WO2000030058A1

WO2000030058A1 - Traffic data collecting method and apparatus using gps device and speed data processing method based on vehicle-collected traffic information

Info

Publication number: WO2000030058A1
Application number: PCT/KR1999/000686
Authority: WO
Inventors: Heung-Soo Lee
Original assignee: Haiwool Co., Ltd.
Priority date: 1998-11-16
Filing date: 1999-11-16
Publication date: 2000-05-25
Also published as: AU1186600A; KR20000032614A

Abstract

A method for collecting traffic data and an apparutus thereto and a method for processing speed data are more efficient and greatly reduce the cost and the time related for equipments. Traffic information can be sufficiently collected by using the apparatus and recognized by only a transmission since position data indicating a road, speed data of the road and road direction data of the road are transmitted. Also, the requested communication amount relatively decreases and the reliability of the data and the transmission efficiency increase.

Description

TRAFFIC DATA COLLECTING METHOD AND APPARATUS USING GPS

DEVICE AND SPEED DATA PROCESSING METHOD BASED ON

VEHICLE-COLLECTED TRAFFIC INFORMATION

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a method for collecting traffic data and an apparatus for executing the method, and more particularly a method for collecting traffic data by using a global positioning system (GPS) and an apparatus for executing the method.

Background Art

According to the conventional traffic data collecting method, after the vehicle having the GPS and wireless transmitting-receiving device mounted therein transfers a position of the vehicle to a traffic control center, velocities of vehicles are calculated at a traffic control center on the basis of positions of the vehicle and times when the positions are received at the basis station so that the velocities of the vehicles are calculated as velocities of a road where the vehicles are located.

However, the method has a disadvantage that the traffic control center should continuously receive the position information of the vehicles in order to calculate the speed of the vehicles on the section of the road. It is difficult to calculate the speed of the section of the road, so much computing processes as well as continuous data receiving are demanded so as to calculate the speed of the section (a traffic data section node link structure). Therefore, the computing amount at the traffic control center rapidly increases according as when the number of the vehicles increases.

Disclosure of Invention

The present invention is intended to overcome the above-described disadvantages. Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a method for collecting traffic data which can reduce an operation amount processed at a traffic control center.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a method for collecting traffic data which reduce a channel occupying by decreasing the number of data transferred from a traffic data collecting apparatus to a traffic control center. It is still another object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for collecting traffic data which is especially suitable for executing the methods for collecting traffic data.

In order to achieve the above object of the present invention according to one embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a method for collecting traffic data by using a traffic data collecting apparatus connected to a mobile communication device and a global positioning system, which comprises the steps of: calculating a speed of a vehicle by using the traffic data collecting apparatus; inputting a position of the vehicle to the traffic data collecting apparatus from the global positioning system; producing a vehicle-collected traffic information at the traffic data collecting apparatus, the vehicle-collected traffic information comprising the speed of the vehicle and the position of the vehicle; and transferring the vehicle-collected traffic information to a base station through the mobile communication device. Preferably, the vehicle-collected traffic information further comprises direction data of the road which indicate a direction of the road where the vehicle moves.

The said step of transferring the vehicle-collected traffic information is responsively performed by a transfer demand of the base station.

The vehicle-collected traffic information further comprises a vehicle state information. The vehicle state information can have moving direction data which indicate the moving direction of the vehicle and have parking/stoppage data which indicate whether the vehicle is parked or stopped .

The parking/stoppage data can have side break data which indicate whether a side break of the vehicle works or not or have engine data which indicate whether an engine of the vehicle works or not. Also, the vehicle state information can have traffic accident data which indicate whether the vehicle causes a traffic accident or not. Such traffic accident data have at least one selected the group consisting of a collision accident, a rear-end collision accident and a rollover accident. In this case, a communication connection for transferring the vehicle-collected traffic information to the base station is performed by a demand of the traffic data collecting apparatus.

Furthermore, the vehicle state information can have stagnation data which indicate whether a road where the vehicle moves is tied-up or not.

