Detecting and sharing road traffic condition information

• US 8,174,406 B2
• Filed: 07/02/2008
• Issued: 05/08/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Kraft, George IV, Weiss, Lawrence Frank
• Primary Examiner(s): Bugg, George
• Assistant Examiner(s): Labbees, Edny
• Application Number:
  US12/166,775
• Publication Number:
  US 20100001880A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,406 Days
• Field of Search: 340/901, 340/905, 340/906, 340/995.12, 340/995.13, 701/117, 701/118, 701/119, 382/104, 382/105, 382/106
• US Class Current: 340/905
• 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

Abstract

A method, system, and computer usable program product for detecting and sharing road traffic condition information are provided in the illustrative embodiments. A system receives a set of image inputs from a set of cameras that are stationary relative to a road and monitoring road traffic. The system combines the image inputs forming a view. The system determines whether an alarm condition exists in the view. If an alarm condition exists, the system maps the alarm condition on the view using a characteristic of the alarm condition, thus forming a part of a condition information. The system transmits the part of the condition information, such that the part of the condition information can be received by a motorist. The system may also receive a set of sensor inputs from a set of sensors and may combine the set of sensor inputs with the set of image inputs to form the view.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for detecting and sharing road traffic condition information, the computer implemented method comprising:

receiving a set of image inputs from a set of cameras monitoring a road traffic, wherein the set of cameras is stationary relative to a road;

combining the image inputs in the set of image inputs to form a graphically presentable view;

determining, using video analysis, whether an alarm condition exists in the graphically presentable view;

mapping the alarm condition on the view using a characteristic of the alarm condition, the mapping modifying the graphically presentable view by adding a graphical object corresponding to the characteristic of the alarm condition to the graphically presentable view, forming a part of a condition information; and

transmitting the part of the condition information, such that the part of the condition information can be received by a motorist in an automobile.

2. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a set of sensor inputs from a set of sensors; and

combining the set of sensor inputs with the set of image inputs to form the graphically presentable view.

3. The computer implemented method of claim 2, further comprising:

using one of (i) a sensor input in the set of sensor inputs, (ii) an image input in the set of image inputs, (iii) a combination of a sensor input in the set of sensor inputs and an image input in the set of image inputs, to determine whether the alarm condition exists.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

creating a version of the part of the condition information from a particular vantage point in the road traffic, the particular vantage point being distinct from a vantage point of a location of the set of cameras, the version of the part of the condition information presenting the graphically presentable view and the graphical object in an orientation observable from the particular vantage point; and

transmitting the version of the part of the condition information to the automobile.

5. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the part of the condition information includes one of (i) unicasting, (ii) multicasting, and (iii) broadcasting, the part of the condition information.

6. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the alarm condition is an object that is obscured from any view of the motorist.

7. A computer implemented method for receiving road traffic condition information, the computer implemented method comprising:

receiving, at an automobile, a part of a condition information, the part of the condition information comprising a graphically presentable view formed by combining image inputs in a set of image inputs from a set of cameras and a graphical object corresponding to a characteristic of an alarm condition, where the graphical object modifies the graphically presentable view;

determining whether the part of the condition information is relevant to the automobile;

determining, responsive to the part of the condition information being relevant, an information about a position of the automobile with respect to the road traffic;

combining the information about the position with the part of the condition information, forming a complete condition information; and

presenting the complete condition information to a motorist associated with the automobile.

8. The computer implemented method of claim 7, further comprising:

monitoring a change in the position;

updating the complete condition information according to the change in the position, forming an updated condition information; and

presenting the updated condition information to the motorist.

9. The computer implemented method of claim 8, wherein each of (i) presenting the updated condition information and (ii) presenting the complete condition information, use a variation of a characteristic of one of (i) a display and (ii) an audible notification, and wherein the updated condition information and the complete condition information each include information from the graphically presentable view.

10. The computer implemented method of claim 7, wherein determining whether the part of the condition information is relevant further comprises:

determining whether the part of the condition information corresponds to the position of the automobile.

11. The computer implemented method of claim 7, wherein the part of the condition information includes a plurality of versions of the part of the condition information, a version in the plurality of versions being from a particular vantage point in the road traffic, the version presenting the graphically presentable view and the graphical object in an orientation observable from the particular vantage point in the road traffic, the particular vantage point being distinct from a vantage point of a location of a camera in the set of cameras, and wherein determining whether the part of the condition information is relevant further comprises:

selecting a version from the plurality of versions of the part of the condition information that corresponds with the vantage point of the motorist in the road traffic.

12. The computer implemented method of claim 7, wherein presenting the complete condition information includes one of (i) displaying the complete condition information and (ii) providing audible notification about the complete condition information.

13. The computer implemented method of claim 7, wherein the position includes position coordinates received from a global positioning system.

14. A computer usable program product comprising a computer usable storage medium including computer usable code for receiving road traffic condition information, the computer usable code comprising:

computer usable code for receiving, at an automobile, a part of a condition information, the part of the condition information comprising a graphically presentable view formed by combining image inputs in a set of image inputs from a set of cameras and a graphical object corresponding to a characteristic of an alarm condition, where the graphical object modifies the graphically presentable view;

computer usable code for determining whether the part of the condition information is relevant to the automobile;

computer usable code for determining, responsive to the part of the condition information being relevant, an information about a position of the automobile with respect to the road traffic;

computer usable code for combining the information about the position with the part of the condition information, forming a complete condition information; and

computer usable code for presenting the complete condition information to a motorist associated with the automobile.

15. The computer usable program product of claim 14, further comprising:

computer usable code for monitoring a change in the position;

computer usable code for updating the complete condition information according to the change in the position, forming an updated condition information; and

computer usable code for presenting the updated condition information to the motorist.

16. The computer usable program product of claim 15, wherein each of (i) the computer usable code for presenting the updated condition information and (ii) the computer usable code for presenting the complete condition information, use a variation of a characteristic of one of (i) a display and (ii) an audible notification, and wherein the updated condition information and the complete condition information each include information from the graphically presentable view.

17. The computer implemented method of claim 14, wherein the computer usable code for determining whether the part of the condition information is relevant further comprises:

computer usable code for determining whether the part of the condition information corresponds to the position of the automobile.

18. The computer usable program product of claim 14, wherein the part of the condition information includes a plurality of versions of the part of the condition information, a version in the plurality of versions being from a particular vantage point in the road traffic, the version presenting the graphically presentable view and the graphical object in an orientation observable from the particular vantage point in the road traffic, the particular vantage point being distinct from a vantage point of a location of a camera in the set of cameras, and wherein the computer usable code for determining whether the part of the condition information is relevant further comprises:

computer usable code for selecting a version from the plurality of versions of the part of the condition information that corresponds with the vantage point of the motorist in the road traffic.

19. The computer usable program product of claim 14, wherein the computer usable code for presenting the complete condition information includes one of (i) computer usable code for displaying the complete condition information and (ii) computer usable code for providing audible notification about the complete condition information.

20. The computer usable program product of claim 14, wherein the position includes position coordinates received from a global positioning system.