EP2482266A1 - Information system for transmitting messages between traffic participants - Google Patents

Abstract

The traffic information system has several mobile communication devices (1) and a central station. Each mobile communication device is provided with a processor (2), a communication unit (4), a global positioning system (GPS) receiver (5) and a combined input and output unit (3). The user is allowed to input the event message through input unit. A GPS receiver is configured to determine the user's position. The communication unit is configured transmit the user's event information including the user's position to center station through internet.

Description

The present invention relates to an information system for communicating messages between road users.

Information systems that inform road users about hazards and traffic obstructions such as traffic jams, accidents, construction sites, road surfaces, etc. are of great importance. A timely warning makes it easier for road users to identify a hazard and avoid the danger spot if necessary. Accident risks and the extent of traffic disturbances can be minimized in this way.

Traffic information systems are known from the prior art that inform road users about TMC (Traffic Message Channel) messages about dangers and traffic disruptions. These are digital signals sent in the FM area. Navigation systems can include these messages in a route calculation. A disadvantage of such TMC-based traffic information systems is that only a thin network of reference points is available for locating a danger point or a traffic obstruction. Much of the road network is not recorded. In addition, since TMC messages are sent only on the basis of a telephone message to the police or to a radio station, it often takes many minutes between the occurrence of a hazard or traffic disruption and the transmission of the corresponding TMC message. Sending a timely warning is hardly possible.

So-called self-detection systems, which are mainly operated by mobile operators, are based on the continuous detection and evaluation of positions and velocity profiles of users. Even with such systems, a hazard is detected only if and only if the speed profile of a number of users changes significantly. Moreover, such systems do not provide any information about the nature of the hazard or traffic congestion.

The present invention is therefore based on the object to develop a system which is adapted to inform road users as soon as possible after occurrence of a traffic obstruction or a dangerous situation and as detailed as possible about this traffic obstacle or dangerous situation.

This object is achieved by an information system according to claim 1. Advantageous embodiments and further developments of the invention can be found in the subclaims.

According to the invention, an information system is proposed, in which a plurality of registered users who have user access data are equipped with mobile communication devices and in which the communication devices are set up to have permanent access to a center by means of the user access data and by means of an internet connection the user access data is stored so that the users, using the communication devices, can at least exchange messages with the center, wherein the users automatically send user messages comprising user messages and user positions from the communication devices to the center and the center includes event messages including event messages and event locations generated and in turn transmitted via an Internet connection to the communication devices. An event message is based on at least one of the user messages and an event position on at least one of the user positions. Each of the communication devices comprises an input unit by means of which a respective user issues a user message inputting, a position determination unit automatically determining a user position of the communication device at a time of inputting the user message by the respective user, the user position including geographic coordinates, a date, a time and a direction of movement of the communication device, a communication unit for sending the user message to the Central office and for receiving the event messages from the center, and an output unit by means of which the event messages are displayed to the respective user.

By allowing the users the user messages with which they have an event, such as. As a traffic obstacle or a dangerous situation, describe, generate independently and send them together with the user positions as user messages over the Internet to the Central Office, which automatically generates event messages from the user messages and these in turn transmitted to the user via an Internet connection, the user will be prompt within a few seconds, and informed in detail about the event, so that an accident risk is considerably reduced.

Due to the fact that the transmission of the user positions to the control center is triggered only by the input of the user message by the respective user, a data transmission rate between the users and the control center, in particular in comparison to self-detection systems, is considerably reduced. The user messages are only transmitted if a dangerous situation actually exists. It is therefore possible to use less powerful and correspondingly cheaper communication devices without sacrificing quality. A susceptibility to error in processing the incoming user messages on the part of the central office is also significantly reduced due to a lower data volume, whereby a reliability of the information system is improved.

In an advantageous development of the invention, the center comprises a computer in which the received user messages are stored, and a computer program called a mediator, which can be executed on the computer and which controls the transmission of the event messages.

