Systems, methods, and data structures for correcting traffic information

• US 7,672,775 B2
• Filed: 12/03/2004
• Issued: 03/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/26/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: Ishikawa, Hiroki, Zaitsu, Tomoyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; Khoi
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kiswanto; Nicholas
• Application Number:
  US11/002,491
• Publication Number:
  US 20050143908A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,915 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 701/119
• 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 1/096741 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

Systems, methods, and data structures for correcting traffic information data may accumulate traffic information data including, for each link, a link travel time during at least one trip time. The systems, methods, and data structures may convert the link travel time into a vehicle speed and correct the converted vehicle speed if a the vehicle speed or a first speed change amount is equal to or larger than a predetermined value.

Claims

1. A method of correcting traffic information, comprising:

accumulating traffic information including, for each link, a link travel time and a trip time at which traveling will take place;

converting the link travel time into a vehicle speed;

calculating, as a first speed change amount, a difference between a first converted vehicle speed and a second converted vehicle speed at a predetermined time prior to the first converted vehicle speed;

comparing an absolute value of the first speed change amount to a predetermined value;

correcting the first converted vehicle speed if the absolute value of the first speed change amount is equal to or larger than the predetermined value; and

converting a corrected first converted vehicle speed into a corrected link travel time;

wherein the traffic information is accumulated in a memory in the accumulating step and the remaining steps are executed by a controller.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

calculating, as a second speed change amount, a difference between the first converted vehicle speed and a third converted vehicle speed at a predetermined time subsequent to the first converted vehicle speed;

comparing the absolute value of the first speed change amount to an absolute value of the second speed change amount; and

correcting the first converted vehicle speed based on the absolute value of the first speed change amount and the absolute value of the second speed change amount.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein, if the first speed change amount and the second speed change amount are identical in direction of change, the method further comprises:

correcting the first converted vehicle speed to a value obtained by adding the predetermined value to the second vehicle speed at the predetermined time prior to the first converted vehicle speed.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein, if the first speed change amount and the second speed change amount are not identical in direction of change, the method further comprises:

correcting the first converted vehicle speed as an arithmetic mean of at least two vehicle speeds that precede or follow the first converted vehicle speed.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

correcting the first converted vehicle speed to a value obtained by adding the predetermined value to the second vehicle speed at the predetermined time prior to the first converted vehicle speed.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

correcting the first converted vehicle speed as an arithmetic mean of at least two vehicle speeds that precede or follow the first converted vehicle speed.

7. A computer-readable storage medium storing a set of computer-readable program instructions executable on a data processing device and usable to correct traffic information, the program comprising:

instructions for accumulating traffic information including, for each link, a link travel time and a trip time at which traveling will take place;

instructions for converting the link travel time into a vehicle speed;

instructions for calculating, as a first speed change amount, a difference between a first converted vehicle speed and a second converted vehicle speed at a predetermined time prior to the first converted vehicle speed;

instructions for comparing an absolute value of the first speed change amount to a predetermined value;

instructions for correcting the first converted vehicle speed if the absolute value of the first speed change amount is equal to or larger than the predetermined value; and

instructions for converting a corrected first converted vehicle speed into a corrected link travel time.

8. A method of correcting traffic information, comprising:

accumulating traffic information including, for each link, a link travel time and a trip time at which traveling will take place;

converting the link travel time into a vehicle speed;

determining that the vehicle speed is abnormal if the vehicle speed is larger than a predetermined value;

replacing an abnormal vehicle speed with the predetermined value; and

converting a replaced vehicle speed into a corrected link travel time;

wherein the traffic information is accumulated in a memory in the accumulating step and the remaining steps are executed by a controller.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the predetermined value is related to a road type.

10. A computer-readable storage medium storing a set of computer-readable program instructions executable on a data processing device and usable to correct traffic information, the program comprising:

instructions for accumulating traffic information including, for each link, a link travel time and a trip time at which traveling will take place;

instructions for converting the link travel time into a vehicle speed;

instructions for determining that the vehicle speed is abnormal if the vehicle speed is larger than a predetermined value;

instructions for replacing an abnormal vehicle speed with the predetermined value; and

instructions for converting a replaced vehicle speed into a corrected link travel time.

11. A system for correcting traffic information, comprising:

a memory that accumulates traffic information including, for each link, a link travel time and a trip time at which traveling will take place; and

a controller that;

converts the link travel time into a vehicle speed;

calculates, as a first speed change amount, a difference between a first converted vehicle speed and a second converted vehicle speed at a predetermined time prior to the first converted vehicle speed;

compares an absolute value of the first speed change amount to a predetermined value;

corrects the first converted vehicle speed if the absolute value of the first speed change amount is equal to or larger than the predetermined value; and

converts a corrected first converted vehicle speed into a corrected link travel time.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the controller:

calculates, as a second speed change amount, a difference between the first converted vehicle speed and a third converted vehicle speed at a predetermined time subsequent to the first converted vehicle speed;

compares the absolute value of the first speed change amount to an absolute value of the second speed change amount; and

corrects the first converted vehicle speed based on the absolute value of the first speed change amount and the absolute value of the second speed change amount.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein, if the first speed change amount and the second speed change amount are identical in direction of change, the controller:

corrects the first converted vehicle speed to a value obtained by adding the predetermined value to the second vehicle speed at the predetermined time prior to the first converted vehicle speed.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein, if the first speed change amount and the second speed change amount are not identical in direction of change, the controller:

corrects the first converted vehicle speed as an arithmetic mean of at least two vehicle speeds that precede or follow the first converted vehicle speed.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the controller:

corrects the first converted vehicle speed to a value obtained by adding the predetermined value to the second vehicle speed at the predetermined time prior to the first converted vehicle speed.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the controller:

corrects the first converted vehicle speed as an arithmetic mean of at least two vehicle speeds that precede or follow the first converted vehicle speed.