Abstract: An embodiment provides a traffic information generating method for generating traffic information about a road on which a vehicle travels. A vehicle speed is detected by a vehicle speed sensor at predetermined distance or time intervals. By referring to a prescribed speed, a prescribed distance, and a link determination distance, a congestion degree associated with the vehicle speed is detected.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method and a device, which is in one hand implemented as a man-machine system in which the operations are shared such that a driver takes in charge of an inter-vehicle distance and speed control, while on the other hand a quantity of controls for stabilizing the inter-vehicle distance sequence is calculated automatically and additionally incorporated by the addition in respective vehicles. The stabilization of the inter-vehicle distance can be realized by employing the distributed control method in which a set of acceleration and deceleration information from a vehicle traveling ahead is appropriately integrated and transmitted in relay to a following vehicle. This enables the stabilization of the inter-vehicle distance sequence without requiring the inter-vehicle distance measurement in itself and the easy installation of equipment, and realizes a method in which safety is ensured by allowing the driver to still take charge of a local control.

Abstract: In an exemplary method, mobile device attribute data is received from a plurality of mobile devices over a network. The mobile device attribute data includes location data representative of a plurality of geographic locations associated with the mobile devices. The method further includes selectively aggregating the mobile device attribute data and generating traffic condition data based at least in part on the mobile device attribute data. The traffic condition data is representative of at least one traffic condition. In certain embodiments, the mobile devices include mobile telephones and the network includes a mobile telephone network. In certain embodiments, the traffic condition data is real time data. In certain embodiments, at least a portion of the traffic condition data is provided for access over the network.

Abstract: An on-vehicle information providing device for providing information to a driver based on information sent from an information providing center is disclosed. When a vehicle leaves an off-street facility having multiple exits to enter a road, the on-vehicle information providing device performs a first process of sending the information providing center vehicle-side information including information obtained based on starting time and exiting time of the vehicle and information identifying one of the exits selected for the vehicle to leave the facility; and performs a second process of receiving from the information providing center exit status information including exit time lengths calculated for the respective exits by the information providing center based on the vehicle-side information received from multiple vehicles and providing information to the driver based on the received exit status information.

Abstract: The present invention includes a traffic information collection unit for collecting weight information of a vehicle running on a road and vibration and noise information generated on the road; a traffic jam determination unit for determining a traffic jam and traffic jam type based on the collected weight information, the vibration and noise information; a traffic jam information transceiving unit for transmitting the traffic jam information or the received traffic jam information of a front road to a vehicle on a rear road by receiving the traffic jam information of a front road from another apparatus for providing traffic jam information installed on the front road; and a display unit for displaying the determination result of the traffic jam determination unit, or a traffic condition of the front road.

Abstract: In a case where a CPU 11 provided in an information distribution center 3 has received a request command for requesting predicted traffic information transmitted from a navigation apparatus 2 as well as vehicle information such as a navigator identifying ID, coordinate data of a vehicle position, or coordinate data of a destination, the CPU 11 searches a basic route based on update-purpose map information 14A, and sets a distribution range serving as a transmission target of traffic information 16A, 16H, and 16C. Then, the CPU 11 generates the predicted traffic information 16C such as congestion prediction information corresponding to the distribution range, extracts the predicted traffic information 16C of each link having a difference in the generated predicted traffic information 16C and the current traffic information 16A, and distributes the extracted predicted traffic information 16C to the navigation apparatus 2 together with a link ID of a corresponding link.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method and apparatus for determining traffic conditions using wireless devices. A number of signals from the vehicles traveling in selected routes are received by several wireless communication networks via the wireless devices. The total number of signals received are used to compare if there are sufficient number of vehicles traveling on the selected routes. If so, then the location information of the moving vehicles at various times is determined by the wireless communication network and forwarded to a central computer. The central computer coordinates with the wireless communications network for information needed to compute traffic data. The central computer computes the velocity of the moving vehicles and a traffic profile is created based on the velocity and location information of the moving vehicles. Furthermore, the traffic profile is sent to the moving vehicles.

