EP2065865B1

EP2065865B1 - System for monitoring vehicle traffic

Info

Publication number: EP2065865B1
Application number: EP07465009A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Michal Markiewicz
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2007-11-23
Filing date: 2007-11-23
Publication date: 2011-07-27
Anticipated expiration: 2027-11-23
Also published as: EP2065865A1; PL2065865T3; ATE518222T1

Abstract

In a system for monitoring vehicle traffic comprising a device (30) for transmitting positional data of the transmitting vehicle, a device (40) receiving positional data of the transmitting vehicle and another for making traffic data available of transmitting vehicles, the device making traffic data of transmitting vehicles available provides visualisation of transmitting vehicle routes in the form of lines allocated to the transmitting vehicles (10, 11), their parameters being at least dependent on the momentary speed of the transmitting vehicle.

Description

The present invention relates to a system for monitoring vehicular traffic along with its use for optimisation of system user travel between two points.
In order to encourage prospective customers to buy now cars, renowned automobile manufacturers offer incentives like driver equipment that makes traveling easier, which is assembled as standard automobile equipment Therefor, Japanese-based manufacturer Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. offers as standard equipment a system for traffic jam prediction which is comprised of an onboard navigation device transmitting vehicle information such as position and speed to the traffic information centre. To make the system more reliable, information about impassable road segments must be confirmed by other monitored vehicles. An example of such a solution is the publication of European Patent Application EP1742189A2 entitled "Traffic jam prediction", which describes a device that can predict the current degree of traffic congestion on the basis of up-to-the-minute traffic information and changes from the preceding traffic jam information.
Another patent publication US2006220924 A1 entitled "Traffic information display device, traffic information display method, and on-vehicle electronic apparatus" presents a monitoring device displaying signs on a map indicating traffic events.
An example of an alternative solution is publication of the european invention application EP1450132 entitled "Mark delivery system, center apparatus, terminal, map data delivery system, center apparatus, and terminal", which describes the system's center, terminal, and mark distribution system. Data and marks are delivered to the centre of the system solely by the users and depend upon users' own perception and subjective judgment of the traffic. A center system, comprising of a mark database for storing a mark data; communication means for transmitting and receiving the mark data to and from a terminal; and control means for picking up the mark data to be distributed from said mark database and for distributing it to said terminal, and for updating the mark data in said mark database based on the mark data transmitted from said terminal. A terminal, comprising of format selection means for selecting a format of the mark data; communication means for transmitting and receiving the mark data to and from a center system; mark display means for displaying the mark; interface means for giving and taking the information to and from an external device: and control means for performing various types of control for the terminal and for changing said mark, whereby said control means downloads said mark data from said center system via said communication means, changes the mark obtained from said downloaded mark data and uploads the changed mark to said center system by turning the mark to a predetermined format. A mark distribution system having a center system and a terminal, whereby said center system comprises a mark database for storing a mark data; communication means for transmitting and receiving the mark data to and from the terminal; and control means for picking up the mark data to be distributed from said mark database and for distributing it to said terminal, and for updating a mark data of said mark database according to the mark data transmitted from said terminal; said terminal comprises format selection means for selecting a format of the mark data; communication means for transmitting and receiving the mark data to and from a center system; mark display means for displaying the mark; mark information storage means for storing said mark data; interface means for giving and taking the information to and from an external device; and control means for performing various types of control for the terminal and for changing said mark, whereby said control means downloads said mark data from said center system via said communication means, changes the mark obtained from said downloaded mark data and uploads the changed mark to said center system by turning the mark to a predetermine format. A center system, is comprising also a map database for storing a map data; communication means for transmitting and receiving data to and from a terminal; data mode setting means for changing a data mode to be distributed to said terminal depending on time zone; and control means for processing the map data to be distributed from said map database according to setting of said data mode setting means and for distributing the data to said terminal. A terminal is comprising input means for inputting information; communication means for transmitting and receiving data to and from a center system; map data storage means for storing a map data; display means for displaying the map data; display mode setting means for setting a display mode of said map data display means; and control means for performing various types of control for the terminal, whereby said control means is designed to receive and display the map data selected according to at least one of the weather information from said center system via said communication means or the data mode in the time zone, and to display the map data in the display mode preset by said display mode setting means. The center system is designed in such manner that communication fee is not imposed on the user who changed the mark data changed or created it.