A further advantageous development of the invention provides that the users and the mediator are members of an Internet-based social network, the users each having access to the social by means of the communication devices and via the user access data and an internet connection and the mediator via mediator access data and an internet connection Network, wherein at least two of the members can be connected as friends and exchange messages with each other, and each of the users is at least connected to the mediator as a friend and can exchange messages with the mediator. In this case, an existing software infrastructure of the Internet-based social network can be used, thereby minimizing the effort and costs for operating the central office. In addition, it is possible that two friends connected as friends can exchange messages directly with each other, without the messages are previously sent to the control center. These messages exchanged directly between two users are also user messages.

A further advantageous development of the invention provides that the mediator has means for checking incoming user messages and for evaluating the user messages as valid, wherein the means comprise rules with which the evaluation is made depending on categories of the user messages and depending on the user positions of the user messages becomes. In this way it is possible to intercept user messages that are due to intentional or unintentional misreporting by the mediator and not or initially not to use for generating event messages.

In a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, the checking and the evaluating comprise a grouping of the user messages into events, wherein the event messages are assigned to the events and wherein the rules include that the event messages are only generated and transmitted to the communication devices if a number of an event of aggregated user messages is at least equal to a minimum number. This has the advantage that an event message is not necessarily generated by each user message. Rather, only a single event message is generated for a plurality of user messages relating to the same event. However, there may be provision for an event message to be updated as more user messages arrive relating to the same event. For this purpose, the center assigns to each event an event identifier by means of which a user can request an updated event message of the corresponding event. For example, a development of a traffic jam length can be interrogated repeatedly. The summarization comprises a comparison of user messages and user positions of incoming user messages with previous user messages received at earlier times and previous user positions of previous user messages stored in the central office of the central office. The fact that the event messages are not transmitted to the users until a minimum number has been reached can increase the reliability of the event messages. In particular, an event message may include a message about how many user messages it is based on.

According to a further advantageous development of the invention, the event messages of the event messages are respectively based on a subset of the user messages and user positions of the user messages combined to form an event, and the event items of the event messages are each based on a subset of the user positions of the user messages combined into an event. Depending on a category of the event message, the event message and event location may be based on different subsets of the user messages and user positions aggregated to the event. For example, the event location may be a user location that precedes any other user location associated with the event in a corresponding direction of travel to alert subsequent road users as early as possible. For special events, such as warnings of adverse weather conditions, it may be useful for the event location to include an area that includes all user locations associated with the event. In the event of a jam, the event location may include user locations of a first and a last jammed user.

In a further advantageous development of the invention, the user messages comprise different categories of user messages, wherein the different categories are stored in the communication devices and can be selected via the input unit. In this case, a user can therefore select from a plurality of predetermined user messages. In this way, the input of user messages can be made very quickly and subsequent road users can be warned within a very short time. For example, the various user messages may be organized into categories and subcategories, making an input process particularly efficient. In addition, a predetermined selection of user messages facilitates the mediator to compare and summarize various user messages. Additionally or alternatively, it may be provided that the user freely enter the user messages as text. In particular, the different user messages may include the following categories of user messages: jam end, accident, object on the road, ghost driver, cruising animals, people on the road, heavy transport, smoothness, fog, snow drift, hail, heavy rain, storm, rockfall, fire, smoke, Radar control, emergency notification, deregistration of a previously reported event.

The fact that the user messages include different categories of user messages, the user can be informed in detail about a traffic obstacle or a dangerous situation.

According to a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, the communication devices have means for checking the relevance of incoming event messages depending on a receiver position determined by the position determination unit and the event position of the respective event message. The receiver position is the location of a communication device that receives the event message at a time of receipt of the event message. If a distance between event position and receiver position is greater than a minimum distance, the event message is not displayed in the output unit of the receiving communication device. However, it can be provided that the event message is still displayed when the receiving communication device moves toward the event position. By checking the relevance of incoming event messages, the receiving user will only be presented with event messages that affect him on his journey.

