Traffic flow model to provide traffic flow information

• US 8,838,370 B2
• Filed: 03/09/2009
• Issued: 09/16/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Typhoon IP LLC (IP Edge LLC)
• Original Assignee: Empire Technology Development LLC (Allied Inventors Management, LLC)
• Inventors: Wolfe, Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Hiep V
• Assistant Examiner(s): Woods, Teresa
• Application Number:
  US12/400,631
• Publication Number:
  US 20100228467A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,017 Days
• Field of Search: 701117-211, 250/336.1, 250/359.1, 250/360.1, 705/13
• US Class Current: 701/209
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3658 Lane guidance
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/01 Detecting movement of traffic to be counted or controlled G08G1/07 - G08G1/14 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096811 where the route is computed offboard
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096838 where the user preferences are taken into account or the user selects one route out of a plurality
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 999/99 dummy group

Abstract

Examples of maintaining or querying a traffic database to generate a traffic flow model to provide traffic flow information and determine a per-lane route for a vehicle to travel are disclosed.

Claims

1. A method for presenting a per-lane route for a vehicle to travel comprising:

entering by at least one computing device a route between a start location and an end location;

querying by the at least one computing device a traffic database with a database query, wherein the traffic database includes traffic lane characteristics associated with the route between the start location and the end location, wherein the database query indicates the start location and the end location for the vehicle to travel and also indicates a vehicle type and indicates at least one of;

if the vehicle contains or will contain a driver and one or more passengers;

a vehicle capability; and

a special allowance for the given vehicle;

generating traffic flow information by the at least one computing device using an algorithm, inputs to the traffic flow algorithm including at least a portion of traffic lane characteristics and at least a portion of the query information;

receiving traffic flow information from the traffic database by the at least one computing device;

determining by the at least one computing device per-lane route for the vehicle to travel in response to receiving the traffic flow information; and

presenting the per-lane route for the vehicle to travel.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the start location and the end location for the vehicle to travel comprises at least a portion of a road segment, the road segment including one or more traffic lanes.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the traffic lane characteristics comprise one or more of a speed limit, a time restriction, a height limit, a weight limit, a low emission limit, a vehicle action limit and a passing restriction.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the traffic database comprises one or more of periodically updated information and substantially fixed information, the substantially fixed information and the periodically updated information maintained for the one or more traffic lanes included in the road segment.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the substantially fixed information includes traffic lane restriction information and the periodically updated information includes information from at least one of a road sensor, a traffic lane alert report, traffic flow data reported from a vehicle that has traveled over the one or more traffic lanes, traffic flow data reported from a vehicle that is traveling over the one or more traffic lanes or a transition point delay time.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the traffic lane restriction information for the one or more traffic lanes comprises the traffic lane restriction information to include at least one of a high occupancy vehicle (HOV) traffic lane, a speed limit, a height limit, a weight limit, a hazardous cargo prohibition, a seasonal closure, a noise limit or a tire-traction requirement.

7. The method according to claim 5, wherein the traffic database is further arranged to provide the traffic flow information for the route between the start location and the end location by providing traffic flow information that includes an indication if the vehicle is restricted from traveling in a traffic lane from among the one or more traffic lanes.

8. The method according to claim 2, wherein determining the per-lane route for the vehicle to travel comprises determining the per-lane route based, at least in part, on the fastest travel time over one or more given traffic lanes from among the one or more traffic lanes.

9. The method according to claim 5, wherein, the traffic database is further arranged to provide traffic flow information for the route between the start location and the end location by providing traffic flow information for the one or more traffic lanes that includes at least one of an indication of travel speeds obtained from the road sensor, an indication of a traffic lane alert from the traffic lane alert report, an indication of a travel speed from the traffic flow data reported from the vehicle that has traveled over the one or more traffic lanes, an indication of a travel speed from the traffic flow data reported from a vehicle that is traveling over the one or more traffic lanes, an indication of a transition point delay time or an indication of estimated total travel time through a traffic lane from among the one or more traffic lanes.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the data base query further comprises an indication of a time of the query.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle capability includes at least one of height clearance, turning radius, four-wheel drive or tire-traction capable.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the special allowance includes at least one of a low emission vehicle, an alternative fuel vehicle or a vehicle transporting hazardous cargo.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein presenting the per-lane route for the vehicle to travel comprises presenting the per-lane route to a navigation system located with the vehicle and the navigation system to display the per-lane route.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein determining by the computing device located with the query source the per-lane route for the vehicle to travel comprises the computing device determining the per-lane route for the vehicle to travel with a provider of a navigation service, wherein the provider is also configured to present the determined per-lane route for the vehicle to travel via turn-by-turn verbal guidance.

15. A traffic routing apparatus to provide a per-lane route for a vehicle to travel comprising:

a query manager including logic to send a query to a traffic database,

the query to include information to indicate a start location and an end location for the vehicle to travel, an indication of a vehicle type, and an indication of at least one of;

if the vehicle contains or will contain a driver and one or more passengers;

a vehicle capability; and

a special allowance for the given vehicle,

the traffic database to include traffic lane characteristics associated with a route between the start location and the end location; and

the query manager also including logic to receive a reply from the traffic database, wherein the reply includes traffic flow information based on a traffic flow model generated by an algorithm that employs at least one computing device, at least a portion of the query information and at least a portion of the traffic lane characteristics to generate the traffic flow information for the route between the start location and the end location; and

a per-lane route manager including logic to determine a per-lane route for the vehicle to travel in response to traffic flow information received from the reply and also including logic to present the per-lane route for the vehicle to travel.

