Instantaneous traffic monitoring system

• US 6,236,933 B1
• Filed: 11/23/1999
• Issued: 05/22/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 11/23/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Inrix Incorporated
• Original Assignee: InfoMove.com, Inc.
• Inventors: Lang, Brook
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuchlinski, Jr., William A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Beaulieu, Yonel
• Application Number:
  US09/447,283
• Time in Patent Office: 546 Days
• Field of Search: 701/117, 701/118, 701/119, 701/211, 701/121, 701/23, 701/24, 701/25, 701/26, 342/357.13, 342/450, 342/454, 340/905, 340/907, 340/910, 340/988, 340/993, 340/994, 340/990, 379/58, 379/59, 455/33.1, 370/312
• US Class Current: 701/117
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0104 Measuring and analyzing of parameters relative to traffic conditions
• 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

A system for instantaneously monitoring traffic congestion including a plurality of monitoring electronic devices located in motor vehicles traveling on roadways in a selected region. Each monitoring electronic device is coupled to a GPS receiver that provides physical location to a wireless modem capable of connecting to a wireless communication network. The system also includes a central computer connected to a wide area network that is able of continuously downloading physical location information from a plurality of monitoring electronic devices also connected to the wide area network. The central computer uses a traffic monitoring software program and a mapping database containing roadway information for a region and the movement information from the monitoring electronic devices to create a continuously updated traffic congestion database. Authorized users of the system are able to log onto the central computer to a portion of the database that contains specific traffic flow and congestion information. Using the system, users are also able to obtain estimated times of arrival for a specific trip, and recommendations on alternative route information. The system can also take into consideration current or anticipated events that may affect traffic congestion.

Claims

1. A traffic monitoring system for a selected region, comprising:

a. a plurality of monitoring electronic devices, each said monitoring electronic device being located in a motor vehicle traveling in a selected region;

b. a physical location detecting means coupled to each said monitoring electronic device, said physical location detecting means being used to determine the physical location of each said monitoring electronic device;

c. a velocity determining means for determining the velocity of a motor vehicle containing each said monitoring electronic device;

d. a wireless communication means connected to said monitoring electronic device enabling each said monitoring electronic device to connect to a wireless communication network;

e. a wireless communication network located around a region;

f. a wide area network;

g. a central computer connected to said wide area network, said central computer being to used receive said physical location and velocity information from a plurality of said monitoring electronic devices located in motor vehicles in a region and connected to said wide area network by said wireless communication means;

h. a map database connected to said central computer, and;

i. a traffic monitoring software program connected to said central computer, said traffic monitoring software program being used to collect said physical location and velocity information and said map database to create a traffic congestion database for the region, a portion of said traffic congestion database being transmitted over said wide area network and said wireless communication means to each said monitoring electronic devices.

2. The traffic monitoring system, as recited in claim 1, further including a roadway specific database, said roadway specific database including specific information of selected roadways in a region, said specific information including the speed limit and the number and types of lanes on a roadway.

3. The traffic monitoring system, as recited in claim 1, further including a user route database connected to said central computer, said user route database containing specific route information which may be selected by the user to request traffic congestion information on specific routes.

4. The traffic monitoring system, as recited in claim 1, further including means to provide comparative traffic congestion data for alternative routes.

5. The traffic monitoring system, as recited in claim 1, further including means to calculate the estimated times of arrival for a selected route.

6. The traffic monitoring system, as recited in claim 1, further including a traffic events database connected to said central computer, said traffic events database containing event information that affects traffic on selected roadways in a region.

7. The traffic monitoring system, as recited in claim 1, further including an other sources traffic database containing traffic congestion information from outside sources.

8. The traffic monitoring system, as recited in claim 1, further including means on each said monitoring device to manually input traffic data to said central computer.

9. The traffic monitoring system, as recited in claim 1, wherein said traffic congestion information is continuously sent to each said monitoring electronic device.

10. The traffic monitoring system, as recited in claim 1 wherein said physical location detecting means is a GPS receiver used in a GPS network.

11. The traffic monitoring system, as recited in claim 1, wherein said wireless communication means is a wireless modem for communicating with said wireless communication network.