A further advantageous development of the invention provides that the communication devices each have a navigation device with a satellite receiver as a position determination unit. With the help of the satellite receiver, the user position can always be determined with great accuracy. With the navigation device, the event position of a received event message for a calculation or recalculation of a travel route can be used. By means of the navigation device can be determined in addition to the determined user position additional information about a road on which the respective communication device is located. The information about the road on which the respective communication device is located can be transmitted as part of the user position to the control center. In addition is it is advantageous that the center has access to digital maps, so that the center of a user position can assign a street and a direction of travel on the road.

Fig. 1

die Komponenten eines der mobilen Kommunikationsgeräte,

Fig. 2a)

eine erste Verkehrssituation,

Fig. 2b)

eine zweite Verkehrssituation,

Fig. 3a)

eine Eingabeeinheit eines mobilen Kommunikationsgerätes,

Fig. 3b)

einen Inhalt einer von einer Positionsbestimmungseinheit ermittelten Benutzerposition,

Fig. 4

Inhalte von Benutzernachrichten,

Fig. 5

ein Übermitteln der Benutzernachrichten aus Fig. 4 an eine Zentrale und Überprüfen der Benutzernachrichten in der Zentrale,

Fig. 6

ein Erzeugen einer Ereignisnachricht, basierend auf Benutzernachrichten aus Fig. 5,

Fig. 7

Übermitteln der Ereignisnachricht aus Fig. 6 an Benutzer aus Fig. 2 und

Fig. 8

Anzeigen einer Ereignismeldung der Ereignisnachricht aus Fig. 6 auf einer Ausgabeeinheit eines mobilen Kommunikationsgerätes.

Embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the figures and are explained in more detail in the following description. Show it:

Fig. 1

the components of one of the mobile communication devices,

Fig. 2a)

a first traffic situation,

Fig. 2b)

a second traffic situation,

Fig. 3a)

an input unit of a mobile communication device,

Fig. 3b)

a content of a user position determined by a position determination unit,

Fig. 4

Content of user messages,

Fig. 5

transmitting the user messages Fig. 4 to a central office and checking the user messages in the central office,

Fig. 6

generating an event message based on user messages Fig. 5 .

Fig. 7

Submit the event message Fig. 6 to users Fig. 2 and

Fig. 8

Display an event message of the event message Fig. 6 on an output unit of a mobile communication device.

Fig. 1 shows a mobile communication device 1, which in a vehicle, for. As an automobile is installed. The communication device 1 comprises a processor 2, a combined input and output unit 3, which is designed as a touch screen with microphone and speaker, a communication unit 4, which is designed as a transmitting and receiving unit for transmitting user messages and for receiving user messages or event messages, a satellite transmitting / receiving unit (GPS) 5 and a navigation unit 6.

Fig. 2a ) shows a first traffic situation 7 with a first road 8, which is navigable from south to north, and with a second road 9, which runs parallel to the first road and is navigable from north to south. On the first street 8, a road user B1 drives north in his car. Behind the road user B1 is an object G on the road 8, which completely blocks the road 8. Road users B2, B3 and B4 stand on the road 8 in front of the object G with their respective cars in a traffic jam. A road user B5 drives on the road 8 with his car on the object G and standing in traffic underway B2, B3 and B4. On the road 9 drives a road user B6 in his car to the south.

Fig. 2b ) shows a second traffic situation 10 with a third road 11 which runs in an east-west direction. The traffic situations 7 and 10 are z. B. 300 kilometers apart. On the road 11, a road user B7 drives with his car to the east and passes a radar control RK on the roadside.

The cars of the road users B1 to B7 are each with mobile communication devices K1 to K7 (not shown) of in Fig. 1 equipped type. About the communication units 4, the communication devices K1 to K7 are each connected via a wireless connection to the Internet. In addition, B1 to B7 are members of an Internet-based social network (not shown) and users of an information system for communicating messages between road users. Members of the social network have user access data and can access a central network 41 of the social network via the user access data and an internet connection ( Fig. 5 ). At least two members of the social network can be connected as friends and exchange messages via the central 41. B1 to B7 in the FIGS. 2a) and 2b ) have, as members of the social network, user access data Z1 to Z7 ( Fig. 5 ) and access by means of this and via the communication devices K1 to K7 produced Internet connections IV1 to IV7 (partially in Fig. 5 shown) to the center 41. As users of the information system, the road users B2, B3 and B4 intend to inform the users B1 to B7 of the information system about the object G which blocks the road 8 and thus constitutes a traffic obstruction. Likewise, the road user B6 intends to inform the users B1 to B7 of the roadside inspection 11 via the radar control RK.