16. The traffic routing apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the start location and the end location for the vehicle to travel comprises at least a portion of a road segment, the road segment including one or more traffic lanes.

17. The traffic routing apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the traffic lane characteristics comprise one or more of a speed limit, a time restriction, a height limit, a weight limit, a low emission limit, a vehicle action limit and a passing restriction.

18. The traffic routing apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the logic for the per-lane route manager to determine the per-lane route for the vehicle to travel comprises logic configured to determine the per-lane route based, at least in part, on the fastest travel time over one or more given traffic lanes from among the one or more traffic lanes.

19. The traffic routing apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the query manager and the per-lane route manager comprises the query manager and the per-lane route manager resident in a navigation system located with the vehicle.

20. A system to provide a per-lane route for a given vehicle to travel comprising:

a query manager including logic to send a query,

the query to include information to indicate a start location and an end location for the given vehicle to travel, an indication of a vehicle type for the given vehicle, and an indication of at least one of;

if the vehicle contains or will contain a driver and one or more passengers;

a vehicle capability; and

a special allowance for the given vehicle,

the query manager also including logic to receive a reply to the query, wherein the reply includes traffic lane characteristics associated with a route between the start location and the end location responsive to the query;

a traffic database manager including logic to receive the query and generate the reply to the query using a traffic database, wherein the traffic database includes traffic lane characteristics associated with one or more routes for a vehicle to travel, the traffic lane characteristics to be based on one or more of substantially fixed information and periodically updated information,

wherein the logic of the traffic database manager is arranged to generate the reply to the query by applying a traffic flow model using an algorithm and at least one computing device to at least a portion of the query information and at least a portion of the traffic lane characteristics associated with a route between the start location and the end location to generate traffic flow information for the route between the start location and the end location; and

a per-lane route manager including logic to determine a per-lane route for the given vehicle to travel in response to receiving the traffic flow information and to provide the per-lane route for the given vehicle to travel.

21. The system according to claim 20, wherein the route between the start location and the end location comprises at least a portion of a road segment, the road segment including one or more traffic lanes.

22. The system according to claim 20, wherein the traffic lane characteristics comprise one or more of a speed limit, a time restriction, a height limit, a weight limit, a low emission limit, a vehicle action limit and a passing restriction.

23. The system according to claim 20, wherein the logic for the per-lane route manager to determine the per-lane route for the given vehicle to travel comprises logic configured to determine the per-lane route based, at least in part, on the fastest travel time over one or more given traffic lanes from among the one or more traffic lanes.

24. The system according to claim 20, wherein the query manager and the per-lane route manager comprises the query manager and per-lane route manager resident in a navigation system located with the given vehicle.

25. The system according to claim 20, wherein the query manager and the per-lane route manager are both included in a provider of a navigation service, wherein the provider of the navigation service is further configured to present the per-lane route for the given vehicle to travel.

26. The system according to claim 25, wherein to present the per-lane route comprises turn-by-turn verbal guidance via an audio output located with the given vehicle.

27. The system according to claim 20, wherein the substantially fixed information include traffic lane restriction data, and wherein the periodically updated information includes data from a road sensor.

28. The system according to claim 27, wherein the traffic lane restriction data comprises the traffic lane restriction data to include at least one of a high occupancy vehicle (HOV) traffic lane, a speed limit, a height limit, a weight limit, a hazardous cargo prohibition, a seasonal closure, a noise limit or a tire-traction requirement.

29. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory signal bearing medium having instructions for presenting a per-lane route for a vehicle to travel, which, when executed by a computer, causes the computer to:

query a traffic database with a database query, wherein the database query identifies an indication of a start location and an end location for the vehicle to travel, an indication of a vehicle type, and an indication of at least one of;

if the vehicle contains or will contain a driver and one or more passengers;

a vehicle capability; and

a special allowance for the given vehicle, wherein the traffic database is to include traffic lane characteristics associated with a route between the start location and the end location;

receive traffic flow information from the traffic database, wherein the traffic flow information is generated by the traffic database responsive to the database query using a traffic flow model, a traffic flow algorithm, at least a portion of the query information, at least a portion of the traffic lane characteristics and at least one computing device to provide the traffic flow information for the route between the start location and the end location;

determine a per-lane route for the vehicle to travel in response to receiving the traffic flow information; and

present the per-lane route for the vehicle to travel.

30. The computer program product according to claim 29, wherein the start location and the end location for the vehicle to travel comprises at least a portion of a road segment, the road segment including one or more traffic lanes.

31. The computer program product according to claim 30, wherein to determine the per-lane route for the vehicle to travel comprises to determine the per-lane route based, at least in part, on the fastest travel time over one or more given traffic lanes from among the one or more traffic lanes.