Cellular-based live traffic service

• US 8,296,046 B2
• Filed: 12/08/2009
• Issued: 10/23/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Xu, Gang, De Los Reyes, Gustavo
• Primary Examiner(s): Chen, Shelley
• Application Number:
  US12/632,969
• Publication Number:
  US 20110137557A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,050 Days
• Field of Search: 701/208
• US Class Current: 701/118
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3492 employing speed data or traffic data, e.g. real-time or historical traffic control systems for road vehicles involving transmission of navigation instructions to the vehicle G08G1/0968
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/012 from other sources than vehicle or roadside beacons, e.g. mobile networks
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0968 Systems involving transmission of navigation instructions to the vehicle

Abstract

A cellular-based live traffic service that does not require pre-deployment of infrastructure or GPS-enabled devices uses signals provided by cellular devices to determine course resolution localization and tracking information of the cellular devices. Specialized statistical analysis is performed on the course resolution data to infer the fine resolution positions of the cellular devices. In an example embodiment, the localization and tracking information is provided on a map, or the like, to show relative position and/or trajectory of cellular devices.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining a plurality of location regions, each location region of the plurality of location regions being indicative of a location of a cellular device;

determining at least one route that intersects all the location regions of the plurality of regions;

determining, for each of the at least one route, a shortest distance between a centroid of each location region of the plurality of regions and the at least one route; and

aggregating the determined shortest distances to determine an estimated location of the cellular device.

2. The method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising formulating an accuracy statistic indicative of an accuracy of the estimated location.

3. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein each location region is a function of geographical coordinates, an error associated with an accuracy of the geographical coordinates, and time.

4. The method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising:

determining a plurality of estimated locations for the cellular device; and

determining a route of the cellular device based upon the plurality of estimated locations.

5. The method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising rendering, via the cellular device, the estimated location on a map.

6. A processor comprising:

an input/output portion configured to receive a signal from a cellular device; and

a processing portion configured to;

responsive to receiving the signal from the cellular device, determine a plurality of location regions, each location region of the plurality of location regions being indicative of a location of the cellular device;

determine at least one route that intersects all the location regions of the plurality of regions;

determine, for each of the at least one route, a shortest distance between a centroid of each location region of the plurality of regions and the at least one route; and

aggregate the determined shortest distances to determine an estimated location of the cellular device.

7. The processor in accordance with claim 6, the processing portion further configured to formulate an accuracy statistic indicative of an accuracy of the estimated location.

8. The processor in accordance with claim 6, wherein each location region is a function of geographical coordinates, an error associated with an accuracy of the geographical coordinates, and time.

9. The processor in accordance with claim 6, the processing portion further configured to:

determine a plurality of estimated locations for the cellular device; and

determine a route of the cellular device based upon the plurality of estimated locations.

10. The processor in accordance with claim 6, further configured to render the estimated location on a map.

11. A computer-readable storage medium that is not a transient signal per se, the computer-readable storage medium comprising computer-executable instruction for causing the act of:

determining a plurality of location regions, each location region of the plurality of location regions being indicative of a location of a cellular device;

determining at least one route that intersects all the location regions of the plurality of regions;

determining, for each of the at least one route, a shortest distance between a centroid of each location region of the plurality of regions and the at least one route; and

aggregating the determined shortest distances to determine an estimated location of the cellular device.

12. The computer-readable storage medium in accordance with claim 11, the computer-executable further for formulating an accuracy statistic indicative of an accuracy of the estimated location.

13. The computer-readable storage medium in accordance with claim 11, wherein each location region is a function of geographical coordinates, an error associated with an accuracy of the geographical coordinates, and time.

14. The computer-readable storage medium in accordance with claim 11, the computer-executable further for:

determining a plurality of estimated locations for the cellular device; and

determining a route of the cellular device based upon the plurality of estimated locations.

15. The computer-readable storage medium in accordance with claim 11, the computer-executable further for causing to be rendered, the estimated location on a map.