A downside of a solution presented in the description of patent EP-1450132 is basing the system on the map database and creating by the system and its users a common information which is based on the base map which can be altered by the users in accordance with their will and is then shared by the entire user's population. The center system according to EP-1450132 doesn't create on maps any routes between points visited by the users. Transmitting devices are owned only by the system users. Such a solution provides only a partial information regarding traffic situation in a given location. The system lacks the ability to provide information about road traffic in a given section of road. The system lacks the functionality which allow to select detour to avoid traffic accidents or congestion wich appeared on a road section of the route at which the user is driving. Every piece of information is submitted only at a certain spot without being related to the whole area but is only related to one particular location on the road. There is no possibility to get the overall information about road sections, what makes it impossible to get a ranking of the quickest routes between any two points in the city. There is no possibility to count all the vehicles on roads nor to get the number of vehicles assigned to a given category which are in move during and outside rush-hours. The system's only role is to distribute the information without the ability to receive and release information generated in the centre of the system. The map mentioned in the description of the invention EP-1460132 is edited and maitained by the active system users who are base on their subjective judgement of the traffic situation moving along a certain, self-monitored part of the road. The user of the system sends a mark out to the centre of the system only when he/she spots an accident. After receiving the mark, the system places a mark on the map which indicates an unusual occurrence and informs other users about an obstacle on a road segment. A mark bases on a subjective judgement of the user who is monitoring the route. Users may or may not notice such an occurrence and the form in which they send the mark on to the center of the system is solely up to him. Another downside of the system is the close group of the users and lack of anonymity. Furthermore, in case of an unexpected obstacle on route there is no possibility to send to the database information about detour such as side roads, dirt roads, and so on which is not included on the map, but have been chosen by the user. A system for monitoring vehicular traffic according the preamble at claim 1 is known from US 2004/0034467A1 .
The solutions presented can only offer an on-spot information about traffic occurences, hence the need to develop a system for traffic monitoring which would enable access to the full and up-to-the-minute traffic situation, would analyse the present situation in comparison with the situation in the past and will provide the user with the optimum routes generated with distinction of types of vehicles and will not be dependent upon user's biased opinion.
The invention is defined in the appended claims Information related to traffic can be displayed on the computer screen which is connected to the system and/or via website and/or a variable message signs. This information may be displayed by a program started on a computer which connects to the server to retrieve display information and/or by a website displaying current information and/or by signs located at the roadside (large display signs) on which the traffic information will be presented. Displayed information having the form of traces or routes may be only one of the displayed layers, while other layers which could be selectively turned on and off can contain topographical information about the city (names of the streets, squares etc.), a physical map (altitude above sea level, rivers, lakes etc.). A representation may be available in two or three dimensions, while a specific area could be enlarged, reduced, zoomed in, zoomed out and/or rotated.
Preferably the traveling route of the transmitting vehicles is identified by the use of a line connecting two points for which the system has generated the optimal route based on traveling time between those two points and/or the distance between the two points. Furthermore, the system based on the route optimization identifies all possible routes between the two points which then are replaced with segments for which based on the data from the system's data base the system identifies traveling time and/or the distance for all possible routes and finally, the system performs an analysis of all possible routes in order to determine the optimal route based on traveling time and/or the distance between the two points. On the basis of routes of transmitting vehicles, the user may choose a route. Route which is displayed to the user, may be a trace made from traces of many transmitting vehicles. Routes generated for the users are based on at least single track of transmitting vehicle which travelled by the optimal route selected by the system or it is based on tracks of multiple transmitting vehicles. The presented method for the selection of a route may be used for searching for the fastest connection between two geographical locations.
The invention will now be described by way of an example, and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 shows the structure of a system for monitoring vehicular traffic;
Fig. 2 shows a block diagram of a receiving station;
Fig. 3 shows the database structure;
Fig. 4 shows the structure of Information about transmitting vehicles;
Fig. 5 shows the structure of information about receivers;
Figs. 6A and 6B show block diagrams of an algorithm of the traffic monitoring method;
Figs. 7A, 7B, 7C, 7D, 7E and 7F show methods for route representation of the transmitting vehicle;
Figs. 8A, 8B and 9 show visual examples of transmitting vehicle routes;
Figs. 10A and 10B show a method for the grouping of traces of transmitting vehicles;
Fig. 11 shows a display unit displaying route options which the user may travels;
Fig. 12 shows a method for dividing a distance into segments based on traces of transmitting vehicles having defined momentary speed;
Fig. 13 shows a method for detection of titanic lanes;
Fig. 14 shows the creation of vehicle ranking with respect to the time of passage from one segment to another,
Fig. 15 shows an algorithm of the visualisation of the most convenient route to travel from one point to another.