Abstract: Either vehicle traffic or financial markets data is regularly broadcast in a fixed size packet over a wireless network in a push manner to one or more wireless receiver devices located within a particular service coverage region. A data center stores information specific to the particular region including drive-times strings metadata, drive-times data, drive-times route metadata, traffic incident data and financial markets indicators data. The data center decides upon a particular type of information to be placed into a payload of a next packet to be broadcast and pre-formats this information accordingly without receiving any information from the receiver devices. Data structures are provided which contain data representing the drive-times strings metadata, drive-times data, drive-times route metadata, traffic incident data and financial markets indicators data.

Abstract: In a congestion prediction using measurement data which is acquired by an on-road sensor or a probe car, and which includes none of explicit information about bottleneck points, with respect to time-sequence data on congestion ranges accumulated in the past, data on congestion front-end positions are summarized into plural clusters by the clustering. Representative value in each cluster is assumed as position of each bottleneck. A regression analysis, in which day factors are defined as independent variables, is performed with congestion length from each bottleneck point selected as the target. Here, the day factors refer to factors such as day of the week, national holiday/etc. It then becomes possible to precisely predict a future congestion length.

Abstract: A traffic information calculation device includes: a probe information database for accumulating vehicle information including a vehicle position and the time of the vehicle position; a branch judgment unit for judging the branch direction of the vehicle at an intersection according to the position of the intersection on the map database and the vehicle information; and intersection traffic information calculation unit for calculating the wait time or jam length of the branch direction at the intersection from the vehicle information. Thus, the intersection traffic information calculation unit can calculate the traffic information for each branch direction at the intersection and it is possible to obtain accurate traffic information for each branch direction even at an intersection having five directions or more.

Abstract: The International market is a vital horizon for todays and future strategies since it provides a robust and competitive arena for expanding business. The focus of the forgoing is to deploy a suite of decision search tools which will live on the phone network and the internet. The prime focus is to mainstream an electronic data record and medical diagnostic application [telephone/internet deployment architecture] which will address one of the most threatening problems in America “Mainstreaming of remote Health Care Services Access”. These tools will primarily be used to determine the severity of health condition providing Doctor Collaboration and health services routing. We spend 1.6 trillion dollars in health care cost and have not realized full efficiency primarily based on access, infrastructure, doctor shortage, rising prices and technology issues. The theme here involves deploying a health care international alliance which will not only address national but international health care needs.

Abstract: A sensor for obtaining vehicular traffic data is described. The sensor includes a housing having a front surface. The sensor also includes an antenna plate having an antenna ground surface and a radiating surface. The antenna plate is disposed within the housing for transmitting radiation to a vehicle through the front surface and for receiving the radiation reflected back from the vehicle through the front surface. A transceiver circuit plate is disposed within the housing for electrically driving the antenna plate. The transceiver circuit plate has a component side for supporting circuit components and a circuit ground side for grounding the circuit components. The antenna ground surface is between the radiating surface and the transceiver circuit plate. A processor unit drives and processes electrical signals from the transceiver circuit plate to obtain vehicular traffic data.

Abstract: A method called as a time-differential-ratio method and its apparatus used for intersection traffic control that differentially operates on the traffic so as to change pass-permit direction with traffic status in time is disclosed. The method includes the steps of starting, timing, vehicle-requesting, extra-moving, ratio-moving, and recycling. Unlike a common control method called as macro-estimate control method that forces changeable traffic to follow a given period and direction turn order to pass, which causes lots of stops and wait, a differential operations on the traffic are integrated with a common ratio control method and walker signals. It shows the operating features and the effective characteristic of both micro-time control and macro ratio control, which lets a vehicle arriving first pass first conditionally, is good for real-time arbitrary traffic pattern control, and leads to great reduction of stops and wait.

Abstract: Navigation systems and services are described. The navigation services can include obtaining a route or route segment based on a location of a vehicle and a destination. Based on the route, a current fuel supply of the vehicle, and a number of factors related to fuel consumption, a refueling location can be estimated. A number of locations of fuel stations in proximity to the refueling location can be determined and presented to a user, for example, on a map showing the route.