Preferably, the step of calculating the speed of the vehicle is performed on the basis of position data obtained form the global positioning system and a time data related the position data. Also, the step of calculating the speed of the vehicle is performed on the basis of the number of the pulse inputted from a wheel distance sensor of the vehicle for a predetermined time. Furthermore, the step of calculating the speed of the vehicle is performed by averaging data inputted from a speedometer mounted in the vehicle.

The mobile communication device is a cellular phone and the vehicle-collected traffic information is transferred through an information channel or a control channel between the mobile communication device and related communication channels of the base station. Preferably, the method for collecting traffic data further comprises a step of restoring the vehicle-collected traffic information to a vehicle-collected traffic information database wherein the vehicle-collected traffic information is collected from a plurality of traffic information collecting terminals respectively mounted in a plurality of vehicles. Such traffic information collecting database is located in the base station combined with the mobile communication device through a wireless communication network. In this case, the method for collecting traffic data further comprises a step of transferring a vehicle-collected traffic information demanded by a traffic control center from the vehicle-collected traffic information database of the base station to the traffic control center when the traffic control center demands the vehicle-collected traffic information. Also, a home location resistor is located at the base station besides the vehicle-collected traffic information database. The vehicle-collected traffic information database collected from a plurality of traffic data collecting terminals respectively mounted in a plurality of vehicles is located at a database center connected to the base station through a predetermined communication network. At that time, each database center is established at each base station. Also, a database control unit transfers a vehicle-collected traffic information demanded by a traffic control center from the vehicle-collected traffic information database to the traffic control center when the traffic control center demands the vehicle-collected traffic information and a home location resistor is located at the database center besides the vehicle-collected traffic information database.

The vehicle-collected traffic information database can be located at the traffic information control center. The step of calculating the speed of the vehicle processed in the traffic data collecting terminal can be performed by using the vehicle state information and a section map is installed in the traffic data collecting terminal. Such section maps may be restored in an external memory combined with a controller or restored in the global positing system.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a method for collecting traffic data by using a traffic data collecting terminal connected to a global positioning system, which comprises the steps of: calculating a speed of a vehicle by using the traffic data collecting apparatus; inputting a position of the vehicle to the traffic data collecting apparatus from the global positioning system; producing a vehicle-collected traffic information comprising the speed of the vehicle and the position of the vehicle at the traffic data collecting apparatus; and transferring said vehicle-collected traffic information through a communication network.

The vehicle state information can have a direction of a road where the vehicle moves.

Preferably, the communication network is, for example, a TRS network, an ATM network or a Bicon network. According to still another embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a method for processing speed data of vehicle-collected traffic information, wherein said method processes the speed data of a predetermined field in a system comprising a traffic state database where processed traffic state information is recorded and a vehicle-collected traffic information database where vehicle-collected traffic information is recorded, the vehicle-collected traffic information having at least position data, speed data and direction data of a road respectively collected from a plurality of traffic data collecting terminals mounted in a plurality of vehicles, which comprises the steps of: inputting vehicle-collected traffic information related the predetermined field from the vehicle-collected traffic database at the traffic information control center; sorting the vehicle-collected traffic information by relevant sections of the road and relevant directions of the road on the basis of the position data and the direction data of the road included in the vehicle-collected traffic information; calculating a plurality of section velocities by a statistical method concerning all the sections and directions of the road which belongs to the field; and restoring the calculated section velocities into the traffic state database.

The vehicle-collected traffic information can comprises a vehicle state information. Preferably, the step of calculating the section velocities is performed by using the vehicle state information included in the vehicle-collected traffic information.

Also, the step of calculating the section velocities further comprises discarding a prior vehicle-collected traffic information when a plurality of vehicle-collected traffic information are collected into a vehicle concerning the same section and direction of the road.

Furthermore, in case that a collected vehicle-collected traffic information does not exist concerning a relevant section and direction of the road or the collected vehicle-collected traffic information is less than a statistically credible amount concerning the relevant section and direction of the road, the step of calculating the section velocities can have binding a highest speed of the related road to a speed of the related road or the step of calculating the section velocities is performed on the basis of a prior speed of the related road such as a speed of the road which is calculated at the same time before a day, a speed of the road which is calculated at the same time before a week, a speed of the road which is calculated at the same time in the same day before a year, or a combination of those velocities of the road. It is preferable to use the speed of the road before a year when the traffic situation becomes serious such as New Year's Day, Christmas Day or Korean Thanksgiving Day.

