Time slot based roadway traffic management system

• US 8,255,146 B2
• Filed: 09/23/2009
• Issued: 08/28/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jai Kumar, Kothandraman Ramchandran, Sudharshan Srinivasan
• Original Assignee: Jai Kumar, Kothandraman Ramchandran, Sudharshan Srinivasan
• Inventors: Srinivasan, Sudharshan, Kumar, Jai, Ramchandran, Kothandraman
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu, Daniel
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tang, Son M
• Application Number:
  US12/586,610
• Publication Number:
  US 20110068952A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,070 Days
• Field of Search: 340/931, 340/932, 340904-905, 340934-935, 701117-118, 701/400, 701423-424, 705/7.12, 705/13, 705/14.1
• US Class Current: 701/118
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/40 Business processes related to the transportation industry shipping G06Q10/083
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/127 to a central station ; Indicators in a central station

Abstract

A traffic management system (31) is described that combines wireless tracking of motorists (32) with scheduling of time slots for travel on roadways (33) during peak hours. Rewards are given to motorists (32) who travel during allotted time slots thus improving the effectiveness of the system over time. Motorists are tracked using their cellular device to check if a reward can be given or not, based on travel undertaken in the allotted time slot.

Claims

1. A roadway traffic management system comprising:

a time slot scheduling module wherein said time slot scheduling module enables scheduling a travel time slot for said motorist in a desired roadway;

a motorist tracking module wherein said motorist tracking module enables tracking of said motorist to check if said motorist is traveling in said roadway in said time slot;

a motorist communication module that enables said motorist to communicate with said time slot scheduling module, to send and receive time slot scheduling messages, and other broadcast informational messages;

a traffic load calculation module to calculate traffic load at a given point in time of any desired roadway that implements said traffic management system, wherein input to said traffic load calculation module is derived from said motorist tracking module;

and a route calculation module to calculate travel routes in said time slots for said motorists based on data from said traffic load calculation module; and

a motorist reward module wherein said motorist reward module rewards said motorist for traveling in said time slot.

2. The roadway traffic management system of claim 1, wherein said communication module supports communication standards selected from group consisting of simple messaging service based communication standard, interactive voice response based standard, and internet data based communication standard.

3. The roadway traffic management system of claim 2, wherein said communication module enables bidirectional communication to send and receive the time slot scheduling messages, and the other broadcast informational messages.

4. The roadway traffic management system of claim 1, wherein said motorist tracking module is implemented using tracking methods that track cellular devices in a cellular network.

5. The roadway traffic management system of claim 4, wherein said motorist tracking module is implemented using tracking methods that track cellular devices in a using cellular network standards selected from group consisting of global system for mobile standard based cellular network, code division multiple access standard based cellular network, and other cellular networks.

6. A method of managing roadway traffic comprising:

scheduling a motorist for a desired time slot to travel on said roadway with a time slot scheduling module;

tracking said motorist traveling in said roadway in a motorist tracking module, to check if said motorist traveled in said scheduled time slot on said roadway;

rewarding said motorist for traveling in said roadway in said scheduled time slot using a motorist reward module;

communicating using a communication module from a device associated with said motorist to said scheduling module to initiate said scheduling of said time slot, and other broadcast informational messages;

calculating traffic load conditions in a traffic load calculation module, wherein input to said traffic load calculation module is derived from said motorist tracking module; and

calculating travel routes for said motorists in a route calculation module to calculate travel routes in said time slots for said motorists based on data from said traffic load calculation module; and

rewarding said motorist for traveling in said roadway in said scheduled time slot using a motorist reward module.

7. The method of managing roadway traffic of claim 6, wherein said communication module supports communication standards selected from group consisting of simple messaging service based communication standard, interactive voice response based standard, and internet data based communication standard.

8. The method of managing roadway traffic of claim 7, wherein said communication module enables bidirectional communication to send and receive the scheduling messages, and the other broadcast informational messages.

9. The method of managing roadway traffic of claim 6, wherein said motorist tracking module is implemented using tracking methods that track cellular devices in a cellular network.

10. The method of managing roadway traffic of claim 9, wherein said motorist tracking module is implemented using tracking methods that track cellular devices in using cellular network standard selected from group consisting of global system for mobile standard based cellular network, code division multiple access standard based cellular network, and other cellular networks.