Method for refining traffic flow data
Traffic information, including traffic flow information and traffic incident information, obtained through a traffic management system for providing and facilitating the exchange of traffic information between a remote location and a vehicle may be presented to a user on a user display in the vehicle. In one embodiment, traffic information provided to a vehicle navigation device is refined by comparing the average speed of the vehicle against the average speed of other vehicles traveling along the same road. In another embodiment, the operation of a traffic signal is controlled based, in part, on the current traffic flow and distance from the traffic signal to alleviate traffic congestion.
1. A method for improving the accuracy of traffic information provided to a navigation device within a vehicle, the vehicle traveling along a road having a plurality of speed sensors that each provide traffic flow information to a traffic information supplier, the method comprising:
(a) receiving location data and speed data from the navigation device;
(b) broadcasting the location data and speed data received in said step (a) to the traffic information supplier;
(c) receiving sensor data from the traffic information supplier;
(d) comparing the speed data received in said step (a) with the sensor data received in said step (c);
(e) generating an alert containing proposed corrective action, if there is a discrepancy between the speed data and sensor data;
(f) broadcasting refined traffic information to the navigation device.
2. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the location data and speed data received in said step (a) is transmitted by the navigation device over a wireless communication network.
3. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the location data and speed data received in said step (a) is transmitted by the navigation device over a satellite communication network.
4. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the sensor data received in said step (c) was transmitted from a sensor located in a similar geographic area as when the vehicle navigation device transmitted the location data and speed data.
5. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the sensor data received in said step (c) comprises sensor speed data.
6. The method as recited in claim 5 , wherein comparing the speed data with the sensor data in said step (d) comprises:
(i) determining the speed difference between the speed data received in said step (a) and a sensor speed data received in said step (c).
7. A method for improving the accuracy of traffic information provided to a navigation device within a vehicle, the vehicle traveling along a road having a plurality of speed sensors that each provide traffic flow information to a traffic information supplier, the method comprising:
(a) receiving location data and speed data from the navigation device;
(b) broadcasting the location data and speed data received in said step (a) to the traffic information supplier;
(c) receiving sensor data from the traffic information supplier;
(d) comparing the speed data received in said step (a) with the sensor data received in said step (c);
(e) generating an alert containing proposed corrective action, if there is a discrepancy between the speed data and sensor data; and
(f) broadcasting refined traffic information to the navigation device;
wherein generating an alert in said step (e) comprises:
(i) generating a first alert, if the speed difference between the speed data received in said step (a) and the sensor speed data received in said step (c) is between zero and ten miles per hour;
(ii) generating a second alert, if the speed difference between the speed data received in said step (a) and the sensor speed data received in said step (c) is between ten and sixteen miles per hour;
(iii) generating a third alert, if the speed difference between the speed data received in said step (a) and the sensor speed data received in said step (c) is between sixteen and twenty miles per hour; and
(iv) generating a fourth alert, if the speed difference between the speed data received in said step (a) and the sensor speed data received in said step (c) is greater that twenty miles per hour.
8. The method as recited in claim 7 wherein the second alert generated in said step (ii) comprises requesting the traffic information supplier to check the sensor data received in said step (c).
9. The method as recited in claim 7 wherein the third alert generated in said step (iii) comprises requesting the traffic information supplier to monitor the speed sensor.
10. A method for improving the accuracy of traffic information provided to a navigation device within a vehicle, the vehicle traveling along a road having a plurality of speed sensors that each provide traffic flow information to a traffic information supplier, the method comprising:
(a) receiving location data and speed data from the navigation device;
(b) broadcasting the location data and speed data received in said step (a) to the traffic information supplier;
(c) receiving sensor data from the traffic information supplier;
(d) comparing the speed data received in said step (a) with the sensor data received in said step (c);
(e) generating an alert containing proposed corrective action, if there is a discrepancy between the speed data and sensor data; and
(f) broadcasting refined traffic information to the navigation device;
wherein generating an alert in said step (e) comprises:
(i) generating a first alert, if the speed difference between the speed data received in said step (a) and the sensor speed data received in said step (c) is less than twenty percent;
(ii) generating a second alert, if the speed difference between the speed data received in said step (a) and the sensor speed data received in said step (c) is between twenty and thirty percent;
(iii) generating a third alert, if the speed difference between the speed data received in said step (a) and the sensor speed data received in said step (c) is between thirty and forty percent; and
(iv) generating a fourth alert, if the difference between the speed data received in said step (a) and the sensor speed data received in said step (c) is greater that forty percent.
11. A method for improving the accuracy of traffic information provided to a navigation device within a vehicle, the vehicle traveling along a road having a plurality of speed sensors that each provide traffic flow information to a traffic information supplier, the method comprising:
(a) receiving location data and speed data from the navigation device;
(b) broadcasting the location data and speed data received in said step (a) to the traffic information supplier;
(c) receiving sensor data from the traffic information supplier;
(d) comparing the speed data received in said step (a) with the sensor data received in said step (c);
(e) generating an alert containing proposed corrective action, if there is a discrepancy between the speed data and sensor data;
(f) broadcasting refined traffic information to the navigation device; and
(g) transmitting the alert generated in said step (e) to the traffic information supplier.
12. A method for improving the accuracy of traffic information provided to a navigation device within a vehicle, the vehicle traveling along a road having a plurality of speed sensors that each provide traffic flow information to a traffic information supplier, the method comprising:
(a) receiving location data and speed data from the navigation device;
(b) broadcasting the location data and speed data received in said step (a) to the traffic information supplier;
(c) receiving sensor data from the traffic information supplier;
(d) comparing the speed data received in said step (a) with the sensor data received in said step (c);
(e) generating an alert containing proposed corrective action, if there is a discrepancy between the speed data and sensor data; and
(f) broadcasting refined traffic information to the navigation device;
wherein broadcasting refined traffic information in said step (f) comprises:
(i) correcting the sensor data received in said step (c); and
(ii) transmitting the traffic information to the navigation device, based at least in part on the sensor data corrected in said step (i).