The system for monitoring the traffic of the transmitting vehicles 10, 11 in a basic version, shown in Fig. 1, comprises device 20 for receiving positional data of the transmitting vehicle 10, 11, device 30 for transmitting positional data 31 of the transmitting vehicle 10, 11 and device 70, 75 releasing the traffic data of the transmitting vehicle 10. The position of the transmitting vehicle 10, 11 is determined on the basis of a broadcast 51 transmitted from the satellites 50 and changes with transmitting vehicle 10, 11 movement. Collection of data required to determine the current position of the transmitting vehicle 10, 11 is provided by a cyclical reading of GPS information from the receiver 20 placed in the transmitting vehicle 10, 11 and by radio transmitting 31 them, independently of the vehicles user's actions, through the transmitter 30, which can be a transmitter sending GPS information to a device 40 receiving positional data of the transmitting vehicle 10, 11 being part of receiving station 70 or an independent unit. Current information is usually, but not always, sent to the transmitter If the vehicle moves. GPS information may consist of longitude and latitude and/or vehicle momentary speed calculated as a quotient of the length of the segment travelled between two GPS readouts containing positional information of the transmitting vehicle and the time between readouts as well as vehicle ID and/or time and date of readout. Transmitter data is scrambled by the transmitter to prevent a third party from obtaining information about the position of the device comprised of receiver and transmitter. The system collects information received from transmitters 30 by a receiver, e. g. receiving unit 70, which is provide with database of GPS information along with an application for data analysis. Information is stored in a database and/or sent to other receiving and/or transmitting stations 75. The type of receiving station 70 corresponds to the selected transmission method of the transmitter. The receiving station descrambles data and stores it in a database. The database contains collected GPS information. Data may be stored In the database as two data sets, the first being classified file T, while the second is open file J. The first set clusters receive GPS information in such a way that tracing a single vehicle route is impossible. In the second data set, information is stored as is, which enables allocation of the route to the specified vehicle. Application installed in the receiving station 70 has also a feature of data analysis. It may be a separate application called data analysis application or constitute a whole with the application of data receiving.
Another application that may be singled out is the application for releasing the data in numerical form. The application makes it possible to read the data created as a results of analysis by other applications. The application is intended for other programs and applications providing representation of results generated in any form. For every route comprising e.g. streets, such data as momentary speed of the transmitting vehicle, traveling time of the transmitting vehicle, maximum, average and minimum traveling speed, required slow down at the entry/exit of the next street, number of lanes available for drivers, speed limit on certain segments etc. is collected. The application also collects data of possible routes which may be travelled e.g. from one point in the city to another selected point of the city, and prepares all possible traveling routes for user's vehicle or end user 11, 12, respectively for every specified vehicle type as truck, motorcycle or passenger car.
The end user may be also a transmitting vehicle 11.
Generated routes are presented to the users by use of the device for releasing data of transmitting vehicular traffic, e.g. a representational module or an application for the visualisation of results representing routes of the transmitting vehicles in the form of a display consisting of several lines allocated to every transmitting vehicle, their parameters being dependent at least on momentary speed of the transmitting vehicle. The line or lines which represent the routes of transmitting vehicles and are available to the users may be applied to a road map, while the representational device is adjusted for radio and/or by cable release of all the information including characteristics of lines allocated to every transmitting vehicle and/or every digit and/or number designation allocated to the line and vehicle type and/or its use.
The application generating results makes it possible to select a specific geographic area. If the data from the receiver is written to the open database J, the user, after being identified and authorised, may see represented routes and his current position. Routes within the area displayed by the application may be represented as lines of different colours and/or saturation and/or type and/or thickness. For example, a given colour with regard to the colour scale may define, in connection with speed, momentary or average speed of passing the specified segment However, saturation may determine the number of vehicles passing the specified section recently, e.g. the older the data, the less visible the line. In turn, line thickness may indicate capacity that is determined by the number of traffic lanes available to the vehicles.
