Classifications

• • G—PHYSICS
  • G08—SIGNALLING
  • G08G—TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEMS
  • G08G1/00—Traffic control systems for road vehicles
  • G08G1/01—Detecting movement of traffic to be counted or controlled
  • G08G1/0104—Measuring and analyzing of parameters relative to traffic conditions

Definitions

• the invention relates to a method for recording traffic situation data in a traffic route network according to the preamble of patent claim 1. Furthermore, the invention relates to a terminal device for such a method.
• FCD Floating Car Data
• speed values are determined in a vehicle that is used as a movable sensor (FCD vehicle) and transmitted with the associated position data to a traffic situation detection center for further evaluation.
• FCD vehicle movable sensor
• the respective location of the FCD vehicle is usually carried out with the help of navigation satellites.
• the respective vehicle must have a special device (e.g.
• DE 196 38 070 A1 discloses a method for acquiring traffic data from vehicles, in which no special device comparable to a GPS receiver is required. Rather, the vehicle-side technical equipment effort is limited to the use of an end device for an obilfunknetz, that is, a mobile phone that is carried in the vehicle. This
• terminal equipment In addition to its function for obil communication, terminal equipment also has a function for obtaining time information and for storing information. Furthermore, in this method, at least one central unit in the sense of a data acquisition center is provided, to which a plurality of end devices, that is to say a number of FCD vehicles, are assigned.
• the terminals determine information that characterizes the radio cells of the mobile radio network, as well as further radio and transmission technology information of the mobile radio network. It is essential that information characterizing the cell change is recorded together with time stamps while driving. It is thus recorded in the terminal device at what point in time a change from one radio cell to another took place. This information is collected by the individual end devices and transmitted to a central office for further evaluation. This information is then used to reconstruct the route of the respective vehicle. Finally, the reconstructed routes are evaluated with a view to determining variables that affect the traffic flow
• the object of the present invention is to propose a method which manages with a very low expenditure on equipment in terms of the FCD vehicles used and in which the communication effort for data exchange with the traffic situation recording center is also low. Furthermore, an end device is to be proposed which is suitable for corresponding FCD vehicles.
• This object is achieved in a generic method by the features specified in the characterizing part of patent claim 1. Advantageous developments of this method result from subclaims 2 to 11.
• An inventive device has the features of claim 12 and can be further developed in an advantageous manner by the features of claims 13 and 14.
• the invention provides a method for recording traffic situation data in a traffic route network which is covered by a multiplicity of base stations of a cellular mobile radio network, in particular a GSM or UMTS network, and in which a multiplicity of vehicles, each with a terminal equipment (terminal) in operation for the mobile radio network are provided.
• the E ⁇ d usually a mobile phone, does not have to be used by the user, but only has to be switched on.
• operating data that are in operation with the terminal in contact with the
• Base stations are used to determine the current location of the respective end direction, that is, ultimately also the vehicle.
• the end device has a digital map of the traffic route network, which is formed from a large number of geographical points or discrete route sections representative of the course of the traffic route network, the points or route sections characteristic values of operating parameters of the mobile radio network are assigned in each case.
• this digital map is spanned by coordinates which relate to the operating parameters of the individual base stations.
• the end device has a software program that automatically compares the currently available operating parameters with the stored operating parameters of the digital map and determines the current location of the terminal device and thus the FCD vehicle.
• the software program does not continuously, but sends out its messages depending on the occurrence of certain events.
• the reporting activity of the FCD vehicle can be limited to situations that are of particular importance for the recording of the traffic situation (e.g. viscous traffic, traffic jams). This significantly reduces the communication costs for the process.
• This also contributes to the fact that the cost-effective route via the operating data channel of the mobile radio network is selected for the transmission of the messages to the traffic situation recording center.
• a report from an FCD vehicle therefore generally includes information that is relevant to the vehicle speed at one location or in a corresponding manner
• Route section is representative and location information for unambiguous identification of the location or the route section to which the speed information is based.
• the received messages for the determination of the traffic situation are evaluated in the traffic storage control center.