The statistical method is performed by averaging a plurality of speed data, finding a speed data having a highest frequency among a plurality of speed data or calculating an average value of a plurality of speed data.

The method for processing speed data of vehicle-collected traffic information further comprises the steps of deciding whether the inputted vehicle-collected traffic information is a data related a traffic accident after the inputting and performing a process related to an emergency rescue when the inputted information is the data related the traffic accident.

The step of sorting the vehicle-collected traffic information is performed by using position data included in the vehicle-collected traffic information and a section map included at the traffic information control center wherein the section map comprising a section including a road and a position of the road. According to still another embodiment of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for collecting traffic data connected to a mobile communication device and a global positioning system, which comprises: a speed calculating means for calculating a speed of a vehicle; an inputting means for inputting a position of the vehicle from the global positioning system; a producing means for generating vehicle-collected traffic information comprising the speed of the vehicle and the position of the vehicle at the apparatus for collecting traffic data; and a transferring means for transferring the vehicle-collected traffic information to a base station through the mobile communication device. Preferably, the vehicle state information further has a section map including a plurality of divided sections of the road according to a position of the road and a direction of the road and the speed calculating means calculates the speed of the vehicle by using the section map and the position and the time data from the global positioning system.

Also, to achieve the above objects of the present invention, there is provided a recording medium comprising a program for working the method for collecting traffic data according to the present invention.

Brief Description of the Drawings

The above objects and other advantages of the present invention will become more apparent by describing in detail preferred embodiments thereof with reference to the attached drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic view for illustrating vehicle-collected traffic information format according to one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic view for showing vehicle-collected traffic information format according to another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a detailed view for illustrating the vehicle-collected traffic information format as shown in FIGs. 1 and 2; FIG. 4 is a detailed view for illustrating a data representation included in the direction field in FIGs. 1 and 2 according to the present invention;

FIG. 5N is a detailed view for illustrating the position field format in FIGs. 1 and 2 according to one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5B is a detailed view for illustrating the position field format in FIGs. 1 and 2 according to another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a schematic view for illustrating a method for expressing the drawings according to the present invention;

FIGs. 7A and 7B are schematic view for showing system constructions in order to execute methods for collecting traffic data according to preferred embodiments of the present invention; FIGs. 8A to 8C are schematic view for showing system constructions in order to execute methods for collecting traffic data according to other embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 9 is a detailed view for illustrating a data format of a vehicle-collected traffic information database according to one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 10 is schematic view for showing a construction of an apparatus for collecting traffic data according to one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 11 is schematic view for showing a construction of an apparatus for collecting traffic data according to another embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 12 is a diagram for illustrating the relationship between FIG. 12A and

12B;

FIG.12N and FIG. 12B are diagrams for illustrating a database updating procedure of the method for collecting traffic data executed at a base station according one embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 13 is a diagram for illustrating a speed updating procedure of the method for collecting traffic data executed at a base station according one embodiment of the present invention; and

FIGs. 14N and 14B are diagrams for illustrating a vehicle-collected traffic information updating procedure of the method for collecting traffic data according to preferred embodiments of the present invention.

Best Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be explained in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Nt first, a data format utilized by a traffic data collecting method of the present invention will be explained.

FIG. 1 is a schematic view for illustrating vehicle-collected traffic information format according to one embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, a vehicle-collected traffic information 100 comprises a vehicle state field 101. a speed filed 102, road direction field 103, a filed of a kind of vehicle 104, a position field 105 and other state fields 106.

FIG. 2 is a schematic view for showing vehicle-collected traffic information format according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 2, a vehicle-collected traffic information 100 comprises a vehicle ID (identification) field 107, a vehicle state field 101, a speed filed 102, road direction field 103, a filed of a kind of vehicle 104, a position field 105 and other state fields 106.

Ns shown in FIGs. 1 and 2, the vehicle state field 101 represents a state of a vehicle where an apparatus for collecting traffic data mounted therein according to the present invention, particularly the vehicle state field represents a vehicle state information which affects on the traffic information.

