System and method for exchanging positioning information between vehicles in order to estimate road traffic

• US 7,930,094 B2
• Filed: 04/25/2007
• Issued: 04/19/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyndryl Incorporated
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Clement, Jean-Yves, Marmigere, Gerard, Bauchot, Frederic, Secondo, Pierre
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Kim T
• Application Number:
  US11/739,951
• Publication Number:
  US 20080065311A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,455 Days
• Field of Search: 701117-119, 701/200, 701/207, 701/208, 701/212, 701/213, 340988-990, 340/992, 340/995.1, 340/995.12, 340/995.13, 340/995.17
• US Class Current: 701/117
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0104 Measuring and analyzing of parameters relative to traffic conditions
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/163 involving continuous checking

Abstract

The present invention discloses a method, system and computer program embarked in a vehicle, for estimating traffic conditions based on positioning information exchanged with other vehicles using wireless communication. A method in accordance with an embodiment of the invention includes: receiving positioning information repeatedly broadcast by at least one vehicle, the positioning information for each vehicle including: information related to a current location of the vehicle; and information identifying the vehicle; calculating based on at least two successive locations of a same identified vehicle, a current speed and a current direction for the vehicle; and estimating current traffic conditions based on current location, speed and direction of identified vehicles.

Claims

1. A method for estimating a current traffic condition based on positioning information exchanged between vehicles using wireless communication, the method comprising:

receiving, using a wireless communication system, positioning information repeatedly broadcast by a plurality of vehicles, the positioning information for each vehicle comprising;

information related to a current location of the vehicle; and

information identifying the vehicle;

storing, using a cartographic information repository, the positioning information for each vehicle;

calculating, using a micro-controller, based on at least two successive locations of the same identified vehicle, a current speed and a current direction for the same identified vehicle;

estimating, using the micro-controller, the current traffic condition based on the current location, the current speed and the direction of each identified vehicle; and

adjusting a sensitivity for the receiving when a quantity of the plurality of vehicles exceeds a threshold.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising, for each vehicle:

repeatedly determining the current location of the vehicle; and

broadcasting to other vehicles the positioning information comprising;

the information related to the determined current location; and

the identifying information.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the information related to the current location of the vehicle further comprises:

a current latitude of the vehicle; and

a current longitude of the vehicle.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the position information broadcast to other vehicles comprises a time associated with the current location of the vehicle.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein receiving positioning information repeatedly broadcast by other vehicles, further comprises:

associating a respective current time with each received positioning information.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the calculating further comprises, for each received positioning information:

identifying at least one previously recorded positioning information for the same identified vehicle;

calculating the current speed and the current direction of each identified vehicle based on the current location and at least one previous location of each identified vehicle; and

recording the current positioning information with the current speed and current direction of each identified vehicle.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein estimating the current traffic condition further comprises:

representing each identified vehicle on a geographical map with an indication of its respective speed and direction.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein estimating the current traffic condition further comprises:

aggregating the positioning information of the identified vehicles within geographical zones; and

representing the aggregated positioning information on a map.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein estimating current traffic information further comprises:

generating navigation information based on the estimated current traffic condition.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein estimating the current traffic condition further comprises:

alerting a driver of an occurrence of predefined abnormal traffic conditions.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein estimating the current traffic condition further comprises:

recording successive traffic conditions to determine an evolution of the traffic conditions over time.

12. A system for use in a vehicle for estimating a current traffic condition based on a positioning information exchanged between vehicles using wireless communication, comprising:

at least one traffic manager device including;

a system for receiving the positioning information repeatedly broadcast by a plurality of vehicles, the positioning information for each vehicle comprising;

the information related to the current location of the vehicle; and

the information identifying the vehicle;

a system for storing the positioning information for each vehicle;

a system for calculating based on at least two successive locations of the same identified vehicle, a current speed and a current direction for the same identified vehicle;

a system for estimating the current traffic condition based on the current location, the current speed and the direction of each identified vehicle; and

a system for adjusting a sensitivity for the receiving system when a quantity of the plurality of vehicles exceeds a threshold.

13. The system according to claim 12, further comprising, for each vehicle:

a system for repeatedly determining the current location of the vehicle; and

a system for broadcasting to other vehicles the positioning information comprising;

information related to the determined current location; and

the identifying information.

14. The system according to claim 12, wherein the information related to the current location of the vehicle further comprises:

a current latitude of the vehicle; and

a current longitude of the vehicle.

15. The system according to claim 12, wherein the position information broadcast to other vehicles comprises a time associated with the current location of the vehicle.

16. The system according to claim 12, wherein the system for receiving positioning information repeatedly broadcast by other vehicles further comprises:

a system for associating a respective current time with each received positioning information.

17. The system according to claim 12, wherein the system for calculating is configured, for each received positioning information, to:

identify at least one previously recorded positioning information for the same identified vehicle;

calculate the current speed and the current direction of each identified vehicle based on the current location and at least one previous location of the each identified vehicle; and

record the current positioning information with the current speed and current direction of each identified vehicle.

18. The system according to claim 12, wherein the system for estimating the current traffic condition further comprises:

a system for representing each identified vehicle on a geographical map with an indication of its respective speed and direction.

19. The system according to claim 12, wherein the system for estimating the current traffic condition further comprises:

a system for aggregating the positioning information of the identified vehicles within geographical zones; and

a system for representing the aggregated positioning information on a map.

20. The system according to claim 12, wherein the system for estimating current traffic information further comprises:

a system for generating navigation information based on the estimated current traffic condition.

21. The system according to claim 12, wherein the system for estimating the current traffic condition further comprises:

a system for alerting a driver of an occurrence of predefined abnormal traffic conditions.

22. The system according to claim 12, wherein the system for estimating the current traffic condition further comprises:

a system for recording successive traffic conditions to determine an evolution of the traffic conditions over time.

23. A program product stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium, which when executed, estimates a current traffic condition based on a positioning information exchanged between vehicles using wireless communication, the computer readable medium comprising program code for:

receiving, using a receiving device, positioning information repeatedly broadcast by a plurality of vehicles, the positioning information for each vehicle comprising;

information related to a current location of the vehicle; and

information identifying the vehicle;

storing the positioning information for each vehicle;

calculating, using a computing device, based on at least two successive locations of the same identified vehicle, a current speed and a current direction for the same identified vehicle;

estimating, using the computing device, the current traffic condition based on the current location, the current speed and the direction of each identified vehicle; and

adjusting a sensitivity for the receiving when a quantity of the plurality of vehicles exceeds a threshold.