ES2366458T3 - SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING TRAFFIC NOTIFICATIONS TO MOBILE DEVICES. - Google Patents

Abstract

A system and method for providing traffic notifications to mobile devices is provided. The system obtains device data from a plurality of mobile devices within a similar area, gathered using, e.g., a GPS system. According to the speed that the mobile devices are travelling and the location of the similar area, traffic events can be identified and other mobile devices notified to provide dynamic updates as traffic situations change. Follow up notifications can be provided to update the user regarding the progress of traffic congestion, detours can be suggested, and various alerts provided. The mobile device may be connected to or part of a vehicle and leverage the notification system to provide different types of alerts and to notify users using various mechanisms.

Description

The following generally refers to location-based services (LBS) for mobile devices, and in particular the systems and methods for providing traffic notifications to mobile devices.

The volume of rush hour traffic, road construction, vehicle collisions, and roadside emergencies are just a few examples of the various events and circumstances that can cause traffic congestion. Due to the nature of such events traffic congestion can be difficult to predict. Although radio, television, and online news sources can provide gathered traffic information using various techniques such as highway cameras, traffic announcements on the phone, satellite images, and road sensors; This information is not always current or entirely accurate.

Old or inaccurate information can be annoying for several reasons. For example, an alternative traffic route, which may be less convenient, is chosen due to a traffic report indicating that there is a traffic problem, the problem of which has been alleviated. This can cause a traveler to take a less optimal route, which can spend fuel, cause him to arrive late, and cause congestion on secondary roads. On the contrary, a traffic report may indicate that the traveler's route is free, when in fact an event, in the meantime, has created a traffic jam, since the traffic report was based on information that is not current.

US 2007/0010934 discloses a method that provides the traffic conditions data in the context of a recognition of the traffic conditions by a motor vehicle, in particular the traffic conditions data to detect the traffic position, preferably for the detection of traffic jams.

WO 2007/049110 discloses a vehicle driving assistance system that analyzes that analyzes the information collected from a vehicle and sends an analysis result to the vehicle and / or another vehicle, which includes a vehicle mounting apparatus mounted on the vehicle , and a communication center that communicates with the device mounted on the vehicle.

US-A-6012012 discloses a method and system for determining traffic information or dynamic traffic events. The relevant data of the terminals mounted on the vehicle are automatically recorded, by means of a remote interrogation or manually, and transmitted directly, together with a location identifier, through a mobile phone network of wide coverage to other mobile phone subscribers and / or a higher level exchange.

GENERAL A computer-implemented method can be provided for the provision of traffic notifications, said method comprising the steps of: obtaining a speed measurement and location information from each of a plurality of mobile devices; organize said speed measurements based on an area from which they originate using the corresponding location information; use a plurality of speed measurements in an area that meets one or more predetermined criteria to determine the presence and development of traffic congestion; if traffic congestion is determined for that zone, determine at least one mobile device that approaches that zone; prepare a notification that provides an alert related to such traffic congestion; send said notification to said at least one mobile device approaching that area; follow in time, the location of said at least one mobile device that approaches that area; and update the at least one mobile device that approaches that area with respect to the progress of traffic congestion.

A computer readable medium and a notification system configured to provide notifications or traffic alerts can also be provided.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The embodiments will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an exemplary embodiment of a notification system of traffic that provides a traffic notification to a mobile device according to the data obtained from a plurality of other mobile devices. Figure 2 is a system diagram illustrating the environment in which data issues are pushed from a central system to a mobile device. Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of a mobile device and a display screen for it. Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of another mobile device and a display screen for it. Figure 5 is a block diagram of an exemplary embodiment of a mobile device.

Figure 6 is a block diagram of an exemplary embodiment of a component of the communication subsystem of the mobile device of Figure 5. Figure 7 is a screenshot of an exemplary main screen displayed by a mobile device. Figure 8 is a block diagram illustrating the examples of the other applications and software components shown in Figure 5. Figure 9 is a schematic diagram showing an example configuration for the embodiment of Figure 1 when implemented with the wireless router or router shown in Figure 2. Figure 10 is a flow chart illustrating the exemplary operations performed by a traffic notification system for the preparation and delivery of a traffic notification to a mobile device. Figure 11 is a screenshot illustrating a user interface (UI) for providing an email alert according to a notification received in one embodiment. Figure 12 is a screenshot illustrating a UI for providing a simple message service (SMS) alert according to a notification received in one embodiment. Figure 13 is a screenshot illustrating a UI for providing an interactive map alert for a notification received in one embodiment. Figure 14 is a pictorial schematic diagram showing an example configuration for the other system shown in Figure 9. Figure 15 is a screenshot illustrating a UI to allow the selection of a traffic update option in a menu at which is accessed through a map application for the start of participation in a traffic notification system in one embodiment. Figure 16 is a flow chart illustrating the exemplary operations for the start of participation in a traffic notification system. Figure 17a is a screenshot illustrating an exemplary follow-up email notification to the email notification shown in Figure 11. Figure 17b is a screenshot illustrating an additional exemplary follow-up email notification to the email notifications shown in Figures 11 and 17a indicating that traffic congestion has been resolved. Figure 18 is a flow chart illustrating the exemplary operations for querying gas station locations according to a detected fuel level. Figure 19 is a flow chart illustrating an alternative routine of preparing the notification exemplified in Figure 10.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS It will be appreciated that for simplicity and clarity of the illustration, where it is considered appropriate, reference numbers can be repeated between the figures to indicate corresponding or similar elements. In addition, numerous specific details are set forth below to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments described herein. However, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that the embodiments described herein can be practiced without these specific details. In other cases, the well-known methods, procedures and components have not been described in detail so as not to obscure the embodiments described herein. Also, the description will not be considered as limiting the scope of the embodiments described herein.

It has been recognized that data related to the location and speed of a plurality of mobile devices can be used to generate dynamic notifications for other mobile devices that may be affected by the traffic issues ascertained from the data provided by the plurality of mobile devices.

Turning now to Figure 1, an example traffic zone is shown, comprising a traffic "problem" hereinafter referred to as a congested zone 2. The congested zone 2 comprises a traffic lane 4 of the "leftmost" (is say with respect to the page) and a traffic lane 6 of the “right end”. It can be seen that congested zone 2 represents a common traffic congestion zone caused by any one or more events. Another traffic zone is also shown in Figure 1 and, in this example, represents an assistant link zone 8, which refers to any roadway that: is approaching, expects to connect, drive, in, or is simply an upstream part of the same roadway that includes the congested zone 2. In this example, the upstream zone 8 thus feeds traffic within the congested zone 2 so that at least one mobile device 100 approaching the congested zone can be determined 2.

