Method for choosing a traffic route
View Patent ↗A system for identifying a fastest possible travel route is disclosed. A traveler data processor collects traffic speed data and associates the traffic speed data with road segments. The road segments collectively represent one or more possible travel routes from a start point to an end point. A forecast engine determines a predicted travel time for each of the road segments based on, for example, the traffic speed data for each of the road segments. A routing engine determines the fastest possible travel route from the start point to the end point. The fastest possible travel route is the possible travel route from the one or more possible travel routes with the shortest predicted travel time.
1. A method for choosing a traffic route, the method comprising:
identifying traffic segments between an identified start point and an identified end point;
generating a plurality of traffic routes between the identified start point and the identified end point, wherein each of the plurality of traffic routes corresponds to a respective set of traffic segments;
receiving traffic speed data associated with each traffic segment;
determining a first total travel time for each of the plurality of traffic routes based on predicted travel time determined for each traffic segment based on the received traffic speed data;
determining a first fastest available traffic route based on the total travel times for each of the traffic routes;
notifying a user of adjusted travel times on the first fastest available traffic route when one or more traffic events adjust the first predicted travel time beyond a pre-defined threshold; and
notifying the user of a second fastest available traffic route, the second fastest available traffic route having a shorter total travel time than the first fastest available traffic route.
2. The method according to claim 1 further comprising updating predicted travel times for each traffic segment based on one or more traffic events.
3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the updating includes receiving information about the one or more traffic events from one or more sources.
4. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the one or more traffic events includes congestion.
5. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the one or more traffic events includes weather.
6. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the one or more traffic events includes road work.
7. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the one or more traffic events include accidents.
8. The method according to claim 3 , wherein the information about the one or more traffic events includes the severity of the traffic event.
9. The method according to claim 3 , wherein the information about the one or more traffic events includes a time of occurrence of the traffic event.
10. The method according to claim 3 , wherein the information about the one or more traffic events includes the location of the traffic event.
11. The method according to claim 3 , wherein the one or more sources includes web services.
12. The method according to claim 3 , wherein the one or more sources includes public agencies.
13. The method according to claim 3 , wherein the one or more sources includes the national weather service.
14. The method according to claim 3 , wherein the one or more sources includes other users.
15. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the updating includes standardizing duplicate information received from the one or more sources about the same traffic event.
16. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the updating includes determining impact of a traffic event on each affected traffic segments, the impact based on information about the traffic event.
17. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the updating includes determining a second total travel time based on predicted travel time for each affected traffic segment and corresponding impact caused by the traffic event.
18. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the updating includes determining the second fastest available traffic route based on the total travel times for each of the traffic routes now affected by the one or more traffic events.