Abstract: Characterizing traffic conditions by analyzing operational data taken from a wireless communication network to generate traffic information. Location estimates can be made based on processing the operational data. This location can be combined with computerized street maps to measure the time it takes to get from one geographic area to another. By aggregating and analyzing anonymous data from thousands of devices, the present invention is able to determine real-time and historical travel times and velocities between cities, intersections and along specific routes.

Abstract: A device for determining when a virtual trip line has been crossed or traversed is provided. The device includes a memory for storing the virtual trip lines which are defined pairs of location descriptors corresponding to a geographic area. The device further includes a processor that is capable of determining the location of the device when it crosses a virtual trip line as well as its speed and direction. The processing element is further capable of sending this information to another electronic device such as a server that may determine a number of vehicles crossing a virtual trip line for a specified amount of time, the average speed of vehicles crossing the virtual trip line and the traffic density in a region near the virtual trip line. The device is capable of receiving the information that was determined by the server.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing road status information and using the same are disclosed. A method for encoding traffic information includes the steps of: generating message management information including message identification (ID) information indicating that the traffic information is status information; generating status information including traffic status information; generating location information corresponding to the traffic status information; and generating a traffic information message including the message management information, the status information, and the location information. Therefore, the method provides a vehicle driver who travels along a traffic-jam road or congested road with road traffic status information in real time, such that the vehicle driver can arrive a desired destination within the shortest time using predicted road traffic information.

Abstract: To provide a destination prediction device that predicts a destination of a mobile body without being dependent on the availability of a history of the destination.

Abstract: A method and structure of estimating traffic in a network. A real-time estimate of the network traffic is calculated, based on limited real-time data about the network traffic calculated in an offline phase and limited real-time data received in a real-time phase.

Abstract: A system and method for counting vehicle traffic, for providing electronic advertising, for providing a billing system, and for providing an auction system having the following features: enabling the owner of an electronic advertising display device to charge advertisers per number of vehicles which pass the advertisement; enabling advertisers to bid to have their respective advertisement shown for a particular congestion level and dynamically changing the advertisement shown; cycling through a series of advertisements and based on calculated average vehicle speed; determining how many of the advertisements were likely viewed by the occupants of a vehicle; and calculating the average number of viewers of the advertisements.

Abstract: Aggregated navigation system data can be used by an artifact repository to infer the presence of a static traffic artifact. Static traffic artifact can include traffic lights, traffic signs, special traffic zones, railroad crossings, and the like. Metric data collected from multiple global positioning systems (GPS) devices can provide sampling data for inferring a static traffic artifact on a road. Metrics can include driving behavior, travel direction, velocity, timestamps, delay, and the like. For example, if thirty percent of the data collected about an intersection indicates drivers come to a stop at an intersection, the system can infer a traffic light exists at the intersection. Each traffic artifact can have an associated confidence factor which can indicate the degree of accuracy of the inferred artifact. Confidence factor can be increased or decreased based on the re-evaluation of sample data for the artifact.

Abstract: A roadway vehicle sensor includes a coextrusion having a linear conductive section and a linear non-conductive section forming a vehicle deformable closed housing. The linear conductive section has an inwardly projecting conductive plunger along the length thereof which is fused to wedge removal arms. The linear non-conductive section has a pair of inwardly projecting insulating wings having wing tips spaced apart a distance defining a plunger gap. The insulating wings also define a contact chamber into which the plunger protrudes only upon deformation of the vehicle deformable housing by a vehicle. Preferably, the vehicle deformable housing has a flat side on the exterior for engagement with a roadway surface. A contact assembly in the contact chamber has one or more flat conductive lane switch segment, each flat conductor lane switch segment having a width which avoids phantom switch closures.

Abstract: Parking support systems, methods, and programs store road information and obtain information regarding a vacant space on a road. The systems, methods, and programs calculate parking availability in a predetermined area specified by the stored road information based on the obtained information; and provide notification of the calculated parking availability.