For this purpose, enter B2, B3, B4 and B6 via the touch screen 4 of their communication devices K2, K3, K4 and K6 each a user message BM2, BM3, BM4 and BM6. As an example of such input is in Fig. 3a ) a sensor screen 3 of the communication device K4 of the user B4 shown. In the in Fig. 3a ), the input is made by touching the touch screen 3 by the user B4. It is also conceivable that B4 makes the input via speech in a microphone 13, wherein a further processing of the input is performed by means of a speech recognition software. Various categories of user messages are stored in the communication device K4, which are displayed on the touch screen 3 as selection fields "tail end" 14, "subject" 15, "weather" 16, "radar check" 17, "emergency" 18 and "event log off" 19 , The user messages BM2, BM3, BM4 and BM6 can thus comprise different categories of user messages. Since B4 already sees the cars of B2 and B3, he enters as user message BM4 "tail end" 14 by touching the selection box 14 on the touch screen 3. Thus, the user B4 has inputting the user message BM4 by means of the touch panel 3, which is an input unit of his communication device K4.

At a time when B4 enters the user message BM4, a user position BP4 of the communication device K4 is transmitted by a satellite receiver 5 (FIG. Fig. 1 ) of the device K4 whose contents are in Fig. 3b ) is shown. The satellite receiver 5 is a position determining unit of K4. The user position BP4 includes geographic coordinates 20, a date 21, a time 22, a road 23 and a direction of travel 24. The road 23 is thereby assigned the coordinates 20 and one in the navigation unit 6 (FIG. Fig. 1 ) is stored by K4 stored digital map (not shown). The user message BM4 and the user position BP4 together form the content of a user message BN4.

The user message BN4 of the user B4 and the user messages BN2 of B2, BN3 of B3 and BN6 of B6 are respectively in Fig. 4 shown. BN2 includes a user message BM2 and a user position BP2, BN3 includes a user message BM3 and a user position BP3, and BN6 includes a user message BM6 and a user position BN6. The user positions BP2, BP3 and BP6, as well as the user position BP4, respectively contain geographic coordinates 26, 27, 48, a date 29, 30, 31, a time 32, 33, 34, a road 35, 36, 37 and a direction of travel 38, 39, 40. As in in Fig. 3 In the case shown by the user B4, the user positions BP2, BP3 and BP6 are respectively automatically detected by the users B2, B3 and B6 via the respective position designation units of the communication devices K2, K3 and K6 with entry of the user messages BM2, BM3 and BM6.

Fig. 5 shows how the user messages BN2, BN3, BN4 and BN6 respectively via Internet connections IV2, IV3, IV4 and IV6 of the Transmitter / receiver units 4 of the communication devices K2, K3, K4 and K6 are transmitted to the central unit 41, which includes a computer R, on which a designated as Mediator M computer program is executed, the center 41 in turn via an Internet connection IVZ to the Internet connected is. In the center 41, the user access data Z1 to Z7 of the registered users B1 to B6 are stored. The communication devices K1 to K7 have by means of the user access data Z1 to Z7 and the (in Fig. 5 shown) Internet connections IV2, IV3, IV4, IV6 and IVZ and about (in Fig. 5 not shown) Internet connections IV1, IV5 and IV7 permanent access to the control center 41. The control center 41 is adapted to store the received user messages BN2, BN3, BN4 and BN6 in the computer R.

