Method and apparatus for providing estimated patrol properties and historic patrol records

• US 9,171,461 B1
• Filed: 03/07/2013
• Issued: 10/27/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Steve Dabell
• Original Assignee: Steve Dabell
• Inventors: Dabell, Steve
• Primary Examiner(s): Olszewski, John R
• Assistant Examiner(s): Worden, Tommy
• Application Number:
  US13/787,843
• Time in Patent Office: 964 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2455 Query execution
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 7/01 Probabilistic graphical models, e.g. probabilistic networks
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/012 from other sources than vehicle or roadside beacons, e.g. mobile networks
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0129 for creating historical data or processing based on historical data
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0137 for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0141 for traffic information dissemination
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096716 where the received information does not generate an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096741 where the source of the transmitted information selects which information to transmit to each vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096775 where the origin of the information is a central station

Abstract

It is an object of the present invention to provide a predictive traffic law enforcement profiler apparatus and method which incorporates a means to determine current location, time, velocity and also incorporates a means to utilize a database derived from historic traffic law enforcement records, crowd sourced records and historical traffic data and also incorporates a predictive processing means to provide historic traffic law enforcement records and estimates of enforced speed limits and enforcement profiles, patrol locations and schedules of traffic law enforcement to a driver.

Claims

1. An apparatus for estimating properties of traffic law enforcement at one or more first location comprising:

a database for providing historical encounter records derived from issued traffic law enforcement citations, wherein each said historical encounter record comprises at least one member of the group consisting of;

citation direction, location, issue time, violation speed, citation type, or any combination thereof;

a GPS to determine a location and direction of travel of said apparatus, and a time and date;

a predictive processor utilizing correlation and statistical analysis, of one or more said members of said historical encounter records, to infer properties of traffic law enforcement at one or more said first location relative to said location and direction of travel of apparatus, wherein said properties of traffic law enforcement comprises;

estimated enforced speed limit and either one or both of estimated patrol locations and estimated patrol schedules;

an indicator to present said properties of traffic law enforcement at one or more said first location relative to said time, date, location, or direction of travel of said apparatus; and

a user input means, used by a user to control one or more of (a) what data is gathered, stored, or filtered within said database for possible analysis by said predictive processor, (b) the scope and outputs of any analysis conducted by said predictive processor utilizing data within said database, or (c) the aspects of presentation of any analysis conducted by said predictive processor via said indicator.

2. Apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

said database is comprised of one or more physically or logically distributed databases; and

said predictive processor is comprised of one or more physically or logically distributed processors.

3. Apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

said database further comprises a map of a roadway system;

said indicator further comprises a display of said map of said roadway system; and

said indicator further comprises a display of said properties of traffic law enforcement at one or more said first location relative to said location of apparatus on said map of said roadway system.

4. Apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

said properties of traffic law enforcement further comprise predicted enforcement profiles, wherein said predicted enforcement profiles include at least one member of the group consisting of;

estimated speed trap enforced locations, estimated speed limit enforcement by aircraft locations, estimated speed camera enforced locations, estimated red light camera enforced intersections, histogram of said violation speed, histogram of types of enforced traffic laws, location citation density, location patrol intensity, enforcement austerity, enforcement leniency, or any combination thereof.

5. Apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

said database further comprises historic traffic records of traffic volume and traffic velocity at one or more said first location;

said predictive processor further correlates said members of historical encounter records with said historic traffic records of traffic volume or traffic velocity, or any combination thereof, to estimate traffic law enforcement austerity of said estimated enforced speed limit relative to said traffic volume and traffic velocity.

6. Apparatus of claim 1, wherein said database further comprises said historical encounter records derived from crowd sourced encounters with traffic law enforcement.

7. Apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

said predictive processor further provides filtered records of historic traffic law enforcement by retrieving said historical encounter records within a geographic region, time frame, and of citation type from said database; and

wherein said indicator presents a representation of said retrieved historic encounter records.