Display of information may be provided by a program started on a computer which connects to the server to retrieve display information and/or by a website displaying current information and/or by signs located at the roadside (large display signs) on which the traffic information will be presented. Displayed information having the form of traces or routes may be only one of the displayed layers, while other layers which could be selectively turned on and off can contain topographical information about the city (names of the streets, squares etc.), a physical map (altitude above sea level, rivers, lakes etc.). A representation may be available in two or three dimensions, while a specific area could be enlarged, seduced, zoomed in, zoomed out and/or rotated.
Using the above-described system for the monitoring of vehicular traffic, it is also possible to:

define the area to be displayed, for example by entering geographical coordinates of the surrounding area;
define the age of the traces to be displayed, for example one hour, 10 minutes;
select a trace and then read information about the average speed of passing the specific segments
select a segment and read information about average, maximum and minimum vehicle speed;
select the category of vehicles with traces which are to be displayed, e.g. motorcycle, passenger car, bus, truck, articulated road train, specified public transport vehicle.

Another application being part of the system may be an application which answers queries about how to get as quickly as possibly, at the moment of analysis of traffic situation, from one point to another and gives options of traveling routes together with estimated time and average speed using e.g. historical data, which means data of preceding periods, for example data of the preceding day.
Fig. 2 shows a block diagram of an embodiment of a receiving station 70 equipped with processor 210, and as an example with a data receiving application or module 240, a data validation application or module 245, an application or module 250 for calculation of momentary speed, an application or module 260 for data aggregation, an application or module 270 for data representation along with a database 80 with hard disk, non-volatile FLASH memory and other types of storage, e.g. ROM and RAM, data input 220 with interface 221 and data output 230 with interface 231 as well as communication with external equipment and/or applications and modules. Open data of the open database J as well as classified data of the classified database T may be written both to the hard disk or to another type of memory. These applications or modules may be separate subprograms or units.
Fig. 3 shows the structure of a database 80 containing information 310 on transmitting vehicles, information 320 on receiving devices and/or users, informations 330 on routes, data 340 of momentary, average, minimum and maximum speeds, data 350 of segments which could relate to e. g. capacity and/or lane information, criteria 360 for data correctness consisting of rules for every vehicle type concerning the accepted range of speed and possible connections, e.g. that a 90° turn is impossible while traveling at a speed of 90 km/h, and other information 370.
For example, information 310 about transmitting vehicles may contain an identifier and information about vehicle type or group attachment depending on vehicle function or affiliation to the classified group of certain level. Similar information may be contained in receiver information 320, which may be supplemented by reports on period of access to information and the area being the subject of transmitted information as well as access information.
Fig. 4 shows the structure of information 310 about transmitting vehicles, in which the following can be distinguished: identifier 410, vehicle type 420, information 430 about the method of transmitting data to the receiving station, definition 440 of attachment to a group e.g. of buses, flag 450 of route tracking giving information whether the vehicle belongs to the open or the classified database, and other informatlon. In turn, Fig. 5 shows the structure of information 320 about the receivers, in which the following can be distinguished: identifier 510, vehicle and/or receiver type 520, information 530 about the method of receiving of data, range 540 of transmitted data, information 550 about the scheduled routes, which in case of traffic hindrances may be rescheduled and the user is notified of this. These routes may also be used on the display, which might present a new, faster connection in the ensuing traftic situation. Other information 560 may also be numbered among information about the receivers.
Figs. 6A and 6B show block diagrams of an exemplary algorithm of a method for traffic monitoring which begins with receipt of data from the transmitter of the transmitting vehicle in step 610. After deciphering of data in step 615, the receiver and the transmitting vehicle are identified in step 620. In step 625 whether the transmitter is an open transmitter is checked. In the case where the transmitter is an open one, data is written to the open database J in step 630 and grouped together with data received from the classified transmitter in step 640. In step 645 writing to the classified database T occurs, while in step 650 data is updated. Based on collected data, the momentary speed of the transmitting vehicle is calculated in step 655 together with average, minimum and maximum speed, if the specific system is provided with applications or modules for calculation of these speeds. In the meantime, for example in step 635, information about the areas is received, e.g. maps, which in connection with a trace allow for representation of the transmitting vehicle route in step 660 and for specifying the optimal traveling route of the vehicle of the user in step 670, if the need for such information exists.
