Retrieving and presenting dynamic traffic information

• US 7,902,997 B2
• Filed: 02/27/2009
• Issued: 03/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: HNTB Holdings Limited
• Original Assignee: HNTB Corporation (HNTB Holdings Limited)
• Inventors: Stehle, Tommy Allen, Pallotto, Terrence Matthew, Simon, Christopher James, Claudon, Timm J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hunnings, Travis R
• Application Number:
  US12/394,964
• Publication Number:
  US 20090160676A1
• Time in Patent Office: 739 Days
• Field of Search: 340/901, 340/907
• US Class Current: 340/905
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0141 for traffic information dissemination

Abstract

A system, a method and computer-readable media for presenting dynamic traffic information. A user profile is stored, and advisory data based on the user profile is gathered. The advisory data may include traffic information associated with road segments identified by the user profile. Upon receiving a user input, the advisory data is presented to a user.

Claims

1. One or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media having computer-useable instructions embodied thereon to perform a method for presenting dynamic traffic information, said method comprising:

by way of an Internet browser, presenting on a computing device a traffic map;

receiving user input via said Internet browser that indicates a selection of one or more road segments displayed on said traffic map, wherein said user input is received by way of a pointing device that is operable to select said one or more road segments on said traffic map;

maintaining a schedule of traffic events that list one or more future events expected to impact traffic conditions;

gathering advisory data based on said user input and said schedule of said traffic events, wherein said advisory data includes predicted traffic occupancy or usage associated with said traffic events on said schedule;

receiving a request from said computing device to present traffic data associated with said one or more road segments;

dynamically generating a web page responsive to said request, and

presenting said web page via said Internet browser, wherein said web page presents at least a portion of said advisory data associated with said one or more road segments.

2. The media of claim 1, wherein said advisory data includes at least one of performance data, traveler alerts and closures data.

3. The media of claim 1, wherein said gathering advisory data includes interacting with a data store over the Internet.

4. The media of claim 1, wherein said method further comprises notifying the user of one or more alerts associated with at least one of said one or more road segments.

5. A system for distributing roadway traffic information, said system comprising:

a data source storing traffic data related to one or more road segments, wherein said traffic data includes at least one of performance data, traveler alerts and closures data for each of at least a portion of said one or more road segments, wherein said data source maintains a schedule of traffic events listing one or more future events expected to impact traffic and stores predicted traffic occupancy or usage generated by predicting the impact of said one or more future events on said traffic conditions; and

an application program configured to store a user profile that identifies selected road segments and to obtain said traffic data associated with the selected road segments from said data source, wherein said application program is configured to present a traffic map and to receive user inputs selecting at least a portion of said one or more road segments displayed on said traffic map, wherein said user inputs are made via mouse clicks selecting road segments on said traffic map;

wherein said application program is further configured to provide a dynamically-generated web page presenting at least a portion of said traffic data associated with said selected road segments, wherein the presented traffic data includes at least a portion of said predicted traffic occupancy or usage and at least a portion of said data indicating future placement of said selected road segments.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein said application program is further configured to provide a user interface for presenting at least a portion of said traffic data in response to a user request.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein said application program is further configured to monitor said traffic data by recurrently communicating with said data source.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein said application program is further configured to notify a user of one or more alerts associated with at least one of the selected road segments.

9. One or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media having computer-useable instructions embodied thereon to perform a method for distributing traffic information, said method comprising:

presenting a traffic map over the Internet with an Internet browser;

receiving user inputs to said Internet browser selecting one or more road segments displayed on said traffic map, wherein said user inputs are made via a pointing device operable to select said one or more road segments on said traffic map;

maintaining a schedule of traffic events listing one or more future events expected to impact traffic conditions, said schedule further listing future placement of at least a portion of one or more road segments;

generating predicted traffic occupancy or usage by predicting the impact of said one or more future events and said future placement on said traffic conditions, wherein said predicted traffic occupancy or usage is stored in a data source;

monitoring said data source to observe one or more alerts associated with at least one of said one or more road segments, wherein at least a portion of said one or more alerts indicate the predicted traffic occupancy or usage; and

when said one or more alerts are observed, notifying the user of said one or more alerts by presenting a dynamically-generated web page indicating at least a portion of said predicted traffic occupancy or usage.

10. The media of claim 9, wherein said user profile includes information related to routes and advisory types.

11. The media of claim 9, wherein at least a portion of said one or more alerts relate to road closures.

12. The media of claim 9, wherein at least a portion of said one or more alerts relate to traffic performance on at least one of said one or more road segments.

13. The media of claim 9, wherein said notifying the user of said one or more alerts includes altering the visual appearance of an icon.

14. The media of claim 9, said notifying the user of said one or more alerts includes generating a message to be sent to said user.

15. The media of claim 9, wherein said monitoring said data source includes periodically communicating with said data source over the Internet.