8. An apparatus for providing estimated properties of traffic law enforcement at one or more first location comprising:

a GPS to determine a location and direction of travel of said apparatus, and a time and date;

a database for providing first records of properties of traffic law enforcement from one or more second location,

wherein one or more second location incorporates some, none, or all of one or more said first location,

wherein said first records comprise an estimated enforced speed limit and either one or both of estimated patrol location and estimated patrol schedule, and

wherein said first records are derived by utilizing correlation or statistical analysis, or a combination thereof, of data inferred from issued citation records of traffic law enforcement from one or more second location;

a predictive processor to retrieve said first records at one or more said first location from said database and to determine said properties of traffic law enforcement by selecting all or a portion of said retrieved first records;

an indicator to present said properties of traffic law enforcement at one or more said first location relative to said time, date, location, or direction of travel of said apparatus; and

a user input means, used by a user to control one or more of (a) what data is gathered, stored, or filtered within said database for possible analysis by said predictive processor, (b) the scope and outputs of any analysis conducted by said predictive processor utilizing data within said database, or (c) the aspects of presentation of any analysis conducted by said predictive processor via said indicator.

9. Apparatus of claim 8, wherein said data inferred from said issued citation records comprise at least one member of the group consisting of:

citation direction, violation speed, location, issue time, citation type, or any combination thereof.

10. Apparatus of claim 8, wherein said first records further comprise at least one member of the group consisting of:

estimated speed trap enforced location, estimated speed limit enforcement by aircraft location, estimated speed camera enforced location, estimated red light camera enforced intersection, histogram of violation speed, histogram of enforced traffic laws, location citation density, location patrol intensity, enforcement austerity, enforcement leniency, or any combination thereof.

11. An apparatus for estimating properties of traffic law enforcement at one or more first location comprising:

a GPS to determine a location and direction of travel of said apparatus, and a time and date;

a database containing records derived from traffic law enforcement citations, wherein each said record comprises at least one member of the group consisting of;

citation direction, violation speed, location, issue time, and citation type;

a predictive processor to estimate properties of traffic law enforcement at one or more said first location comprising an estimated enforced speed limit and either one or both of estimated patrol locations and estimated patrol schedules, utilizing statistical analysis, or correlation, or any combination thereof, of one or more said members of said records;

an indicator to present any combination of said estimated properties of traffic law enforcement at one or more said first location relative to said time, date, location, or direction of travel of said apparatus; and

a user input means, used by a user to control one or more of (a) what data is gathered, stored, or filtered within said database for possible analysis by said predictive processor, (b) the scope and outputs of any analysis conducted by said predictive processor utilizing data within said database, or (c) the aspects of presentation of any analysis conducted by said predictive processor via said indicator.

12. Apparatus of claim 11, wherein said predictive processor further estimates patrol schedules of said traffic law enforcement at one or more said first location by using time extrapolation.

13. Apparatus of claim 11, wherein said estimate properties of traffic law enforcement further comprises an estimated enforcement profile of said traffic law enforcement at one or more said first location, wherein said estimated enforcement profile comprises at least one member of group consisting of:

estimated speed trap enforced locations, estimated speed limit enforcement by aircraft locations, estimated speed camera enforced locations, estimated red light camera enforced intersections, histogram of citation speeds, histogram of enforced traffic laws, location citation density, location patrol intensity, enforcement austerity, enforcement leniency, or any combination thereof.

14. Apparatus of claim 11, wherein:

said GPS further determines a velocity of said apparatus by utilizing changes in location determinations over time;

said predictive processor further determines an over speed condition when said velocity of said apparatus as determined by said GPS is exceeding said estimated enforced speed limit at (a) one or more said first location or (b) approaching future locations of said apparatus based on velocity and direction of travel of said apparatus as determined by said GPS, or any combination thereof; and

wherein said indicator further presents a notification to said user of the current status or approaching status of said over speed condition.

15. Apparatus of claim 11, wherein:

said database further contains legal speed limits based on location and time;

said predictive processor retrieves at least one of said legal speed limits from said database at a time and either said location of apparatus or one or more said first location; and

said indicator further presents at least one of said legal speed limits from said database at a time and either said location of apparatus or one or more said first location.

16. Apparatus of claim 11, wherein:

said database further contains a map of a roadway system;

and said indicator further comprises a display to present said map of said roadway system,

wherein the presentation of said map of said roadway system is in place of or in addition to any or all of said estimated properties of traffic law enforcement, and

wherein said display indicates any or all of said estimated properties of traffic law enforcement at one or more said first location relative to said location of apparatus on said map of said roadway system.

17. Apparatus of claim 11, wherein said indicator further presents a representation of said records.

18. Apparatus of claim 11, wherein:

said predictive processor further generates a histogram of said violation speeds of said records at one or more said first location; and

wherein said indicator further presents said histograms.