FIG. 3 is a detailed view for illustrating a data format according to a preferred embodiment of the vehicle state field 101.

Referring to FIG. 3, the vehicle state field 101 comprises a moving direction subfield 301, a stoppage subfield 302, a side break subfield 303, an engine subfield

304, a break subfield 305, a collision subfield 306, a R-Collision(Rear-end Ccollision) subfield 307, an overturn subfield 308, an accident subfield 309, a stagnation subfield

310 and other subfields 311.

The moving direction subfield 301 represents the moving direction of the vehicle. According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the moving direction subfield 301 is constructed by the 2 bits and the moving direction subfield 301 represents the strait moving, the backward moving, the left turning and the right turning respectively in cases of "00", "01", "10" and "11" . Such moving or turnings are recognized by a lever of a direction indicator or a signal of the direction indicator. The moving direction subfield 301 combines with the stoppage subfield 302 in

FIG 3 to be interpreted as a vehicle awaiting a left turning signal, a strait moving signal, a right turning signal and so on.

It is demanded to notify an information to a traffic control center whether the vehicle is moving, parked or stopped. For example, someone stops a vehicle at the roadside in order to await other person while an engine of the vehicle works. However, the traffic control center miscalculates that the road where the vehicle locates is a state of stagnation when the position and the speed of the vehicle are merely transferred to the traffic control center through the base station without any information about such situations. Hence, the information related a state of the vehicle should be transferred to the traffic control center so as to analyze the traffic situation. According to the preferred embodiment of the present invention for the above problem, the vehicle state field 101 comprises the stoppage subfield 302, the side break subfield 303, the engine subfield 304, the break subfield 305, the collision subfield 306, the rear-end collision subfield 307, the overturn subfield 308, the accident subfield 309, the stagnation subfield 310. Those fields can be configured by 1 bit.

The stoppage subfield 302 indicates whether the vehicle is stopped or not. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the stoppage subfield 302 is configured by 1 bit. For example, the stoppage subfield 302 can represent that a signal does not exist through a wheel distance sensor in case of "0" and can represent that the signal exists in case of "1" .

The side break subfield 303 indicates whether a side break of the vehicle having the traffic data collecting terminal therein works or not. When a driver takes a rest or business so that the driver stops or parks the vehicle, an information about the vehicle should be of no use. Therefore, an information about the side break of the vehicle can be used in order to discern the vehicle which is stopped or parked. For example, the side break is operated when the side break subfield is "0" and the side break is released when the side break subfield is "1" .

The engine subfield 304 indicates whether the vehicle runs or not. The engine subfield 304 represents, for example, that an engine of the vehicle works in case of "0" or the engine stops in case of "1".

The break subfield 305 indicates an operation of a foot break of the vehicle. The break subfield 305 represents, for example, that the foot break is operated in case of "0" or released in case of "1". The collision subfield 306 indicates whether the vehicle collides with other vehicle or not. For example, the collision subfield 306 is set up "0" in case the vehicle collides with other vehicle or "1" in case that the vehicle does not collide. The data related the collision can be generated on the basis of data inputted from a collision sensor after the collision sensor is mounted at a front portion of the vehicle. The rear-end collision subfield 307 indicates whether other vehicles strike the rear of the vehicle or not. For example, the rear-end collision subfield 307 can represent that the vehicle has the read-end collision in case of "0" or does not have the read-end collision in case of "1". Also, the data of the rear-end collision subfield 307 can be generated on the basis of signals from a rear-end collision sensor after the rear-end collision sensor is mounted at a rear portion of the vehicle. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the collision sensor receives a signal from air bags mounted it the vehicle. Also, the rear-end collision sensor is mounted such as a contact sensor at the rear portion of the vehicle so that the rear-end collision sensor receives a signal generated when an impact of the rear-end collision has above a predetermined value.

