Method and system for a traffic management network

• US 8,510,025 B2
• Filed: 04/01/2010
• Issued: 08/13/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Iteris Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Trafficcast International Incorporated
• Inventors: Chan, Peter, Campbell, Neal J., Courtney, Tim, Hauk, Eric, Ottenheimer, Afan
• Primary Examiner(s): Badii, Behrang
• Application Number:
  US12/752,778
• Publication Number:
  US 20100254282A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,230 Days
• Field of Search: 455/41.2, 455/414.1, 455/422.1, 340/995.12, 340/988, 340/933, 701/118, 701/117, 701/451, 348/135, 348/E7.085
• US Class Current: 701/117
• 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 1/052 with provision for determining speed or overspeed speed measuring in general G01P
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096716 where the received information does not generate an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/09675 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/08 Testing, supervising or monitoring using real traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/00 Network topologies

Abstract

A system for collecting traffic data includes at least one first node, at least one second node, and a central processing station. The first node includes a cellular communications module and a first networking communications module connected to a first processor. The second node includes a second networking communications module and a device detection module connected to a second processor. The at least one first node and the at least one second node form a network. The device detection module detects devices associated with traffic. The central processing station can be linked to the at least one first node via the cellular communications module. The at least one second node communicates information associated with the devices associated with traffic to the at least one first node. The at least one first node communicates the information associated with the devices associated with traffic to the cellular communications module.

Claims

1. A system for collecting traffic data, comprising:

at least one stationary coordinator device comprising;

cellular communications circuitry connected to a first processor; and

first networking communications circuitry connected to the first processor;

a plurality of stationary traffic data collection devices positioned along at least a portion of a road, wherein each stationary traffic data collection device comprises;

second networking communications circuitry connected to a second processor, wherein the at least one stationary coordinator device and the stationary traffic data collection device form a network via the first networking communications circuitry and the second networking communications circuitry;

device detection circuitry connected to the second processor configured to detect device identifiers of devices contained within vehicles traveling on the at least the portion of the road; and

wherein the second processor is configured to control transmission of the detected device identifiers to one of the at least one stationary coordinator device via the second networking communications circuitry; and

a central processing station linked to the at least one stationary coordinator device via the cellular communications circuitry, wherein the central processing station receives a device identifier of a device from two or more stationary traffic data collection devices via one or more of the at least one stationary coordinator device, wherein the central processing station comprises;

a third processor configured to;

calculate a speed of the device on the road, a directionality of the device on the road, and a travel time of the device on the road based upon the received device identifiers from the two or more stationary traffic data collection devices and a predetermined distance between the two or more stationary traffic data collection devices.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the device detection circuitry is BlueTooth device detection circuitry.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the first and second networking communications circuitry are ZigBee communications circuitry.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the device identifier of the device comprises a media access control address.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the central processing station receives a time stamp associated with the device identifier.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising an application server configured to determine traffic congestion of the road based on at least one of the speed of the device on the road, the directionality of the device on the road, and the travel time of the device on the road.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the application server is configured to generate a traffic display indicating at least one of levels of congestion on the road, speed of traffic on the road, and travel time on the road.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising an application server configured to:

receive a device identifier and a stationary traffic data collection device location;

match the device identifier to a user identifier; and

associate the user identifier with the stationary traffic data collection device location.

9. The system of claim 8, further comprising a display configured to indicate a location of an object based on the user identifier and the device location.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein a time stamp is associated with the device identifier.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the first networking communications circuitry is further configured to communicate with one or more of the plurality of stationary traffic data collection devices to receive signal strengths associated with the device contained within the vehicle, wherein the central processing station receives the signal strengths associated with the device, and wherein the third processor is configured to determine a speed and direction of the device based upon the detected signal strengths.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of stationary traffic data collection devices further comprises a camera configured to:

take a picture of traffic; and

count a number of license plates within the picture of traffic.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the camera is further configured to detect traffic jams.