5107results about "Arrangements for variable traffic instructions" patented technology

The invention provides a system and method for reporting hazard and event information from a mobile unit, and using that information to warn a user of an event or future hazard with reference to the mobile unit's location and / or intended direction of travel. Users may wirelessly report events or hazards to a central server in an event center by sending data to the event center via a wireless communications network. Secondary information may be included, based on the selected event type, along with images, audio, and video of the event. The event center stores event information, including event locations based on the locations of the transmitting mobile units, and makes this information available to allow other users to respond to the hazard or event.

A method and apparatus generating a departure alert for an event based on a current location. The method may comprises: obtaining scheduling data associated with a first event, wherein the first event scheduling data includes a first event time value and a first event location value, obtaining a device location value, obtaining a current time value, determining if the first event location value and the device location value differ by more than a event location threshold, upon a determination that the first event location value and the device location value differ by more than the event location threshold, estimating a first travel time value from the device location and the first event location, generating a departure time value by comparing the first event time value and the estimated first travel time value, and generating a departure alert by comparing the departure time value and the current time value.

An on-board intelligent vehicle system includes a sensor assembly to collect data and a processor to process the data to determine the occurrence of at least one event. The data may be collected from existing standard equipment such as the vehicle communication bus or add-on sensors. The data may be indicative of conditions relating to the vehicle, roadway infrastructure, and roadway utilization, such as vehicle performance, roadway design, roadway conditions, and traffic levels. The detection of an event may signify abnormal, substandard, or unacceptable conditions prevailing in the roadway, vehicle, or traffic. The vehicle transmits an event indicator and correlated vehicle location data to a central facility for further management of the information. The central facility sends communications reflecting event occurrence to various relevant or interested users. The user population can include other vehicle subscribers (e.g., to provide rerouting data based on location-relevant roadway or traffic events), roadway maintenance crews, vehicle manufacturers, and governmental agencies (e.g., transportation authorities, law enforcement, and legislative bodies).

A meteorological alert system for mobile devices and users that includes a weather information service for analyzing meteorological data, generating device-specific weather alerts and transmitting the alerts to a set of relevant devices is disclosed. The processing system may be built into existing wireless service provider infrastructure or consist of a standalone component capable of interacting with wireless services. The weather alerts and information transmitted to users may be based specifically on each mobile device's particular location and focuses maps and diagrams on the device as a central reference point. Alerts may be sent automatically based on continually monitored weather hazard information as well as based on continually or regularly monitored device locations.

A method and system for traffic monitoring and prediction of traffic intensity. The method comprises the steps of determining at least twice, within a specified time interval, geographical positions of a plurality of mobile devices in a mobile telecommunications network. This is done by means of measuring at least one property of signals transmitted between the mobile devices and base stations in the mobile telecommunications network. At least a subset of the geographical positions are compared with a route of a road provided in a route database in order to identify mobile devices having routes corresponding to at least a part of the road route. A velocity for the identified mobile devices based on the at least two positions, and the calculated velocity of at least one identified mobile device is compared with a reference velocity of the road in order to predict traffic intensity on the road. A system for short range monitoring is also provided.

A wireless piconet transceiver is mounted in a vehicle, and a complementary fixed wireless piconet transceiver is mounted in a garage, service station, police squad car, etc., for communication with the vehicle when parked adjacent thereto. The vehicle establishes a temporary piconet network with the user's home piconet. Vehicle operational statistics are tracked and maintained in a centralized vehicle computer database. This database can be manipulated to store the data desired by the vehicle owner. Via a wireless piconet connection, this database can transmitted to another piconet device such as the owner's computer. This computer system can be part of a wireless piconet, such as Bluetooth, This provides the computer with the ability to communicate with external wireless devices such as a cell phone, PDA, computer, or a cordless telephone. This invention allows for the configuration, or selection of desired vehicle data to be tracked. This configuration can take place on the owner's home computer (or laptop) and consequently transmitted to the vehicle computer using a wireless piconet protocol, e.g., the Bluetooth protocol. Additionally, this configuration can be manipulated by a direct interface to the vehicle provided by the manufacturer. Exemplary vehicle statistics which may be tracked include, but are not limited to, miles per gallon, average miles per hour, maximum MPH, miles driven per trip, driving statistics based on time of day and / or on identified driver, rotations of the engine per minute (RPM), temperature of engine, fuel gauge level, oil pressure, tires, brakes, engine coolant, wiper fluid, global positioning satellite (GPS) system, and / or even compressed voice from inside car cockpit during operation of vehicle.