In the example shown in Figure 1, the congested zone 2 at a particular point in time comprises three vehicles traveling on the left end 4, namely vehicles 10B, 10C, and 10D; and comprises a single vehicle 10E traveling on the right end 6. For the present discussion, congestion occurs in the leftmost lane only while the vehicle 10E is moving at a normal rate of speed in the rightmost lane. The upstream zone 8, at the same point in time, comprises a single vehicle 10A that travels on the left end 4 towards the congested zone 2. Each vehicle 10A-10E comprises a respective data communications device, hence in hereinafter known as a mobile device 100A-100E, which travels with the corresponding vehicle 10A-10E in which it currently resides. As will be explained later, the mobile device 100 can be any suitable device capable of communicating through a wireless network

200. The mobile devices 100 use such capacity to provide the data of the device 78 to a dynamic traffic notification system 80, via the wireless network 200. The data of the device 78 comprises information related to the location and speed of the vehicle 10 , as measured by, or obtained by (or from) another source, the mobile device 10 located and traveling inside the vehicle 10. For example, the mobile device 100B in the vehicle 10B can use a GPS function to measure the speed of the vehicle 10B and the current location, prepare the data of the device 78, and send the data of the device 78 to the dynamic traffic notification system 80, hereinafter referred to as "the notification system 80" for brevity.

As will also be explained later, the notification system 80 uses the data from the device 78 of a plurality of mobile devices 100 to dynamically determine the traffic conditions, such as the development of the congested zone 2, to prepare a notification 84 that is You can send to a mobile device 100 that is expected to be directed to the congested zone 2.

To assist the reader in understanding at least one environment in which notification system 80 can be implemented, an example system comprising wireless network 200 and other components that can be used for communications between devices can now be described. mobile 100 and notification system 80.

As noted above, data communication devices will commonly be known as "mobile devices." Examples of applicable mobile devices include pagers, cell phones, cellular smartphones, portable gaming and entertainment devices, wireless organizers, personal digital assistants, computers, laptops, handheld wireless communication devices, wirelessly enabled minicomputers and the like.

An exemplary mobile device is a two-way communication device with advanced data communication capabilities that include the ability to communicate with other mobile devices or computer systems through a network of transceiver stations. The mobile device may also have the ability to allow voice communication. Depending on the functionality provided by the mobile device, it can be known as a data messaging device, a two-way pager, a cell phone with data messaging capabilities, a wireless Internet device, or a data communication device (with or without telephony capabilities).

The mobile device may be one that is used in a system that is configured to continuously route all forms of information pushed from a central computer system to the mobile device. An example of such a system will now be described.

With reference to Figure 2, an example system diagram is provided showing the redirection of user data elements (such as message A or C) from a corporate enterprise computer system (central system) 250 to the mobile device of the user 100 via a wireless router or router 26. The wireless router or router 26 provides the wireless connectivity functionality as it acts both to abstract most of the complexities of the wireless network 200, as well as implements the features necessary to support communication with and pushing the data to the mobile device 100. Although not shown, a plurality of mobile devices can access the data from the central system 250. In this example, the message A in Figure 2 represents an internal message sent from, by example a desktop computer within the central system 250, to any number of server computers in the corp network orativa 260 (for example LAN), which can, in general, include a database server, a calendar server, an email server or a voice mail server.

Message C in Figure 2 represents an external message from a sender that is not directly connected to the central system 250, such as the user's mobile device 100, some other user's mobile device (not shown), or any user connected to the public or private network 224 (eg Internet). The message C could be email, voice mail, calendar information, database updates, web page updates or it could even represent a command message from the user mobile device 100 to the central system 250. The central system 250 can comprise, together with typical communication links, the physical components and computer programs associated with a corporate enterprise computer network system, one or more wireless mobility agents, a TCP / IP connection, a collection of data stores, ( for example, an email data store could be an off-platform mail server such as Microsoft Exchange® Server or Lotus Notes® Server), all in and in front of a corporate firewall.

The mobile device 100 can be adapted for communication within the wireless network 200 through the wireless links, as required by each wireless network 200 used. As an illustrative example of the operation for a wireless router or router 26 shown in Figure 2, consider a data element A, repackaged in the outer envelope B (the packaged data element A is now known as the "data element ( A) ”) and sent to the mobile device 100 from an Application Service Provider (ASP) in the central system 250. Inside the ASP is a computer program, similar to a wireless mobility agent, that runs on any computer in the ASP environment that is sending the requested data elements from a data store to a mobile device 100. The data element destined to the mobile (A) is routed through the network 224, and through a firewall that protects the wireless router or router 26.

Although the foregoing describes the central system 250 as used within a corporate enterprise network environment, this is only one embodiment of a type of central computer service that offers messages based on automated sending from the server to a wireless device. hand that is able to notify and preferably present the data to the user in real time on the mobile device when the data reaches the central system.

Offering a wireless router or router 26 (sometimes known as a "relay"), there are a number of major advantages for both central system 250 and wireless network 200. Central system 250 generally runs a central computer service that is considers that it is any computer program that is running on one or more computer systems. The central computer service is said to be running on a central system 250, and a central system 250 can support any number of central computer services. A central computer service may or may not take into account the fact that the information is being channeled to mobile devices 100. For example, an email program or message 138 (see Figure 5) could be receiving and processing the email while an associated program (for example a wireless email mobility agent) is also monitoring the user's mailbox and sending or pushing the same email to a wireless device 100. A central computer service could also be modified to prepare and exchange information with mobile devices 100 through the wireless router or router 26, such as customer relationship management software. In a third example, there could be common access to a range of central computer services. For example, a mobility agent could offer a Wireless Access Protocol (WAP) connection to several databases.

As discussed above, a mobile device 100 may be a two-way wireless handheld pager computer as exemplified in Figures 3-8, a wirelessly enabled handheld, a mobile phone with data messaging capabilities, a PDA with mobile phone capabilities, a wirelessly enabled laptop, a vending machine with an associated OEM radio modem, a wirelessly enabled heart monitoring system or, alternatively, it could be other types of mobile data communication devices capable of sending and receive messages through the network connection, for example a portable gaming device. Although the system is exemplified as operating in two-way communication mode, certain aspects of the system could be used in a reconnaissance pager environment or "one and a half", or even with a one-way pager system. In such limited data messaging environments, the wireless router or router 26 could still abstract from the mobile device 100 and the wireless network 200, offer automated services from the server to web-based server systems and allow a central computer service to A central system 250 reach the mobile device 100 in many countries.

The central system 250 shown here has many methods when establishing a communication link with the wireless router or router 26. For a person skilled in the art of data communications, the central system 250 could use connection protocols such as TCP / IP, X25 , Frame Relay, ISDN, ATM or many other protocols to establish a point-to-point connection. On this connection there are several tunneling methods available to package and send the data, some of these include: HTTP / HTML, HTTP / XML, HTTP / Owner, FTP, SMTP or some other proprietary data exchange protocol. The type of central systems 250 that the wireless router or router 26 could use to perform automated services from the server could include: field service applications, email services, stock quote services, banking services, trade services actions, field sales applications, advertising messages and many others. This abstraction of the wireless network 200 is made possible by the wireless router or router 26, which implements this routing and automation functionality from the server. The type of user-selected data items that are exchanged by the host computer include: Email messages, calendar events, meeting notifications, address entries, journal entries, personal alerts, alarms, warnings, stock quotes , newsletters, bank account transactions, field service updates, stock operations, heart monitoring information, stock levels of vending machines, measurement reading data, GPS data, etc., but could include, alternatively, any other type of message that is transmitted to the central system 250, or that the central system 250 acquires through the use of intelligent agents, such as data received after the central system 250 initiates a search for a base of data or a website or a bulletin board.

