System and method for exchanging positioning information between vehicles in order to estimate road traffic

1. A method for estimating a current traffic condition based on positioning information exchanged between vehicles using wireless communication, the method comprising:

receiving, using a wireless communication system, positioning information repeatedly broadcast by a plurality of vehicles, the positioning information for each vehicle comprising:

information related to a current location of the vehicle; and

information identifying the vehicle;

storing, using a cartographic information repository, the positioning information for each vehicle;

calculating, using a micro-controller, based on at least two successive locations of the same identified vehicle, a current speed and a current direction for the same identified vehicle;

estimating, using the micro-controller, the current traffic condition based on the current location, the current speed and the direction of each identified vehicle; and

adjusting a sensitivity for the receiving when a quantity of the plurality of vehicles exceeds a threshold.

2. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising, for each vehicle:

repeatedly determining the current location of the vehicle; and

broadcasting to other vehicles the positioning information comprising:

the information related to the determined current location; and

the identifying information.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the information related to the current location of the vehicle further comprises:

a current latitude of the vehicle; and

a current longitude of the vehicle.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the position information broadcast to other vehicles comprises a time associated with the current location of the vehicle.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein receiving positioning information repeatedly broadcast by other vehicles, further comprises:

associating a respective current time with each received positioning information.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the calculating further comprises, for each received positioning information:

identifying at least one previously recorded positioning information for the same identified vehicle;

calculating the current speed and the current direction of each identified vehicle based on the current location and at least one previous location of each identified vehicle; and

recording the current positioning information with the current speed and current direction of each identified vehicle.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein estimating the current traffic condition further comprises:

representing each identified vehicle on a geographical map with an indication of its respective speed and direction.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein estimating the current traffic condition further comprises:

aggregating the positioning information of the identified vehicles within geographical zones; and

representing the aggregated positioning information on a map.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein estimating current traffic information further comprises:

generating navigation information based on the estimated current traffic condition.

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein estimating the current traffic condition further comprises:

alerting a driver of an occurrence of predefined abnormal traffic conditions.

11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein estimating the current traffic condition further comprises:

recording successive traffic conditions to determine an evolution of the traffic conditions over time.

12. A system for use in a vehicle for estimating a current traffic condition based on a positioning information exchanged between vehicles using wireless communication, comprising:

at least one traffic manager device including:

a system for receiving the positioning information repeatedly broadcast by a plurality of vehicles, the positioning information for each vehicle comprising:

the information related to the current location of the vehicle; and

the information identifying the vehicle;

a system for storing the positioning information for each vehicle;

a system for calculating based on at least two successive locations of the same identified vehicle, a current speed and a current direction for the same identified vehicle;

a system for estimating the current traffic condition based on the current location, the current speed and the direction of each identified vehicle; and

a system for adjusting a sensitivity for the receiving system when a quantity of the plurality of vehicles exceeds a threshold.

13. The system according to claim 12 , further comprising, for each vehicle:

a system for repeatedly determining the current location of the vehicle; and

a system for broadcasting to other vehicles the positioning information comprising:

information related to the determined current location; and

the identifying information.

14. The system according to claim 12 , wherein the information related to the current location of the vehicle further comprises:

a current latitude of the vehicle; and

a current longitude of the vehicle.

15. The system according to claim 12 , wherein the position information broadcast to other vehicles comprises a time associated with the current location of the vehicle.

16. The system according to claim 12 , wherein the system for receiving positioning information repeatedly broadcast by other vehicles further comprises:

a system for associating a respective current time with each received positioning information.

17. The system according to claim 12 , wherein the system for calculating is configured, for each received positioning information, to:

identify at least one previously recorded positioning information for the same identified vehicle;

calculate the current speed and the current direction of each identified vehicle based on the current location and at least one previous location of the each identified vehicle; and

record the current positioning information with the current speed and current direction of each identified vehicle.

18. The system according to claim 12 , wherein the system for estimating the current traffic condition further comprises:

a system for representing each identified vehicle on a geographical map with an indication of its respective speed and direction.

19. The system according to claim 12 , wherein the system for estimating the current traffic condition further comprises:

a system for aggregating the positioning information of the identified vehicles within geographical zones; and

a system for representing the aggregated positioning information on a map.

20. The system according to claim 12 , wherein the system for estimating current traffic information further comprises:

a system for generating navigation information based on the estimated current traffic condition.

21. The system according to claim 12 , wherein the system for estimating the current traffic condition further comprises:

a system for alerting a driver of an occurrence of predefined abnormal traffic conditions.

22. The system according to claim 12 , wherein the system for estimating the current traffic condition further comprises:

a system for recording successive traffic conditions to determine an evolution of the traffic conditions over time.

23. A program product stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium, which when executed, estimates a current traffic condition based on a positioning information exchanged between vehicles using wireless communication, the computer readable medium comprising program code for:

receiving, using a receiving device, positioning information repeatedly broadcast by a plurality of vehicles, the positioning information for each vehicle comprising:

information related to a current location of the vehicle; and

information identifying the vehicle;

storing the positioning information for each vehicle;

calculating, using a computing device, based on at least two successive locations of the same identified vehicle, a current speed and a current direction for the same identified vehicle;

estimating, using the computing device, the current traffic condition based on the current location, the current speed and the direction of each identified vehicle; and

adjusting a sensitivity for the receiving when a quantity of the plurality of vehicles exceeds a threshold.