Identifying closed roads and routes

• US 9,989,368 B2
• Filed: 05/15/2016
• Issued: 06/05/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: True, Joseph A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cheung, Mary D
• Application Number:
  US15/155,028
• Publication Number:
  US 20170328723A1
• Time in Patent Office: 751 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/34 Route searching; Route guidance
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3415 Dynamic re-routing, e.g. recalculating the route when the user deviates from calculated route or after detecting real-time traffic data or accidents
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3815 Road data
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3841 Data obtained from two or more sources, e.g. probe vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

A set of smart devices includes a first smart device physically placed at a first geolocation and a second smart device physically placed at a second geolocation. The first and second smart devices obtain their first and second current geolocations. The first smart device sends the first current geolocation and a first roadway status information indicating a start of the roadway to a mapping service over a wireless communications network, and the second smart device also sends the second current geolocation and a second roadway status information indicating an end of the roadway to the mapping service. The first and second roadway status information may further indicates that the roadway defined by the first and second current geolocations is a closed roadway or a detour. The mapping service may calculate routes based on the first and second geolocations and the first and second roadway status information.

Claims

1. A method for identifying roadway status information, comprising:

obtaining a first current geolocation of a first smart device by the first smart device, obtaining a second current geolocation of a second smart device by the second smart device, and obtaining a third current geolocation of a third smart device by the third smart device, wherein a set of smart devices comprises at least the first smart device physically placed at a first geolocation of the roadway, the second smart device physically placed at a second geolocation of the roadway, and the third smart device physically placed at a third geolocation of the roadway, wherein the third geolocation is in between the first geolocation and the second geolocation;

sending the first current geolocation and a first roadway status information by the first smart device to a mapping service over a wireless communications network, wherein the first current geolocation and a first roadway status information indicate a start of the roadway; and

sending the second current geolocation and a second roadway status information by the second smart device to the mapping service over the wireless communications network, wherein the second current geolocation and a second roadway status information indicate an end of the roadway; and

sending the third current geolocation and a third roadway status information by the third smart device to the mapping service over the wireless communications network, wherein the third roadway status information indicates an in-between geolocation of the roadway.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first roadway status information, the second roadway status information, and the third roadway status information further indicates that the roadway defined by the first current geolocation and the second current geolocation is a closed roadway.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first roadway status information and the second roadway status information, and the third roadway status information further indicates that the roadway defined by the first current geolocation and the second current geolocation is a detour.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the mapping service calculates routes based on the first and second geolocations and the first and second roadway status information.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first roadway status information, the second roadway status information, and the third roadway status information further indicate that the roadway has an obstruction on or near the roadway.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting, by the first or second smart device, a change in the first or second current geolocations; and

in response to detecting the change, sending an update to the mapping service over the wireless communications network, the update comprising a new current geolocation of the first or second smart device and any updated first or second roadway status information.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the detecting of the change in the first or second current geolocations and the sending of the update comprises:

obtaining, by the first or second smart device, an updated geolocation;

comparing the updated geolocation with the first or second current geolocations; and

in response to determining that the updated geolocation is different from the first or second current geolocations, sending the update to the mapping service over the wireless communications network.

8. A computer program product for identifying roadway status information, the computer program product comprising at least one computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions executable by at least one processor to cause the at least one processor to:

obtain a first current geolocation of a first smart device by the first smart device, obtain a second current geolocation of a second smart device by the second smart device, and obtaining a third current geolocation of a third smart device by the third smart device, wherein a set of smart devices comprises at least the first smart device physically placed at a first geolocation of the roadway, the second smart device physically placed at a second geolocation of the roadway, and the third smart device physically placed at a third geolocation of the roadway, wherein the third geolocation is in between the first geolocation and the second geolocation;

send the first current geolocation and a first roadway status information by the first smart device to a mapping service over a wireless communications network, wherein the first current geolocation and a first roadway status information indicate a start of the roadway; and

send the second current geolocation and a second roadway status information by the second smart device to the mapping service over the wireless communications network, wherein the second current geolocation and a second roadway status information indicate an end of the roadway; and

sending the third current geolocation and a third roadway status information by the third smart device to the mapping service over the wireless communications network, wherein the third roadway status information indicates an in-between geolocation of the roadway.

9. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the first roadway status information, the second roadway status information, and the third roadway status information further indicates that the roadway defined by the first current geolocation and the second current geolocation is a closed roadway.

10. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the first roadway status information and the second roadway status information, and the third roadway status information further indicates that the roadway defined by the first current geolocation and the second current geolocation is a detour.

11. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the mapping service calculates routes based on the first and second geolocations and the first and second roadway status information.

12. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the first roadway status information, the second roadway status information, and the third roadway status information further indicate that the roadway has an obstruction on or near the roadway.

13. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the at least one processor further:

detects, by the first or second smart device, a change in the first or second current geolocations; and

in response to detecting the change, sends an update to the mapping service over the wireless communications network, the update comprising a new current geolocation of the first or second smart device and any updated first or second roadway status information.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the detecting of the change in the first or second current geolocations and the sending of the update comprises:

obtains, by the first or second smart device, an updated geolocation;

compares the updated geolocation with the first or second current geolocations; and

in response to determining that the updated geolocation is different from the first or second current geolocations, sends the update to the mapping service over the wireless communications network.

15. A system comprising:

a first smart device physically placed at a first geolocation of a roadway, the first smart device comprising a first processor and a first computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions executable by the first processor to cause the first smart device to;

obtain a first current geolocation of the first smart device; and

send the first current geolocation and a first roadway status information indicating a start of the roadway to a mapping service over a wireless communications network; and

a second smart device physically placed at a second geolocation of the roadway, the second smart device comprising a second processor and a second computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions executable by the second processor to cause the second smart device to;

obtain a second current geolocation of the second smart device; and

send the second current geolocation and a second roadway status information indicating an end of the roadway to the mapping service over the wireless communications network

a third smart device physically placed at a third geolocation of the roadway, wherein the third geolocation is in between the first geolocation and the second geolocation, the third smart device comprising a third processor and a third computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions executable by the third processor to cause the third smart device to;

obtain a third current geolocation of the third smart device; and

send the third current geolocation and a third roadway status information indicating an in-between geolocation of the roadway to the mapping service over the wireless communications network.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the first roadway status information, the second roadway status information, and the third roadway status information further indicates that the roadway defined by the first current geolocation and the second current geolocation is a closed roadway.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the first roadway status information, the second roadway status information, and the third roadway status information further indicates that the roadway defined by the first current geolocation and the second current geolocation is a detour.

18. The system of claim 15, further comprising a third smart device physically placed in a third geolocation of the roadway and between the first and second geolocations, the third smart device comprising a third processor and a third computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions executable by the third processor to cause the third smart device to:

obtain a third current geolocation of the third smart device; and

send the third current geolocation and a third roadway status information indicating an in-between geolocation of the roadway to the mapping service over the wireless communications network.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the first or second smart device further:

detects a change in the first or second current geolocations; and

in response to detecting the change, sends an update to the mapping service over the wireless communications network, the update comprising a new current geolocation of the first or second smart device and any updated first or second roadway status information.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the detecting of the change in the first or second current geolocations and the sending of the update comprises:

obtains an updated geolocation;

compares the updated geolocation with the first or second current geolocations; and

in response to determining that the updated geolocation is different from the first or second current geolocations, sends the update to the mapping service over the wireless communications network.