The wireless router or router 26 provides a range of services to enable the creation of a central computer service based on automation from the server. These networks may include: (1) the Code Division Multiple Access Network (CDMA), (2) the Group Special Mobile or the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) and the General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) , and (3) the next third generation (3G) and fourth generation (4G) networks such as EDGE, UMTS and HSDPA, LTE, Wi-Max etc. Some older examples of data-centric networks include, but are not limited to: (1) the Mobitex Radio Network (“Mobitex”) and (2) the DataTAC Radio Network (“DataTAC”).

To be effective in providing automated services from the server for central systems 250, the wireless router or router 26 can implement a set of defined functions. It can be appreciated that one could select many different physical component configurations for the wireless router or router 26, however, many of the same or similar feature sets would probably be present in the different configurations.

With reference to Figures 3 and 4, an embodiment of a mobile device 100a is shown in Figure 3, and another embodiment of a mobile device 100b is shown in Figure 4. It will be appreciated that the number "100" will be referred to herein. hereinafter to any mobile device 100, including embodiments 100a and 100b, those embodiments listed above or otherwise. It will also be appreciated that a similar numbering agreement may be used for other general features common between Figures 3 and 4 such as a screen 12, a positioning device 14, a cancel or escape button 16, a camera button 17, and a menu button or option 24.

The mobile device 100a shown in Figure 3 comprises a screen 12a and the cursor or sight positioning device 14 shown in this embodiment is a pointing ball 14a. The positioning device 14 can serve as another input element and is both rotational to provide selection inputs to the main processor 102 (see Figure 5) and can also be pressed in a direction generally towards the housing to provide another selection input to the processor 102. The aiming ball 14a allows multidirectional positioning of the selection cursor 18 (see Figure 7) so that the selection cursor 18 can be moved in an ascending direction, in a descending direction and, if desired and / or allows, in any diagonal direction. The aiming ball 14a is placed in this example on the front face of a housing for the mobile device 100a as shown in Figure 3 to allow a user to maneuver the aiming ball 14a while holding the mobile device 100a in one hand . The aiming ball 14a can serve as another input element (in addition to a directional or positioning element) to provide the selection inputs to the processor 102 can preferably be pressed in a direction towards the housing of the mobile device 100b to provide such input of selection.

Screen 12 may include a selection cursor 18 which generally represents where the next entry or selection will be received. The selection cursor 18 may comprise a box, the alteration of an icon or any combination of features that allow the user to identify the currently chosen icon or element. The mobile device 100a in Figure 3 also comprises a programmable convenience button 15 for activating a selected application such as, for example, a calendar or calculator. In addition, the mobile device 100a includes an escape or cancel button 16a, a camera button 17a, a menu button or option 24a and a keyboard 20. The camera button 17 is capable of activating photo capture functions when preferably press in the direction towards the housing. The menu or option button 24 loads a menu or list of options on screen 12a when pressed. In this example, the escape or cancel button 16a, the menu option button 24a, and the keyboard 20 are arranged on the front face of the mobile device housing, while the convenience buttons 15 and the camera button 17a They are arranged on the side of the housing. This button situation allows a user to operate these buttons while holding the mobile device 100 in one hand. The keyboard 20 is, in this embodiment, a standard QWERTY keyboard.

The mobile device 100b shown in Figure 4 comprises a screen 12b and the positioning device 14 in this embodiment is a pointing ball 14b. The mobile device 100b also comprises a menu or option button 24b, a cancel or escape button 16b, and a camera button 17b. The mobile device 100b as illustrated in Figure 4, comprises a reduced QWERTY keyboard 22. In this embodiment, the keyboard 22, the positioning device 14b, the escape button 16b and the menu button 24b are arranged on the front face of a mobile device housing. The reduced QWERTY keypad 22 comprises a plurality of multifunctional keys and corresponding indications that include the keys associated with the alphabetic characters corresponding to a QWERTY group of letters A to Z and an adaptation of overlapping telephone number keys.

It will be appreciated that for the mobile device 100, a wide range of one or more cursor / view positioning or positioning mechanisms such as a touch pad, a positioning wheel, a joystick button, a mouse, a device can be employed. Touch screen, a set of arrow keys, a tablet, an accelerometer (to detect the orientation and / or movements of the mobile device 100 etc.), or others if known or unknown at this time. Likewise, any variation of the keyboard 20, 22 can be used. It will also be appreciated that the mobile devices 100 shown in Figures 3 and 4 are for illustrative purposes only and various other mobile devices 100 are equally applicable to the following examples. For example, other mobile devices 100 may include the aiming ball 14b, the escape button 16b and the menu button or option 24 similar to that shown in Figure 4 only with a full or standard keyboard of any type. Other buttons may also be arranged on the mobile device housing such as "Answer" and "Ignore" color-coded buttons to be used in telephone communications. In another example, the screen 12 may itself be touch sensitive in this way by itself providing an input mechanism in addition to the capabilities of the screen. Additionally, the housing for the mobile device 100 should not be limited to the single-piece configurations shown in Figures 3 and 4, other configurations such as the shell or "opening phone" configurations are also applicable.

Now, to assist the reader in understanding the structure of the mobile device 100 and how it communicates with the wireless network 200, reference will now be made to Figures 5 through 8.

With reference first to Figure 5, a block diagram of an exemplary embodiment of a mobile device 100 is shown therein. The mobile device 100 comprises a series of components such as a main processor 102 that controls the overall operation of the mobile device 100 The communication functions, which include data and voice communications, are performed through a communication subsystem 104. The communication subsystem 104 receives the messages from and sends the messages to a wireless network 200. In this exemplary embodiment of the mobile device 100, communication subsystem 104 is configured in accordance with the standards of the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) and the General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), which are used worldwide. Other communication configurations that are equally applicable are 3G and 4G networks such as EDGE, UMTS and HSDPA, LTE, Wi-Max etc. New standards are still being defined, but it is believed that they will have similarities to the behavior of the network described herein, and it will also be understood by those skilled in the art that the embodiments described herein are intended to use any other suitable standards that are Develop in the future. The wireless link that connects the communication subsystem 104 with the wireless network 200 represents one or more different Radio Frequency (RF) channels, which operate in accordance with the defined protocols specified for GSM / GPRS communications.