Abstract: An intelligent vehicle highway system collects and provides real-time traffic data to a vehicle traveling on a continental roadway network. A digitized continental roadway network has nodes interconnected by links that define a digitized representation of the continental roadway network. To enable intelligent data collection and navigation over large expanses of the continental network, which would otherwise be computationally onerous, the digitized continental roadway network is partitioned into a plurality of digitized roadway subnetworks. The onboard vehicle navigation device has a processor for executing an application that instantiates a subset of the digitized roadway subnetworks in a vicinity of a current position of the vehicle to collect and provide relevant real-time traffic data to the vehicle in a computationally efficient manner.

Abstract: The present application relates to a method for determining traffic information. In at least one embodiment, the method includes receiving at least one photograph of a portion of the earth's surface comprising at least one road segment using an input/output device, recognizing a number of vehicles on the at least one road segment in the at least one received photograph using a processor unit, and determining traffic information based on the at least one recognized vehicle.

Abstract: A system and method for tracking and monitoring vehicles on a roadway. RFID tags are positioned along the roadway and may be interrogated by vehicles equipped with an RFID scanner and a transceiver as the vehicles encounter the RFID tags along the roadway. The RFID tag information received by the RFID scanner is transmitted by the transceiver to a roadside repeater station which in turn sends the RFID tag information, as well as other identifying information, to a remote central tracking station. The remote central tracking station processes the RFID tag information and other information to determine a current position of a corresponding vehicle. Driver ranking profiles may be generated for drivers of vehicles and stored in a database in the central tracking station. The driver ranking profiles are used to restrict drivers in certain ways.

Abstract: A management system for a managed vehicle traffic lane adaptively and selectively extends authorization to use the lane to lower priority vehicle service classes when extension can be done without adversely impacting higher priority vehicle service classes. The management system offers significant quality of life improvement for motorists in congested urban areas by improving throughput of managed and unmanaged lanes and reducing travel times and fuel consumption.

Abstract: A traffic signal control method and system reduces the delay time of a transit vehicle at an intersection by incorporating an automatic vehicle location (AVL) system to trigger a traffic signal priority (TSP) strategy with a chain of mobile events to determine the correct timing, location, conditions, and/or other mobile events that may trigger a TSP action. The traffic signal control can also be used to notify vehicle status in passenger/traveler information systems such as street signs, to monitor the wait time at an intersection or bus stop, and in any application that relates to vehicle entry into a given location and a consequence of actions that may be associated with the location.

Abstract: There is provided a predictive traffic information creating method for a predictive traffic information creating apparatus connected via a communication network to a traffic information center that delivers live traffic information regarding a predetermined road network at a predetermined time interval; includes an information processor and information storage for storing at least statistical traffic information regarding links included in the road network; and when an incident occurs in the road network, creates predictive traffic information regarding after the incident.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for generating traffic information to be used in a car navigation system, comprising the steps of acquiring traffic information data including information relating to a travel time of links making up a road on a map and for acquiring map data relating to the link, the map data comprising at least information on a road type of the link and checking if a volume of the traffic information data available in is sufficient for performing a statistical estimate for the travel time. In order to enhance the traffic information generated, it is proposed to use the steps of checking if the volume of traffic information data relating to links located in a target area is sufficient and adapting a size of the target area depending on the amount of available traffic information data.

Abstract: A travel history collection system includes a terminal side device and a center side device capable of communicating with the terminal device. The terminal device includes the following components. A vehicle information acquisition part acquires a travel history of a vehicle. A short-range wireless communication means and a wide-range wireless communication means are used to transmit the acquired travel history to a center device. A travel history transmission part transmits the travel history to the center device via the short-range wireless communication means when the travel history can be transmitted via the short-range wireless communication means, and via the wide-range wireless communication means when the travel history cannot be transmitted via the short-range wireless communication means.

Abstract: A management system for a traffic lane achieves congestion management objectives by dynamically predicting future vehicle density in a traffic lane and assigning to a requesting user a time slot for entering the traffic lane selected independent of any user requested time and based at least in part on a current prediction about future vehicle density in the traffic lane. The current prediction is based at least in part on predicted trajectories of vehicles, which are determined in turn based at least in part on actual trajectories of vehicles.

