Determining the location of an incident affecting traffic

• US 8,849,561 B2
• Filed: 01/04/2013
• Issued: 09/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Bell, David R., Watts, Robert, Roe, David P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cheung, Mary
• Assistant Examiner(s): MAZZARA, ANNE MARIE
• Application Number:
  US13/733,915
• Publication Number:
  US 20140195142A1
• Time in Patent Office: 634 Days
• Field of Search: 701/400
• US Class Current: 701/400
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0112 from the vehicle, e.g. floating car data [FCD]
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0133 for classifying traffic situation
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0141 for traffic information dissemination

Abstract

In a method for identifying a location of an incident, a computer receives data from a plurality of navigation devices. The computer determines a portion of a determined route between a first point and a second point of at least one navigation device of the plurality of navigation devices, wherein the at least one navigation devices deviated from the determined route. The computer determines that two or more portions contain a sub-portion. The computer identifies a location of an incident, wherein the location is a location of the sub-portion.

Claims

1. A method for determining a location of an incident, the method comprising the steps of:

a computer receiving data from a plurality of navigation devices;

the computer determining a plurality of portions, wherein determining the plurality of portions comprises, for each of the plurality of portions the computer determining a portion of a determined route between a first point and a second point of one navigation device of the plurality of navigation devices, wherein the one navigation device deviated from the determined route;

the computer determining that two or more portions of the plurality of portions contain a common sub-portion; and

the computer identifying a location of the incident, wherein the location is a location of the common sub-portion.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of the computer receiving data from a plurality of navigation devices comprises the computer receiving a determined route from each navigation device of the plurality of navigation devices.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of the computer receiving data from a plurality of navigation devices comprises the computer receiving the first point and the second point of the one navigation device of the plurality of navigation devices.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of the computer receiving data from a plurality of navigation devices comprises the computer receiving an initial location, a destination, and user preferences from each navigation device.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising the step of the computer determining routes of the plurality of navigation devices based on the initial location, the destination, and the user preferences from each navigation device of the plurality of navigation devices.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

the computer determining a number of portions that only partially overlap the common sub-portion; and

the computer determining a number of determined routes of the plurality of navigation devices that contain all coordinates of the common sub-portion.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising the steps of:

subsequent to the step of the computer determining that two or more portions contain a common sub-portion, the computer determining that the ratio of the number of portions that contain the common sub-portion divided by a number of portions including the number of portions that contain the common sub-portion and the number of portions that only partially overlap the common sub-portion exceeds a first threshold; and

the computer determining that the ratio of the number of portions that contain the common sub-portion divided by the number of determined routes that contain all coordinates of the common sub-portion exceeds a second threshold.

8. A computer program product for identifying a location of an incident, the computer program product comprising:

one or more computer-readable storage media and program instructions stored on the one or more computer-readable storage media, the program instructions comprising;

program instructions to receive data from a plurality of navigation devices;

program instructions to determine a plurality of portions, wherein the program instructions to determine the plurality of portions comprise program instructions to, for each of the plurality of portions, determine a portion of a determined route between a first point and a second point of one navigation device of the plurality of navigation devices, wherein the one navigation device deviated from the determined route;

program instructions to determine that two or more portions of the plurality of portions contain a common sub-portion; and

program instructions to identify a location of an incident, wherein the location is a location of the common sub-portion.

9. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the program instructions to receive data from a plurality of navigation devices comprise program instructions to receive a determined route from each navigation device of the plurality of navigation devices.

10. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the program instructions to receive data from a plurality of navigation devices comprise the program instructions to receive the first point and the second point of the one navigation device of the plurality of navigation devices.

11. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the program instructions to receive data from a plurality of navigation devices comprise the program instructions to receive an initial location, a destination, and user preferences from each navigation device.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, further comprising the program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to determine routes of the plurality of navigation devices based on the initial location, the destination, and the user preferences from each navigation device of the plurality of navigation devices.

13. The computer program product of claim 8, further comprising:

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to determine a number of portions that only partially overlap the common sub-portion; and

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to determine a number of determined routes of the plurality of navigation devices that contain all coordinates of the common sub-portion.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, further comprising:

subsequent to the program instruction to determine that two or more portions contain a common sub-portion, program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to determine that the ratio of the number of portions that contain the common sub-portion divided by a number of portions including the number of portions that contain the common sub-portion and the number of portions that only partially overlap the common sub-portion exceeds a first threshold; and

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to determine that the ratio of the number of portions that contain the common sub-portion divided by the number of determined routes that contain all coordinates of the common sub-portion exceeds a second threshold.

15. A computer system for identifying a location of an incident affecting traffic, the computer system comprising:

one or more computer processors;

one or more computer-readable storage media;

program instructions stored on the computer-readable storage media for execution by at least one of the one or more processors, the program instructions comprising;

program instructions to receive data from a plurality of navigation devices;

program instructions to determine a plurality of portions, wherein the program instructions to determine the plurality of portions comprise program instructions to, for each of the plurality of portions, determine a portion of a determined route between a first point and a second point of one navigation device of the plurality of navigation devices, wherein the one navigation device deviated from the determined route;

program instructions to determine that two or more portions of the plurality of portions contain a common sub-portion; and

program instructions to identify a location of an incident, wherein the location is a location of the common sub-portion.

16. The computer system of claim 15, wherein the program instructions to receive data from a plurality of navigation devices comprise program instructions to receive a determined route from each navigation device of the plurality of navigation devices.

17. The computer system of claim 16, wherein the program instructions to receive data from a plurality of navigation devices comprise the program instructions to receive an initial location, a destination, and user preferences from each navigation device.

18. The computer system of claim 17, further comprising the program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more memories, to determine routes of the plurality of navigation devices based on the initial location, the destination, and the user preferences from each navigation device of the plurality of navigation devices.

19. The computer system of claim 15, wherein the program instructions to receive data from a plurality of navigation devices comprise the program instructions to receive the first point and the second point of the one navigation device of the plurality of navigation devices.

20. The computer system of claim 15, further comprising:

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more memories, to determine a number of portions that only partially overlap the common sub-portion; and

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more memories, to determine a number of determined routes of the plurality of navigation devices that contain all coordinates of the common sub-portion.