Wireless client-server navigator traffic methods
View Patent ↗A wireless client-server (WCS) navigator provides routes optimized for travel time based on traffic flow rate and incident data, inexpensively and in a timely manner. A server, having a database of geographical information including road segments at a server, receives information representing traffic flow rates or traffic incidents along the road segments. This allows a route to be generated that is optimized to minimize travel time along the road segments based upon the traffic flow rates or traffic incidents. The route is then transmitted to a mobile client. Typically, though not necessarily, the route is generated in response to a request from a mobile client. Some travel time estimates may be based on historical traffic flow rate data or speed limit data rather than current information. Traffic flow rate or traffic incident data associated with the transmitted route may be transmitted to a client along with the route. The traffic flow rate information may be used to create estimates of time of arrival at a destination or points along the route. The points along the route may include, for example, points at which a maneuver such as a turn should be performed in conjunction with the route.
1. A method of generating a route with a wireless client-server navigator, comprising the steps of:
providing a database of geographical information including road segments at a server;
receiving information on a continuous basis at the server representing traffic flow rates or traffic incidents along the road segments;
generating a route optimized to minimize travel time along the road segments based upon the traffic flow rates or traffic incidents;
transmitting the route to a mobile client; and
wherein traffic flow rate or traffic incident data associated with the transmitted route is transmitted to a client along with the route.
2. A method of generating a route with a wireless client-server navigator, comprising the steps of:
providing a database of geographical information including road segments at a server;
receiving information on a continuous basis at the server representing traffic flow rates or traffic incidents along the road segments;
generating a route optimized to minimize travel time along the road segments based upon the traffic flow rates or traffic incidents;
transmitting the route to a mobile client; and
wherein: when traffic flow rate data or traffic incident data arrives at the server after a route has been provided to a client;
the server recalculates a time-optimized route based on previous and new traffic flow rate data and/or traffic incident data; and
if the newly calculated route differs from the route previously sent to a mobile client, a newly calculated route is sent to the client.