Figs. 7A, 7B, 7C, 7D, 7E and 7F show methods for representation of the transmitting Vehicle (10,11) route, which may be represented with lines of different characteristics using a module or an application for route representation on a specific area, meaning that lines may be of different colours 710 corresponding to the scale 711, 712 and/or different saturation 720 corresponding to the scale 721, 722 and/or different thickness 730 corresponding to the scale 731, 732 and/or different type 740 corresponding to the scale 741, 742. The lines may also be moving strips 750, 760 of different intensity 751, 761 and/or rhomboids as well as circles, squares, arrows or any other shapes representing movement. The type of shape moving over it may depend on the vehicle type, for example, moving stars represent traces of trucks while circles may represent traces of moving passenger cars. In the case of coloured traces, red colour may indicate that the transmitting vehicle is moving at a speed close to zero, while green colour would indicate that the vehicle is moving at a speed close to 100 km/h. The scale of the colours may be used as well for information about the time elapsed since the specific route has been travelled or a route point has been passed. In turn, saturation may determine the number of vehicles passing the specified section recently and their speed, e.g. the older the data, the less visible the line, and the thicker the line, the greater the number of vehicles which passed the specific segment. Moreover, line thickness resulting from interference of many traces may indicate capacity, which is determined by the number of traffic lanes available to the vehicles. Any type of line may be used in a similar way. A line consisting of points may indicate that cars travelled at speed close to zero and 12 hours have passed since the specified point of route was travelled. Variability of one of the abovementioned features may be used in a similar way. For example, a pulsing switch from one colour to another or a cyclical switching of one shape to another. In general, the characteristic of the line allocated to the transmitting vehicle is line colour and/or line thickness and/or line intensity and/or line type and/or graphical line components or a combination of these features, changing as momentary speed of the transmitting vehicle changes, and/or as the time from the moment of occurrence of the transmitting vehicle in the defined position until the visualisation of its route elapses. It allows for map rendering where road segments have been allocated attributes based on parameters of routes of the vehicles that have traveled in a given segment. Change in the characteristics of the line allocated to the transmitting vehicle may be uniform within one segment.
Figs.8A and 8B show representational examples of route traces of transmitting vehicles.Thus, the display 810 represented in Fig.8A shows an area with an arterial road, which has traces of the transmitting vehicles indicated by use of a line of variable thickness. The displayed map indicates that the passing of vehicles through the arterial road 811 from the left to the right side takes place smoothly, while passing from the right to the left side would be easier through the diversion 812 than through the segment 813, which means the segment beginning and ending at the points where it is possible to exit or enter the road and to continue driving. The display 820 shows the same area with the same arterial road 821, on which routes are represented using lines of different types. From the presented map, it appears that passing from the right to the left is easier through the diversion 822 than the segment 823.
In order to specify the optimal travel route of the vehicle of the user, every segment, which means the section beginning and ending at points where it is possible to exit or enter the road to continue driving, has an ID identifier allocated For every segment specified that way, exemplary calculations may be carried out as to the number of traces in a segment or the date of last passage. Moreover, for every one-hour interval, e.g. peak hours 12-13, 13-14, 14-15 the number of traces, average travel time, stop/start number (speed reduction to zero and then increase in speed), maximum speed, average speed, distribution function, validation of data correctness (whether they are not false), number of vehicles per second, width of available road and date of last information received from that segment, for example in order to specify visibility or intensity of the line.
In the case of public transport, it is possible to use different means of transportation. When calculating the optimum way of passing from one point to another, transfer points are used and on their basis as well as on the basis of the current position of the vehicles of the individual lines and expected arrival time to the stop (considering traffic hindrances), the route for the fastest travel from one point to another is drawn. Fig. 9 shows the display 910 of public transport vehicle routes, for example a tram indicated as 914 of tramline No 4 and a bus indicated as 911, 915 of bus line No 501 travelling along the scheduled route. According to the present invention, the system has the functionality of displaying icons with line numbers and/or other information like whether the bus is a low floor vehicle, a facility for disabled persons. In addition, the icons may move as the vehicle travels the route. The passenger may be kept informed about the time to leave the public transport vehicle and the other one to move to. For example, as shown in the figure, buses of line 501 encounter problems when travelling the route 912. The passenger may in this connection change the bus to tram No 4 and continue travelling by tram. The route suggested by the system is indicated on a display with the thick line. If, due to any reason, the passenger misses the specked vehicle of public transport, the system would automatically change its configuration and suggest the next connection. In addition, the system may receive data from the dispatcher when the line has a vehicle defect and the stand-by vehicle becomes a planned vehicle, the display shows new vehicle. Furthermore, when planning long distance routes, the system may enable automatic plan changing in case of hindrance or being late on individual segments.
