Method and system for mapping road conditions by means of terminals

• US 8,855,923 B2
• Filed: 12/03/2010
• Issued: 10/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Teconer Oy
• Original Assignee: Teconer Oy
• Inventors: Haavasoja, Taisto
• Primary Examiner(s): Cheung, Calvin
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHUDY, ANGELINA M
• Application Number:
  US13/513,201
• Publication Number:
  US 20120283944A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,404 Days
• Field of Search: 701/80, 701/117, 701/118, 701/119, 701/411, 701/423, 701/424, 701/450
• US Class Current: 701/411
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/34 Route searching; Route guidance
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3691 Retrieval, searching and output of information related to real-time traffic, weather, or environmental conditions arrangements for giving variable traffic instructions G08G1/09
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3822 Road feature data, e.g. slope data
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3837 Data obtained from a single source
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3844 Data obtained from position sensors only, e.g. from inertial navigation
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096791 where the origin of the information is another vehicle

Abstract

The present invention relates to methods, computer software products, server and system for mapping road conditions, especially friction. In the method according to the invention the acceleration of the vehicle is measured by means of an acceleration sensor, the position of the vehicle is monitored by means of positioning means and the measured acceleration value is combined with the position data of the measurement location. The method compares whether the measured position-specific acceleration value exceeds the value on the server for the said area and in case the value is exceeded, a measured position-specific acceleration value is sent to the server.

Claims

1. A method for producing slipperyness data about driving conditions by means of a mobile phone located in a vehicle, the method comprising the steps of:

measuring acceleration of the vehicle by means of an acceleration sensor of the mobile phone located in the vehicle,

monitoring a position of the vehicle by means of a positioning means of said mobile phone located in said vehicle,

combining, in said mobile phone, the measured acceleration value with position data of the monitored position,

comparing whether the combined measured position-specific acceleration value exceeds a value for that area received from a server, and

in case it exceeds, sending, by said mobile phone the measured position-specific acceleration value to the server, wherein slipperyness data about driving conditions is produced by the steps performed in said mobile phone.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein a message to be sent to the server on the basis of the measured acceleration and position data is formed and the said message is sent to the server via mobile connection.

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein the position-specific acceleration data is received from the server and saved into the database of the mobile phone.

4. A method according to claim 2, wherein a slipperyness warning is issued or a new route is calculated in case a current or planned route contains position-specific acceleration or friction data corresponding with low friction according to the database of the mobile phone.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein position-specific acceleration data is received from the server and saved into the database of the mobile phone.

6. A method according to claim 5, wherein a slipperyness warning is issued or a new route is calculated in case a current or planned route contains position-specific acceleration or friction data corresponding with low friction according to the database of the mobile phone.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein a slipperyness warning is issued or a new route is calculated in case a current or planned route contains position-specific acceleration or friction data corresponding with low friction according to the database of the mobile phone.

8. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon a set of computer implementable instructions for controlling a mobile phone for carrying out a method of producing friction data about driving conditions, wherein the computer software product comprises software means for controlling the mobile phone for carrying out the following steps:

measuring acceleration of a vehicle by means of an acceleration sensor in the mobile phone,

monitoring a position of the vehicle by means of a positioning means in the mobile phone,

combining, in said mobile phone, the measured acceleration value with position data of the monitored position,

comparing whether the measured position-specific acceleration value exceeds a value for that area received from a server, and

in case it exceeds, sending the measured position-specific acceleration value to the server.

9. A server configured to communicate with a mobile phone belonging to a group of mobile phones, the server comprising:

a non-transitory computer readable memory having a position-specific history log stored thereon,

a means for receiving data produced by an acceleration sensor and a positioning means of the mobile phone from a number of mobile phones,

a means for saving the received data into the position-specific history log on the memory,

a means for comparing the received position-specific data with the previous data in the history log, and

wherein the server is also arranged to form position-specific acceleration data that can be transferred to a number of mobile phones, if the position-specified acceleration value received from the mobile phone is higher than the previous position-specific acceleration value of the history log of the server.

10. A server according to claim 9 being arranged to reduce a slipperyness reading of a certain area until it receives a new, larger reading, forming a feedback by means of which the slipperyness data maintained for the chosen area or portion of road by the server approaches actual friction.

11. A server according to claim 10 being arranged to form a message from the position-specific acceleration data and arranged to distribute said message to a number of mobile phones.

12. A server according to claim 9 being arranged to form a message from the position-specific acceleration data and arranged to distribute the said message to the number of mobile phones.

13. A method of producing friction data about driving conditions on a server, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving position-specific data produced by means of an acceleration sensor and a positioning means of a mobile phone from a number of mobile phones,

saving the received data into a position-specific history log of a memory,

comparing the received position-specific data with a previous history log of the memory,

forming position-specific acceleration data that is transferred to a number of mobiles phones, if the position-specific acceleration value received from the mobile phone is higher than a previous position-specific acceleration value of the history log of the server.

14. A method according to claim 13, in which a slipperyness reading of a certain area is reduced until a new, larger reading is received, thus forming a feedback by means of which the slipperyness data maintained for the chosen area or portion of road by the server approaches actual friction.

15. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon a set of computer implementable instructions for controlling a server for carrying out a method of producing friction data about driving conditions, the computer software product comprising software means for controlling a mobile phone for carrying out the following steps:

receiving data produced by means of an acceleration sensor and a positioning means of the mobile phone from a number of mobile phones,

saving the received data into a position-specific history log of a memory,

comparing the received position-specific data with the previous history log of the memory, and

forming position-specific acceleration data that is transferred to the number mobile phones, if the position-specific acceleration value received from the mobile phone is higher than a previous position-specific acceleration value of the history log of the server.