Abstract: This method of detecting the presence of a disruptive object on a stretch of road comprises: a step (66) of enumerating the vehicles simultaneously present on the stretch of road on the basis of data gleaned by a first and a second vehicle detector placed respectively at an entrance and at an exit of this stretch, and a step (74) of instructing the activation of an image processing step, triggered automatically as a function of the enumeration.

Abstract: A system and method for determining and communicating a traffic anomaly at a point to at least one receiving vehicle includes a traffic information center and at least one probe device. Each probe device is configured to determine and store within an on-board database a current value of a condition at the point during each of a plurality of trips, so as to build a history of condition values. The probe device is further configured to compare the current value to the historic values during each trip, and selectively transmit notification of an anomalous value to the center.

Abstract: The present invention provides an on-vehicle navigation system in which a user can perform predetermined driving using a special lane such as a carpool lane appropriately and without anxiety where advancing from a normal lane in a predetermined advancing authorized section and exiting to the normal lane in a predetermined exiting authorized section are authorized. The system includes a remaining number notifying section for notifying the user of the remaining number of at least one of an exiting authorized section for exiting from a special lane to the normal lane and an advancing authorized section for advancing to the special lane from a normal lane, between a vehicle position detected by a vehicle position calculation section and an interchange point or an exit of a plural-lane road including the special lane and the normal lane which exists on a recommended route, in performing route guidance of the vehicle.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for selecting a travel route in which first and second positions values for searching a travel route are received, and travel prediction information of all road sections from a first position to a second position are calculated by applying a pre-set weight value to each road section according to at least one of current traffic congestion status information and predicted traffic congestion status information from the first position to the second position that correspond to the first and second position values.

Abstract: An intelligent vehicle highway system collects and provides real-time traffic data to a vehicle traveling on a continental roadway network. A digitized continental roadway network has nodes interconnected by links that define a digitized representation of the continental roadway network. To enable intelligent data collection and navigation over large expanses of the continental network, which would otherwise be computationally onerous, the digitized continental roadway network is partitioned into a plurality of digitized roadway subnetworks. The onboard vehicle navigation device has a processor for executing an application that instantiates a subset of the digitized roadway subnetworks in a vicinity of a current position of the vehicle to collect and provide relevant real-time traffic data to the vehicle in a computationally efficient manner.

Abstract: History information for the history of vehicle travel on a road is obtained. Traffic-volume information indicating a traffic volume on the road is obtained based on the history information that has been stored in at least a predetermined amount. When the traffic volume on the road during a predetermined period is smaller than a predetermined reference value indicating a difficulty of passage, road-selection information for avoiding that road is generated.

Abstract: A system, method and computer program product are provided for speech recognition. During operation, a database of words are maintained. Initially, a probability is assigned to each of the words which indicates a prevalence of use of the word. Further, an utterance is received for speech recognition purposes. Such utterance is matched with one of the words in the database based on least in part on the probability.

Abstract: A navigation device has a GPRS receiver for receiving real-time information about slow traffic flow or slow average speed on a stretch of motorway, indicating congestion. The device calculates a new itinerary to avoid the congestion, based on historically recorded speeds on secondary roads weighed by the current average speed in the congestion area.

Abstract: A system for making a telephone call in a vehicle in which information concerning the traffic situation of a first vehicle is electronically processed and sent to a second vehicle. By apparatuses of further electronic processing, only relevant information concerning the traffic situation, which is in the field of view of the device of the first vehicle, is transmitted to the receiving party together with the telephone conversation. Unimportant details of the environment are able to be suppressed.

Abstract: An object of the invention is to provide a traffic information provision system which can arbitrarily set a position resolution and a traffic representation resolution and flexibly support a traffic information prediction service. The traffic information provision system of the invention quantizes the state quantity of traffic information changing along a road, converts said quantized state quantity to a value having statistical deviation, performs encoding of said value, and provides the encoded value to traffic information utilization apparatus such as a car navigation system. The traffic information utilization apparatus decodes said encoded state quantity to reproduce the traffic information on said road.