The mediator M has means (not shown) for checking the user messages BN2, BN3, BN4 and BN6 received from the center 41 and stored in the computer R and is set up to store the stored user messages BN2, BN3, BN4 and BN6 either as valid or as not valid. The means in this case comprise rules with which, depending on the categories of the user messages BM2, BM3, BM4 and BM6 and / or depending on the user positions BP2, BP3, BP4 and BP6, the user messages BN2, BN3, BN4 and BN6 received in the center 41 Assessment is made. In Fig. 5 In addition, it is shown that checking and evaluating the user messages BN2, BN3, BN4, and BN6 by the means of the mediator M comprises summarizing the user messages into events E1 and E2. So are in Fig. 5 the user messages BN2, BN3 and BN4 of the users B2, B3 and B4 in Fig. 2 assigned to event E1. Based on the user messages "item" (BM2), "item" (BM3) and "congestion" (BM4) as well as user positions BP2, BP3 and BP4, each of which has an identical date 21, 29, 30, within a time tolerance range 22, 32, 33, identical roads 23, 35, 36, identical directions of travel 24, 38, 39, and at least in pairs within a local tolerance range lying geographical Coordinates 20, 26, 27, the means of the mediator M recognize the corresponding user messages BN2, BN3 and BN4 as being due to an identical traffic obstruction and therefore group them together to the event E1. Fig. 5 also shows that checking the user message BN6 stored in the computer system R of the center 41 by means of the mediator M identifies it as not belonging to the event E1 on the basis of the user message "Radar check" (BM6) and because of the user position BP6. This is because the geographical coordinates 28 of the user position BP6 of the communication device K6 are each outside the local tolerance range of the geographical coordinates 20, 26, 27 of the user positions BP4, BP2 and BP3 of the communication devices K4, K2 and K3 (see FIG Fig. 2 ). The user message BN6 of the user B6 is therefore assigned to another event E2, which comprises only the user message BN6.

Fig. 6 shows a content of an event message EN1, which includes an event message EM1 and an event position EP1. The event message EN1 is associated with the event E1 and is generated according to the rules of the means M for checking and evaluating the user messages when a number of the user messages BN2, BN3 and BN4 combined to the event E1 is at least equal to a minimum number. In the in Fig. 6 shown embodiment of the invention, the number three and thus at least equal to the minimum number, which should also be here three. The event message EM1 is based on the user message BM4 of the last jammed user B4 ( Fig. 2a )) and the user positions BP2 and BP4 of the first congested user B2 and the last congested user B4 (FIG. Fig. 2a )). The event message EM1 of the event message E1 is therefore based on a subset of the user messages BM2, BM3 and BM4 and user positions BP2, BP3 and BP4 of the user messages BN2, BN3 and BN4 combined to the event E1. The event position EP1 is based on the user positions BP2 and BP4 and thus on a subset of the user positions BP2, BP3 and BP4 of the to the Event E1 summarized user messages BN2, BN3 and BN4. An event message associated with the event E2 is not (yet) generated because the event E2 contains only the user message BN6, so that in this case a further number of user messages combined to the event E2, namely one, is less than the minimum number, such as should be three above.

The center 41 is arranged to transmit the event message EN1 via the Internet connections IVZ and IV1 to IV7 to the communication devices K1 to K7 of the users B1 to B7 as soon as the event message EN1 has been generated, the transmission being controlled by the mediator M. This process is in Fig. 7 shown. As can be seen from the above statements, the transmission of the event message EN1 to the communication devices K1 to K7 takes place only when the number of user messages combined to the event E1, here BN2, BN3 and BN4, is at least equal to the minimum number, the three here is.

The mobile communication devices K1 to K7 are configured to receive the event message E1 transmitted by the center by means of the transmitting / receiving device 4 and to output the received event message E1 by means of the combined input / output unit 3. Fig. 8 shows by way of example the display of the received event message EN1 by means of the input / output unit 3 of the communication device K5 of the user B5 in FIG Fig. 2a ). Here, however, only the event message EM1 is displayed to the user B5. The event position EP1 also received by the communication device K5 with the event message EN1 is relayed by the processor 2 to the navigation unit 6 and taken into account in a recalculation of a route previously entered by the user B5 into the navigation unit 6.

