Method and apparatus for crowd-sourced traffic reporting based on projected traffic volume of road segments

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9530312-B2
Application number	US-201514618064-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 10, 2015
Priority date	Mar 12, 2013
Publication date	Dec 27, 2016
Grant date	Dec 27, 2016

Abstract

A system includes a processor configured to project monitoring needs for a road segment. The processor is further configured to contact one or more vehicles traveling on the road segment during a time of monitoring need. The processor is additionally configured to instruct a first number, determined based on a projected monitoring need, of contacted vehicles to being monitoring and reporting traffic data for the road segment.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
a processor configured to:
receive a vehicle route;
determine monitoring needs, based on projected traffic volume of road segments for the road segments along the vehicle route; and
assign a vehicle monitoring task to the vehicle when the vehicle reaches certain road segments, based on the determined monitoring needs.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the vehicle monitoring task includes taking a snapshot of traffic when the vehicle reaches a given road segment.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the vehicle monitoring task includes continuously monitoring traffic, for some period of time, while the vehicle is traveling on a given road segment.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
monitor traffic for a given road segment while the vehicle is traveling on the given road segment; and
if an observed deviance in real traffic versus projected traffic for the given segment is past a threshold, adjust the vehicle monitoring task based on the observed deviance.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the adjustment of the vehicle monitoring task includes instructing increased monitoring.

6. The system of claim 4 , wherein the adjustment of the vehicle monitoring task includes instructing decreased monitoring.

7. The system of claim 4 , wherein the adjustment of the vehicle monitoring task includes instructing initiating monitoring.

8. The system of claim 4 , wherein the adjustment of the vehicle monitoring task includes instructing ceasing monitoring.

9. A computer-implemented method comprising:
determining, by a computer, vehicle monitoring needs, based on projected road segment traffic volume, for segments along a received vehicle route; and
assigning a vehicle with a monitoring task when the vehicle reaches certain road segments, based on the determined monitoring needs.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the monitoring task includes taking a snapshot of traffic when the vehicle reaches a given road segment.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the monitoring task includes continuously monitoring traffic, for some period of time, while the vehicle is traveling on a given road segment.

12. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
monitoring traffic for a given segment while the vehicle is traveling on the given segment; and
if an observed deviance in real traffic versus projected traffic for the given segment is past a threshold, adjusting the vehicle monitoring task based on the observed deviance.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the adjustment of the vehicle monitoring task includes instructing increased monitoring.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the adjustment of the vehicle monitoring task includes instructing decreased monitoring.

15. The method of claim 12 , wherein the adjustment of the vehicle monitoring task includes instructing initiating monitoring.

16. The method of claim 12 , wherein the adjustment of the vehicle monitoring task includes instructing ceasing monitoring.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, storing instructions that, when executed, cause a processor to perform a method comprising:
receiving a vehicle route;
determining monitoring needs, based on projected traffic volume of road segments, for segments along the vehicle route; and
assigning a vehicle with a monitoring task when the vehicle reaches certain road segments, based on the determined monitoring needs.

18. The storage medium of claim 17 , wherein the monitoring task includes taking a snapshot of traffic when the vehicle reaches a given road segment.

19. The storage medium of claim 17 , wherein the monitoring task includes continuously monitoring traffic, for some period of time, while the vehicle is traveling on a given road segment.

20. The storage medium of claim 17 , the method further comprising:
monitoring traffic for a given segment while the vehicle is traveling on the given segment; and
if an observed deviance in real traffic versus projected traffic for the given segment is past a threshold, adjusting the vehicle monitoring task based on the observed deviance.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Tseng Fling
• Prakah-Asante Kwaku O
• Filev Dimitar Petrov
• Elwart Shane
• Lu Jianbo

Classifications

• G08G1/096766 Primary

  where the system is characterised by the origin of the information transmission · CPC title

• G08G1/0112 Primary

  from the vehicle, e.g. floating car data [FCD] · CPC title