• the messages that are transmitted to the traffic situation control center are also provided with time information, that is to say also include time information that correlates with the speed and location information.
• This time information can expediently be added by the terminal device in the FCD vehicle. However, it could also be added by the head office in the sense of an end time when the respective SMS avoidance is received.
• the invention provides that the speed information of the FCD vehicle is approximately determined by the software program on the basis of the distances of the position of the FCD vehicle determined at different times.
• This has the advantage that the location positions can be determined completely autonomously by the terminal device, that is, no special devices such as a GPS receiver have to be available in the FCD vehicle.
• the software program has stored driving profiles that are characteristic of certain types of road, such as a motorway or a country road. Then, by comparing the driving professional actually driven with the stored driving profiles, it can be determined which type of road the FCD vehicle is currently on. This provides an additional criterion to improve the accuracy of the position determination. In this way, the terminal device is able to decide, for example in the case of relatively closely spaced roads of different types, on which road the respective FCD vehicle is currently located.
• the software program of the mobile terminal device in the FCD vehicle also has predefined rules which are used to decide the events or conditions in which the FCD vehicle must report to the head office.
• a rule can be expedient in the specification of a
• the operating parameters of the mobile radio network that are currently present in the device include, in particular, the identifier of the base station that currently delivers the highest field strength at the location of the terminal device.
• a criterion for the location determination is therefore the identification of the respective cell in which the FCD vehicle is located. But that would generally be too rough
• the operating parameters of the mobile radio network used to determine the location also include, for example, field strength information about other base stations at the current location that can be received by the terminal.
• field strength information about other base stations at the current location that can be received by the terminal.
• current signal propagation times to the different base stations can also be used for such an evaluation.
• it is by no means necessary to separately register the cell change that is to say a transfer of the FCD vehicle from one radio cell to an adjacent one, and to record the time of the transfer, as is necessary according to DE 196 38 070 A1.
• the software required for the FCD function including the required database (digital card, decision rules), to the end device via a SIM card.
• a digital hands-free device built into the respective FCD vehicle which is connected to the end device in the intended manner, is used with particular advantage for the method according to the invention.
• Such an end device has a processor for digital processing of acoustic signals anyway.
• This processor can be loaded with the required software program, including the database, in conjunction with a corresponding memory volume.
• This has the great advantage that on the one hand it is guaranteed from the outset that the hands-free system is carried in a vehicle and not by a pedestrian, so that uninteresting SMS messages from pedestrians can be excluded from the outset.
• no additional effort is required for the installation of the terminal device or the hands-free device belonging to it because of the property as a sensor for determining
• Traffic information required The only expenditure in terms of device technology can be seen in the fact that the software required for the traffic data acquisition is stored in the ear device or in the hands-free device connected to it.
• the operating expenditure for the method and the operation of the terminal device for the purpose of recording traffic situation data is low, since it is event-dependent Reporting activity is taken care of and the individual traffic situation data reports are transported via the cost-effective route of SMS messages to the traffic situation recording center.

Landscapes

• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Analytical Chemistry (AREA)
• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Mobile Radio Communication Systems (AREA)
• Traffic Control Systems (AREA)
• Devices For Checking Fares Or Tickets At Control Points (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Related Child Applications (1)

Publications (2)

Family

ID=7661949

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (6)

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Family Cites Families (3)

• 2000
  • 2000-10-30 DE DE10054375A patent/DE10054375A1/de not_active Withdrawn
• 2001
  • 2001-10-09 AU AU2002221523A patent/AU2002221523A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2001-10-09 AT AT01992987T patent/ATE491197T1/de active
  • 2001-10-09 WO PCT/DE2001/003874 patent/WO2002037444A1/fr active Application Filing
  • 2001-10-09 ES ES01992987T patent/ES2355130T3/es not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2001-10-09 DE DE50115737T patent/DE50115737D1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2001-10-09 EP EP01992987A patent/EP1330803B1/fr not_active Expired - Lifetime

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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