System for transmitting, processing, receiving, and displaying traffic information

• US 9,286,795 B2
• Filed: 04/05/2011
• Issued: 03/15/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Crowd Sourced Traffic LLC
• Inventors: Vorona, Dimitri
• Primary Examiner(s): Trammell, James
• Assistant Examiner(s): Stroud, James E
• Application Number:
  US13/080,449
• Publication Number:
  US 20120083995A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,806 Days
• Field of Search: 701/427, 701/454, 701/14, 701/532, 701/117, 340/988, 340/990, 340/995.19, 345/146
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0104 Measuring and analyzing of parameters relative to traffic conditions
• 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
• 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: G08G 1/096783 where the origin of the information is a roadside individual element
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096791 where the origin of the information is another vehicle

Abstract

A system for sharing and processing road condition information includes a number of road condition information computer systems within individual vehicles or devices and a virtual road condition information server on a mobile network. The road condition information computer systems are each connected through a peer-to-peer radio, cellular, Wi-Fi, or other similar communications network, and which each operate with a database for displaying road maps, with a database storing average speed data for directions of travel along roadways, and with a location sensor used to determine the location and average speed of the vehicle or device, which are transmitted to other vehicles. The virtual server returns average speed data for road segments, which is displayed on the road maps. The system includes sharing average speed data calculated as well average speed data received from the plurality of vehicles to other vehicles, thereby enhancing the real-time communication of road condition data.

Claims

1. A computer program product comprising computer executable instructions embodied in a non-transitory computer-readable medium and residing in a user device comprising a transmitter, a receiver, a storage database, a display device, a location determining module, and a processor for performing the steps, comprising:

transmitting, via said transmitter, from a first vehicle traveling on a road segment, actual average speed data for road segments traveled by said first vehicle;

receiving, via said receiver, from one or more third-party users corresponding with a first vehicle traveling on a road segment, information regarding average speed data for road segments traveled by one or more third-party vehicles, and wherein each such third-party user is, of, or corresponds with one of said third-party vehicles;

storing, via said storage database, said information regarding said average speed data for road segments traveled by each of said third-party vehicles, wherein said stored information regarding said average speed data further comprises data for opposite directions of travel a subset of said road segments;

displaying, via said display device of or corresponding to said first vehicle, a first indication on a road segment, wherein said first indication is an indicator of location of said first vehicle in any direction of travel of road, and a second indication on a road segment, wherein said second indication is an indicator of one or more of traffic volume and average speed of travel on said road segment determining, via said location determining module of or corresponding to said first vehicle, a location and direction of said first vehicle; and

wherein an average speed of said third-party vehicles traveling on a road segment is calculated periodically via said processor, and said calculation is performed at least for a predetermined time or a predetermined distance traveled.

2. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein said average speed data is transmitted and received via any communications network.

3. The computer program product of claim 2, wherein said communications network is one of an internet connection, a public switched telephone network, a cellular tower connected to said public switched telephone network, a cellular network, a 3G cellular network, a 4G cellular network, Edge network, WiFi network, WiMax network, or any other wireless network.

4. The computer program product of claim 1, further comprising displaying said data for said opposite direction of travel, wherein said data is displayed with a second indication, and wherein said second indication resides next to said first indication on said display device.

5. The computer program product of claim 1, further comprising varying a subset of said information displayed in response to a movement of said vehicle.

6. The computer program product of claim 5, further comprising controlling, via a user interface, said subset of said information that is displayed, wherein said subset of said information that is displayed is varied in response to inputs entered into said user interface.

7. The computer program product of claim 6, wherein said user interface includes a navigation control and a zoom control.

8. The computer program product of claim 5, further comprising varying said subset of said information displayed on said display device in relation to said responses to inputs entered into said user interface.

9. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein said inputs entered include inputting an address corresponding to a second location, wherein said address is entered via a virtual keyboard or entered through voice commands utilizing voice recognition for determining said second location corresponding to said address and for displaying said second location corresponding to said address on said roadmap displayed on said display device, and for providing information regarding said road condition data related to said address.

10. The computer program product of claim 9, further comprising determining a direction of travel to said second location, wherein said direction of travel is displayed on said display device and includes a route of travel of said vehicle from a location received by said location determining module to said address, wherein said route of travel being displayed on said display device.