19. Apparatus of claim 16, wherein:

said user input means further comprises route guidance inputs,

wherein said route guidance inputs comprise at least a starting location and a destination location contained within said map of said roadway system,

wherein one or more routing algorithm within said predictive processor can determine one or more possible routes between said at least said starting location and said destination location,

wherein said one or more routing algorithm within said predictive processor further determines a fastest route from among said one or more possible routes utilizing said estimated enforced speed limit at one or more said first location along said one or more possible routes; and

wherein said indicator further presents any combination of said one or more possible routes, inclusive of said determined fastest route.

20. Apparatus of claim 11, wherein:

said database is comprised of one or more physically or logically distributed databases; and

said predictive processor is comprised of one or more physically or logically distributed processors.

21. Apparatus of claim 11, wherein:

said database further comprises crowd sourced records derived from crowd sourced encounters with traffic law enforcement,

wherein each said crowd sourced record comprises at least one member of the group consisting of;

violation speed, location, issue time, direction, type, or any combination thereof, and

wherein said predictive processor further uploads and downloads said crowd sourced records to said database.

22. An apparatus for estimating patrol locations of traffic law enforcement comprising:

a GPS to determine a location and direction of travel of said apparatus;

a database for providing records derived from traffic law enforcement citations, wherein each said record comprises at least one member of the group consisting of;

citation direction, violation speed, location, issue time, citation type, or any combination thereof;

a predictive processor to estimate said patrol locations by utilizing statistical analysis, or correlation, or any combination thereof, of one or more said members of said records;

an indicator to present said estimated patrol locations relative to said location and direction of travel of said apparatus; and

a user input means, used by a user to control one or more of (a) what data is gathered, stored, or filtered within said database for possible analysis by said predictive processor, (b) the scope and outputs of any analysis conducted by said predictive processor utilizing data within said database, or (c) the aspects of presentation of any analysis conducted by said predictive processor via said indicator.

23. Apparatus of claim 22, wherein:

said predictive processor further estimates patrol schedules of said traffic law enforcement at one or more said estimated patrol locations by time extrapolation of one or more said members of said records comprising at least citation issue time by utilizing statistical analysis, or correlation, or any combination thereof, and

wherein said indicator further presents said estimated patrol schedules of traffic law enforcement at one or more said estimated patrol locations relative to said location and direction of travel of said apparatus.

24. Apparatus of claim 22, wherein:

said database is comprised of one or more physically or logically distributed databases; and

said predictive processor is comprised of one or more physically or logically distributed processors.

25. An apparatus for estimating patrol schedules of traffic law enforcement at one or more first location comprising:

a GPS to determine a location and direction of travel of said apparatus;

a database for providing records derived from traffic law enforcement citations, wherein each said record comprises at least one member of the group consisting of;

citation direction, violation speed, location, issue time, citation type, or any combination thereof;

a predictive processor to estimate said patrol schedules at one or more said first location by time extrapolation of one or more said members of said records comprising at least citation issue time by utilizing statistical analysis, or correlation, or any combination thereof;

an indicator to present said estimated patrol schedules at one or more said first location relative to said location and direction of travel of said apparatus; and

a user input means, used by a user to control one or more of (a) what data is gathered, stored, or filtered within said database for possible analysis by said predictive processor, (b) the scope and outputs of any analysis conducted by said predictive processor utilizing data within said database, or (c) the aspects of presentation of any analysis conducted by said predictive processor via said indicator.

26. Apparatus of claim 25, wherein:

said GPS further determines a current time;

said predictive processor further estimates said patrol schedules relative to said current time; and

said indicator further presents said estimated patrol schedules of traffic law enforcement relative to said current time.

27. An apparatus for providing records of historical traffic law enforcement and either one or both of estimated patrol locations and estimated patrol schedules, comprising:

a GPS to determine a location and direction of travel of said apparatus;

a database containing historical records derived from issued traffic law enforcement citations or crowd sourced traffic law enforcement encounters, or any combination thereof,

wherein each said historical record comprises at least one member of the group consisting of;

citation direction, location, issue time, citation type, or any combination thereof, and

wherein said database further contains a map of a roadway system;

a predictive processor to retrieve a filtered selection of said historical records conforming to a specific citation type, issue time, location, or citation direction,

wherein said predictive processor further calculates either one or both of estimated patrol locations and estimated patrol schedules, utilizing statistical analysis, or correlation, or any combination thereof, of one or more said members of said historical records;

an indicator to present said map of roadway system and a representation of any combination of said retrieved filtered historical records, said estimated patrol locations, and said estimated patrol schedules, at corresponding locations relative to said location and direction of travel of said apparatus; and

a user input means, used by a user to control one or more of (a) what data is gathered, stored, or filtered within said database for possible analysis by said predictive processor, (b) the scope and outputs of any analysis conducted by said predictive processor utilizing data within said database, or (c) the aspects of presentation of any analysis conducted by said predictive processor via said indicator.