Figs. 10A and 10B show a method for grouping traces of transmitting vehicles. The segments 1011, 1012 positioned on segment grid 1010, while the difference between their angles of inclination e.g. to the OX axis is less than given angle and the distance between the segments is shorter than given distance, are transformed by their grouping consisting of the fact that for a set X of segments which satisfy the above requirements, average segment x _a 1021 is calculated such that its length, direction and value is a mean value of lengths and directions of segments belonging to set X. Momentary average speed, which equals the ratio of the length of the travelled segment to the sum of the times for traveling the segments being part of average segment x _a 1021, is allocated to the average segment. That segment may also be located on segment grid 1020. Similarly, segments of broken line 1031, 1032 of Fig. 10B are brought close together to position 1033 and then grouped into one broken line 1030.
Fig. 11 shows a display unit 1100 displaying route options 1102, 1103, which the user of the vehicle monitoring system may travel. The slow route 1102 is represented using a set or sequence of moving and bent lines of low concentration, their vertex indicating the direction of movement of the transmission vehicle, which means from node 1104 to node 1101. In turn, speed route 1103 is represented using a similar set of bent lines like the lines of the slow route, providing that bent line concentration is much higher. Such a single, moving sequence of bent lines may represent one lane or one road. When representing traffic state or vehicle movement, the display may show different geometrical shapes instead of bent lines, for example circles, squares, triangles or their combinations. Displayed geometrical shapes may change their colours, or pulsate on the screen with a constant or variable period of pulsation or may be displayed continuously. These shapes may change their forms, for example a square may become a triangle or a line, while a line may change to any geometrical shape.
Momentary speed variations occurring in time may be displayed in connection with traces of moving transmitting vehicles along whole segments or their parts. The method for the creation of segments which can be used to group collected information on momentary speeds is shown in Fig. 12 containing single trace 1200 displayed on a background of segment 1211 as line 1210. Then, over the previous trace, new trace 1221 was applied, which is later than the previous one and partially interferes with the previous trace 1220. As a result of a modification of first segment 1211, one can obtain modified segment 1231 and new segments 1233, 1234 and 1235 forming a background for the first trace 1232 and the new trace 1238.
Fig 13A shows a method for detecting traffic lanes on the specified road section 1301, which may form, one segment and which contains traces of overtaking and cumulating traces around several lines, out of which traces 1302 of routes along one lane, trace 1303 of the overtaking vehicle that changed lanes from one to another and trace 1304 of the route along the second lane can be distinguished. The features allowing forthe-distinguishing of the lanes were grouped along several lines and traces of overlaking, together with lane changing.
Another method of lane detection along road section 1311 by detecting two vehicles moving parallel to each other is shown in Fig. 13B, the first vehicle marking its last trace 1312 at the specific moment. The second vehicle traveling in the same direction left its last trace 1313 at the same moment that the first vehicle left its trace if the interval In which both vehicles left traces is not long and both traces were left In the same specific segment, for example limited by straight lines 1314 and 1315, that means that both vehicles travelled side by side which allows the conclusion to be reached that two lanes are present. Both methods for lane detection may be combined.
After setting out the segments, the analysis of momentary speeds of transmitting vehicles in a specific segment may be carried out. When the speed analysis shows that the transmitting vehicles, or particular group of transmitting vehicles, behave in a similar way, for example, slowing down and then stopping, while the stopping time of the vehicles is noticeable, then such a segment may be quantified as a blocked segment. The representation does not show individual traces, but whole segment may be indicated by a uniform colour, e.g. red, which means that the road has been blacked for a time exceeding fifteen minutes. An alternative route may be then proposed to the user.