The overturn subfield 308 indicates whether the vehicle is capsized or not. The overturn subfield 308 can represent that the vehicle is capsized in case of "0" or not in case of " 1 " . The data of the overturn subfield 308 can be generated on the basis of a signal from an overturn sensor mounted in the vehicle. The accident subfield 309 indicates whether the vehicle causes an accident or not. The accident subfield 309 can represent, for example, that the vehicle causes the accident in case of "0" or does not cause the accident in case of "1". Such data of the accident subfield 309 generated according as a driver or an assistant push a switch for indicating an accident when the vehicle causes the accident after the switch is installed at the driver control panel or at an inputting device such as a remote controller which the driver or the assistant can operate.

The stagnation subfield 310 indicates whether a road where the vehicle moves stagnates or not. The stagnation subfield 310 represents, for example, the road is stagnating in case of "0" or is not in case of "1" . Also, the data of the stagnation subfield 310 generated according as a driver or an assistant push a switch for indicating a stagnation when the road is stagnating after the switch is installed at the driver control panel or at an inputting device such as a remote controller which the driver or the assistant can operate at a stagnated section. The switch for indicating stagnation can be utilized if the vehicle operates the side break or stops the engine when the vehicle is stopped for a long time.

A precision subfield 311 indicates that a position error is an error of 1 to 10m by using a differential global positioning system (DGPS) or by other methods. The precision subfield 311 represents, for example, the position error of 1 to 10m in case of "0" or the position error of above 10m in case of "1" . However, such range of the error may be variable.

Besides those above-described subfields, other subfields 312 can be available when various vehicle state informations are transferred to the traffic control center.

The vehicle state field 101 can comprise all the subfields shown in FIG. 3, or can selectively include some subfields. Also, the order of the subfields is variable. Now referring to FIGs. 1 and 2, the speed field 102 indicates a speed of the vehicle. For example, the speed field 102 can be configured by 1 byte. The data of the speed subfield 101 can be generated by a numeral of 0 to 255 by the unit of km/h. In the conventional method, the processing amount is rapidly increased at the traffic center because the position data of the vehicle is merely transferred to the traffic control center without transferring the speed data of the vehicle. According to the present invention, however, the processing amount of the traffic control center can be greatly decreased since speed data of the road are transferred to the control center by using the speed data measuring device mounted in the conventional vehicle.

The road direction field 103 indicates the direction of the vehicle moving on the road. For example, the road direction field 103 represents that the vehicle moves from the first street to the second street or the vehicle moves reversely. In the conventional method, it is recognized whether the vehicle moves along forward direction of the road or backward direction of the road from the position data by using a map matching. In case of the map matching, however, it is difficult to recognize whether the vehicle moves along the forward direction of the road or backward direction of the road by merely using a transient position data. Though the DGPS method is adopted, it is also difficult to recognize whether the vehicle moves along the forward direction of the road or backward direction of the road when the vehicle locates near the center line of the road. Considering such problems, it is demanded to transfer the data related the moving direction of the vehicle from the vehicle (more particularly, the traffic data collecting terminal mounted in the vehicle) to the traffic control center. According to the present invention, the traffic data collecting terminal can calculate the direction of the road on the basis of position data inputted from the GPS by a predetermined interval. Also, the traffic data collecting terminal of the present invention can calculate the direction of the road which the vehicle moves thereon by using a gyrocompass or a magnet compass.

The data of the road direction field 103, for example, are configured by 3 bits. FIG. 4 shows the configuration of the data of the road direction field. Referring to FIG. 4, the direction is divided into 8 orientations. That is, the road direction field 103 is set up as the road direction field 103 represents the north, the northeast, the east, the southeast, the south, the southwest, the west and the northwest respectively in cases of "0", "1", "2", "3", "4", "5", "6" and "7". The orientations of the road direction field 103, however, do not limited by the present embodiment, so the orientations of the road field 103 can be configured above or below 8. For example, the road direction field 103 can be divided into 4, 16 or 32 orientations. However, the precision of the road direction field 103 may decrease when the orientation is 4 and the processing amount of the data may increase when the number of the orientations increases. Therefore, the direction is preferably divided into 8 or 16 orientations.

