Method of interpolating traffic information data, apparatus for interpolating, and traffic information data structure

• US 7,890,246 B2
• Filed: 12/03/2004
• Issued: 02/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/26/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: Ishikawa, Hiroki
• Primary Examiner(s): Keith; Jack
• Assistant Examiner(s): MUSTAFA, IMRAN K
• Application Number:
  US11/002,813
• Publication Number:
  US 20050141428A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,265 Days
• Field of Search: 340/990, 340/993, 340/994, 340/995.1, 340/995.11, 340/995.13, 340/995.14
• US Class Current: 701/117
• 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 1/096827 where the route is computed onboard

Abstract

Systems and methods of interpolating traffic information data may accumulate, for each link, a link travel time and a congestion degree at a plurality of trip times. The systems and methods may determine, for each link, whether at least one of the link travel time and the congestion degree properly exists at each of the plurality of trip times, and may interpolate, for each non-existent at least one of the link travel time and the congestion degree, an acceptable value.

Claims

1. A method of interpolating traffic information data, comprising:

accumulating traffic information for a link at a plurality of trip times;

using a controller to;

determine whether the traffic information exists for a single link at each of the plurality of trip times;

determine whether a trip time at which the traffic information for the single link does not exist is a first trip time of the plurality of trip times;

interpolate, if the trip time at which the traffic information does not exist is the first trip time, traffic information of the trip time at which the traffic information does not exist as traffic information for the single link of a nearest following trip time;

determine whether the trip time at which the traffic information for the single link does not exist is a last trip time of the plurality of trip times;

interpolate, if the trip time at which the traffic information does not exist is the last trip time, the traffic information of the trip time at which the traffic information does not exist as traffic information for the single link of a nearest preceding trip time; and

interpolate, if the trip time at which the traffic information does not exist is not the first trip time and not the last trip time, the traffic information of the trip time at which the traffic information does not exist as traffic information based on the traffic information for the single link of the nearest following trip time and the traffic information for the single link of the nearest preceding trip time.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

creating blank data as the traffic information for the trip time at which the traffic information does not exist.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein:

creating the blank data comprises assigning an “

uncertain”

or “

no data”

value for the traffic information for the trip time at which the traffic information does not exist.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the interpolating comprises interpolating the blank data.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the interpolating comprises interpolating an acceptable congestion degree for the blank data.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the traffic information is at least one of a link travel time and a congestion degree.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein:

determining whether the traffic information exists at each of the plurality of trip times comprises determining whether there is an uncertain congestion degree; and

interpolating, if there is an uncertain congestion degree, an acceptable value.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein:

interpolating, if the trip time at which the congestion degree does not exist is not the first trip time and not the last trip time, the congestion degree of the trip time as congestion degree based on an average of a congestion degree of the nearest following trip time and a congestion degree of the nearest preceding trip time.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein:

the average between the congestion degree of the nearest preceding trip time and the congestion degree of the nearest following trip time comprises setting the average as a lower congestion degree if the congestion degree of the preceding trip time and the congestion degree of the following trip time are within one degree on a congestion scale.

10. A system for interpolating traffic information data, comprising:

a means for accumulating traffic information for a link at a plurality of trip times;

a means for determining with a controller whether the traffic information for a single link exists at each of the plurality of trip times;

a means for determining with the controller whether a trip time at which the traffic information for the single link does not exist is a first trip time of the plurality of trip times;

a means for interpolating with the controller, if the trip time at which the traffic information does not exist is the first trip time, traffic information of the trip time at which the traffic information does not exist as traffic information for the single link of a nearest following trip time;

a means for determining with the controller whether the trip time at which the traffic information for the single link does not exist is a last trip time of the plurality of trip times;

a means for interpolating with the controller, if the trip time at which the traffic information does not exist is the last trip time, the traffic information of the trip time at which the traffic information does not exist as traffic information for the single link of a nearest preceding trip time; and

a means for interpolating with the controller, if the trip time at which the traffic information does not exist is not the first trip time and not the last trip time, the traffic information of the trip time at which the traffic information does not exist as traffic information based on the traffic information for the single link of the nearest following trip time and the traffic information for the single link of the nearest preceding trip time.