In Fig. 8 is not explicitly shown that the communication devices K1 to K7 in addition to means for testing the Relevance of incoming event messages. These means for checking the relevance are designed in the illustrated embodiment of the invention as a computer program that is executed on the processor 2 of the communication devices K1 to K7. Depending on an identified by the position determination unit 5 of the respective communication device 1 receiver position and depending on an event position of the respective received event message determines the computer program executed on the processor 2, whether the respective received event message to the respective user via the input / output unit 3 is displayed or not.

In the case of in the FIGS. 2a) and 2b ) shown traffic situations 7 and 10, the event message E1 is displayed only to the user B5 via the input / output unit 3 of its communication device K5. Namely, by comparing the event position EP1 with a receiver position of the communication device K5 of the user B5, the computer program executed on the processor 2 of K5 determines that the event E1 associated with the received event message EN1, namely the one in Fig. 2a ), which user B5 concerns on his further journey. The other users B2, B3, B4, B6 and B7, however, the event message EN1 is not displayed. B1 has already passed the item G. B2, B3 and B4 have sent the user messages BN2, BN3 and BN4 associated with the event E1 and are therefore already informed. Although B6 is in an environment of the event E1 designated by the event position EP1, it travels in an opposite direction on the road 9 different from the road 8. Finally, B7 is located at a distance of z. B. 300 km ( FIGS. 2a) and 2b )) from the event E1 and moves z. B. in a direction away from E1 direction, which is why E1 for B7 is assessed as not relevant.

Claims (10)

An information system for communicating messages comprising messages and positions between a plurality of mobile communication device-equipped road users who are registered users and have user access data, and a center in which the user access data are stored, the communication devices being formed by Having user access data and via an Internet connection permanent access to the center to exchange messages with at least the headquarters, wherein the mobile communication devices each have an input unit for input of user messages by the user, a position determination unit for determining user positions, a communication unit for transmitting user messages , each comprising a user message and a user position, to the center and for receiving event messages from the center, and an output unit for output e of the event messages, and wherein the center is adapted to receive the user messages and transmit the event messages to the mobile communication devices, the event messages each having an event message based on at least one of the user messages and an event location based on at least one of the user messages User positions are based. Information system according to claim 1, characterized in that the control center comprises a computer in which the received user messages are stored, and in that the control center comprises a computer program called a mediator, which is executable on the computer and which controls the transmission of the event messages. An information system according to claim 2, characterized in that the users and the mediator are members of an Internet-based social network, the users each having access to the social network through the communication devices and via the user access data and an internet connection and the mediator access data and an internet connection at least two of the members may be connected as friends and exchange messages with each other, and each of the users is at least connected to the mediator as a friend and can exchange messages with the mediator. An information system according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that the mediator comprises means for checking incoming user messages and evaluating the user messages as valid, the means comprising rules for evaluating, depending on the categories of the user messages and the user positions of the user messages is made. An information system according to claim 4, characterized in that the checking and the rating comprise summarizing the user messages into events, the event messages being associated with the events, and wherein the rules include not transmitting the event messages to the communication devices until a number of events an event of aggregated user messages is at least equal to a minimum number. Information system according to Claim 5, characterized in that the event messages of the event messages are each based on a subset of the user messages and user positions of the user messages combined in each case for an event, and that the event locations of the event messages are each based on a subset of the user positions of the user messages aggregated into an event. Information system according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the user messages comprise different categories of user messages, wherein the different categories are stored in the communication devices and are selectable via the input unit. Information system according to claim 7, characterized in that the different categories comprise one or more of the following categories: Jamming, Underground, Ghost Driver, Crossing Animals, People on the Road, Heavy Transportation, Smoothness, Fog, Snow Blowing, Storm, Radar Control, Emergency Message. Information system according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the communication devices have means for checking the relevance of incoming event messages as a function of a receiver position determined by the position determination unit and the event position of the respective event messages. Information system according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the communication devices each have a navigation unit with a satellite receiver as a position determination unit.

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