Distributed system and method for detecting traffic patterns

• US 6,385,531 B2
• Filed: 05/11/2001
• Issued: 05/07/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Day, Paul Reuben, Bates, Cary Lee, Santosuosso, John Matthew, Ryan, Jeffrey Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Beaulieu, Yonel
• Application Number:
  US09/853,558
• Publication Number:
  US 20010027373A1
• Time in Patent Office: 361 Days
• Field of Search: 701/117, 701/118, 701/119, 701/200, 701/207, 701/210, 701/213, 342/46, 342/357.06, 342/357.1, 342/357.01, 340/905, 340/910, 340/988, 340/992
• US Class Current: 701/117
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3492 employing speed data or traffic data, e.g. real-time or historical traffic control systems for road vehicles involving transmission of navigation instructions to the vehicle G08G1/0968
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/01 Detecting movement of traffic to be counted or controlled G08G1/07 - G08G1/14 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096716 where the received information does not generate an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096758 where no selection takes place on the transmitted or the received information
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096791 where the origin of the information is another vehicle

Abstract

A computer system for determining traffic patterns and congestion and using the determined traffic patterns and congestion to determine an appropriate route using a global positioning system and related route map calculator. A vehicle is provided with an onboard computer system adapted to determine travel time of a vehicle in a road segment and calculate a route based on this information. In addition, this information can be distributed to or otherwise shared with other vehicles and similar information can be received from other vehicles to provide a distributed network for generating and sharing experienced traffic patterns. The information can also be used to predict traffic patterns as well.

Claims

1. A computer system disposable on a vehicle, comprising:

(a) one or more traffic information receivers and transmitters configured to receive and transmit traffic condition information;

(b) a system location receiver configured to determine a position of the system; and

(c) a signal processing unit comprising a processor and a memory coupled to the one or more traffic information receivers and transmitters and the system location receiver, wherein the signal processing unit is configured to;

(i) determine a first position and a second position of the system along a road segment;

(ii) determine an elapsed time between the first and second positions of the computer system;

(iii) determine whether the elapsed time indicates a congested traffic condition along the road segment by comparing the elapsed time with a stored time value for the road segment; and

(iv) selectively broadcast traffic condition information for one or more road segments via the one or more traffic information transmitters.

2. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the signal processing unit is further configured to store information about congested traffic conditions along a plurality of road segments.

3. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the one or more traffic information receivers are further configured to receive information about road segments from one or more remote computer systems.

4. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the signal processing unit is further configured to transmit information about the road segment to one or more remote computer systems via the one or more traffic information transmitters.

5. The computer system of claim 2, wherein the signal processing unit is further configured to store the traffic condition information in a database and determine a route using the information stored in the database.

6. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the signal processing unit is configured to selectively broadcast traffic condition information indicating a congested traffic condition for one or more road segments when confirmation information has been received from a remote source indicating that the remote source has detected the congested traffic condition.

7. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the signal processing unit is further configured to determine at least the rate of travel of a vehicle having the computer system disposed thereon and compare the determined rate of travel to an acceptable travel rate to determine if the rate of travel is acceptable;

wherein the signal processing unit is configured to broadcast the traffic condition information via the one or more traffic information transmitters if the rate of travel is not acceptable.

8. The computer system of claim 7, wherein the signal processing unit is coupled to a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver configured to determine a position of the computer system.

9. A method for processing traffic pattern information in a computer system disposed on a first vehicle, comprising:

determining a first position for the first vehicle in a road segment at a first time;

determining a second position for the first vehicle in a road segment at a second time;

determining an elapsed time by comparing the first time and the second time;

determining whether a congested traffic condition exists for the road segment according to the elapsed time; and

determining if congested traffic condition information should be broadcast when the congested traffic condition exists.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein determining the traffic condition comprises comparing the elapsed time to a threshold time.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the threshold time is based on a speed limit and a length for the road segment.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein determining if the congested traffic condition information should be broadcast, comprises:

(i) for each record in the history data structure, determining an arrival time indicating when the road segment could be reached from a current location;

then

(ii) determining for each record if the arrival time is in a time slot for the record; and

(iii) confirming that the records have been verified.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising receiving second hand traffic condition information from a second vehicle.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising calculating a route using the second hand traffic condition information.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the traffic condition information is broadcast if confirmation information has been received from at least one second vehicle indicating that the second vehicle has experience the congested traffic condition.

16. A signal-bearing medium containing a program which, when executed by one or more processors, performs the steps comprising:

determining a first position for a first vehicle in a road segment at a first time;

determining a second position for the first vehicle in a road segment at a second time;

determining an elapsed time by comparing the first time and the second time; and

determining whether a congested traffic condition exists for the road segment according to the elapsed time; and

determining whether congested traffic condition information should be broadcast when the congested traffic condition exists.

17. The signal-bearing medium of claim 16, wherein the determining the first and second positions is accomplished using a Global Positioning System (GPS).

18. The signal-bearing medium of claim 16, wherein determining whether the congested traffic condition exist comprises comparing the elapsed time to a threshold time.

19. The signal-bearing medium of claim 18, wherein the threshold time is based on a speed limit and a length for the road segment.

20. The signal-bearing medium of claim 16, wherein the traffic condition information is broadcast if confirmation information has been received from a remote source indicating that the remote source has detected the congested traffic condition.

21. The signal-bearing medium of claim 16, further comprising, prior to determining whether congested traffic condition information should be broadcast:

if the congested traffic condition exists, storing the congested traffic condition information in a history data structure as a first hand history information record;

receiving second hand congested traffic condition information from one or more remote sources; and

storing the second hand congested traffic condition information in the history data structure as a second hand history information record.

22. The signal-bearing medium of claim 21, wherein determining whether to broadcast the congested traffic condition information, comprises:

(i) for each record in the history data structure, determining an arrival time indicating when the road segment could be reached from a current location;

then

(ii) determining for each record if the arrival time is in a time slot for the record; and

(iii) confirming that the records have been verified.

23. The signal-bearing medium of claim 21, further comprising:

if the congested traffic condition exists, storing the congested traffic condition information in a first data structure as first hand history information;

moving the history information from the first data structure to a second data structure when a threshold condition exists; and

determining whether to broadcast the information contained in the second data structure.

24. The signal-bearing medium of claim 23, wherein the threshold condition exists if a time expiration event has occurred.

25. The signal-bearing medium of claim 21, further comprising receiving second hand traffic condition information from a second vehicle.

26. The signal-bearing medium of claim 25, further comprising calculating a route using the second hand traffic condition information.

27. A method for processing traffic pattern information in a computer system disposed on a first vehicle, comprising:

determining that a congested traffic condition exists in a road segment; and

determining whether confirmation information has been received from at least one second vehicle indicating that the second vehicle has experienced the congested traffic condition; and

if the confirmation information has been received, broadcasting the congested traffic condition information.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein determining that the congested traffic condition exists in a road segment comprises comparing a time to travel through the road segment to a threshold time.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the threshold time is based on a speed limit and a length for the road segment.