A system and method for displaying traffic information in an automotive navigation system having a display, memory and a data receiver. The method includes the first step of storing in a traffic speed table in memory at least two speed threshold limits wherein each speed threshold limit represents a different traffic flow category. The receiver receives data representative of the vehicle speed on at least one road segment and compares that received vehicle speed data with the traffic speed table to determine the traffic flow category corresponding to the received speed data for the road segment. A visual indicator is then displayed on the display which corresponds to the traffic flow category for the road segment. The user is able to customize the speed threshold limits through a GUI. These speed threshold limits are further user modifiable as a function of weather, day of the week, road conditions, type of road, as well as other factors.

A method is provided for vehicle to vehicle communication among vehicles having wireless communication links. Upon receiving notification of a sudden change in vehicle behavior, a vehicle broadcasts a priority message to surrounding vehicles within a transmission range. If an emergency event has occurred, a repeat cycle is defined for re-broadcasting the message, and a maximum number of initial repetitions for the message is specified. The message is transmitted repeatedly by a leader vehicle, with a pause between each transmission, until the maximum number of repetitions has been reached.

System and method for warning drivers of changing road conditions is disclosed. In one embodiment road condition information is obtained for at least a portion of a route. The road condition information is analyzed to identify one or more significant features on the portion of the route. The driver is alerted to the one or more significant features.

System and method for warning drivers of changing road conditions is disclosed. In one embodiment road condition information is obtained for at least a portion of a route. The road condition information is analyzed to identify one or more significant features on the portion of the route. The driver is alerted to the one or more significant features.

A method for enhancing driver safety through body position monitoring with remote sensors, and furnishing feedback in response to vehicle motion, driver activities, and external driving conditions, wherein the method includes: monitoring and characterizing signals from at least one sensor mounted on the body of a driver; monitoring and characterizing signals from at least one vehicle mounted sensor; determining driver activity based on disambiguating the signals from the driver and vehicle mounted sensors; providing feedback to the driver based on the determined driver activity, vehicle motion, and external driving conditions; and wherein the feedback is employed to modify driver behavior and enhance driver safety.

A method for monitoring vehicle speed is provided. The method includes receiving a current speed of a vehicle and a current speed limit associated with a current location of the vehicle. A current speed range is calculated by comparing the current speed of the vehicle to the current speed limit. Operator alert preferences including a caution range and a warning range are accessed. An alert responsive to the current speed range and to the operator alert preferences is communicated to the operator of the vehicle. The alert includes one or more caution attributes when the current speed range of the vehicle is within the caution range. The alert includes one or more warning attributes when the current speed range of the vehicle is within the warning range. The alert includes one or more at speed attributes when the current speed range of the vehicle is not within the caution range or the warning range.

The present invention provides systems and methods for computing a relevance rank or score of a point of interest based on its proximity to clusters of other points of interest (POI). The methods of the present invention are based upon novel approaches that use location information and weighting functions in order to filter and sort searches of hotels, destinations, and other properties or other points of interest. In one approach, a relevance rank of a target POI at a location is determined by obtaining a plurality of component POIs that are each within the same geographical region as the target POI. Component POI scores for each of the component POIs are calculated as a function of a distance between the locations of the component POI and the location of the target POI. The relevance rank of the target POI is a combination of the plurality of component POI scores.