The main processor 102 also interacts with additional subsystems such as a Random Access Memory (RAM) 106, a quick memory 108, a screen 110, an auxiliary input / output (I / O) subsystem 112, a data port 114 , a keyboard 116, a speaker 118, a microphone 120, a GPS receiver 121, short-range communications 122, and other device subsystems 124.

Some of the mobile device subsystems 100 perform the functions related to communication, while other subsystems may provide the "resident" or device functions. As an example, the screen 110 and the keyboard 116 can be used both for the functions related to the communication, such as the introduction of a text message for transmission over the network 200, and the functions resident in the device such as A calculator or to-do list.

The mobile device 100 can send and receive communication signals over the wireless network 200 after registration to the network is required or the activation procedures have been completed. Access to the network is associated with a subscriber or user of the mobile device 100. To identify a subscriber, the mobile device 100 can use a subscriber module component or "smart card" 126, such as a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM), a Removable User Identity Module (RUIM) and a Universal Subscriber Identity Module (USIM). In the example shown, a SIM / RUIM / USIM 126 will be inserted into a SIM / RUIM / USIM 128 interface to communicate with a network. Without component 126, the mobile device 100 is not fully operational for communication with the wireless network 200. Once the SIM / RUIM / USIM 126 is inserted into the SIM / RUIM / USIM 128 interface, it is coupled to the main processor 102 .

The mobile device 100 is a battery powered device and includes a battery interface 132 to receive a

or more rechargeable batteries 130. In at least some embodiments, battery 130 may be an intelligent battery with an integrated microprocessor. The battery interface 132 is coupled to a regulator (not shown), which assists the battery 130 in the V + power supply to the mobile device 100. Although current technology makes use of a battery, future technologies such as micro cells of fuel can provide power to the mobile device 100.

The mobile device 100 also includes an operating system 134 and the computer program components 136 to 146 which are described in more detail below. The operating system 134 and the computer program components 136 to 146 that are executed by the main processor 102 are typically stored in a persistent store such as the fast memory 108, which alternatively can be a read-only memory (ROM) or similar element storage (not shown). Those skilled in the art will appreciate that parts of the operating system 134 and computer program components 136 to 146, such as specific device applications, or parts thereof, can be temporarily loaded into a volatile warehouse such as RAM 106 Other computer program components may also be included, as is well known to those skilled in the art.

The subset of the computer program applications 136 that control the basic operations of the device, including the data and voice communications applications, can be installed in the mobile device 100 during its manufacture. Computer program applications may include a message application 138, a device status module 140, a Personal Information Manager (PIM) 142, a connection module 144 and an IT policy module 146. A message application 138 may be any suitable computer program that allows a user of the mobile device 100 to send and receive electronic messages, in which the messages are typically stored in the quick memory 108 of the mobile device 100. A device status module 140 provides persistence, it is say the device status module 140 ensures that the data of the important device is stored in the persistent memory, such as the quick memory 108, so that the data is not lost when the mobile device 100 is turned off or loses power. A PIM 142 includes the organization and management functionality of the data elements of interest to the user, such as, but not limited to, email, text messages, instant messages, contacts, calendar events, and voice mails, and it can interact with the wireless network 200. A connection module 144 implements the communication protocols that are required for the mobile device 100 to communicate with the wireless infrastructure and any central system 250, such as an enterprise system, with which it is authorized to mobile device 100 to interact. An IT policy module 146 receives the data from the IT policy that encodes the IT policy, and may be responsible for the organization and security rules such as the “Maximum Set Password Attempts” IT policy.

Other types of applications or computer program components 139 can also be installed on a mobile device 100. These computer program applications 139 may be preinstalled applications (ie, other than message application 138) or third party applications, which are added after the manufacture of the mobile device 100. Examples of third party applications include games, calculators, utilities, etc.

Additional applications 139 can be loaded into the mobile device 100 through at least one of the wireless network 200, the auxiliary I / O subsystem 112, the data port 114, the short-range communication subsystem 122, or any other suitable device subsystem 124.

The data port 114 may be any suitable port that allows data communication between the mobile device 100 and another computing device. The data port 114 can be a serial or a parallel port. In some cases, the data port 114 may be a USB port that includes the data lines for data transfer and a power line that can provide a charging current to charge the battery 130 of the mobile device 100.

For voice communications, the received signals are set to the output for the speaker 118, and the transmission signals are generated by the microphone 120. Although the output of the voice or audio signal is consumed first through the speaker 118, the screen 110 can also be used to provide additional information such as the identity of a calling party, the duration of a voice call, or other information related to the voice call.

Referring now to Figure 6, an exemplary block diagram of the communication subsystem component 104 is shown. The communication subsystem 104 includes a receiver 150, a transmitter 152, as well as associated components such as one or more elements of integrated or internal antenna 154 and 156, Local Oscillators (LO) 158, and a processing module such as a Digital Signal Processor (DSP) 160. The particular design of the communication subsystem 104 is dependent on the communication network 200 with the that the mobile device 100 is trying to work. Thus, it should be understood that the design illustrated in Figure 6 serves only as an example.

The signals received by the antenna 154 through the wireless network 200 are introduced to the receiver 150, which can perform such common receiver functions as signal amplification, low frequency conversion, filtering, selection of the channel, and analog to digital conversion (A / D). The A / D conversion of a received signal allows more complex communication functions such as demodulation and decoding to be performed in DSP 160. Similarly, the signals to be transmitted are processed, including modulation and coding, by the DSP 160. The signals processed by the DSP are input to the transmitter 152 for digital to analog conversion (D / A), up frequency conversion, filtering, amplification and transmission over the wireless network 200 via antenna 156. The DSP not only processes communication signals, but also provides control of the receiver and transmitter. For example, the gains applied to the communication signals in the receiver 150 and the transmitter 152 can be adaptively controlled through the automatic gain control algorithms implemented in the DSP 160.

The wireless link between the mobile device 100 and the wireless network 200 may contain one or more different channels, typically different RF channels, and the associated protocols used between the mobile device 100 and the wireless network 200. An RF channel is a resource limited to be preserved, typically due to the limits in the general bandwidth and the limited battery power of the mobile device 100.

When the mobile device 100 is fully operational, the transmitter 152 is typically typed or turned on only when it is transmitting to the wireless network 200 and otherwise shuts down to conserve resources. Likewise, receiver 150 may be periodically switched off to conserve power until it is necessary to receive signals or information (in any case) during the designated time periods.

Turning now to Figure 7, the mobile device 100 can display a main screen 40, which can be the active screen when the mobile device 100 is powered or can be accessible from other screens. The main screen 40 generally comprises a status zone 44 and a background theme 46, which provides a graphic background for the screen 12. The background theme 46 displays a series of icons 42 in a predefined arrangement on a graphic background. In some subjects, the main screen 40 may limit the number of icons 42 shown on the main screen 40 so as not to detract from the background theme 46, particularly when the background 46 is chosen for aesthetic reasons. Background theme 46 shown in Figure 7 provides a grid of icons. It will be appreciated that several themes are preferably available for the user to select and that any applicable provision can be used. One or more of the series of icons 42 are typically a folder 52 that by itself is capable of organizing any number of applications within it.