The field of a sort of the vehicle 104 is a field for transferring a sort of the vehicle which the traffic data collecting terminal is mounted therein. When the situation of the road is recognized on grounds of the data generated from a bus moving on an exclusive bus line, the field of a sort of the vehicle 104 can discern the situation of the exclusive bus line and the situation of other lines. Also, it is demanded to distinguish whether the vehicle is a bus, a truck or a taxi. For example, the data configurations of the field of a sort of the vehicle 104 are established as follows. 1 : a taxi

2: a car

3: an urban bus

4: a cross-country bus 5: an express bus

6: a chartered bus

7: other buses

8: a truck having a weight of below 1 ton.

9: a truck having a weight of below 2 tons. 10: a truck having a weight of below 3 tons.

11: a truck having a weight of below 5 tons.

12: a truck having a weight of above 5 tons.

13: a jeep

14: a micro bus 15: a truck transporting a dangerous article

16: a truck for a special use

When the vehicle-collected traffic information is collected according to the above data configuration, the speed informations of the exclusive bus line and other lines can be separately provided in case that the traffic informations are provided to the driver. Also, a speed of a sort of the vehicle moving on the road can be calculated. Furthermore, the situation of the exclusive bus line and the situation of other lines can be distinguishably provided when the traffic informations are provided by graphic modes.

A data configuration method of those fields is executed by inputting such data into a program when the traffic data collecting terminal is mounted in the vehicle. Those data can be inputted by using a dip switch or by a method that the data does not change when a power source is removed.

The position field 105 is a field for transferring the position of the vehicle.

FIGs. 5 A and 5B shown preferred embodiments of the data format so as to indicate the position of the vehicle having the traffic data collecting terminal therein in the position field 105.

Referring to one embodiment of the position field 105 as shown in FIG. 5A, the position field 105 comprises a drawing numeral subfield 501, a x-axis coordinate subfield 502 and a y-axis coordinate subfield 503. The x-axis and the y-axis coordinates subfields 502, 503 respectively represent relative coordinate values in the drawings defined by the drawing numeral subfield 501. The x-axis and the y-axis coordinates are respectively indicated as the relative coordinate values since several drawings are used. Hence, the number of bits decreases to indicate the x-axis and the y-axis coordinates. Preferably, the drawings (that is a map) are divided into a plurality of regions where the traffic information can be offered, and then the regions are endowed with serial numbers.

Referring to another embodiment of the position field 105 as shown in FIG. 5B, the position field 105 comprises a x-axis coordinate subfield 511, a y-axis coordinate subfield 512 and a z-axis coordinate subfield 513. Those subfields 511, 512, 513 respectively represent a x-axis, a y-axis and a z-axis coordinates of the coordinate system in the GPS. The data of the position field 105 can be generated from the GPS device or DGPS device with reference to FIGs. 10 and 11. In the present invention, the GPS includes the DGPS besides discriminating between the GPS and the DGPS. The GPS measures a latitude, a longitude and a time of the vehicle having the GPS device mounted therein by using a triangulation. Generally, the distance measuring error of the GPS is about 100m and the distance measuring error of the DGPS is about 1 to 5m. Therefore, an amended position data can be used after a map matching between the GPS data and an interior electric map. As for the DGPS, the position data of the DGPS is directly used without executing the map matching. The vehicle ID field 108 is a field which transfers the data for discriminating the vehicle having the traffic data collecting terminal therein. The information related that vehicle can be obtained by using the vehicle ID field 108. For example, after a database is established in the restoring area of the traffic control center, the information related the vehicle having the traffic data collecting terminal therein transferred into the database through a network or a restoring area of the traffic control center, and then the information can be fully searched or utilized by using the ID of the vehicle.

The other state fields 106 in FIGs. 1 and 2 are used in order to transfer the data which can be availably used for analyzing the traffic situation though the state fields 106 are not particularly explained. According to one example, the state field 106 is used for discriminating a sort of the dangerous article transported by a truck. More particularly, the state field 106 is sep up as a gasoline in case of "0", a liquid oxygen in case of "1", a liquid nitrogen in case of "2" and so on. In another example of the state field 106, the state field 106 can indicates that the customer does not exist in case of "0" and exists in case of "1" when the vehicle is a taxi. At that time, the fare signal generated from the taximeter can be utilized. Though other fields are not described above, it is able to one skilled in the art that other fields can be included besides those fields as shown in FIGs. 1 and 2 and the order of the fields can be varied. FIGs. 7A and 7B are schematic view for showing system configurations in order to execute the methods for collecting traffic data according to preferred embodiments of the present invention.

