Method and apparatus for determining traffic data

• US 8,392,100 B2
• Filed: 08/06/2009
• Issued: 03/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Clarion Co., Ltd. (Faurecia SA)
• Original Assignee: Clarion Co., Ltd. (Faurecia SA)
• Inventors: Yamane, Kenichiro, Kumagai, Masatoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): LI, CE LI
• Application Number:
  US12/536,978
• Publication Number:
  US 20100036594A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,307 Days
• Field of Search: 701/201, 701/202, 701/204, 701/209, 701/1, 701117-119, 701/400, 701/408, 701/409, 701/414, 701/415, 701/423, 701/465
• US Class Current: 701/119
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0104 Measuring and analyzing of parameters relative to traffic conditions

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for determining traffic data. The method comprises the steps of providing statistical data relating to traffic at links of a street map, providing condition data relating to links of the street map, and determining traffic data based on the statistical data and the condition data.

Claims

1. Method for determining traffic data, comprising the steps of:

receiving, by a processor, statistical data relating to traffic at links of a street map, wherein the statistical data comprise travel speed data that are statistically obtained for each link;

receiving, by the processor, condition data relating to the links of the street map, wherein the condition data comprise speed trap data and

for at least one of the links;

determining, by the processor, for which portions of the link the speed trap data are available;

for each portion of the link, determining, by the processor, a first modification coefficient for modifying the travel speed data if the speed trap data are available, and determining, by the processor, a second modification coefficient for modifying the travel speed data if the speed trap data are not available; and

determining, by the processor, the traffic data based on the travel speed data, the first modification coefficient for portions where the speed trap data are available, and the second modification coefficient for portions where the speed trap data are not available.

2. Method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of retrieving the condition data from a server.

3. Method for travel time prediction, comprising the steps of the method for determining traffic data according to claim 1, as well as the steps of

receiving a travel start point and a travel end point, and

predicting a travel time for traveling from the travel start point to the travel end point based on the determined traffic data.

4. Method according to claim 3, further comprising the step of calculating an estimated time of arrival based on a current time and the predicted travel time.

5. Method for travel route recommendation, comprising the steps of the method for travel time prediction according to claim 3, as well as the steps of

predicting travel times for a plurality of routes for traveling from the travel start point to the travel end point based on the determined traffic data,

determining the route of the plurality of routes having the shortest predicted travel time, and

recommending the route with the shortest predicted travel time to a user.

6. Apparatus for determining traffic data, comprising a processor that is configured to:

receive statistical data relating to traffic at links of a street map, wherein the statistical data comprise travel speed data that are statistically obtained for each link;

receive condition data relating to the links of the street map, wherein the condition data comprise speed trap data and

for at least one of the links;

determine for which portions of the link the speed trap data are available;

for each portion of the link, determine a first modification coefficient for modifying the travel speed data if the speed trap data are available, and determine a second modification coefficient for modifying the travel speed data if the speed trap data are not available; and

determine the traffic data based on the travel speed data, the first modification coefficient for portions where the speed trap data are available, and the second modification coefficient for portions where the speed trap data are not available.

7. Apparatus for travel time prediction, comprising the apparatus for determining the traffic data according to claim 6, wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive a travel start point and a travel end point on the street map, and

predict a travel time for traveling from the travel start point to the travel end point based on the determined traffic data and

calculate an estimated time of arrival based on a current time and the predicted travel time.

8. Apparatus for travel route recommendation, comprising the apparatus for travel time prediction according to claim 7, wherein the processor is further configured to:

predict travel times for a plurality of routes for traveling from the travel start point to the travel end point based on the determined traffic data,

determine the route of the plurality of routes having the shortest predicted travel time, and

recommend the route with the shortest predicted travel time to a user.