Abstract: A control section (212) adds first time information from a clock (204) to road traffic information from a light beacon communication device to create road traffic information by first time for storing in a storage device (205). A time judging device (209) receives second time information from other mobile communication terminal and creates an information transmission instruction if the first time of the first time information is more up-to-date than the second time of the second time information. An information selecting section (211) selects and transmits a part of the road traffic information by first time based on other traveling direction information indicative of the traveling direction of other vehicle and traveling direction information from an azimuth finder (208). Upon receiving road traffic information by third time from other mobile communication terminal, the control section (212) overwrites the road traffic information by first time in the storage device (205).

Abstract: A method and device are disclosed for navigation. In at least one embodiment, the method includes connecting a navigation device, located in a vehicle, to a server; transmitting information relating to changes in position and speed of the vehicle to the server; and receiving information, relating to potential delays along a route of travel of the vehicle, from the server, the received information being determined based at least partially upon information relating to changes in position and speed transmitted from navigation devices of a plurality of vehicles.

Abstract: Methods and systems for controlling vehicular traffic flow in a transport system are provided. The method includes defining a plurality of queues through the transport system, assigning each of a plurality of vehicles into one of the plurality of queues, determining a number of vehicles in each queue and a period of time each vehicle remains in the queue, and permitting traffic flow in at least one queue that facilitates reducing the congestion of the plurality of queues.

Abstract: The invention addresses the disadvantage of automated vehicle traffic management systems by providing a solution for predicting and avoiding traffic congestion before the congestion is experienced. The invention includes a decentralized mechanism for predicting congestion. An exemplary embodiment of the invention uses a system of sensors to determine current traffic flow; the sensors communicate their state to a network of servers and then an algorithm is applied to the collected data to predict traffic congestion; upon detection of congestion, signals are communicated to the system controllers to prevent the traffic congestion.

Abstract: When an average vehicle speed corresponding to a congested road section exists and at the same time, speed limit data corresponding to the congested road section is contained in map data, a degree of traffic congestion is determined based on the difference between the average vehicle speed and the speed limit. When an average vehicle speed corresponding to a congested road section exists but speed limit data corresponding to the congested road section is not contained in map data, a degree of traffic congestion is determined based on the average vehicle speed. When there is not information indicating an average vehicle speed corresponding to a congested road section, a degree of traffic congestion indicated in externally received traffic information is directly taken as the result of determination of a degree of traffic congestion.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method and apparatus for determining traffic conditions using wireless devices. A number of signals from the vehicles traveling in selected routes are received by several wireless communication networks via the wireless devices. The total number of signals received are used to compare if there are sufficient number of vehicles traveling on the selected routes. If so, then the location information of the moving vehicles at various times is determined by the wireless communication network and forwarded to a central computer. The central computer coordinates with the wireless communications network for information needed to compute traffic data. The central computer computes the velocity of the moving vehicles and a traffic profile is created based on the velocity and location information of the moving vehicles. Furthermore, the traffic profile is sent to the moving vehicles.

Abstract: The present invention is a method and an apparatus for predicting future travel times over a transportation network. In one embodiment, a method for predicting future travel times over a transportation network includes receiving a data point indicating a real-time volume of traffic on the link at a given time and updating a template representative of an observed traffic pattern on the link in accordance with the received data point. A future travel time over the link can then be estimated in accordance with the updated template. Thus, the template is able to adapt to dynamically changing traffic patterns, taking these changing traffic patterns into account when making predictions of future traffic patterns.

Abstract: An information delivery system and its method and a program of the system, in which plural robots are used and users can obtain information effectively via the plural robots from the wider range than the range where only one robot moves, are provided. Each of the plural robots provides an information delivering means to users and an information exchanging means with an information server. The plural robots and the information server connect to a network. The robot obtains information to be delivered to an identified person from the information storing in the information server. And the robot delivers the obtained information to the identified person.