Referring to FIGs. 7A and 7B, the traffic data collecting system comprises a traffic data collecting terminal 200, a base station 701, a traffic information control center 702 and a vehicle-collected traffic information database 703.

The traffic data collecting terminal 200 includes a MCD(Mobile Communication Device) such as a cellular phone (analogue type or digital type) as shown in FIGs. 10 and 11. The traffic data collecting terminal 200 transfers the vehicle-collected traffic information to the base station 701 through the mobile communication device. The transferred vehicle-collected traffic information includes the position data of the vehicle. The vehicle-collected traffic information includes the speed data and road direction data of the moving vehicle. Such vehicle-collected traffic information including the speed and the road direction data can be transferred to the base station 701 through an information channel or a control channel. The base station 701 can execute wireless service of the mobile communication device as the convention base station.

The traffic information control center 702 combines with the base station 701 through a network. The vehicle-collected traffic information database 703 is substantially established in the traffic information control center 702 as shown in FIGs. 7 A and 7B. The vehicle-collected traffic information database may not be included in the base station of FIG. 7A, however, the vehicle-collected traffic information may be included in the base station of FIG. 7B.

The method for collecting traffic data will be described as follows. Referring to FIG. 7, the traffic information control center 702 can demand the transference of the vehicle-collected traffic data from the traffic data collecting terminal 200 through the base station 701. Responding such demand, the vehicle-collected traffic information is transferred to the base station 701 through the cellular phone (that is the mobile communication) or other wireless network, and then the vehicle-collected traffic information is transferred from the base station 701 to the traffic information control center 702. The base station 701 needs an area where the vehicle-collected traffic information is temporarily restored, however, the base station 701 does not need an area for a database where the vehicle-collected traffic informations collected from several vehicles. According to the above-described method for collecting traffic data, the communication connection is executed when it is demanded and the communication system can be easily established. However, the time of connection of the signal for setting up a communication channel increased in order to transfer the traffic information the channel selecting time may increase when the communication channel is created frequently.

Considering the above-mentioned problem, another method for collecting traffic data is illustrated in FIG. 7B. Referring to FIG. 7B, the traffic data collecting terminal 200 is triggered at a specified case, for example a traffic accident or a state of emergent patient occurrence or transmits the vehicle-collected traffic information to the base station 701 by a predetermined interval. That is, when the traffic information control center 702 does not demand the transmission of the vehicle-collected traffic information, the traffic data collecting terminal 200 is triggered at the specified case or transfers the vehicle-collected traffic information to the base station 701 by a predetermined interval. In this case, the vehicle-collected traffic information generally comprises the position and the speed of the vehicle moving on the road. The transmitted vehicle-collected traffic information triggered at the specified case, however, may not include the speed data of the vehicle. When the base station 701 receives such traffic information, the base station 701 transmits the traffic information to the traffic information control center 702 by a predetermined period after the traffic information is restored in the restoring area (not shown) of the base station 701 or the base station 701 transfers the traffic information to the control center 702 when the control center demands the traffic information. The traffic information control center 702 restores the collected traffic information into the vehicle-collected traffic information database 703, and then processes the data for providing the traffic information service after the control center 702 analyzes the traffic information.

FIGs. 8A to 8C are schematic view for showing system constructions in order to execute methods for collecting traffic data according to other embodiments of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 8N, the traffic data collecting system comprises a traffic data collecting terminal 200, a plurality of base stations 701a, 701b, a database center 800, a traffic information control center 702. The database center 800 has a database controller 801, a home location resistor (HLR) 802 and a vehicle-collected traffic information database 703.

At first, the home location resistor 802 will be explained below. The mobile communication device such as the cellular phone included in the traffic data collecting terminal 200 should register its position to a base station related the communication device by a predetermined interval or a polling. To execute such operation, the base station 701 continuously communicates with the cellular phone by the predetermined interval of the polling when a user does not use the cellular phone.

