Obtaining vehicle traffic information using mobile bluetooth detectors

• US 9,478,128 B2
• Filed: 03/19/2015
• Issued: 10/25/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HERE Global B.V. (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: HERE Global B.V. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Peterson, Lawrence M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Hai V
• Application Number:
  US14/662,687
• Publication Number:
  US 20150194054A1
• Time in Patent Office: 586 Days
• Field of Search: 455/41.2, 701/117, 701/118, 701/119
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0027 of actual mobile position, i.e. position determined on mobile
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0112 from the vehicle, e.g. floating car data [FCD]
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0116 from roadside infrastructure, e.g. beacons
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/027 using movement velocity, acceleration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

A method and system for obtaining traffic information from mobile Bluetooth detectors is disclosed. A mobile Bluetooth detector is a device located in a moving vehicle that includes Bluetooth and GPS firmware for collecting data from Bluetooth enabled devices. The mobile Bluetooth detector transmits the collected data to a remote facility where the data is processed to generate traffic information. A pair of mobile Bluetooth detectors may be used to collect data for generating ground truth.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a plurality of mobile detecting devices, location data for a plurality of wireless devices;

receiving, by the plurality of mobile detecting devices, identification data indicative of device identifiers of the plurality of wireless devices;

storing received location data of the plurality of wireless devices in a location log of each mobile detecting device that has received location data;

storing received identification data indicative of device identifiers in a connection log of each mobile detecting device that has received identification data;

merging location logs of the plurality of mobile detecting devices and the connection logs of the plurality of mobile detecting devices into a traffic database; and

generating traffic data based on location data and connection data of wireless devices from the merged location logs and merged connection logs of the traffic database.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing travel times or traffic speeds based on the traffic data.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

comparing the location data to map data from a geographic database; and

matching the location data to locations in the map data.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

filtering at least one of the plurality of wireless devices when the location data is not on a roadway.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the filtered at least one of the plurality of wireless devices corresponds to a boat or a train.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

comparing the location data for each of the plurality of wireless devices to a range of speeds; and

filtering the location data outside of the range of speeds.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the filtered location data corresponds to a pedestrian, or a disabled vehicle.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the location log distinguishes between the plurality of wireless devices using media access control (MAC) addresses.

9. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code for one or more programs;

the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least perform;

receive, a plurality of location logs from a plurality of mobile detecting devices, wherein the location logs each include location data for a plurality of wireless devices;

receive, a plurality of connection logs from the plurality of mobile detecting devices, each connection log including identification data indicative of connection attempts for the plurality of wireless devices;

aggregate, by the at least one processor, the plurality of location logs and the plurality of connection logs into a traffic database; and

generate traffic data based on the aggregated plurality of location logs and the plurality of connection logs of the traffic database.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising:

provide travel times or traffic speeds based on the traffic data.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising:

compare the location data to map data from a geographic database; and

match the location data to a location in the map data.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising:

filter at least one of the plurality of wireless devices when the location data is not on a roadway.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the filtered at least one of the plurality of wireless devices corresponds to a boat or a train.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising:

compare the location data for each of the plurality of wireless devices to a range of speeds; and

filter the location data outside of the range of speeds.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the filtered location data corresponds to a pedestrian, or a disabled vehicle.

16. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the location log distinguishes between the plurality of wireless devices using media access control (MAC) addresses.

17. A non-transitory computer readable medium configured to store instructions, executable by a processor, to perform:

receiving by a plurality of mobile detecting devices location data for a plurality of wireless devices;

receiving, by the plurality of mobile detecting devices, identification data indicative of device identifiers of the plurality of wireless devices;

receiving location data for each of the plurality of mobile detecting devices associated with a time of each received location data for the plurality of wireless devices;

merging location data for the plurality of wireless devices, identification data received from the plurality of mobile detecting devices, and location data for the plurality of mobile detecting devices;

comparing the location data for the plurality of wireless devices to a predetermined map;

comparing the location data for the plurality of wireless devices to a speed profile;

filtering the location data for the plurality of wireless devices according to the speed profile or the predetermined map; and

generating traffic data based on the location data for the plurality of wireless devices, the location for the plurality of mobile detecting devices, and the identification data indicative of device identifiers of the plurality of wireless devices.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17, the instructions further configured to perform:

storing received location data of the plurality of wireless devices in a location log of each mobile detecting device that has received location data; and

storing received identification data indicative of device identifiers in a connection log of each mobile detecting device that has received identification data.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the filtered location data for the plurality of wireless devices corresponds to locations outside of a roadway.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the filtered location data for the plurality of wireless devices corresponds to a pedestrian, a train, a boat, or a disabled vehicle.