Monitoring and visualizing traffic surprises

• US 9,518,837 B2
• Filed: 12/02/2014
• Issued: 12/13/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HERE Global B.V. (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: HERE Global B.V. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Fowe, James
• Primary Examiner(s): Badii, Behrang
• Assistant Examiner(s): Testardi, David
• Application Number:
  US14/558,401
• Publication Number:
  US 20160153804A1
• Time in Patent Office: 742 Days
• Field of Search: 701/118
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3691 Retrieval, searching and output of information related to real-time traffic, weather, or environmental conditions arrangements for giving variable traffic instructions G08G1/09
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3697 Output of additional, non-guidance related information, e.g. low fuel level G01C21/3679 takes precedence
• 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 1/0116 from roadside infrastructure, e.g. beacons
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/012 from other sources than vehicle or roadside beacons, e.g. mobile networks
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0129 for creating historical data or processing based on historical data
• 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 1/096741 where the source of the transmitted information selects which information to transmit to each vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096775 where the origin of the information is a central station

Abstract

Systems, methods, and apparatuses are described for monitoring and visualizing traffic surprises. Traffic data is received for a region of interest comprising one or more routes. A surprise factor may be calculated for one or more routes in the region of interest based on a ratio of historical traffic data and real-time traffic data. A comparison may be performed of the surprise factor to at least one threshold. A surprise traffic message may be generated based on the comparison.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving traffic data for a plurality of vehicles for a region of interest comprising one or more routes, wherein the traffic data for each vehicle of the plurality of vehicles includes position data derived from a global positioning system and traffic speed data;

calculating real-time traffic flow data from the traffic data for one or more routes in the region;

identifying historical traffic flow data;

calculating, by a processor, a surprise factor for the one or more routes in the region of interest based on a ratio of the historical traffic flow data and the real-time traffic flow data;

performing, by the processor, a comparison of the surprise factor to at least one threshold;

generating, by the processor, a surprise traffic message based on the comparison; and

transmitting, by the processor, the surprise traffic message to one or more navigation devices.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one threshold for the surprise factor indicates that the real-time traffic flow data is faster than predicted from the historical traffic flow data.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one threshold for the surprise factor indicates that the real-time traffic flow data is slower than predicted from the historical traffic flow data.

4. The method of claim 1 where the one or more routes comprise an origin and a destination.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

presenting one or more surprise traffic messages in an origin destination matrix using the origin and destination of the one or more routes.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein calculating further comprises:

calculating the surprise factor for one or more origin destination pairs in the origin destination matrix.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein a traffic level (TLS) is based on the surprise factor (SF) and calculated according to the following formula:

TLS_ij(t)=|1−

SF_ij(t)|;

where

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the surprise factor (TLS) is calculated according to the following formula:

TLS_ij(t)=|L_ij(t)−

L_ij^h(t)|;

where L_ij(t) is an average traffic level on a particular route from i to j at time t; and

where L_ij^h(t) is a historic average traffic level on a particular route from i to j at time t.

9. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code for one or more programs;

the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least perform;

receive traffic information for a plurality of vehicles for one or more route segments wherein the traffic information includes position data derived from a global positioning system and traffic speed data;

calculate current traffic flow conditions from the traffic information for the plurality of vehicles;

calculate a surprise factor for one or more route segments as a function of a ratio of historical and current traffic flow conditions;

calculate an origin and destination matrix for the one or more route segments, and a corresponding surprise factor for each of a plurality of origin destination pairs in the origin and destination matrix; and

transmit, by the processor, the origin destination matrix including traffic flow conditions for the plurality of origin destination pairs that have a surprise factor that exceeds a predetermined threshold.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to:

display the origin destination matrix.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to:

send the origin destination matrix to a device.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the current traffic flow conditions are calculated using traffic volume and traffic speed derived from the received traffic information.

13. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to:

receive a request for a route from an origin to a destination;

generating the route including a plurality of route segments of the one or more route segments; and

transmit the route including only the surprise factor for any of the plurality of route segments that exceeds a threshold.

14. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions that when executed are operable to:

calculate a plurality of routes including a plurality of route segments from a plurality of origins to a plurality of destinations;

receive traffic data including an average traffic level and a historical average traffic level for the plurality of route segments in a designated region;

calculate a traffic level (TLS) for each of the plurality of routes based on a surprise factor (SF) and calculated according to the following formula;

TLS_ij(t)=|1−

SF_ij(t)|;

where

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein the instructions are configured to:

calculate the surprise factor based on real time traffic flow data and historical traffic flow data.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein the surprise factor is compared to at least one threshold including a first level for faster than expected traffic and a second level for slower than expected traffic.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein the instructions are configured to:

receive a request for a route of the plurality of routes segments; and

transmit route traffic data including only the surprise factor for any of the plurality of route segments that exceeds a threshold.