Method and Apparatus for Conveying Vehicle Driving Information

• US 20110153742A1
• Filed: 12/23/2009
• Published: 06/23/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Earth Networks Incorporated
• Original Assignee: AWS Convergence Technologies Incorporated
• Inventors: Marshall, Robert S., Sloop, Christopher Dale
• Granted Patent: US 8,655,951 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/204
• 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 1/096716 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 1/096775 where the origin of the information is a central station

Abstract

Described are methods and apparatuses, including computer program products, for conveying vehicle driving information. A hazard index indicating a level of driving safety is generated for a plurality of road segments. The generating comprises determining a hazard value for each of the plurality of road segments based on weather conditions data associated with the road segments, road conditions data associated with the road segments, and physical attributes of the road segments, and assigning the hazard value to the associated road segment. Location data associated with a remote device is received. Hazard information associated with one or more of the plurality of road segments and based on the location data and the hazard index is transmitted.

Claims

1. A method for conveying vehicle driving information comprising:

generating, by a server computing device, a hazard index for a plurality of road segments, wherein the hazard index indicates a level of driving safety, the generating comprising;

determining a hazard value for each of the plurality of road segments based on (i) weather conditions data associated with the road segments, (ii) road conditions data associated with the road segments, and (iii) physical attributes of the road segments; and

assigning the hazard value to the corresponding road segment;

receiving, by the server computing device, location data associated with a remote device; and

transmitting, to the remote device, hazard information associated with one or more of the plurality of road segments based on the location data and the hazard index.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the physical attributes of the road segments include road surface composition, solar orientation, topography, or any combination thereof.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the road conditions data associated with the road segments include temperature of the road surface, accumulation of precipitation on the road surface, accumulation of film on the road surface, level of salinity associated with the road surface, or any combination thereof.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the generating a hazard index includes assigning an identifier to each of the one or more road segments.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating a hazard zone based on the hazard index, wherein the hazard zone comprises a geographical area in proximity to a weather event.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the hazard information is transmitted to the remote device when the received location data is associated with a road segment within the hazard zone.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the geographical area includes locations at a predetermined distance from the location of the weather event.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the hazard index is updated at regular intervals.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the hazard index is updated every minute.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the hazard information includes one or more hazard values, one or more alert messages, one or more graphical representations of the road segments, or any combination thereof.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the one or more graphical representations include a road map.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the road map includes one or more road segments colored to indicate the assigned hazard value.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the one or more graphical representations include a grid.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the grid includes one or more sections colored to indicate the assigned hazard value.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the one or more graphical representations includes a text table.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the text table includes driving directions colored to indicate the assigned hazard value.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the weather conditions data includes a time value associated with a weather event.

18. The method of claim 1, the determining a hazard value comprising weighing factors associated with the weather conditions data, the road conditions data, and the physical attributes of the road segments according to a predefined algorithm.

19. The method of claim 1, the generating a hazard index further comprising:

determining a predicted hazard value for each of the plurality of road segments associated with the location data, wherein the predicted hazard value is based on the weather conditions data associated with the road segments, the road conditions data associated with the road segments, and the physical attributes of the road segments, and

assigning the predicted hazard value to each of the plurality of road segments.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the location data comprises global positioning information.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the global positioning information includes a latitude-longitude bounding box.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein the road segments represent segments of major highways and secondary highways.

23. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing the hazard index in a storage device.

24. A system for conveying vehicle driving information comprising:

a data processing apparatus configured to;

generate a hazard index for a plurality of road segments, wherein the hazard index indicates a level of driving safety, the generating comprising;

determining a hazard value for each of the plurality of road segments based on (i) weather conditions data associated with the road segments, (ii) road conditions data associated with the road segments, and (iii) physical attributes of the road segments; and

assigning the hazard value to the corresponding road segment;

receive location data associated with a remote device; and

transmit hazard information associated with one or more of the plurality of road segments based on the location data and the hazard index.

25. A system for conveying vehicle driving information comprising:

means for generating a hazard index for a plurality of road segments, wherein the hazard index indicates a level of driving safety, the generating comprising;

determining a hazard value for each of the plurality of road segments based on (i) weather conditions data associated with the road segments, ii) road conditions data associated with the road segments, and (iii) physical attributes of the road segments; and

assigning the hazard value to the corresponding road segment;

means for receiving location data associated with a remote device; and

means for transmitting hazard information associated with one or more of the plurality of road segments based on the location data and the hazard index.

26. A computer program product, tangibly embodied in a computer readable storage medium, for conveying vehicle driving information, the computer program product including instructions operable to cause a data processing apparatus to:

generate a hazard index for a plurality of road segments, wherein the hazard index indicates a level of driving safety, the generating comprising;

determining a hazard value for each of the plurality of road segments based on (i) weather conditions data associated with the road segments, ii) road conditions data associated with the road segments, and (iii) physical attributes of the road segments; and

assigning the hazard value to the corresponding road segment;

receive location data associated with a remote device; and

transmit hazard information associated with one or more of the plurality of road segments based on the location data and the hazard index.

27. A method for receiving vehicle driving information comprising:

transmitting, from a remote device, location data to a server computing device; and

receiving hazard information associated with associated with one or more road segments, the hazard information based on the location data and a hazard index generated by the server computing device.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising displaying at least a portion of the hazard information on a display associated with the remote device.