11. The computer program product of claim 1, further comprising receiving information regarding road condition data by any of said plurality of said third-party users.

12. The computer program product of claim 1, further comprising:

storing, via said storage database, average data values, wherein said average data values are an average of said average speed data received by a road condition database;

transmitting said average data values to a remote device or any of said vehicles;

transmitting said average speed data to a network;

receiving said average speed data values from said network; and

communicating, via a communications network, said received average speed data to any of said plurality of vehicles.

13. The computer program product of claim 12, further comprising:

determining if a connection is made with said road condition database over said communication network, wherein said computer program product establishes a connection with a device containing said computer program product corresponding to, or with, any of said plurality of vehicles, and if said connection is made, wherein said connection is established to receive or transmit said average speed data from said one or more of said vehicles.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein said communications network is an internet connection, a public switched telephone network, a cellular tower connected to said public switched telephone network, a cellular network, a 3G cellular network, a 4G cellular network, Edge network, WiFi network, WiMax network, or any other wireless network.

15. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein said user device comprises one or more of a computer, tablet computing device, a wireless telephone, a mounted heads-up display, a portable heads up display and a GPS device.

16. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein said average speed data also comprises road condition data.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, further comprising calculating average speed data values including averages of speeds of a number of vehicles over particular road segments;

wherein said average speed data values additionally comprise an indicator representing said values comparing said averages of speeds with normal speeds; and

wherein said values are used to display a color if said averages of speeds is higher or lower than said normal speeds, wherein said normal speeds are one of historical speeds for said particular road segments or speed limits for said particular road segments.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, further comprising calculating values comparing said averages of speeds of a number of vehicles over particular road segments with normal speeds of vehicles over said particular road segments, and said average speed data values additionally comprise an indicator representing said values comparing said averages of speeds with said normal speeds.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein said first indication includes at least one of color or speed on a road segment displayed on said display device in a location corresponding with a location indicated by an output of said location determining module and in an orientation indicating a direction of travel of said vehicle.

20. The computer program product of claim 19, further comprising storing, via said database, color codes indicating road condition conditions for said road segments, wherein said computer program product receives said color codes and display colors derived from said color codes in locations corresponding to said road segments.

21. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein said average speed data further comprises information regarding road condition data received from said one or more third-party users comprising an average speed of movement of said each user in a direction of movement along a road segment and a location of said user on said road segment;

and

wherein said database stores said road condition data received from one or more of said third-party users in a record corresponding to said direction of movement along said road segments and calculated average speed data values of all of said average speeds of movement received from said plurality of vehicles to be included within said average speed data value stored within said record within said database.

22. A computer program product comprising computer executable instructions embodied in a non-transitory computer-readable medium and residing in a user device comprising a transmitter, a receiver, a storage database, a display device, a location determining module, and a processor for performing the steps, comprising:

transmitting, via said transmitter, from a first vehicle traveling on a road segment, actual average speed data for road segments traveled by said first vehicle;

receiving, via said receiver, information regarding average traffic speed for at least one road segment, wherein said receiver corresponds with or to said first vehicle, and wherein said average traffic speed for said at least one road segment is computed by at least determining an average speed of said first vehicle and other vehicles traveling on said at least one road segment at times, locations and directions of said first vehicle and at least one or more of said plurality other vehicles travelling over said road segment, segment, wherein said average traffic speed comprises data for direction of travel along a road segment;

determining, via said location determining module, a location and direction of said first vehicle;

displaying, via said display device said information regarding said average speed data for said road segment, wherein said information is displayed in connection with one or more displayed roadmaps; and

displaying, via said display device, an orientation of said first vehicle.

23. The computer program product of claim 22, wherein said information regarding average traffic speed for at least one road segment is received by said first vehicle and one or more other third-party vehicles via a communication network.

24. The computer program product of claim 23, wherein said communications network is one of an internet connection, a public switched telephone network, a cellular tower connected to said public switched telephone network, a cellular network, a 3G cellular network, a 4G cellular network, Edge network, WiFi network, WiMax network, and a wireless network.

25. The computer program product of claim 22, further comprising the computer program product performing the step of displaying, via said display device, a first indication on a road segment, wherein said first indication is an indicator of average speed traveled by said first vehicle.

26. The computer program product of claim 22, wherein information regarding said average speed data includes data for opposite directions of travel on a subset of said road segments.

