Data fusion process for an in-vehicle traffic congestion information system

• US 5,173,691 A
• Filed: 07/26/1990
• Issued: 12/22/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Farradyne Systems Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Farradyne Systems Incorporated
• Inventors: Sumner, Roy L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Crosland, Donnie L.
• Application Number:
  US07/557,741
• Time in Patent Office: 880 Days
• Field of Search: 340/905, 340/910, 340/934, 340/990, 340/995, 364/424.01, 364/436, 364/437, 364/438
• US Class Current: 340/905
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0104 Measuring and analyzing of parameters relative to traffic conditions
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096716 where the received information does not generate an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/09675 where a selection from the received information takes place in the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096775 where the origin of the information is a central station

Abstract

The In-Vehicle Traffic Congestion Information System (ICI system) consists of a technique to provide real-time traffic congestion data to drivers of suitably equipped vehicles. The ICI system includes apparatus for gathering and formatting data at a central location, transmitting the data to vehicles, processing data in the vehicles and presenting it to the drivers. The ICI system design provides inputs for a wide range of data sources at a central location where, through a data fusion process, information from a range of sources may be accumulated and aggregated into a single congestion level data value for each section of road. In the vehicles, a range of options may be available for presenting relevant congestion data to the driver including text, voice and map displays.

Claims

1. In an in-vehicle traffic congestion information system, a method of processing traffic congestion data comprising the steps of:

inputting raw traffic congestion data from at least one traffic congestion data source;

processing said raw traffi congestion data from at least one traffic congestion data source to product at least one traffic congestion value indicative of a level of traffic congestion for a predetermined section of roadway;

assigning a score indicative of the reliability of said at least one traffic congestion data source to said at least one traffic congestion value; and

selecting a traffic congestion value for a predetermined section of roadway from said at least one traffic congestion data source determined to have a highest score.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said at least one traffic congestion data source comprises a freeway traffic computer.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said at least one traffic congestion data source comprises an arterial and street traffic computer.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said at least one traffic congestion data source comprises a navigation computer.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said at least one traffic congestion data source comprises manually entered data.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said at least one traffic congestion data source comprises stored data derived from historical reporting of traffic congestion data.

7. In an in-vehicle traffic congestion information system, a method of processing traffic congestion data comprising the steps of:

inputting raw traffic congestion data from at least one traffic congestion data source;

processing said raw traffic congestion data from at least one traffic congestion data source to produce at least one traffic congestion value indicative of a level of traffic congestion for a predetermined section of roadway;

assigning a score indicative of the reliability of said at least one traffic congestion data source to said at least one traffic congestion value;

assigning an aging factor to said at least one traffic congestion data source, said aging factor indicative of the reliability of said at least one traffic congestion data source over a period of time;

decrementing over a period of time as a function of said aging factor the score indicative of the reliability of said at least one traffic congestion data source to produce a decremented score; and

selecting a traffic congestion value for a predetermined section of roadway from said at least one traffic congestion data soucre determined to have a decremented highest score.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein said decrementing step comprises the step of linearly decrementing over a period of times as a function of said aging factor the score indicative of the reliability of said at least one traffic congestion data source to produce a decremented score.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein said aging factor is equal to the number of minutes said a least one traffic congestion data source is considered to be reliable.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein said decrementing step comprises the step of multiplying a score by an aging quotient, said aging quotient defined by the following equation:

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">aging quotient=[1-n/(aging factor)]

where n equals the number of minutes which have elapsed since data from said at least one traffic congestion data source has been input.

11. In an in-vehicle traffic congestion information system, a method of processing traffic congestion data comprising the steps of:

inputting raw traffic congestion data from at least one traffic congestion data source;

processing said raw traffic congestion data from at least one traffic congestion data source to produce at least one traffic congestion value indicative of a level of traffic congestion for a predetermined section of roadway;

assigning a score indicative of the reliability of said at least one traffic congestion data source to said at least one traffic congestion value;

assigning a weighting factor to a score indicative of the reliability of said at least one traffic congestion data source, said weighting factor being a function of the traffic congestion value represented by each score;

multiplying said score by said weighting factor to produce a weighted score; and

selecting a traffic congestion value for a predetermined section of roadway from said at least one traffic congestion data source determined to have a highest weighted score.

12. In an in-vehicle traffic congestion information system, a method of processing traffic congestion data comprising the steps of:

inputting raw traffic congestion data from at least one traffic congestion data source;

processing said raw traffic congestion data from at least one traffic congestion data source to produce at least one traffic congestion value indicative of a level of traffic congestion for a predetermined section of roadway;

assigning a score indicative of the reliability of said at least one traffic congestion data source to said at least one traffic congestion value;

assigning a weighting factor to a score indicative of the reliability of said at least one traffic congestion data source, said weighting factor being a function of the traffic congestion value represented by each score;

multiplying said score by said weighting factor to produce a weighted score;

assigning an aging factor to said at least one traffic congestion data source, said aging factor indicative of the reliability of said at least one traffic congestion data source over a period of time;

decrementing over a period of time as a function of said aging factor the weighted score indicative of the reliability of said at least one traffic congestion data source to produce a decremented weighted score; and

selecting the traffic congestion value for a predetermined section of roadway from said at least one traffic congestion data source determined to have a highest decremented weighted score.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein said decrementing step comprises the step of linearly decrementing over a period of time as a function of said aging factor the weighted score indicative of the reliability of said at least one traffic congestion data source to produce a decremented weighted score.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein said aging factor is equal to the number of minutes said at least one traffic congestion data source is considered to be reliable.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein said decrementing step comprises the step of multiplying a weighted score by an aging quotient, said aging quotient defined by the following equation:

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">aging quotient=[1-n/(aging factor)]

where n equals the number of minutes which have elapsed since data from said at least one traffic congestion data source has been input.