Dynamic location referencing strands

• US 9,659,491 B2
• Filed: 03/19/2015
• Issued: 05/23/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2015
• 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): Black, Thomas G
• Assistant Examiner(s): SMITH-STEWART, DEMETRA R
• Application Number:
  US14/663,134
• Publication Number:
  US 20160275786A1
• Time in Patent Office: 796 Days
• 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: G08G 1/0104 Measuring and analyzing of parameters relative to traffic conditions
• 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 1/0125 Traffic data processing
• 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 1/052 with provision for determining speed or overspeed speed measuring in general G01P

Abstract

Systems and methods are described for referencing road strands. Speed data for a set of adjoining road segments is identified. Using at least one of the adjoining road segments, a strand database for is accessed to retrieve a predetermined strand of road segments. An aggregate speed value for the predetermined strand of road segments is calculated based on the speed data for the set of adjoining road segments represented by the predetermined strand of road segments. The aggregate speed value is provided as a representative of traffic on the set of adjoining road segments represented by the predetermined strand of road segments.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

identifying speed data for a plurality of adjoining road segments;

identifying an angle between a pair of the plurality of adjoining road segments;

defining a predetermined strand of road segments as one or more pairs of the plurality of adjoining road segments with an identified angle greater than or equal to a predetermined threshold angle;

calculating, using a processor, an aggregate speed value for the predetermined strand of road segments based on the speed data for the plurality of adjoining road segments represented by the predetermined strand of road segments; and

transmitting to a navigation device the aggregate speed value as a representative of traffic on the plurality of adjoining road segments represented by the predetermined strand of road segments.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the aggregate speed value is an average of the speed data for the plurality of adjoining road segments represented by the predetermined strand of road segments.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying a road segment without speed data for a current time epoch; and

interpolating an estimated speed value for the road segment without speed value.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the estimated speed value is based on one or more road segments upstream of the road segment without speed value.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

analyzing real time traffic data for the plurality of road segments; and

defining the predetermined strand of road segments according to road segments having real time traffic data that deviates within a predetermined range.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying a map including the aggregate speed value associated with the plurality of adjoining road segments represented by the predetermined strand of road segments.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the speed data for a plurality of adjoining road segments is associated with a direction and the predetermined strand of road segments is associated with the direction.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

analyzing historical speed data for the plurality of road segments; and

defining the predetermined strand of road segments according to road segments having historical speed data that deviates within a predetermined range.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

analyzing real time speed data for the plurality of road segments; and

defining the predetermined strand of road segments according to road segments having real time speed data that deviates within a predetermined range.

10. 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;

identify real time traffic data for a plurality of adjoining road segments;

analyze the real time traffic data for the plurality of adjoining road segments;

identify an angle between a pair of adjoining road segments of the plurality of adjoining road segments;

define a strand of road segments including one or more pairs of adjoining road segments that have real time traffic data that deviates within a predetermined range and have an identified angle greater than or equal to a predefined threshold angle;

calculate an aggregate speed value for the strand of road segments based on the speed data for the plurality of adjoining road segments represented by the strand of road segments; and

transmit, to a navigation device, the aggregate speed value as a representative of traffic on the plurality of adjoining road segments represented by the strand of road segments.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the aggregate speed value is an average of the speed data for the plurality of adjoining road segments represented by the strand of road segments.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, 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:

identify a road segment without speed data for a current time epoch; and

interpolate an estimated speed value for the road segment without speed value.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the estimated speed value is based on one or more road segments upstream of the road segment without speed value.

14. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the speed data for a plurality of adjoining road segments is associated with a direction and the strand of road segments is associated with the direction.

15. A method comprising:

sending location data indicative of a road segment to a traffic service;

receiving traffic data for a road strand of a plurality of road segments including the road segment, wherein the traffic data is based on an aggregate speed value for the strand of road segments based on the speed data for the plurality of adjoining road segments represented by the strand of road segments, wherein the strand of road segments comprises one or more pairs of adjoining road segments with an angle between a pair of the adjoining road segments greater than a predefined threshold angle; and

displaying the traffic data as a representative of traffic on the plurality of adjoining road segments represented by the predetermined strand of road segments.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the location data indicative of a road segment is referenced from a local database and matched to a provider database dynamically.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the strand of road segments is based further on traffic data of the plurality of road segments that deviates within a predetermined range.