Live traffic congestion detection

• US 8,768,606 B2
• Filed: 06/20/2013
• Issued: 07/01/2014
• 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:
  US13/923,299
• Publication Number:
  US 20130289863A1
• Time in Patent Office: 376 Days
• Field of Search: 701/118, 701/119, 701/117
• 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 user device may be configured to output, to a server device, a request for traffic congestion information, receive audio or visual information regarding an identified occurrence of traffic congestion; and present a visual representation of the occurrence of traffic congestion. The visual representation may include a selectable option to access at least a portion of the received audio or visual information regarding the occurrence of traffic congestion. The user device may further be configured to present, based on a selection of the selectable option, the at least a portion of the received audio or visual information regarding the occurrence of the traffic congestion.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

outputting, by a user device and to a server device, a request for traffic congestion information;

receiving, by the user device and from the server device, audio or visual information regarding an identified occurrence of traffic congestion, the audio or visual information having been captured by another user device that reported the occurrence of traffic congestion;

presenting, by the user device, a visual representation of the occurrence of traffic congestion, the visual representation including a selectable option to hear at least a portion of the received audio information or to view at least a portion of the received visual information regarding the occurrence of traffic congestion;

receiving, by the user device, a selection of the selectable option; and

presenting, by the user device and based on the selection of the selectable option, the at least a portion of the received audio or visual information regarding the occurrence of the traffic congestion.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the audio or visual information comprises 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.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the other user device is remote from the user device.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the other user device is within a particular distance of a geographic location associated with the occurrence of traffic congestion when capturing the audio or visual information.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the visual representation includes a map, wherein at least a portion of the map corresponds to a geographic location associated with the occurrence of congestion.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the visual representation includes an overlay on the map, wherein a position of the overlay, on the map, is based on the geographic location associated with the occurrence of congestion.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the visual representation includes a visual indicator that is based on one or more factors, the one or more factors including at least one of:

a time at which the occurrence of congestion was reported.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein a size of the visual indicator is based on the one or more factors.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein a color of the visual indicator is based on the one or more factors.

10. A user device, comprising:

a memory device storing a set of processor-executable instructions;

one or more processors configured to execute the set of processor-executable instructions, the executing causing the one or more processors to;

output, to a server device, a request for traffic congestion information,

receive, from the server device, audio or visual information regarding an identified occurrence of traffic congestion the audio or visual information having been captured by another user device that reported the occurrence of traffic congestion; and

a display device configured to;

present a visual representation of the occurrence of traffic congestion, the visual representation including a selectable option to hear at least a portion of the received audio information or to view at least a portion of the received visual information regarding the occurrence of traffic congestion, and

present, based on a selection of the selectable option, the at least a portion of the received audio or visual information regarding the occurrence of the traffic congestion.

11. The user device of claim 10, wherein the audio or visual information comprises 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.

12. The user device of claim 10, wherein the other user device is located remotely relative to the user device.

13. The user device of claim 12, wherein the other user device is within a particular distance of a geographic location associated with the occurrence of traffic congestion when capturing the audio or visual information.

14. The user device of claim 10, wherein the visual representation includes a map, wherein at least a portion of the map corresponds to a geographic location associated with the occurrence of congestion.

15. The user device of claim 14, wherein the visual representation includes an overlay on the map, wherein a position of the overlay, on the map, is based on the geographic location associated with the occurrence of congestion.

16. The user device of claim 10, wherein the visual representation includes a visual indicator that is based on one or more factors, the one or more factors including at least one of:

a time at which the occurrence of congestion was reported, or

a speed associated with one or more user devices that reported the occurrence of congestion.

17. The user device of claim 16, wherein a size of the visual indicator is based on the one or more factors.

18. The user device of claim 16, wherein a color of the visual indicator is based on the one or more factors.

19. A method, comprising:

identifying, by one or more server devices, a user device that is within a particular distance of a geographical location that is associated with an identified occurrence of traffic congestion;

requesting, by one or more server devices, information from the user device regarding the identified occurrence of traffic congestion, the requesting being performed based on identifying that the user device is within the particular distance of a geographical location that is associated with an identified occurrence of traffic congestion;

receiving, by the one or more server devices, the information from the user device, the information including audio or visual information captured at the user device; and

receiving, by the one or more server devices, a request for traffic congestion information associated with the geographic location; and

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

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the audio or visual information comprises 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.