Methods of providing traffic flow messages

• US 9,406,226 B2
• Filed: 07/01/2013
• Issued: 08/02/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TomTom Traffic B.V. (TomTom NV)
• Original Assignee: TomTom Development Germany GmbH (TomTom NV)
• Inventors: Kesting, Arne, Lorkowski, Stefan, Schilling, David, Witte, Nikolaus
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TAN QUANG
• Application Number:
  US14/411,540
• Publication Number:
  US 20150161886A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,128 Days
• Field of Search: 701/117, 701/118, 701/119, 701/423, 705/13, 709/206, 709/203
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 1/012 from other sources than vehicle or roadside beacons, e.g. mobile networks
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0141 for traffic information dissemination

Abstract

A method of verifying and/or improving a message indicative of an event affecting traffic flow on at least a portion of one or more navigable segments is described. The method involves obtaining positional data relating to the movement of a plurality of devices along a navigable stretch including a navigable stretch identified by the message as being affected, and using the positional data to verify and/or improve the message. The positional data is live data and is used to obtain data relating to the speed of travel of the devices along the navigable stretch including the stretch identified by the message. The speed data can be used to determine a spatial extent of the affected stretch and/or an expected speed of travel along the stretch.

Claims

1. A method of improving a message indicative of an event affecting traffic flow on at least a portion of one or more navigable segments, the method comprising:

obtaining a message with associated location information indicative of a location of an event affecting traffic flow;

using the location information to identify an initial navigable stretch comprising at least a portion of one or more navigable segments on which traffic flow is considered to be affected by the event;

obtaining positional data relating to the movement of a plurality of devices along a navigable stretch selected using the location information, wherein the navigable stretch includes at least the initial navigable stretch;

using the positional data to obtain speed data indicative of a speed of travel of the devices at a plurality of positions along the navigable stretch;

using the speed data to identify an actually affected navigable stretch comprising at least a portion of one or more navigable segments that is actually affected by the event; and

modifying the message, or generating a new message indicative of the event, so as to include location information indicative of the actually affected navigable stretch.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the message is a third party message, the method further comprising receiving the message from a third party.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting the modified or new message, or information based thereon, to a vehicle.

4. The method of claim 1, comprising using the modified or new message, or information based thereon, to perform at least one of:

enhance an electronic map;

determine an expected timing for a route;

determine an expected arrival time;

provide a warning or alert to a driver; and

generate a route.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the event is roadworks, a lane closure, or a road closure.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the navigable stretch includes the initial navigable segment and portions extending beyond one or more ends of the initial navigable stretch.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the positional data is live data relating to the movement of devices along the navigable stretch, the live data being younger than a time threshold value.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising obtaining a profile indicative of the speed of travel of devices along the navigable stretch with respect to the plurality of positions along the navigable stretch, and using the profile in identifying the actually affected navigable stretch.

9. The method of claim 1, comprising using the positional data to determine a speed distribution profile indicative of speeds of travel of the devices for each of the plurality of the positions along the navigable stretch, wherein the speed of travel of the speed data at each of the plurality of positions is a percentile speed of the speed distribution profile for the respective position.

10. The method of any of claim 9, wherein the speed of travel is one of:

a 50th percentile speed or higher;

or

a 75th percentile speed or higher.

11. The method of claim 1, comprising using the data indicative of the speed of travel of devices along the navigable stretch to determine the validity of the message by comparing the speed data with a threshold speed for travel along the navigable stretch based on historic data.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising identifying the actually affected navigable stretch by reference to a relative change in the speed of travel of the devices with respect to position along the navigable stretch selected and/or by reference to a speed threshold.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein modified or new message comprises information indicative of the initial navigable stretch, and wherein the actually affected navigable stretch is shorter than and/or located within the initial navigable stretch.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising using positional data relating to the movement of a plurality of devices along the actually affected navigable stretch to determine an expected speed of travel along the actually affected navigable stretch, and associating the determined expected speed with the modified or new message.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising using positional data relating to the movement of a plurality of devices along the actually affected navigable stretch to determine an expected path of travel along the actually affected navigable stretch, wherein the path is a lane level path, and associating the determined expected path with the modified or new message.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing the modified or new message in a database.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising using positional data relating to the movement of a plurality of devices along the actually affected navigable stretch to determine a severity of the impact of the event upon traffic flow, and associating the determined severity with the modified or new message.

18. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising computer readable instructions, which, when executed on a computer, cause the computer to perform a method for improving a message indicative of an event affecting traffic flow on at least a portion of one or more navigable segments, the method comprising:

obtaining a message with associated location information indicative of a location of an event affecting traffic flow;

using the location information to identify an initial navigable stretch comprising at least a portion of one or more navigable segments on which traffic flow is considered to be affected by the event;

obtaining positional data relating to the movement of a plurality of devices along a navigable stretch selected using the location information, wherein the navigable stretch includes at least the initial navigable stretch;

using the positional data to obtain speed data indicative of a speed of travel of the devices at a plurality of positions along the navigable stretch;

using the speed data to identify an actually affected navigable stretch comprising at least a portion of one or more navigable segments that is actually affected by the event; and

modifying the message, or generating a new message indicative of the event, so as to include location information indicative of the actually affected navigable stretch.

19. A system for verifying and/or improving a message indicative of an event affecting traffic flow on at least a portion of one or more navigable segments, the system comprising:

one or more processors; and

a memory comprising instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the system to;

obtain a message with associated location information indicative of a location of an event affecting traffic flow;

use the location information to identify an initial navigable stretch comprising at least a portion of one or more navigable segments on which traffic flow is considered to be affected by the event;

obtain positional data relating to the movement of a plurality of devices along a navigable stretch selected using the location information, wherein the navigable stretch includes at least the initial navigable stretch;

use the positional data to obtain speed data indicative of a speed of travel of the devices at a plurality of positions along the navigable stretch;

use the speed data to identify an actually affected navigable stretch comprising at least a portion of one or more navigable segments that is actually affected by the event; and

modify the message, or generate a new message indicative of the event, so as to include location information indicative of the actually affected navigable stretch.