Method and apparatus for crowd-sourced traffic reporting based on projected traffic volume of road segments

• US 9,530,312 B2
• Filed: 02/10/2015
• Issued: 12/27/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Tseng, Fling, Prakah-Asante, Kwaku O., Filev, Dimitar Petrov, Elwart, Shane, Lu, Jianbo
• Primary Examiner(s): HOFSASS, JEFFERY A
• Application Number:
  US14/618,064
• Publication Number:
  US 20150154867A1
• Time in Patent Office: 686 Days
• Field of Search: 340/901, 340/902, 340/903, 340/904, 340/905, 701/23, 701/24, 701/117, 701/410
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0112 from the vehicle, e.g. floating car data [FCD]
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096766 where the system is characterised by the origin of the information transmission

Abstract

A system includes a processor configured to project monitoring needs for a road segment. The processor is further configured to contact one or more vehicles traveling on the road segment during a time of monitoring need. The processor is additionally configured to instruct a first number, determined based on a projected monitoring need, of contacted vehicles to being monitoring and reporting traffic data for the road segment.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a processor configured to;

receive a vehicle route;

determine monitoring needs, based on projected traffic volume of road segments for the road segments along the vehicle route; and

assign a vehicle monitoring task to the vehicle when the vehicle reaches certain road segments, based on the determined monitoring needs.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle monitoring task includes taking a snapshot of traffic when the vehicle reaches a given road segment.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle monitoring task includes continuously monitoring traffic, for some period of time, while the vehicle is traveling on a given road segment.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

monitor traffic for a given road segment while the vehicle is traveling on the given road segment; and

if an observed deviance in real traffic versus projected traffic for the given segment is past a threshold, adjust the vehicle monitoring task based on the observed deviance.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the adjustment of the vehicle monitoring task includes instructing increased monitoring.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the adjustment of the vehicle monitoring task includes instructing decreased monitoring.

7. The system of claim 4, wherein the adjustment of the vehicle monitoring task includes instructing initiating monitoring.

8. The system of claim 4, wherein the adjustment of the vehicle monitoring task includes instructing ceasing monitoring.

9. A computer-implemented method comprising:

determining, by a computer, vehicle monitoring needs, based on projected road segment traffic volume, for segments along a received vehicle route; and

assigning a vehicle with a monitoring task when the vehicle reaches certain road segments, based on the determined monitoring needs.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the monitoring task includes taking a snapshot of traffic when the vehicle reaches a given road segment.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the monitoring task includes continuously monitoring traffic, for some period of time, while the vehicle is traveling on a given road segment.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

monitoring traffic for a given segment while the vehicle is traveling on the given segment; and

if an observed deviance in real traffic versus projected traffic for the given segment is past a threshold, adjusting the vehicle monitoring task based on the observed deviance.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the adjustment of the vehicle monitoring task includes instructing increased monitoring.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the adjustment of the vehicle monitoring task includes instructing decreased monitoring.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the adjustment of the vehicle monitoring task includes instructing initiating monitoring.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the adjustment of the vehicle monitoring task includes instructing ceasing monitoring.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, storing instructions that, when executed, cause a processor to perform a method comprising:

receiving a vehicle route;

determining monitoring needs, based on projected traffic volume of road segments, for segments along the vehicle route; and

assigning a vehicle with a monitoring task when the vehicle reaches certain road segments, based on the determined monitoring needs.

18. The storage medium of claim 17, wherein the monitoring task includes taking a snapshot of traffic when the vehicle reaches a given road segment.

19. The storage medium of claim 17, wherein the monitoring task includes continuously monitoring traffic, for some period of time, while the vehicle is traveling on a given road segment.

20. The storage medium of claim 17, the method further comprising:

monitoring traffic for a given segment while the vehicle is traveling on the given segment; and

if an observed deviance in real traffic versus projected traffic for the given segment is past a threshold, adjusting the vehicle monitoring task based on the observed deviance.