, the method comprising:

successively recording traffic information based on traffic encountered by the vehicle;

sending the traffic information to vehicles moving in the opposite direction;

receiving traffic information from vehicles moving in the opposite direction;

consolidating the traffic information received from the vehicles moving in the opposite direction; and

predicting traffic conditions based on the consolidated traffic information;

wherein the traffic information for each vehicle comprises;

an identifier of the vehicle;

an indication of a speed of the vehicle; and

data related to traffic successively encountered by the vehicle,

wherein the data related to traffic successively encountered by the vehicle comprises at least one traffic record, each traffic record comprising;

a time or a time interval from a reference time;

an indication of a speed of a vehicle moving in the opposite direction at the reference time; and

an indication of a distance from the vehicle to the vehicle moving in the opposite direction at the reference time.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein predicting traffic conditions further comprises:

informing a driver of the predicted traffic conditions.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein predicting traffic conditions further comprises:

alerting a driver of the occurrence of abnormal traffic conditions.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein sending the traffic information to vehicles moving in the opposite direction further comprises:

continuously updating the traffic information which is broadcast to the vehicles.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

removing at least one traffic record according to at least one predefined criteria.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the at least one predefined criteria is based on at least one of time and distance.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

generating a random number; and

using the random number for assigning a unique identifier to the vehicle.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising mounting a wireless communication system at a front of the vehicle for sending or receiving data from vehicles moving in the opposite direction.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein sending the traffic information to vehicles moving in the opposite direction further comprises:

continuously broadcasting the traffic information.

10. A system in a vehicle, for predicting traffic conditions based on traffic information exchanged using short range wireless communications, between vehicles moving in opposite directions, comprising:

a system for successively recording traffic information based on traffic encountered by the vehicle;

a system for sending the traffic information to vehicles moving in the opposite direction;

a system for receiving traffic information from vehicles moving in the opposite direction;

a system for consolidating the traffic information received from the vehicles moving in the opposite direction; and

a system for predicting traffic conditions based on the consolidated traffic information;

wherein the traffic information for each vehicle comprises;

an identifier of the vehicle;

an indication of a speed of the vehicle; and

data related to traffic successively encountered by the vehicle,

wherein the data related to traffic successively encountered by the vehicle comprises at least one traffic record, each traffic record comprising;

a time or a time interval from a reference time;

an indication of a speed of a vehicle moving in the opposite direction at the reference time; and

an indication of a distance from the vehicle to the vehicle moving in the opposite direction at the reference time.

11. The system according to claim 10, wherein the system for predicting traffic conditions further comprises:

a system for informing a driver of the predicted traffic conditions.

12. The system according to claim 10, wherein the system for predicting traffic conditions further comprises:

a system for alerting a driver of the occurrence of abnormal traffic conditions.

13. The system according to claim 10, wherein the system for sending the traffic information to vehicles moving in the opposite direction further comprises:

a system for continuously updating the traffic information which is broadcast to the vehicles.

14. The system according to claim 10, further comprising:

a system for removing at least one traffic record according to at least one predefined criteria.

15. The system according to claim 14, wherein the at least one predefined criteria is based on at least one of time and distance.

16. The system according to claim 10, further comprising:

a system for generating a random number; and

a system for assigning a unique identifier to the vehicle using a random number.

17. The system according to claim 10, further comprising:

a wireless communication system mounted at a front of the vehicle for sending or receiving data from vehicles moving in the opposite direction.

18. The system according to claim 10, wherein the system for sending the traffic information to vehicles moving in the opposite direction further comprises:

a system for continuously broadcasting the traffic information.

19. A program product stored on a computer readable medium, which when executed, predicts traffic conditions based on traffic information exchanged using short range wireless communications, between vehicles moving in opposite directions, the computer readable medium comprising program code for:

successively recording traffic information based on traffic encountered by the vehicle;

sending the traffic information to vehicles moving in the opposite direction;

receiving traffic information from vehicles moving in the opposite direction;

consolidating the traffic information received from the vehicles moving in the opposite direction; and

predicting traffic conditions based on the consolidated traffic information;

wherein the traffic information for each vehicle comprises;

an identifier of the vehicle;

an indication of a speed of the vehicle; and

data related to traffic successively encountered by the vehicle,

wherein the data related to traffic successively encountered by the vehicle comprises at least one traffic record, each traffic record comprising;

a time or a time interval from a reference time;

an indication of a speed of a vehicle moving in the opposite direction at the reference time; and

an indication of a distance from the vehicle to the vehicle moving in the opposite direction at the reference time.