Systems and methods for determining traffic intensity using information obtained through crowdsourcing

• US 8,930,123 B2
• Filed: 11/19/2010
• Issued: 01/06/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Srivastava, Biplav
• Primary Examiner(s): Dager, Jonathan M
• Application Number:
  US12/950,012
• Publication Number:
  US 20120130625A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,509 Days
• US Class Current: 701/119
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3492 employing speed data or traffic data, e.g. real-time or historical traffic control systems for road vehicles involving transmission of navigation instructions to the vehicle G08G1/0968
• 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

Abstract

Systems and associated methods for utilizing crowdsourcing probes to obtain traffic information are described. Such traffic information includes location, date, time, speed, and speed limit information. Embodiments allow for the determination of traffic intensity, or road congestion, through the calculation of a road speed capacity factor. Embodiments provide that the traffic information and traffic intensity information may be visualized through a user interface.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

defining at least one traffic network, each traffic network comprising a plurality of road segments;

periodically, and at predetermined time intervals, requesting updates of traffic information corresponding to the at least one traffic network from a plurality of sources;

receiving updates of traffic information from the plurality of sources, including traffic information reported from at least one crowdsourcing probe, said traffic information comprising a current vehicle speed;

with respect to at least one of the time intervals, aggregating the traffic information received from the plurality of sources;

storing said traffic information as historical traffic data;

with respect to at least one of the time intervals, utilizing stored historical traffic data as traffic information if no traffic information updates are available; and

with respect to at least one of the road segments and at least one of the time intervals;

establishing a default speed;

determining traffic intensity, wherein determining traffic intensity comprises calculating road speed capacity, road speed capacity being equal to;

((default speed−

reported speed)/default speed))*100;

the reported speed comprising one of;

a reported current vehicle speed, an aggregation of reported current vehicle speeds, a vehicle speed based on historical traffic data;

recalculating road speed capacity, by a respective predetermined factor, in response to at least one of;

an accident report, and a traffic light outage;

providing a visual representation of road speed capacity for at least one user; and

requesting at least one new crowdsourcing input based on predefined levels of road speed capacity.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one crowdsourcing probe comprises at least one of an Internet portal and a cellular phone.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the traffic information further includes at least one member selected from the group consisting of:

location, date, time, average speed, and speed limit.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

providing traffic information to traffic data consumers.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

said receiving comprises obtaining traffic information from at least one supplemental traffic data source other than the at least one crowdsourcing probe.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein:

said aggregating comprises aggregating the traffic information obtained from the at least one supplemental traffic data source with the traffic information received from the at least one crowdsourcing probe.

7. The method according to claim 5, wherein historical traffic data is utilized as traffic information if the at least one supplemental traffic data source is unavailable.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether to add or remove probes from the at least one crowdsourcing probe based on Expected Value of Perfect Information rules.

9. A system comprising:

at least one processor; and

a memory operatively connected to the at least one processor;

wherein, responsive to execution of computer readable program code accessible to the at least one processor, the at least one processor is configured to;

define at least one traffic network, each traffic network comprising a plurality of road segments;

periodically, and at predetermined time intervals, request updates of traffic information corresponding to the at least one traffic network from a plurality of sources;

receive updates of traffic information from the plurality of sources, including traffic information reported from at least one crowdsourcing probe, said traffic information comprising a current vehicle speed;

with respect to at least one of the time intervals, aggregate the traffic information received from the plurality of sources;

store said traffic information as historical traffic data;

with respect to at least one of the time intervals, utilize stored historical traffic data as traffic information if no traffic information updates are available; and

with respect to at least one of the road segments and at least one of the time intervals;

establish a default speed;

determine traffic intensity, wherein determining traffic intensity comprises calculating road speed capacity, road speed capacity being equal to;

((default speed−

reported speed)/default speed))*100;

the reported speed comprising one of;

a reported current vehicle speed, an aggregation of reported current vehicle speeds, a vehicle speed based on historical traffic data;

recalculate road speed capacity, by a respective predetermined factor, in response to at least one of;

an accident report, and a traffic light outage;

provide a visual representation of road speed capacity for at least one user; and

request at least one new crowdsourcing input based on predefined levels of road speed capacity.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein the traffic information further includes at least one member selected from the group consisting of:

location, date, time, average speed, and speed limit.

11. The system according to claim 9, further comprising:

provide traffic information to traffic data consumers.

12. The system according to claim 9, wherein:

to receive comprises obtaining traffic information from at least one supplemental traffic data source other than the at least one crowdsourcing probe.

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein:

to aggregate comprises aggregating the traffic information obtained from the at least one supplemental traffic data source with the traffic information received from the at least one crowdsourcing probe.

14. The system according to claim 12, wherein historical traffic data is utilized as traffic information if the at least one supplemental traffic data source is unavailable.

15. The system according to claim 9, further comprising:

determining whether to add or remove probes from the at least one crowdsourcing probe based on Expected Value of Perfect Information rules.

16. A computer program product comprising:

a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith, the computer readable program code comprising;

computer readable program code configured to define at least one traffic network, each traffic network comprising a plurality of road segments;

computer readable program code configured to periodically, and at predetermined time intervals, request updates of traffic information corresponding to the at least one traffic network from a plurality of sources;

computer readable program code configured to receive updates of traffic information from the plurality of sources, including traffic information reported from at least one crowdsourcing probe, said traffic information comprising a current vehicle speed;

computer readable program code configured to aggregate, with respect to at least one of the time intervals, the traffic information received from the plurality of sources;

computer readable program code configured to store said traffic information as historical traffic data;

computer readable program code configured to utilize, with respect to at least one of the time intervals, stored historical traffic data as traffic information if no traffic information updates are available; and

with respect to at least one of the road segments and at least one of the time intervals, computer readable program code configured to perform the following steps;

establish a default speed;

determine traffic intensity, wherein determining traffic intensity comprises calculating road speed capacity, road speed capacity being equal to;

((default speed−

reported speed)/default speed))*100;

the reported speed comprising one of;

a reported current vehicle speed, an aggregation of reported current vehicle speeds, a vehicle speed based on historical traffic data;

recalculate road speed capacity, by a respective predetermined factor, in response to at least one of;

an accident report, and a traffic light outage;

provide a visual representation of road speed capacity for at least one user; and

request at least one new crowdsourcing input based on predefined levels of road speed capacity.