12. The traffic monitoring system, as recited in claim 1, further including a client-side software program loaded into each said monitoring electronic device and a server side software program loaded into said central computer to enable said monitoring electronic device to communicate with said central computer.

13. The traffic monitoring system, as recited in claim 1, wherein said traffic congestion information transmitted to said monitoring electronic devices includes flow information of a specific lane of traffic on a selected roadway.

14. The traffic monitoring system, as recited in claim 1, further including a plurality of non-monitoring electronic devices, each said non-monitoring electronic device including a wireless communication means enabling each said non-monitoring electronic device to connect over said wireless communication network and said wide area network to said central computer to download said traffic congestion information therefrom.

15. The traffic monitoring system, as recited in claim 14, wherein said non-monitoring electronic device is connected to a wireless modem for connecting to a wireless communication network.

16. A traffic monitoring system, comprising:

a. a plurality of monitoring electronic devices, each said monitoring electronic device being located in a motor vehicle traveling in a selected region;

b. a physical location detecting means coupled to each said monitoring electronic device, said physical location detecting means being used to determine the physical location of each said monitoring electronic device;

c. a velocity determining means for determining the velocity of a motor vehicle containing each said monitoring electronic device;

d. a wireless communication means connected to each said monitoring electronic device enabling each said monitoring electronic device to connect to a wireless communication network;

e. a wireless communication network located around a region;

f. a wide area network;

g. a central computer connected to said wide area network, said central computer being used to receive said physical location from a plurality of said monitoring electronic devices located in motor vehicles in a region and connected to said wide area network by said wireless communication means;

h. a map database connected to said central computer,

i. a user route database containing selected route information for users of said system;

j. means to calculate the estimated times of arrival for a selected route, and;

k. a traffic monitoring software program connected to said central computer, said traffic monitoring software program being used to collect said physical location and velocity information and said map database to create a traffic congestion database for the region, a portion of said traffic congestion database being transmitted over said wide area network to a plurality of said monitoring electronic devices.

17. The traffic monitoring system, as recited in claim 16, further including means to provide comparative traffic congestion data for alternative routes.

18. The traffic monitoring system, as recited in claim 16, further including a traffic events database connected to said computer, said traffic event database containing event information that affects traffic on selected roadways in a region.

19. The traffic monitoring system, as recited in claim 16, further including an other sources traffic database containing traffic congestion information from outside sources.

20. The traffic monitoring system, as recited in claim 16, further including a means on each said monitoring electronic device to manually input traffic data to said central computer.

21. The traffic monitoring system, as recited in claim 16, wherein said traffic congestion information is continuously sent to at least one said monitoring electronic device.

22. The traffic monitoring system, as recited in claim 16, wherein said physical location detecting means is a GPS receiver used in a GPS network.

23. The traffic monitoring system, as recited in claim 16, wherein said wireless communication means is a wireless modem for communicating with said wireless communication network.

24. The traffic monitoring system, as recited in claim 16, further including a client-side software program loaded into each said monitoring electronic device and a server-side software program loaded into said central computer to enable said monitoring electronic device to communicate with said central computer.

25. The traffic monitoring system, as recited in claim 16, wherein said traffic congestion information transmitted to said monitoring electronic device includes flow information of a specific lane of traffic on a selected roadway.

26. A traffic monitoring system, comprising;

a. a wireless communication network;

b. a wide area network connected to said wireless communication means;

c. a central computer connected to said wide area network;

d. a plurality of electronic devices each having means to connect to said central computer over said wireless communication network and said wide area network, each said electronic device being located in a motor vehicle traveling on a roadway in a selected region;

e. a means to collect and transmit movement information of each said electronic device to said central computer;

f. a map database connected to said central computer,

g. a traffic monitoring software program connected to said central computer, said traffic monitoring software program being used to collect said movement information from a plurality of motor vehicles and incorporating said movement information with said map database to create a traffic congestion database for a region, a portion of said traffic congestion database being selectively transmitted over said wide area network to said electronic devices connected thereto.

27. The traffic monitoring system as recited in claim 26, wherein said central computer is using said traffic monitoring software program to constantly collect, process, and transmit traffic congestion information.

28. The traffic monitoring system, as recited in claim 27, further including a user route database containing selected route information.

29. The traffic monitoring system, as recited in claim 28, further including means to recommend alternative routes from said user route database.