28. A method utilizing a GPS, a database, a predictive processor, an indicator, and a user input means for providing estimated properties of traffic law enforcement at one or more first location relative to a determined location, comprising the steps of:

utilizing a GPS to determine a location and direction of travel;

retrieving from said database by said predictive processor historical records derived from either one or both of (a) issued traffic law enforcement citations, (b) crowd sourced traffic law enforcement encounters,

wherein each said historical record comprises at least one member of the group consisting of;

citation direction, violation speed, location, issue time, type, or any combination thereof;

performing statistical analysis and correlation on one or more members from said historical records, using said predictive processor;

determining from said statistical analysis and correlation of said historical records, said estimated properties of traffic law enforcement at one or more said first location and relative to said direction of travel as determined by said GPS,

wherein said estimated properties of traffic law enforcement comprise estimated enforced speed limit and either one or both of estimated patrol locations and estimated patrol schedules;

indicating said estimated properties of traffic law enforcement at one or more said first location relative to said location and direction of travel as determined by said GPS, using said indicator; and

controlling one or more aspects of (a) what data is gathered, stored, or filtered within said database for possible analysis by said predictive processor, (b) the scope and outputs of any analysis conducted by said predictive processor utilizing data within said database, or (c) the aspects of presentation of any analysis conducted by said predictive processor via said indicator,

wherein said controlling is accomplished either automatically by said predictive processor or by a user utilizing said user input means.

29. Method of claim 28, further comprising the additional steps of:

utilizing said GPS to determine a time;

determining from said statistical analysis and correlation of said historical records done by said predictive processor, said estimated properties of traffic law enforcement at one or more said first location relative to said time as determined by said GPS; and

indicating said estimated properties of traffic law enforcement at one or more said first location relative to said time as determined by said GPS, using said indicator.

30. Method of claim 28, wherein:

said predictive processor estimates enforced speed limit by calculating a histogram of said violation speeds from said historical records; and

said predictive processor estimates patrol locations by calculating a scatter plot of citation locations, citation density, or patrol intensity or any combination thereof, from said historical records.

31. Method of claim 28, wherein said step of determining said estimated properties of traffic law enforcement at one or more said first location from said statistical analysis and correlation further comprises:

estimating enforcement profile, which includes at least one member of the group consisting of;

estimated speed trap enforced locations, estimated aircraft speed limit enforced locations, estimated speed camera enforced locations, estimated red light camera enforced intersections, histogram of citation speeds, histogram of enforced traffic laws, location citation density, location patrol intensity, enforcement austerity, enforcement leniency, or any combination thereof.

32. An apparatus for estimating properties of traffic law enforcement comprising:

a GPS to determine a location and direction of travel of said apparatus, and a time;

a database containing historical encounter records derived from issued traffic law enforcement citations;

a predictive processor utilizes correlation, statistical analysis, or any combination thereof, of one or more members of said historical encounter records to infer said properties of traffic law enforcement relative to said time, location, and direction of travel of said apparatus,

wherein said properties of traffic law enforcement comprise estimated patrol locations and estimated patrol schedules;

an indicator to present said estimated properties of traffic law enforcement relative to said time, location, and direction of travel of said apparatus; and

a user input means, used by a user to control one or more of (a) what data is gathered, stored, or filtered within said database for possible analysis by said predictive processor, (b) the scope and outputs of any analysis conducted by said predictive processor utilizing data within said database, or (c) the aspects of presentation of any analysis conducted by said predictive processor via said indicator.

33. Apparatus of claim 32, wherein said estimated properties of traffic law enforcement further comprise predicted enforcement profiles which include at least one member of the group consisting of:

estimated speed trap enforced locations, estimated speed limit enforcement by aircraft locations, estimated speed camera enforced locations, estimated red light camera enforced intersections, histogram of citation speeds, histogram of enforced traffic laws, location citation density, location patrol intensity, enforcement austerity, enforcement leniency, or any combination thereof.

34. Apparatus of claim 32, wherein each said historical encounter record is comprised of at least one member of the group consisting of:

citation direction, violation speed, location, issue time, type, or any combination thereof.