Traffic broadcast system

• US 8,504,270 B2
• Filed: 02/16/2011
• Issued: 08/06/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
• Original Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
• Inventors: Busch, Alexander
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Khoi
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kiswanto, Nicholas
• Application Number:
  US13/028,645
• Publication Number:
  US 20120209487A1
• Time in Patent Office: 902 Days
• Field of Search: 701/70, 701/1, 701/116, 701/117, 701/118, 340/901, 340/905, 340/907, 340/909, 340/929, 340/932
• US Class Current: 701/70
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0116 from roadside infrastructure, e.g. beacons
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/012 from other sources than vehicle or roadside beacons, e.g. mobile networks
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0133 for classifying traffic situation
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0141 for traffic information dissemination
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0145 for active traffic flow control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/094 Hardware aspects; Signal processing or signal properties, e.g. frequency bands
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096716 where the received information does not generate an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096725 where the received information generates an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/09675 where a selection from the received information takes place in the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096775 where the origin of the information is a central station

Abstract

A traffic broadcast system includes a traffic broadcast module, a traffic receiver module, and a display module. The traffic broadcast module includes a traffic database module for gathering traffic data and an electronic device capable of transmitting broadcast signals of the traffic data across a broadcast area. The vehicle having a traffic receiver module that receives and analyzes broadcast signals having traffic data relevant to the vehicle with respect to the vehicle'"'"'s position and direction. The display module having a key for a speedometer that informs a user of the vehicle a speed range to maintain a right of way through a next upcoming light.

Claims

1. A traffic broadcast system for broadcasting traffic information, comprising:

a traffic broadcast module having a traffic database module for gathering traffic data including upcoming traffic light schedules, traffic density, and traffic emergency issues along a predetermined path of travel and an electronic device capable of transmitting broadcast signals of the traffic data across a broadcast area;

a vehicle having a traffic receiver module that receives and analyzes broadcast signals having traffic data relevant to the vehicle with respect to the vehicle'"'"'s position and direction and having a vehicle processing unit that determines an upcoming light schedule for the next upcoming light and subsequent lights on the predetermined path of travel according to the traffic data sent in the broadcast signals; and

a display module having a key indicating for a speedometer that informs a user of the vehicle a speed range to maintain a right of way through a next upcoming light and subsequent lights on the predetermined path of travel and a status section that displays a status of the next upcoming light and subsequent upcoming lights along the predetermined path of travel.

2. The traffic broadcast system according to claim 1, wherein the traffic broadcast module connects to at least two intersection control modules.

3. The traffic broadcast system according to claim 2, wherein the traffic broadcast module further connects to the at least two intersection control modules.

4. The traffic broadcast system according to claim 1, wherein the electronic device capable of transmitting broadcast signals is a transceiver for a cellular network.

5. The traffic broadcast system according to claim 1, wherein the broadcast signals are transmitted on digital sub channels to transmit more than one independent data transmission at the same time on a common radio frequency channel.

6. The traffic broadcast system according to claim 5, wherein the broadcast signals are in FM HD format.

7. The traffic broadcast system according to claim 1, wherein the traffic receiver module comprises a vehicle receiver module for receiving broadcast signals and a vehicle positioning system for determining the vehicle'"'"'s position and direction with respect to the broadcast area.

8. The traffic broadcast system according to claim 7, wherein the traffic receiver module further comprises a mobile device that receives and analyzes broadcast signals using the vehicle positioning system and sends analyzed traffic data which is relevant to the vehicle to the vehicle receiver module for further processing.

9. The traffic broadcast system according to claim 1, wherein the status section informs the user on how far the vehicle is from each upcoming light along the predetermined path of travel using distance or time measurements.

10. The traffic broadcast system according to claim 1, wherein the status section informs the user on how long it will take to reach each upcoming light based on current position and velocity.

11. The traffic broadcast system according to claim 1, wherein the display module lists traffic emergency warnings on the predetermined path of travel.

12. The traffic broadcast system according to claim 1, wherein the display module further includes a distance section displaying a distance until the next upcoming light.

13. The traffic broadcast system according to claim 1, wherein the key lists a range of vehicle speeds and indicating a vehicle speed that would prevent the vehicle from receiving a clear right of way through the next upcoming light.

14. A method for broadcasting traffic information to a vehicle, comprising the steps of:

collecting traffic data from aft a plurality of intersection control modules, the traffic data including upcoming traffic light schedules, traffic density, and traffic emergency issues along a predetermined path of travel;

converting the traffic data into broadcast signals;

transmitting the broadcast signals over a designated broadcast area;

receiving the broadcast signals by a mobile device;

determining vehicle position data and direction with respect to the designated broadcast area;

analyzing the broadcast signals for traffic data relevant to the vehicle with respect to current and immediate future traffic conditions and the vehicle position data, including light schedules and traffic obstacles;

sending the relevant traffic data to a display module and a vehicle control module; and

displaying in a status section of the display module a status for an upcoming light schedule of a next upcoming light and subsequent upcoming lights along the predetermined path of travel.

15. The method for broadcasting traffic data according to claim 14, further comprising the step of:

processing and analyzing the broadcast signals including vehicle positioning and direction through the mobile device; and

sending the traffic data to a vehicle processing unit in order to prepare data for the display module and/or the vehicle control module.