The status zone 44 in this embodiment comprises a display of the date / time 48. The background theme 46, in addition to a graphic background and the series of icons 42, also comprises a status bar 50. The status bar 50 provides information to the user based on the location of the selection cursor 18, for example by displaying a name for the icon 53 that is currently highlighted.

An application, such as a map program 60 (see also Figure 8) can be started (opened or displayed) from the screen 12 by highlighting a corresponding icon 53 using the position device 14 and providing a user input suitable for the mobile device 100. For example, the map program 60 can be started by moving the positioning device 14 so that the icon 53 is highlighted by the selection box 18 as shown in Figure 7, and provide a selection input, for example by pressing the aiming ball 14b.

Figure 8 shows an example of the other applications and computer program components 139 that can be stored in and used with the mobile device 100. Only examples are shown in Figure 8 and such examples are not to be considered exhaustive. In this example, an application of the global positioning system (GPS) 54, internet browser 56, simple message service (SMS) 58, map program 60 and a profile application 62 are shown to illustrate the various features that can be provided by the mobile device 100. The GPS application 54, in this example, comprises a traffic module 55, which represents any subprogram, subroutine, function or other set of instructions executable by computer to provide the data of the device 78 to the notification system 80, when such data 78 is obtained using the GPS application 54. Also shown in Figure 8 is the message application 138, which will then be known as an email application 138 for clarity. It will be appreciated that the various applications may operate independently or may use features of other applications. For example, the GPS application 54 can use the map program 60 to display addresses for a user.

Turning now to Figure 9, an exemplary implementation of the notification system 80 is shown, in which the notification system 80 is hosted by the wireless router or router 26 described above. In this example, the wireless router or router 26 is responsible for routing messages from and to mobile devices 100A-100E and thus has the ability to obtain data from device 78 provided by a plurality of such mobile devices 100 to prepare Notifications 84 for that plurality of mobile devices 100 and other mobile devices. Consistent with Figure 1, the implementation exemplified in Figure 9 illustrates obtaining data from device 78 from each of mobile devices 100B to 100E and provides notification 84 to mobile device 100A. It will be appreciated that the data of the device 78 and the notifications 84 may comprise separate and distinct data packets sent using separate protocols and can take advantage of existing communication methods such as email, SMS, etc.

The notification system 80, which in this example resides in the wireless router or router 26, stores the traffic-related data in a traffic database 82. Such traffic-related data may comprise any device data 78 obtained from various mobile devices 100, copies of notifications 84 that have already been sent (or will be almost sent - to facilitate repeated use of the same notifications 84), and any other information that may be required to carry out the delivery of a notification 84 based on the acquisition of the data of the device 78, several examples of which will be explained later. It will be appreciated that the traffic database 82 may represent any memory, data storage, or storage medium, and may or may not be internal to the wireless router or router 26. For example, the traffic database 82 may be maintain by a third party or configure to be an integral component of the notification system 80. As such, the configuration shown in Figure 9 is merely for illustrative purposes and variations thereof are equally applicable in accordance with the principles described herein within . The notification system 80 may also have access to a third party source 83 to obtain additional data related to traffic events and other location-based information. For example, the third party source 83 may represent the emergency dispatcher team

or police who provide more detailed information related to traffic accidents. The third party source 83 may also provide information such as the locations of gas stations, cranes, etc., for use in various embodiments as will be exemplified below. Any number of third party sources 83 may be available for the notification system 80 according to the particular embodiment.

Figure 9 also illustrates an example configuration in the location of mobile device 100A. In addition to providing an alert to the user of the mobile device 100A using the notification 84 on the mobile device 100A itself, Figure 9 illustrates that the notification can be used in other ways. In this example, a copy of the notification 84 'is provided to another system 85 through an interface of the device 86 so that an alert can be provided to the user through an exit mechanism 88. For example, the vehicle 10A It is shown as comprising the other system 85, which may represent a vehicle entertainment or navigation system, a vehicle engine control system, as well as various systems implemented in the dashboard. In this way, the access of the mobile device to the information included in the notification 84 can be shared with other systems in the same place as the mobile device 100A to provide a wide range of alert types and coordinate with other subsystems.

The configuration shown in Figure 9 can also allow a mobile device 100 without a GPS receiver 121 to use the location and speed information acquired by the vehicle 10, for example through a vehicle navigation system, a connection of on-board diagnostics (OBD) or both. As such, the mobile device 100 can also be the communication link between a vehicle 10 and the notification system 80 to accommodate a wider range of environments and configurations. Also, the mobile device 100 may itself be integrated with the vehicle 10 (not shown), for example when the vehicle has a GPS receiver and wireless connectivity. Therefore it can be appreciated that the principles described herein can be applied to a mobile device 100 in any way, including the embodiments in which the mobile device 100 is a subsystem of a vehicle 10.

Turning now to Figure 10, an example is shown illustrating the preparation of a notification 84 using device data 78 of a plurality of mobile devices 100. Device data 78 of N mobile devices 100, for example devices 1, 2,…, N, is obtained by the notification system 80 in 200, whose data 78 is then stored in the traffic database 82. In the example shown in Figures 1 and 9, the data of the device 78 of 100A, 100B, 100C, 100D, and 100E mobile devices. At 202, the data of the device 78 is then organized based on the area from which they originate and the traffic database is updated. For example, the data of the device 78 of the mobile devices 100B-100E would be grouped in one zone, while the data of the device 78 of the mobile device 100A would be grouped in another zone.

The data of the device 78 can be stored according to the corresponding mobile device 100 or instead can be stored according to the current zone. In any case, the data of the device 78 should be sealed in time so that the movements of the mobile device can be tracked between the snapshots of the data and so that prior notifications and the progress of that mobile device 100 is known. Also, the movements of mobile devices 100 from one area to another should be followed. In this sense, as the mobile device 100 moves progressively closer to a congested area 2, the notifications can be modified to more intelligently redirect the mobile device 100. For example, a mobile device 100 that is 20 km away from the congested area 2 may receive a different, less urgent, warning that a mobile device 100 that is 5 km away from the congested area 2 or a different suggestion may be given for an alternative route. The combination of location and speed information, followed over time, can thus allow the notification system 80 to provide a cascade of notifications 84 according to the location of the mobile device with respect to the congested zone 2.