27. The computer program product of claim 25, further comprising displaying said data for opposite direction of travel, wherein said data is displayed with a second indication.

28. The computer program product of claim 22, further comprising the computer program product performing the step of displaying, via said display device, at least one road condition indication on said road segment, wherein each of said at least one road condition indications indicates at least one of said received information regarding road conditions.

29. The computer program product of claim 22, wherein said computer program product is configured to further perform the step of determining a road condition, and a location of said road condition via said location determining module, and wherein said computer program product further performs the step of transmitting, via a transmitter, data representing said determined location, and road condition to at least one third party.

30. The computer program product of claim 29, wherein the step of determining said road condition comprises the step of displaying a user interface element having a predetermined set of road conditions for a user to select from, and upon selection of one or more predetermined road conditions, transmitting, via said transmitter, data representing said determined location, and road condition to at least one third party.

31. The computer program product of claim 29, wherein said step of determining said road condition comprises the step of determining from a sensor module, an existence of one or more road conditions, and upon determination of said existence of one or more predetermined road conditions, transmitting, via said transmitter, data representing said determined location, and road condition to at least one third party.

32. A computer program product comprising computer executable instructions embodied in a non-transitory computer-readable medium for performing steps comprising:

transmitting, via a transmitter, from a first vehicle traveling on a road segment, actual average speed data for road segments traveled by said first vehicle;

receiving, via a receiver, information regarding one or more road conditions for at least one road segment, from one or more transmitters, each of said one or more transmitters corresponding with a vehicle or said vehicle'"'"'s movement, and each of said one or more transmitters having a location;

receiving, via said receiver, information regarding said location of each said transmitter, each said location corresponding with at least one road condition;

storing said road condition and location information associated with said road condition;

receiving, via said receiver, information corresponding with traffic speed and location for at least one of said transmitters;

storing said traffic speed information and location received from at least one or more of said transmitters;

generating, via a processor, an average traffic speed for a road segment by averaging said information associated with said traffic speeds of more than one vehicle for locations related to said road segment;

storing said average traffic speed, wherein said stored average traffic speed further comprises data for direction of travel along a road segment;

generating a set of road condition data and corresponding location information for each said road condition;

transmitting, via a transmitter, data representing said average traffic speed for a said road segment to said one or more receivers;

transmitting, via a transmitter, data representing said set of road condition data and corresponding location information to said one or more receivers corresponding to said one or more vehicles; and

generating, via one or more of an visual display, audio, or other output device, an output of one or more of said average traffic speed, location, and road condition data.

33. The computer program product of claim 32, further comprising said computer program product performing the step of determining a set of road condition data and corresponding location information by comparing a generated average traffic speed for a road segment against a normal average traffic speed for said road segment and determining that a road condition exists when said generated average speed falls below a predetermined threshold related to said normal average traffic speed for said road segment.

34. The computer program product of claim 32, further comprising said computer program product performing the step of determining a set of road condition data and corresponding location information related to a lane closure by comparing a generated average traffic speed for a road segment against a normal average traffic speed for said road segment, and comparing a number of location data associated with said received speed data for a particular location to a number of normal location data corresponding to a particular location, and determining that a lane closure road condition exists when said generated average speed falls below a predetermined threshold related to said normal average traffic speed for said road segment and said number of received location data corresponding to a particular location falls below a predetermined threshold related to said normal location data corresponding to said particular location.

35. A computer program product comprising computer executable instructions embodied in a non-transitory computer-readable medium for performing steps comprising:

transmitting, via a transmitter, from a first vehicle traveling on a road segment, average speed data for road segments traveled by said first vehicle;

receiving, via a receiver, information corresponding to actual average speed data and location from one or more third-party transmitters, each of said one or more third-party transmitters corresponding to a third party vehicle or said third-party vehicle'"'"'s movement, and each of said one or more third-party transmitters having a location;

storing said average speed data and location received from at least one or more of said third-party transmitters, wherein said stored average speed data further comprises data for direction of travel along a road segment;

generating, via a processor, an average traffic speed for a road segment by averaging said information corresponding to or with said average speed data for locations related to said road segment;

transmitting, via a transmitter, data representing said average traffic speed for a said road segment to said one or more receivers corresponding to said one or more vehicles; and

generating, via one or more of a visual display, audio, or other output device, an output of one or more of said average traffic speed and location data.