Selection of the best route between two points A and B proceeds in the way shown in Fig. 14A and 14B. For example, the user would like to turn from the main road from point A to the subordinate road to point B, having the selection between two optional routes 1401, 1402 as shown in Fig. 14A. After possible routes 1401, 1407 have been found and divided into segments 1411, 1412, 1415, 1416, 1417, for every segment the time of transmitting vehicle travel is specified, if the segment was travelled only by one transmitting vehicle, or average travel time of many transmitting vehicle, is calculated for every segment and/or the distance travelled by transmitting vehicle is specified if the segment was travelled by only one transmitting vehicle, or mean distance travelled by many transmitting vehicles. Is calculated. For all vehicles traveling along possible routes which lie between the main and subordinate roads a rating is created according to two criteria, e.g. of distance and time, using the division of roads into segments 1411, 1412, 1415, 1416, 1417, after aggregating times and/or distances of segments making up previously specified eventual routes. During the visualisation, route 1414, which was travelled by a vehicle of particular category in the shortest time and route 1413 of the shortest distance are displayed to the user. On the basis of presented routes, the user may choose a route. Route 1414, which is displayed to the user, may be a trace resulting from traces of many transmitting vehicles.
The presented method for the selection of a route may be used for searching for the fastest connection between two geographical locations, using information about traffic load of the individual segments in such a way that the routes and travel times available for different types of vehicles are displayed. Thus, it is possible to find the fastest connection with or without transfer between two points in a city by use of public transport and also find the fastest connection for bikes, which have different routes available, or for persons traveling by cars, e.g. taking into account places where cars can be left and the users may change to public transport vehicles According to the invention, such a use made of the system enables a specification of the limitations, e.g. lack of connection to public transport or no entry zone in the area reserved for residents.
In the case of adaptation of the presented system to the needs of public transport, the exemplary criterion of mute optimisation might be to minimise the time spent at bus-stops waiting for a bus, however, in such a way that the travel time does not take more than 5,0% longer by traveling on a direct line (if such a line exists) which is not a frequent line. Then, the system might indicate, where the lines are taken into account while calculating the route, where the vehicles are and which route guarantees a definite waiting time for the next bus, for example during a transfer.
Fig. 15 shows a representation algorithm for the most convenient route of travel from one point to another using a division of the route into segments. The algorithm starts by receiving online information about the positions of the transmitting vehicles is step 1510. After information has been received, an analysis of segments for traces of transmitting vehicles is carried out In step 1515, and then in step 1520 the best route is specified and the results of optimization are represented in step 1525.

Claims

A system for monitoring vehicular frame comprising a processor (210), a receiving station (70), a transmitting station (75), and a database (80) containing information about the positions of transmitting vehicles (10, 11), wherein the position of transmitting vehicles is sent to said receiving station; the system being adapted to
generate routes of said transmitting vehides comprising a plurality of points based on the information from said database,
determine the travel time between any two points of the routes of said transmitting vehicles,
compute the optimal route based on the travel time between said two points; characterized in that the system determines the travel time by public transport means (911, 914, 915) between two points (1101, 1104) of a given track segment (912, 913) and by means of said transmitting station provides to the passenger information about delays in connection with suggestions about different pubic transport means (911, 914).
The system according to claim 1, wherein said generated information is displayed (1100) by a program started on a computer and/or by a website and/or by signs located at the roadside.
The system according to claim 1, whererein said database (80) stores information about routes (330), segments (350) and transmitting vehicles (320) including vehicle type (420) and group (440)
The system according to claim 1, wherein in order to calculate the optimal travel route for vehicle (11, 12) information about routes (330) of transmitting vehicles, (10,11) in connection with information about segments (350) is considered.
The system according to claim 1, wherein routes (330) of transmitting vehicles (10, 11) after receiving them (610) from said transmitting vehicles are validated according to data correctness rules (360) and aggregated (640) into segments (350).
The system according to claim 1, wherein routes and positions of public transport means (911, 914, 915) are visualized (910) and an optimal route of passing from one point to another (913) is presented and updated in an real-time based on positions of transmitting vehicles (10, 11).
The system according to claim 1, wherein visualization (1100) of routes of transmitting vehicles (10, 11) in the form of the segments (1011, 1012) between any two points (1101, 1104) depends on routes of said transmitting vehicles in said segments and influences graphical representation of said segment.