Coefficient of volatility tool

• US 8,645,051 B2
• Filed: 06/15/2012
• Issued: 02/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gridlift Services, Llc
• Original Assignee: Gridlift, LLC
• Inventors: Walthers, Gregory S
• Primary Examiner(s): To, Tuan C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Troost, Aaron L
• Application Number:
  US13/525,255
• Publication Number:
  US 20120323472A1
• Time in Patent Office: 599 Days
• Field of Search: 701/1, 701/117, 701/118, 701/123, 340/441
• US Class Current: 701/117
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0112 from the vehicle, e.g. floating car data [FCD]
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0129 for creating historical data or processing based on historical data

Abstract

A system for monitoring a vehicle'"'"'s contribution to the efficiency of flow and throughput in traffic includes: a computation unit that determines the fluctuation in velocity of the vehicle over a time or a distance; and a notification unit that provides a notification related to the determined fluctuation in velocity of the vehicle. The notification unit may be a display that displays a visual representation of the fluctuation in velocity of the vehicle over a period of time or over a distance. The notification unit may provide an audible notification related to the fluctuation in velocity of the vehicle. The system may further include a sensor that determines the velocity of the vehicle and provides the velocity to the computation unit.

Claims

1. A system for monitoring a vehicle'"'"'s contribution to the efficiency of flow and throughput in traffic comprising:

a computation unit that determines the coefficient of volatility, including a calculation of a summation of the magnitude of the ratio of two or more incremental velocity data points; and

a notification unit that provides a notification related to the determined coefficient of volatility.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the notification unit is a display that displays a visual representation of the coefficient of volatility.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the display displays a visual representation of the coefficient of volatility over a period of time.

4. The system of claim 2 wherein the display displays a visual representation of the coefficient of volatility over a distance.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the notification unit provides an audible notification related to the coefficient of volatility.

6. The system of claim 1 further including a sensor that determines the velocity of the vehicle and provides the velocity to the computation unit.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the sensor communicates with the computation unit through an onboard computer.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the computation unit and the notification unit are integrated into the vehicle.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the computation unit and the notification unit are provided in a stand-alone device.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the computation unit and notification unit are embodied in a mobile application provided in a mobile device.

11. The system of claim 1 further including a communication unit adapted to communicate with another electronic device.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the other electronic device is included in a traffic management system.

13. A method of monitoring a vehicle'"'"'s contribution to the efficiency of flow and throughput in traffic comprising the steps of:

calculating, in a computation unit associated with the vehicle, the coefficient of volatility, including a calculation of a summation of the magnitude of the ratio of two or more incremental velocity data points determined by a sensor; and

displaying a visual representation of the calculated coefficient of volatility.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the step of displaying a visual representation of the calculated coefficient of volatility includes displaying a visual representation of the coefficient of volatility over a period of time.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein the step of displaying a visual representation of the calculated coefficient of volatility includes displaying a visual representation of the coefficient of volatility over a distance.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein the step of displaying a visual representation of the calculated coefficient of volatility is performed by a display, further wherein the computation unit and the display are integrated into the vehicle.

17. The method of claim 13 wherein the step of displaying a visual representation of the calculated coefficient of volatility is performed by a display, further wherein the computation unit and the display are provided in a stand-alone device.

18. The method of claim 13 wherein the step of displaying a visual representation of the calculated coefficient of volatility is performed by a display, further wherein the computation unit and the display are embodied in a mobile application provided in a mobile device.

19. The method of claim 13 further including the step of communicating the calculated coefficient of volatility with another electronic device.

20. A system for monitoring a vehicle'"'"'s contribution to the efficiency of flow and throughput in traffic comprising:

a computation unit that determines the coefficient of volatility, including a calculation of a summation of volatility readings over a time or distance interval,

wherein the volatility readings are taken consecutively over the interval, and

wherein the volatility readings include a calculation of the ratio between two velocity readings taken during the interval; and

a notification unit that provides a notification related to the determined coefficient of volatility.