Live traffic congestion detection

• US 8,532,914 B2
• Filed: 11/11/2011
• Issued: 09/10/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/11/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Ren, Dahai
• Primary Examiner(s): Cheung, Mary
• Assistant Examiner(s): BERNS, MICHAEL ANDREW
• Application Number:
  US13/294,662
• Publication Number:
  US 20130124073A1
• Time in Patent Office: 669 Days
• Field of Search: 701/118, 701/117, 701/119
• US Class Current: 701/118
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3415 Dynamic re-routing, e.g. recalculating the route when the user deviates from calculated route or after detecting real-time traffic data or accidents
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3694 Output thereof on a road map
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/00 Traffic control systems for road vehicles arrangement of road signs or traffic signals E01F9/00 ; automatic vehicle control B62D
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0112 from the vehicle, e.g. floating car data [FCD]

Abstract

A server device may receive information related to traffic congestion on a road at a particular geographic location; analyze the information to identify an occurrence of congestion at the particular geographic location; request additional information from a first user device that is within a particular distance from the particular geographic location; receive the additional information from the first user device; receive, from a second user device, a request for congestion information associated with the particular geographic location; and provide, to the second user device, at least a portion of the additional information received from the first user device.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, by one or more server devices, information related to traffic congestion on a road at a particular geographic location;

analyzing, by the one or more server devices, the information to identify an occurrence of congestion at the particular geographic location;

requesting, based on identifying the occurrence of congestion and by the one or more server devices, additional information regarding the occurrence of congestion from a first user device that is within a particular distance from the particular geographic location;

receiving, by the one or more server devices, the additional information from the first user device,

where the additional information, received from the first user device, includes content provided or captured via user input at the first user device,

where the content includes at least one of;

a picture associated with the occurrence of congestion,

a video associated with the occurrence of congestion, or

audio associated with the occurrence of congestion;

receiving, by the one or more server devices and from a second user device, a request for congestion information associated with the particular geographic location; and

providing, by the one or more server devices and to the second user device, at least a portion of the additional information received from the first user device.

2. The method of claim 1, where the received information related to traffic congestion includes:

information identifying an average speed of automobiles at the particular geographic location, and

where analyzing the information to identify the occurrence of congestion includes;

determining that the average speed is below a threshold speed.

3. The method of claim 2, where the average speed of automobiles is an average speed of automobiles traveling in a first direction, where the average speed does not include an average speed of automobiles traveling in a second direction that is different from the first direction.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

storing information identifying a speed limit associated with the road at the particular geographic location, where the threshold speed is based on the speed limit associated with the road at the particular geographic location.

5. The method of claim 1, where the received information related to traffic congestion includes:

visual information, and

where analyzing the information to identify the occurrence of congestion includes;

performing an image analysis on the visual information in order to determine that a density of automobiles, in the visual information, is above a threshold density.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

periodically receiving geographic location information corresponding to a plurality of user devices; and

identifying, by the one or more server devices, based on the periodically received location information, that the first user device is within the particular distance from the particular geographic location,

where requesting the additional information from the first user device is performed based on identifying that the first user device is within the particular distance from the particular geographic location.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

identifying, by the one or more server devices and based on the periodically received location information, that a third user device, that is different from the first user device, is not within the particular distance from the particular geographic location,

forgoing requesting additional information from the third user device based on identifying that the third user device is not within the particular distance from the particular geographic location.

8. The method of claim 1, where the request from the second user device includes information identifying a first route that includes the particular geographic location and another geographic location corresponding to a destination, the method further comprising:

identifying a second route that corresponds to the destination, where the second route bypasses at least a portion of the road corresponding to the particular geographic location; and

providing information, that identifies the second route, to the second user device.

9. A system, comprising:

one or more memory devices storing computer-executable instructions; and

one or more processors to execute the computer-executable instructions to;

receive information related to traffic congestion on a road at a particular geographic location;

analyze the information to identify an occurrence of congestion at the particular geographic location;

request, based on identifying the occurrence of congestion, additional information regarding the occurrence of congestion from a first user device that is within a particular distance from the particular geographic location;

receive the additional information from the first user device, where the additional information, received from the first user device, includes at least one of;

a picture associated with the occurrence of congestion,

a video associated with the occurrence of congestion, or

audio associated with the occurrence of congestion;

receive, from a second user device, a request for congestion information associated with the particular geographic location; and

provide, to the second user device, at least a portion of the additional information received from the first user device.

10. The system of claim 9, where the received information related to traffic congestion includes:

information identifying an average speed of automobiles at the particular geographic location, and

where when analyzing the information to identify the occurrence of congestion, the one or more processors are to;

determine that the average speed is below a threshold speed.

11. The system of claim 10, where the average speed of automobiles is an average speed of automobiles traveling in a first direction, where the average speed does not include an average speed of automobiles traveling in a second direction that is different from the first direction.

12. The system of claim 10, where the one or more processors are further to:

store information identifying a speed limit associated with the road at the particular geographic location, where the threshold speed is based on the speed limit associated with the road at the particular geographic location.

13. The system of claim 9, where the received information related to traffic congestion includes:

visual information, and

where when analyzing the information to identify the occurrence of congestion, the one or more processors are to;

perform an image analysis on the visual information in order to determine that a density of automobiles, in the visual information, is above a threshold density.

14. The system of claim 9, where the one or more processors are further to:

periodically receive geographic location information corresponding to a plurality of user devices; and

identify, based on the periodically received location information, that the first user device is within the particular distance from the particular geographic location,

where requesting the additional information from the first user device is performed based on identifying that the first user device is within the particular distance from the particular geographic location.

15. The system of claim 14, where the one or more processors are further to:

identify, based on the periodically received location information, that a third user device, that is different from the first user device, is not within the particular distance from the particular geographic location,

where when requesting additional information from the first user device, the one or more processors are to forgo also requesting additional information from the third user device that is identified as not being within the particular distance from the particular geographic location.

16. The system of claim 9, where the request from the second user device includes information identifying a first route that includes the particular geographic location and another geographic location corresponding to a destination, where the one or more processors are further to:

identify a second route that corresponds to the destination, where the second route bypasses at least a portion of the road corresponding to the particular geographic location; and

provide information, that identifies the second route, to the second user device.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable medium, comprising:

a plurality of computer-executable instructions, which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to;

receive information related to traffic congestion on a road at a particular geographic location;

analyze the information to identify an occurrence of congestion at the particular geographic location;

request, based on identifying the occurrence of congestion, additional information regarding the occurrence of congestion from a first user device that is within a particular distance from the particular geographic location;

receive the additional information from the first user device, where the additional information, received from the first user device, includes at least one of;

a picture captured at the first user device,

a video captured at the first user device, or

audio captured at the first user device;

receive, from a second user device, a request for congestion information associated with the particular geographic location; and

provide, to the second user device, at least a portion of the additional information received from the first user device.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, where the received information related to traffic congestion includes:

information identifying an average speed of automobiles at the particular geographic location, and

where one or more instructions, of the plurality of instructions to analyze the information to identify the occurrence of congestion, further cause the one or more processors to;

determine that the average speed is below a threshold speed.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, where the received information related to traffic congestion includes:

visual information, and

where one or more instructions, of the plurality of instructions, to analyze the information to identify the occurrence of congestion, further cause the one or more processors to;

perform an image analysis on the visual information in order to determine that a density of automobiles, in the visual information, is above a threshold density.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, where the plurality of instructions further cause the one or more processors to:

periodically receive geographic location information corresponding to a plurality of user devices; and

identify, based on the periodically received location information, that the first user device is within the particular distance from the particular geographic location.