System for providing traffic information

Abstract

A system for providing traffic information to a plurality of mobile users connected to a network. The system comprises a plurality of traffic monitors, each comprising at least a traffic detector and a transmitter, the traffic detector generating a signal in response to vehicular traffic and the transmitter transmitting the signal. A receiver receives the signals from the traffic monitors. A computer system is connected to the receiver and is further connected to the network. The computer system in response to a request signal received from one of the users transmits in response thereto information representative of the signals transmitted by the traffic monitoring units. Alternative systems for gathering traffic information are disclosed.

1 . A system for providing traffic information to of mobile use connected to a network, comprising: 
 (a) a plurality of mobile user stations, each mobile user station being associated with a display, and a communicating device to allow each of said mobile user stations to send and receive signals;    (b) a computer system interconnected with another communicating device and a network, said computer system being capable of sending and receiving signals to and from said mobile user stations;    (c) said computer system including a traffic information database, said traffic information database containing data representative of traffic at a plurality of locations;    (d) at least one of said mobile user stations providing a request to said computer system for traffic information together with a signal associated with a respective geographic location of said one of said mobile user stations, and in response thereto, said computer system updating said traffic information database based on said geographic location of said one of said mobile user stations and providing to said one of said mobile user stations information representative of selected portions of said traffic information database based on said respective geographic location of said one of said mobile user stations; and    (e) said one of said mobile user stations displaying graphically on said display information representative of selected portions of said traffic information database.    
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1  wherein said computer system updates said traffic information database based on data derived from a plurality of traffic monitors.  
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2  wherein said computer system compares data from said mobile user stations with said data derived from said traffic monitors before updating said traffic information database.  
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1  wherein said at least one of said mobile user stations is a cellular phone.  
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1  wherein said mobile user station further comprises a memory capable of storing a map database.  
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5  wherein said mobile user station displays a selected portion of said map database.  
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1  wherein each said mobile user station provides longitude and latitude information to said computer system.  
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1  wherein said location of said one of said mobile user stations is displayed graphically.  
     
     
         9 . Wherein said data representative of traffic is computed based upon processing video.  
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1  wherein said computer system further comprises a map database, and said computer system compares said signal associated with said respective geographic location of said one of said mobile user stations with said map database before updating said traffic information database.  
     
     
         11 . A system for providing traffic information to a mobile user connected to a network, comprising: 
 (a) a plurality of mobile user stations, each mobile user station being associated with a display, and a communicating device to allow each of said mobile user stations to send and receive signals;    (b) a computer system interconnected with another communicating device and a network, said computer system being capable of sending and receiving signals to and from said mobile user stations;    (c) said computer system including a map database and a traffic information database, said traffic information database containing data representative of traffic at a plurality of locations;    (d) at least one of said mobile user stations providing a signal associated with a respective geographic location of said one of said mobile user stations, and in response thereto, said computer system updating said traffic information database based on said geographic location of said one of said mobile user stations; and    (e) said computer system comparing said signal associated with said respective geographic location of said one of said mobile user stations with said map database before updating said traffic information database.    
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11  wherein said at least one of said mobile user stations is a cellular phone.  
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 11  wherein said computer system provides to said one of said mobile user stations information representative of selected portions of said traffic information database based on said respective geographic location of said one of said mobile user stations.  
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 11  wherein said mobile user station comprises a display, and said one of said mobile user stations displays graphically on said display information representative of selected portions of said traffic information database.  
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 11  wherein said computer system updates said traffic information database based on data derived from a plurality of traffic monitors.  
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 11  wherein said mobile user station further comprises a memory capable of storing a map database.  
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16  wherein said mobile user station displays a selected portion of said map database and a selected portion of said traffic information database.  
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 11  wherein each said mobile user station provides longitude and latitude information to said computer system.  
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 11  wherein said location of said one of said mobile user stations is displayed graphically.  
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 11  wherein said computer system screens data provided by said mobile user stations to determine whether said data corresponds to actual traffic conditions.  
     
     
         21 . A method of determining current traffic conditions, said method comprising: receiving a location of a mobile unit over a data network; computing an actual velocity of said mobile unit using said location; and calculating a parameter using said actual velocity and location, said parameter indicating traffic conditions surrounding said mobile unit, wherein said calculating comprises: receiving a geographic specification from a user; retrieving speed limit of a road segment located within the boundaries of said geographic specification; calculating the difference between said speed limit and said actual velocity; and selecting a traffic level indicator representative of said difference.  
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein said location is derived with at least a global positioning System.  
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein said data network comprises a wireless communication network.  
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein said data network comprises: a wireless communication network; and the Internet.  
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein said receiving occurs at a predetermined time interval.  
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein said calculating comprises accessing road data from a database.  
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein said calculating comprises: accessing the speed limit of said location; and calculating the difference between said actual velocity and said speed limit.  
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising transmitting to a mobile unit an image representative of said geographic specification, said image superimposed with said traffic level indicator.  
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein said traffic level indicator comprises an accident indicator marking an accident site.  
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein said traffic level indicator represents a speed range at which said mobile unit is traveling.  
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein said geographic specification comprises at least one of: route; and a geographic area having objectively definable boundaries.  
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising storing said geographic specification in a database for repeat use.  
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising transmitting an alert signal to said mobile unit if said parameter reaches a preselected value.  
     
     
         34 . A device for determining current traffic condition, said device comprising: a processing unit; a database coupled to said processing unit, said database storing results of calculation performed by said processing unit; and a memory for storing maps, traffic level indicators, and road data coupled to said processing unit, each of said traffic level indicators being calculated based on a difference between a speed limit at a road segment, obtained from said road data, and an average velocity of vehicles at said road segment.  
     
     
         35 . The device of  claim 34 , wherein said processing unit is coupled to a data network transmitting data to and receiving data from a plurality of mobile units.  
     
     
         36 . The device of  claim 35 , wherein said database comprises a table indexed by a mobile unit identification number, said table containing velocities of each of said plurality of mobile units.  
     
     
         37 . The device of  claim 34 , wherein said database comprises a table indexed by location, said table containing current average travel speed for a location.  
     
     
         38 . The device of  claim 34 , wherein said road data comprises at least one of: speed limit for a road segment; distance of a road segment; an indication of whether said road segment is a one-way street; andnumber of lanes on said road segment.  
     
     
         39 . A method of estimating a travel time between a first geographic location and a second geographic location, said method comprising: determining a route between said first and second geographic locations; receiving locations of a plurality of mobile units along said route over a data network; computing an average velocity of said plurality of mobile units on said route; providing a traffic level indicator for said route based on said average velocity and a speed limit along said route; and deriving said travel time using the distances of said route, and said traffic level indicator.  
     
     
         40 . A system for providing current traffic conditions, said system comprising: a plurality of mobile units each adapted to provide a current location; a wireless communication network accessible by said mobile units to report the current locations; a data network linked to said wireless communication network; and a processing unit linked to said data network to receive said current locations, said processing unit being adapted to compute a traffic level indicator based on an average velocity derived from said current locations of said mobile units.  
     
     
         41 . The system of  claim 40 , wherein said mobile unit comprises: a GPS code receiver; a location data calculator coupled to said GPS code receiver; a transmitter coupled to said location data calculator and to a data network; and a port coupled to said location data calculator and to a user interface device.  
     
     
         42 . The system of  claim 41 , wherein said user interface device comprises at least one of: a display unit; and a telephone.  
     
     
         43 . The system of  claim 40 , wherein said wireless communication network includes a communication technique.