The data of the device 78, grouped in this way can then be used to perform a notification preparation routine at 204, for each zone at an applicable time. In 206, routine 204 determines the speed at which each mobile device 100 and, according to the predetermined criteria (or defined by the user), whether such speed is "normal" or not (as opposed to an anomaly representing the traffic congestion) giving the location, time of day, etc. A criterion such as "Is the speed <X km / h" can be used to determine the presence of traffic congestion by which device data 78 is selected for vehicles 10 that have a vehicle speed less than the threshold X and can be used in the determination of traffic congestion. For example, in Figure 1, vehicles 10B, 10C, and 10D are, in the snapshot shown, traveling at a relatively low speed while vehicle 10E is traveling at a relatively higher or "normal" speed. . In this example, data from device 78 for vehicles 10B, 10C, and 10D would be chosen in step 206 while data from device 78 for vehicle 10E would be ignored. Other criteria such as empirically derived information can be used to determine what constitutes "normal" traffic. For example, rush hour traffic on certain routes may experience different traffic flow than the same route at other times during the day.

At 208, the notification system 80 can then determine whether a predetermined number of mobile devices 100 have met the criteria applied during step 206 (for example according to threshold A shown in Figure 10). In other words, the notification system 80 can use a plurality of measurements to confirm that traffic congestion is present, to avoid false positives, for example in which a vehicle is stopping, leaving a highway or turning. By having access to vehicle data 78 for multiple mobile devices 100, the notification system 80 can better distinguish traffic congestion from anomalies and prepare dynamic notifications 84 accordingly.

In one embodiment, the velocity measurements that meet the criteria in step 206 are glued at 208 and compared to threshold A, which can be for example A = 2. In such an example, if 3 or more mobile devices 100 are traveling below a predetermined speed threshold, then a congested zone 2 is identified - for example as shown in Figure 1. As shown in Figure 10, the notification system 80 can determine a set of one or more mobile devices 100 upstream heading to

or are within a predetermined neighborhood of congested zone 2 at 210. In the present example, upon detection that mobile devices 100B, 100C, and 100D form a congested zone 2, and determine that mobile device 100A is now in , or direct to an upstream zone 8, the notification system 80 can then identify the mobile device 100A as a candidate to receive a notification 84.

The notification 84 can then be prepared in 212 and sent to the mobile devices 100 candidates in 214. The preparation of the notification 84 in 212 may include the sub-steps (not shown) of determination, based on the information in the database of traffic 82, of the communication forms for notification 84, and can also determine the appropriate content for a particular type of alert. For example, mobile device 100A may have selected an option available to receive an auditory alert rather than a visual alert and thus notification 84 would be prepared accordingly.

The routine 204 shown in Figure 10 can be executed continuously, semicontinuously, periodically or in accordance with external events such as receiving a certain number of data from the device 78. Also, in 208, if it is determined that there are not enough measurements of speed to identify a congested zone 2, the traffic database 82 can be periodically referenced so that new data is received from the device 78, the notification system 80 can dynamically react to changing environments. For example, a first wireless enabled mobile device 100 may enter a traffic jam, which would not trigger the detection of a congested zone but as additional mobile devices 100 enter that zone, the traffic jam would then be triggered. By continuously or periodically referencing the incoming device data 78 traffic jam can be detected more quickly. This also allows the notification system 80 to prevent the triggering of a notification 84 if, for example, traffic congestion calms down a few seconds later and no additional mobile devices 100 are affected. Figure 10 also illustrates that the notification system 80 can be adapted to cover the multiple zones and can use any appropriate logic to determine which mobile devices 100 (if any) should receive a notification 84. For example, the mobile device 100C, which is currently in the congested zone 2, provides the data of the device 78 that allows an alert to be provided to the user of the mobile device 100A but can also receive another notification 84 (not shown) that alerts the user of the mobile device 100C of congestion of additional downstream traffic, which is determined using device data 78 from other mobile devices. In this sense, the data of the device 78 is effectively shared between all mobile devices 100 connected through the wireless network 200, the wireless router or router 26, and the notification system 80, the notification system 80 capable first of the organization and interpretation of device data 78 to provide dynamic and meaningful alerts for each mobile device user. As such, mobile devices 100 can be used both to provide and obtain information related to traffic congestion.

The notification system 80 can also execute different routines 204 for different zones, for example, to account for different circumstances. For example, it can be known that certain roads have significant slowdowns during the rush hour and in this way different thresholds can be applied at different times of the day. In this example, detected speeds of, for example 40 kph, in a 100 kph zone may not be considered congestion but normal volume. Returning to Figure 19, an example of a variation of routine 204 is shown. In this variation, the notification system 80, for the particular area, would first determine, at 205, the time at which the device data was collected. 78. In this example, if the relevant time is between X and Y, a first set of criteria is used at 206 'to select mobile devices that are considered not to be "normal" (for example, they move slower than expected). On the other hand, outside this range, a second set of criteria is used, which may be the usual criteria shown in Figure 10 or some other set of criteria. This allows the notification system 80 to lower the threshold during specific hours during the day to take into account known or empirically derived information. For example: "Highway 6 is typically slow from 7 am to 9 am."

As discussed above, notification 84 can take several forms and can be delivered to each mobile device 100 through various means. Figure 11 illustrates an exemplary email alert 220. In the example shown in Figure 11, the email alert 220 is a usual email message that is received and handled by the mobile device 100 in the usual manner. The email alert 220 comprises a subject line 221 that identifies the message as being related to a traffic alert, and the body of the alert 220, in this example, comprises: a concise warning 222 that introduces the nature of the alert, followed by additional details 224 regarding traffic congestion, followed by a warning 226 to surround traffic congestion. It can be appreciated that the inclusion and nature of each part (222, 224, 226) of the body of the email alert 220 is optional and if included, each part can be presented in any desired order, for example according to User preferences For example, user options can be provided to specify how the alert should be structured and what it should include. Similarly, to minimize the amount of reading involved, an amalgamated message (not shown) could be prepared that concisely provides a warning, location of congestion, and a detour. For example: “You. Going to traffic along Highway 6, use the Bypass Road as an alternative. ”

In the embodiment shown in Figure 11, concise warning 222 may be included to allow a "first glance" determination that the vehicle 10 is directed to traffic congestion. At an appropriate time, you can access, open, and view the email alert 220 using email application 138, and the additional details examined. Additional details 224 can provide any level of detail desired and, in an email message, it is appreciated that this level of detail can be quickly accommodated. In the example shown, congestion zone 2 is identified according to several brands such as that it is between certain roads and whether traffic congestion is serious or not: “Highway 6 is extremely slow between the Upper Highway and the Lower Highway " Warning 226 may suggest an alternative route to avoid congested zone 2. In this example, the following warning 226 is displayed: “We suggest taking the Deviation Highway north of the Upper Highway and turning west on the Intersection Highway as detour". In this sense, if the opportunity arises, the user can use the mobile device 100 not only to be alerted to traffic congestion, but can also be provided with the useful information to avoid the congestion zone 2.

The email alert 220 may also comprise a link 227 to the map program 60 as shown in Figure 11. This allows the user to conveniently access a visual representation of the detour suggested in the warning 226 or at least view the area of the congested area 2 for thorough examination and additional consideration.

