System for providing traffic information

• US 20020193938A1
• Filed: 08/13/2002
• Published: 12/19/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Traffic Information LLC
• Original Assignee: Bruce W. Dekock, Kevin Russell, Richard J. Chan
• Inventors: Russell, Kevin L., DeKock, Bruce W., Chan, Richard J.
• Granted Patent: US 6,574,548 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/117
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0104 Measuring and analyzing of parameters relative to traffic conditions
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/02 using treadles built into the road pads or other sensitive devices responsive to passage of vehicles E01F11/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/042 using inductive or magnetic detectors
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0962 having an indicator mounted inside the vehicle, e.g. giving voice messages
• 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 1/096758 where no selection takes place on the transmitted or the received information
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096775 where the origin of the information is a central station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096783 where the origin of the information is a roadside individual element
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23406 involving management of server-side video buffer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44004 involving video buffer management, e.g. video decoder buffer or video display buffer

Abstract

A system for providing traffic information to a plurality of mobile users connected to a network. The system comprises a plurality of traffic monitors, each comprising at least a traffic detector and a transmitter, the traffic detector generating a signal in response to vehicular traffic and the transmitter transmitting the signal. A receiver receives the signals from the traffic monitors. A computer system is connected to the receiver and is further connected to the network. The computer system in response to a request signal received from one of the users transmits in response thereto information representative of the signals transmitted by the traffic monitoring units. Alternative systems for gathering traffic information are disclosed.

Claims

1. A system for providing traffic information to a plurality of mobile users connected to a network, comprising:

(a) a plurality of traffic monitors, each said traffic monitor comprising at least a detector and a transmitter, said detector providing a signal including data representative of vehicular movement and said transmitter transmitting said signals;

(b) a receiver that receives said signals transmitted by said traffic monitors; and

(c) a computer system interconnected with said receiver and said network;

(d) a mobile user station connected to a global positioning system receiver, a display, and a communicating device; and

(e) said computer system, in response to a request for traffic information from one of said mobile user stations, providing in response thereto to said one of said mobile user stations traffic information representative of said signals transmitted by said traffic monitors.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein said traffic detector detects vehicular speed.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein at least one of said transmitters transmits directly to said receiver.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein at least one of said transmitters transmits to another traffic monitor.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein at least one of said traffic monitors includes a video camera.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein said detector is a video camera.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein said user provides latitude and longitude information to said computer system.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein said computer system selects said traffic information to provide to said mobile user station based on a signal received from said global positioning system receiver.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein said computer system maintains a traffic information database containing data representative of traffic at a plurality of locations and updates said traffic information database in response to signals received from said mobile user station.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein said mobile user station displays both the location of said mobile user station and traffic information graphically on said display.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein said mobile user station has an input mechanism to select a mode in which traffic information is shown on said display.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein said vehicle further comprises a display and said information transmitted by said computer system is displayed graphically on said display.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein said computer system has a map database, and said computer system, in response to said request for information, transmits information representative of a portion of said map database, and said information representative of said map database is displayed graphically.

19. The system of claim 16 wherein said computer system maintains a traffic information database containing information representative of traffic at a plurality of locations and updates said traffic information database in response to signals received from stationary traffic monitors.

20. The system of claim 17 wherein the location of said one of said mobile user stations is displayed graphically on said display together with said traffic information provided by said computer system.

21. The system of claim 17 wherein said mobile user station has an input mechanism to select different modes of displaying traffic information on said display.

22. The system of claim 20 wherein said location of said vehicle is shown at a point on said display regardless of movement of said vehicle.

23. The system of claim 20 wherein said displayed location of said vehicle depends on said location of said vehicle, so that the displayed location changes as the vehicle'"'"'s location changes.

24. The system of claim 19 wherein said computer system screens data provided by said mobile user stations to determine before updating said traffic information database.

26. The system of claim 25 wherein said computer system is connected to a plurality of traffic monitors, and said traffic information database contains data derived from said traffic monitors.

27. The system of claim 25 wherein said computer system updates said traffic information database based on data received from said mobile user stations.

28. The system of claim 26 wherein said computer system updates said traffic information database based on data received from said mobile user stations.

29. The system of claim 28 wherein said computer system compares data from said mobile user stations with said data derived from said traffic monitors before updating said traffic information database.

30. The system of claim 25 wherein said map database contains longitude and latitude information for locations within said database.

31. The system of claim 30 wherein said traffic information database and map database are integrated using said longitude and latitude information.

32. The system of claim 31 wherein each said mobile user station provides longitude and latitude information to said computer system.

33. The system of claim 25 wherein said computer system transmits information which is displayed as an information banner on said display.

34. The system of claim 25 wherein said mobile user stations each have an input mechanism for selecting the mode of displaying information on said display.

35. The system of claim 25 wherein said location of said one of said mobile user stations is displayed graphically.

36. The system of claim 35 wherein said displayed location of said one of said mobile user stations changes based on movement of said mobile user station.

37. The system of claim 25 wherein said computer system screens data provided by said mobile user stations to determine whether said data corresponds to actual traffic conditions.

38. The system of claim 25 wherein said computer system compares data provided from said one of said mobile user stations with said map database before updating said traffic information database.

2. The system of claim I wherein said traffic information transmitted by said computer system is displayed graphically on said display.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein said traffic information is displayed together with a video image.

4. The system of claim 2 wherein said traffic information is displayed with a text message.

5. The system of claim 2 wherein said computer system has a map database, and said computer system, in response to said request for information, transmits map information representative of a portion of said map database, and said map information representative of said map database is displayed graphically together with said traffic information.

16. A system for providing traffic information to a plurality of mobile users connected to a network, comprising:

(a) a plurality of vehicles, each said vehicle comprising at least a mobile user station, a global positioning system receiver and a transmitter, said mobile user station providing a signal including data representative of a location of said mobile user station and at least one of a speed of said vehicle and an identification code of said mobile user station and said transmitter transmitting said signal;

(b) a receiver that receives said signals transmitted by said user stations; and

(c) a computer system interconnected with said receiver and said network, said computer system, in response to a request for information from one of said mobile user stations, providing in response thereto to said one of said mobile user stations information representative of said signals transmitted by said mobile user stations.

25. A system for providing traffic information to a plurality of mobile users connected to a network, comprising:

(a) a plurality of mobile user stations, each mobile user station being associated with a display, a global positioning system receiver and a communicating device to allow each of said mobile user stations to send and receive signals;

(b) a computer system interconnected with another communicating device and a network, said computer system being capable of sending and receiving signals to and from said mobile user stations;

(c) said computer system including a map database and a traffic information database, said traffic information database containing data representative of traffic at a plurality of locations;

(d) at least one of said mobile user stations providing a request to said computer system for information together with a respective geographic location of said one of said mobile user stations, and in response thereto, said computer system providing to said one of said mobile user stations information representative of selected portions of said map database and selected portions of said traffic information database based on said respective geographic location of said one of said mobile user stations; and

(e) said one of said mobile user stations displaying graphically on said display information representative of said selected portions of said map database and said selected portions of said traffic information database.