VEHICLE TRAFFIC FLOW DATA ACQUISITION AND DISTRIBUTION

• US 20100073195A1
• Filed: 09/22/2008
• Published: 03/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Contiguity LLC (Jeffrey M. Gross)
• Original Assignee: LMR Inventions, L.L.C. (Leigh M. Rothschild)
• Inventors: Rothschild, Leigh M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,009,062 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/905
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/017 identifying vehicles G08G1/015, G08G1/054 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/04 using optical or ultrasonic detectors
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/091 Traffic information broadcasting broadcasting communication H04H
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 9/00 Traffic control systems for craft where the kind of craft is irrelevant or unspecified

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention provide a method, system and computer program product for vehicle traffic flow data acquisition and reporting for onboard vehicle navigation. In an embodiment of the invention, a method for vehicle traffic flow data acquisition and reporting for onboard vehicle navigation can include acquiring imagery of multiple vehicles traveling on a roadway between two locations and individually identifying the different vehicles in the imagery. An elapsed time of travel can be determined for the individually identified vehicles between the two locations and a rate of travel can be computed for each of the individually identified different vehicles based upon the elapsed time of travel. Thereafter, the rate of travel for at least one of the individually identified different vehicles can be broadcast to a subscriber for at least one of the two locations.

Claims

1. A method for vehicle traffic flow data acquisition and reporting for onboard vehicle navigation, the method comprising:

acquiring imagery of multiple vehicles traveling on a route of travel between two locations;

individually identifying the different vehicles in the imagery and determining an elapsed time of travel for the individually identified vehicles between the two locations;

computing a rate of travel for each of the individually identified different vehicles based upon the elapsed time of travel; and

,

broadcasting the rate of travel for at least one of the individually identified different vehicles to a subscriber for at least one of the two locations.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein broadcasting the rate of travel for at least one of the individually identified different vehicles to a subscriber for at least one of the two locations, comprises broadcasting an average rate of travel for the individually identified different vehicles to a subscriber for at least one of the two locations based upon the computed rate of travel for each of the individually identified different vehicles.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein broadcasting the rate of travel for at least one of the individually identified different vehicles to a subscriber for at least one of the two locations, comprises broadcasting the rate of travel for at least one of the individually identified different vehicles to a subscriber for at least one of the two locations only when the rate of travel falls below a threshold value.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein broadcasting the rate of travel for at least one of the individually identified different vehicles to a subscriber for at least one of the two locations, comprises broadcasting the rate of travel for at least one of the individually identified different vehicles to an Internet connected onboard navigation system of a subscriber for at least one of the two locations.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein broadcasting the rate of travel for at least one of the individually identified different vehicles to a subscriber for at least one of the two locations, comprises broadcasting the rate of travel for at least one of the individually identified different vehicles to a subscriber for at least one of the two locations only when a planned route of travel in the onboard navigation system includes at least one of two locations.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein broadcasting the rate of travel for at least one of the individually identified different vehicles to a subscriber for at least one of the two locations, further comprises additionally broadcasting the acquired imagery to the subscriber.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein broadcasting the rate of travel for at least one of the individually identified different vehicles to a subscriber for at least one of the two locations, further comprises additionally broadcasting a weather report for at least one of the two locations.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein broadcasting the rate of travel for at least one of the individually identified different vehicles to a subscriber for at least one of the two locations, comprises broadcasting the rate of travel for at least one of the individually identified different vehicles to a subscriber for at least one of the two locations through one of text messaging, a Web page and e-mail.

9. An onboard vehicle navigation data distribution data processing system configured for vehicle traffic flow data acquisition and reporting, the system comprising:

a plurality of cameras positioned at locations along a route of travel;

at least one image acquisition and detection system coupled to the cameras, the image acquisition and detection system being configured to acquire imagery of vehicles passing along the roadway, to identify individual ones of the vehicles in the acquired imagery and to determine an elapsed time of travel for each of the individual ones of the vehicles between two of the cameras;

a traffic flow data store communicatively coupled to each of the cameras and storing rates of travel for the individual ones of the vehicles for different based upon the elapsed time of travel for the individual ones of the vehicles at different ones of the locations; and

,

traffic flow computation logic coupled to the traffic flow data store, the logic comprising program code enabled to broadcast a rate of travel for at least one of the individually ones of the vehicles to a subscriber for a selected one of the locations.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the program code is further enabled to broadcast acquired imagery for a selected one of the locations to the subscriber.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the program code is further enabled to broadcast an average rate of travel for the vehicles to a subscriber for a selected one of the locations.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the program code is further enabled to broadcast the rate of travel for at least one of the individual ones of the vehicles to a subscriber for a selected one of the locations only when the selected one of the locations is within a planned route of travel for the subscriber.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the route of travel is a roadway.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the route of travel is a waterway.

15. A computer program product comprising a computer usable medium embodying computer usable program code for vehicle traffic flow data acquisition and reporting for onboard vehicle navigation, the computer program product comprising:

computer usable program code for acquiring imagery of multiple vehicles traveling on a route of travel between two locations;

computer usable program code for individually identifying the different vehicles in the imagery and determining an elapsed time of travel for the individually identified vehicles between the two locations;

computer usable program code for computing a rate of travel for each of the individually identified different vehicles based upon the elapsed time of travel; and

,

computer usable program code for broadcasting the rate of travel for at least one of the individually identified different vehicles to a subscriber for at least one of the two locations.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the computer usable program code for broadcasting the rate of travel for at least one of the individually identified different vehicles to a subscriber for at least one of the two locations, comprises computer usable program code for broadcasting an average rate of travel for the individually identified different vehicles to a subscriber for at least one of the two locations based upon the computed rate of travel for each of the individually identified different vehicles.

17. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the computer usable program code for broadcasting the rate of travel for at least one of the individually identified different vehicles to a subscriber for at least one of the two locations, comprises computer usable program code for broadcasting the rate of travel for at least one of the individually identified different vehicles to a subscriber for at least one of the two locations only when the rate of travel falls below a threshold value.

18. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the computer usable program code for broadcasting the rate of travel for at least one of the individually identified different vehicles to a subscriber for at least one of the two locations, comprises computer usable program code for broadcasting the rate of travel for at least one of the individually identified different vehicles to an Internet connected onboard navigation system of a subscriber for at least one of the two locations.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the computer usable program code for broadcasting the rate of travel for at least one of the individually identified different vehicles to a subscriber for at least one of the two locations, comprises computer usable program code for broadcasting the rate of travel for at least one of the individually identified different vehicles to a subscriber for at least one of the two locations only when a planned route of travel in the onboard navigation system includes at least one of two locations.

20. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the computer usable program code for broadcasting the rate of travel for at least one of the individually identified different vehicles to a subscriber for at least one of the two locations, further comprises computer usable program code for additionally broadcasting the acquired imagery to the subscriber.

21. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the computer usable program code for broadcasting the rate of travel for at least one of the individually identified different vehicles to a subscriber for at least one of the two locations, further comprises computer usable program code for additionally broadcasting a weather report for at least one of the two locations.

22. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the computer usable program code for broadcasting the rate of travel for at least one of the individually identified different vehicles to a subscriber for at least one of the two locations, comprises computer usable program code for broadcasting the rate of travel for at least one of the individually identified different vehicles to a subscriber for at least one of the two locations through one of text messaging, a Web page and e-mail.