Figure 12 illustrates an example of an alternative form for the alert, namely an SMS alert 230. The SMS alert 230 may include some or all of the information carried by the email alert 220. The SMS alert 230 comprises a sender tag 231, which identifies the sender of the SMS alert 230 as being from the Traffic Notifications Service, which can be an SMS client created for notification system 80 and is used to send SMS alerts 230 to various devices 100. The SMS alert 230 also includes details of the sender and message 232, and may include one or more parts 222, 224, 226 shown in Figure 11. In this example, concise warning 222 and additional details 224 are visible in and the warning 226 can be seen navigating through the message. It will be appreciated that a portion of the SMS 230 alert can be sent and another part (s) maintained again until it is required, for example when the details of the alert are prolonged or exceed the limit of one unique message. Alternatively, a first SMS message 230 may be sent with a concise warning 222 and a link or callback mechanism (not shown) provided to allow the user to request additional details such as warning 226 regarding a potential diversion. Therefore, the SMS 230 alert can be adapted for use in different environments with different restrictions.

Figure 13 illustrates another example of an alternative way for the traffic alert provided by the notification 84, in this example a map alert 240. As shown in Figure 13, a map 242 of an area comprising the congested area 248 it can be visualized using map program 60 with a graphic or warning icon 246 used to highlight the congested area. The map 242 may also provide an intended route 244 and an alternative route 250 to illustrate the deviation suggested in the warning 226. The map alert 240 may also include a drop-down window 252 that includes the parts 222, 224, and 226 already exemplified. Although the drop-down window 252 is shown as a box to the map 242, it will be appreciated that a dedicated part of the screen 12 could also be given, or it can be accessible by highlighting a link (not shown), by accessing a menu (not shown) or can be omitted by selecting the appropriate user options. Figure 13 illustrates in this way an alternative that provides a visual representation of the alert using the information provided in notification 84.

Various other types of alerts are possible and can be adapted to the requirements of specific applications, user preferences, or both. For example, notification 84 may provide a primary drop-down that is displayed on / within any current screen. The drop-down could be giving a link 227 to the map program to allow both a quick warning and the possibility of accessing additional and more detailed information. In another embodiment, the alert may comprise a dialed telephone call from the notification system 80 to the mobile device 100 with an audible warning address to the user. Similarly, notification 84 may comprise a recorded auditory warning that is reproduced to the user upon receipt. It can therefore be appreciated that the notification 84 and the attached warning and information can be sent, processed, and displayed in any suitable manner according to the environment, the available output mechanisms, and the user's preferences.

As discussed above, following a location of the mobile device during the time, a cascade of notifications 84 can be sent, for example to further update the user regarding the progress of traffic congestion or upon receipt of additional information from a source third party 83. Figure 17a shows a follow-up alert 220a to the email alert 220 shown in Figure 11. In a follow-up alert 220a, an updated subject 221a can be provided to specify that the alert is an update and You can provide more specific details to assist the user in recognizing the alert. An updated message 270 is included in the tracking alert 220a which in this example provides additional detail obtained from a third party source 83 that explains the nature of the congestion and if available, the status. An updated map link 227a can also be provided to allow the user to start and load the map program 60. It can be appreciated that according to the nature of the updated message 270, the extent of the congested area 2 and the deviations 250 may change and providing the updated map link 227a allows the user to confirm any changes. The tracking notification 220a is particularly useful when the mobile device 100 is still approaching but has not yet reached the congested zone 2. This allows more detail to be provided where possible.

Figure 17b illustrates an additional tracking alert 220b, which indicates in an additional updated subject line 221b that traffic congestion has been resolved. For example, if the mobile device 100 is still approaching the congested zone 2 as it is clearing, the notification system 80 can provide immediate and timely feedback to allow that mobile device 100 to prevent it from taking a detour. A detailed message 272 explaining the updated situation will be provided and, in some embodiments, you can also customize the message 272 according to previous alerts 220, 220a. For example, as shown in Figure 17b, message 272 indicates that it is not necessary to take the detour previously suggested. Therefore, the data of the device 78 available to the notification system 80 allows intelligent notifications 84 to be prepared using such available information. An updated map link 227b can also be provided before resolving the user's route to remove the reference to the diversion, etc.

To accommodate the various alternative alerts as exemplified herein, notification 84 may be configured to carry the various forms and amounts of data. For example, a generic notification 84 comprising parts 222, 224, 226, delivered in an email alert 220 may also attach or include a map alert 240 (or instructions to create a map alert 240) to allow double alerts or the choice between different alerts. Notification 84 may also provide instruction to stimulate an auditory alert such as a particular tone, ringtone, or speech alert. As such, the notification 84 can take any form, using any data structure, sent over any medium that is applicable to a particular mobile device 100 or a particular application of the notification system 80. For example, if used with a network of video game devices, different types of alerts may be required than if used with a mobile phone network.

Turning now to Figure 14, an example of another system 85 shown in Figure 9 is provided. In this example, a navigation system in the vehicle 85 'having a screen 88' is configured to interface 86 'with the mobile device 100A for displaying alerts such as those shown in Figures 11-13 and 17a-17b (220, 220a, 220b, 230, 240). The mobile device 100A can interface 86 ’with the navigation system 85’ using any available communication link such as USB, infrared, Bluetooth, custom platform or docking station, etc. Figure 14 illustrates that mobile device 100A can be used to receive notification 84, which is then converted or processed (if necessary) for use by navigation system 85 ', and a copy of notification 84', at any as appropriate, it is sent to the navigation system 85 '. It will be appreciated that the navigation system 85 'in such an embodiment would require logical components such as a controller for the detection of an incoming notification and should include an application of computer programs to allow user interactivity. Although not shown in Figure 14, the mobile device 100A could also act as an interface 86 'with an OBD connection or other connection in the vehicle to obtain information for inclusion in the data of the device 78 and thus the interface 86' It can provide a way to allow vehicle subsystems to participate in the provision of information to notification system 80 to prepare notifications 84.

If connected to other subsystems in the vehicle 10, the mobile device 100 may also be able to influence the notification system 80 and its access to third party sources 83, to provide additional alerts to the user, either individually or in combination with the traffic-related notification 84. Turning now to Figure 18, an example is shown that illustrates a notification routine related to the level of fuel detected in the vehicle 10. In 400, either a vehicle subsystem or the mobile device 100 (or its user), through its connection 86 to vehicle 10 (or visual observation), detects a refueling event. The refueling event can be triggered by several criteria. For example, if a trip has been programmed in the GPS application 54, the mobile device 100 can determine that by giving the distance to the destination and the amount of fuel remaining, the vehicle 10 needs to be refilled at least once before the destination. In another example, the mobile device 100 can simply detect that the fuel level of the vehicle is particularly (or dangerously) low, for example below a predetermined threshold, and thus a refueling is needed. After detecting a refueling event, the mobile device 100 can then turn on its GPS application 54 and use the traffic module 55 to gather other data from the device at 402. A query can then be sent at 404 related to the optimal gas stations according with certain criteria such as according to the deviation of the user's route, as well as other information such as the type of fuel (is diesel available?), preferred rest stops, preferred gasoline brands, etc.

