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

1. A method for estimating a current traffic condition, the method comprising:

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

estimating, using the computer system, the current traffic condition based on a positioning information of each of a plurality of other vehicles and the two successive locations of the same identified vehicle, wherein the positioning information includes a current location, an identity, the current speed, and the current direction, wherein the positioning information is received, using a wireless communication device, from each of the plurality of other vehicles, and wherein, in response to a quantity of the plurality of other vehicles exceeding a threshold, a sensitivity of the receiving the wireless communication device is adjusted.

2. The method according to claim 1

wherein the positioning information is repeatedly broadcast by each of the plurality of other vehicles.

3. The method according to claim 2 , further comprising, for each of the plurality of other vehicles:

repeatedly determining the current location of each of the plurality of other vehicles; and

broadcasting the positioning information comprising:

the information related to the determined current location; and

the identifying information.

4. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the position information broadcast comprises a time associated with the current location of each of the plurality of other vehicles.

5. The method according to claim 2 , wherein receiving positioning information repeatedly broadcast further comprises:

associating a respective current time with each received positioning information.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the information related to the current location of each of the plurality of other vehicles further comprises:

a current latitude of each of the plurality of other vehicles; and

a current longitude of the each of the plurality of other vehicles.

7. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising, for each of the plurality of other vehicles:

storing, using a cartographic information repository, the positioning information for each of the plurality of other vehicles.

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

representing each of the plurality of other vehicles on a geographical map with an indication of each of the plurality of other vehicles' respective speed and direction.

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

aggregating the positioning information of each of the plurality of other vehicles within geographical zones; and

representing the aggregated positioning information on a map.

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

generating navigation information based on the estimated current traffic condition.

11. 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.

12. 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.

13. A system for use in a vehicle for estimating a current traffic condition, comprising:

at least one traffic manager device for implementing a method including:

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

estimating the current traffic condition based on a positioning information of each of a plurality of other vehicles and the two successive locations of the same identified vehicle, wherein the positioning information includes a current location, an identity, the current speed, and the current direction, wherein the positioning information is received, using a wireless communication device, from each of the plurality of other vehicles, and wherein, in response to a quantity of the plurality of other vehicles exceeding a threshold, a sensitivity of the receiving the wireless communication device is adjusted.

14. The system according to claim 13 , further comprising, for each of the plurality of other vehicles:

a system for repeatedly broadcasting to other vehicles the positioning information.

15. A program product stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium, which when executed, estimates a current traffic condition, the computer readable medium comprising program code for:

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

estimating the current traffic condition based on a positioning information of each of a plurality of other vehicles and the two successive locations of the same identified vehicle, wherein the positioning information includes a current location, an identity, the current speed, and the current direction, wherein the positioning information is received, using a wireless communication device, from each of the plurality of other vehicles, and wherein, in response to a quantity of the plurality of other vehicles exceeding a threshold, a sensitivity of the receiving the wireless communication device is adjusted.

16. A method for deploying an application for estimating a current traffic condition based on positioning information exchanged between vehicles using wireless communication, comprising:

providing a computer system for:

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

estimating the current traffic condition based on a positioning information of each of a plurality of other vehicles and the two successive locations of the same identified vehicle, wherein the positioning information includes a current location, an identity, the current speed, and the current direction, wherein the positioning information is received, using a wireless communication device, from each of the plurality of other vehicles, and wherein, in response to a quantity of the plurality of other vehicles exceeding a threshold, a sensitivity of the receiving the wireless communication device is adjusted.