The notification system 80 then receives the query at 406 and, either locally or in conjunction with a third party source 83, determines the gas stations in the vicinity of the scheduled route or that meet the user's preferences, at 408. Yes is applicable, the notification system 80 can at the same time reference the traffic database 82 to determine if a relevant traffic related notification exists at 410. A notification is then prepared at 412. As noted above, the prepared notification in 412 it can comprise a notification 84 with the information of the attached gas station or it can be a separate notification related only to the gas stations.

In 414, if applicable, notification system 80 may refer to user preferences to customize notification 84 accordingly. For example, the user can be given the opportunity, after registering in the traffic module 55, to select how close to their route they want the gas stations to be, which companies they prefer, etc. Such user preferences can be applied to any variation in the procedure shown in Figure 18. It will be appreciated that user preferences can be incorporated into any of the embodiments described herein to allow the user to specify when notifications will be received 84 , in which form they will be received (for example, email versus SMS versus auditory versus another system 85, etc.), etc.

Notification 84 is then sent to mobile device 100 at 416 and received at 418. In this example, mobile device 100 would use notification received 84 to alert the user that the fuel level is low and suggest an optimal stopping location. . The locations so that the gas station (s) can be visualized using the map programs 60, the routes to the gas stations can be provided, and the auditory alerts can also be provided. The routine of detection and notification of the refueling event shown in Figure 18 is for illustrative purposes only and it can be appreciated that similar principles can be applied in the supply of other notifications, for example service stations, cranes, commercial areas (by user preferences), etc.

Figure 15 illustrates another embodiment, where the GPS receiver of the mobile device 121 is not currently turned on but the vehicle 10 in which the mobile device 100 currently resides introduces traffic congestion, a time related to the trigger is set, or the User starts the process. In these situations, a request for a traffic alert can be made based on the current area and, at the same time, the mobile device 100 can begin contributing to the information collection procedure performed by the notification system 80. In Figure 15, a map 242, similar to the map shown in Figure 13, is currently being displayed and, in this example, an expected route 244 is shown, which may have been specified by the user at some other time. It can be noted that in this example, the map program 60 is used for the display of addresses but does not necessarily provide the current location information through the GPS application 54.

Upon receipt of an appropriate input such as detection of the selection of the menu button 24, a menu 263 can be displayed listing the options 264 available within the map program 60. Of the options 264 shown in Figure 15, you can select a Traffic Update option 266. By detecting the selection of option 266, the map program 60 can instruct the GPS application 54 to turn on and start sending data from device 78 and receiving notifications 84. This it would allow, after entering a congested area 2, the user to obtain a map alert 240 such as that shown in Figure 13, which can identify the congested area, identify a diversion, etc. This also provides additional device data 78 in which the notification system 80 can make its determinations with respect to the need for a particular notification in that particular area. Accordingly, Figure 15 illustrates that communications between mobile devices 100 and notification system 80 can be automatic.

or initiated by the user in various embodiments.

Figure 16 illustrates an exemplary set of operations for executing the embodiment of Figure 15. After detecting traffic congestion at 300, or at any other time the user wishes to begin receiving notifications 84, the map program 60 in this example it provides the ability to start menu 263 and select the option of Traffic Update 266 in 302. Map program 60 would then detect the selection of the Traffic Update option 266 in 304 and then turn on the GPS receiver 121 at 306 at which time you can acquire data from device 78 for mobile device 100.

It can be noted that, as shown in Figure 16, once the GPS receiver 121 has been turned on, if the notification system 80 is configured to detect the presence of the mobile device 100 through the wireless router or router 26, the mobile device 100 may be immediately available to receive a notification 84 in 324 and provide an alert to the user in 326, which is experienced by the user in 328. After switching on the GPS receiver 121, the data of the device 78 can be prepared in 308 to send to the notification system 80 at 310. The notification system 80 then receives data from device 78 in 312 and can compare this data from device 78 with recent notifications and other information in the traffic database 82 in 314 The traffic database 82 is also updated in 316 with the new data of the device 78 to contribute to the generation of the notifications.

The notification system 80 determines at 318 if there is a relevant notification 84 related to the area in which the mobile device is currently and, if one is not found, the process ends at 320. If a relevant notification 84 can be found, it can be found then send to mobile device 100 in 322, where it can be received in 324, an alert provided to the user in 326 and the alert experienced in 328.

It can therefore be seen that data 78 related to the location and speed of a plurality of mobile devices can be used to generate dynamic notifications 84 for other mobile devices 100 that may be affected by traffic issues determined from the data 78 provided by the plurality of mobile devices 100.

Although the foregoing has been described with reference to certain specific embodiments, several modifications thereof will be apparent to those skilled in the art as outlined in the appended claims.

Claims (9)

1. A method implemented by computer for the provision of traffic notifications, said method comprising the steps of: - obtain a speed measurement and location information of each of a plurality of devices mobiles; - organize said speed measurements based on an area from which they originate using the corresponding location information;

-

 use a plurality of speed measurements in an area that meets one or more predetermined criteria to determine the presence and development of traffic congestion;

-

 if traffic congestion is determined for that zone, determine at least one mobile device that approaches that zone;

-

prepare a notification that provides an alert that relates to such traffic congestion;

-

send said notification to said at least one mobile device approaching that area;

-

follow in time, the location of said at least one mobile device that approaches that area; Y

-

 update the at least one mobile device that approaches that area with respect to traffic congestion progress.



2.

The method according to claim 1 wherein said traffic congestion is identified by the determination that at least a predetermined number of mobile devices are traveling at a speed below a predetermined threshold.

3.

The method according to claim 1 or claim 2 further comprising the step of: using said location information to determine which of said plurality of mobile devices are approaching that area and thus are candidates for receiving said notification; and in which said submission comprises sending said notification only to said candidates.

Four.

The method according to any of claims 1 to 3 which further comprises preparing a message for the transmission of said notification, said message which is an email message, a message of the short message service 'SMS', an auditory message, a phone call or an instruction to provide such an alert in a map program.

5.

The method according to claim 4, wherein said alert comprises any of: a concise warning or a concise warning and additional details that relate to said concise warning; or a warning to surround that area.

6.

The method according to any of claims 3 to 5, wherein the mobile devices approaching that area are determined according to a location or locations of said mobile devices with respect to that area.

7.

The method according to any of claims 3 to 6, wherein the mobile devices approaching that zone are determined according to the continuity between an upstream zone and that zone.

8.

A computer readable medium comprising computer executable instructions executable by a processor of a computer system to cause said computer system to provide traffic notifications through implementing the method steps defined in any of the preceding claims.

9.

A notification system comprising a processor, a communications subsystem for communicating with a plurality of mobile devices, and the computer-readable medium according to claim 8.