The home location resistor 802 is a kind of the internal network database which temporarily memorizes a position registration area where the mobile communication device of the user locates for message receiving of the mobile communication device such as the cellular phone. The home location resistor 802 together exists with a database which restores an information for discriminating a fare imposition and a sort of the services provided besides the message receiving service. One home location resistor 802 may exist in a plurality of base stations 701 as shown in FIG. 8 A or several home location resistors 802 may respectively exist in each base station 701 as shown in FIG. 8B.

Meanwhile, the method for collecting traffic data of the preferred embodiment uses some communication channels for controlling the mobile communication device in order to transmit the vehicle-collected traffic information. That is, the vehicle-collected traffic information of the FIGs. 1 or 2 is transferred to the base station 701.

Referring to FIG. 8A, when the vehicle-collected traffic information is transmitted from the traffic data collecting terminal 200 to the base station 701a, the base station 701a updates the vehicle-collected traffic information database 703 of the database center 800 after the base station 701a connects with the database center 800. Namely, the base station 701a transfers the vehicle-collected traffic information to the database controller 801 of the database center 800, and then the database controller 801 updates the vehicle-collected traffic information database 703. In FIG. 8A, a number of the vehicle-collected traffic informations are restored into the vehicle-collected traffic information database 703 through a plurality of the base stations 701a, 701b. At that time, the traffic information control center 702 connects with the database center 800, and then executes the data processing for traffic information service by using the data of the vehicle-collected traffic information database 703. The traffic information center 702 can have an internal or an external database such as a traffic situation database for the traffic information service and the information of recorded in the traffic situation database is an processed information which a predetermined traffic information processing program generates after the program processes the data of the traffic information database 703. That processing procedure will be described with reference to FIG. 12. The database controller 801 communicates with the traffic information center 702. When the traffic information control center 702 queries the database controller 702, the database controller 702 responsibly transmits the vehicle-collected traffic information demanded by the traffic information control center 702 after the database controller 702 retrieves the vehicle-collected traffic information database 703. The database controller 801 of the database center 800 has several functions that the database controller 801 communicates the base station and the traffic information control center 702 and reads and writes the data in the vehicle-collected traffic information database 703 after the database controller 801 accesses the vehicle-collected traffic information database 703.

Referring to FIG. 8B, the vehicle-collected traffic information database 703 is established at each base station. When the vehicle-collected traffic information database 703 is established at each station, the average time for searching the vehicle-collected traffic information related a specific road can be reduced. In particular, the searching time can be reduced in case that the vehicle-collected traffic information is searched so as to calculate the average speed of the specific road .

Referring to FIG. 8B, the base station (more particularly, a controller of the base station) restores the received vehicle-collected traffic information into the vehicle-collected traffic information database 703 combined thereto. The base station connects with traffic information control center 702 through a predetermined network. Hence, the vehicle-collected traffic information restored in the vehicle-collected traffic information database 703 is transmitted to the traffic information control center 702 by a polling or by a predetermined period.

In the FIGs. 8 A and 8B, though the home location resistor 802 and the vehicle-collected traffic information database 703 are established a substantially identical area, the home location resistor 802 and the vehicle-collected traffic information database 703 are separately established. For example, the home location resistors 802 are established at each base station and the vehicle-collected traffic information database 703 is established at a plurality of the base stations. Also, the vehicle-collected traffic information databases 703 can be established at each base station and the home location resistor 802 can be established at several base stations. However, they preferably may be established in the substantially identical area so as to increase the efficiency of the system since the home location resistor 802 and the vehicle-collected traffic information database 703 are similar to each other as a database.

Referring to FIG. 8C, the vehicle-collected traffic information database 703 is established in the traffic information control center 702. The vehicle-collected traffic information transferred from the traffic data collecting terminal 200 to the base station 701 is restored in the vehicle-collected traffic information database 703 after the vehicle-collected traffic information is transmitted to the traffic information control center 703, so the vehicle-collected traffic information is drawn out and processed from the vehicle-collected traffic information database 703 by the demand of the traffic information center 702.

When the base station demands the vehicle-collected traffic information as shown in FIGs. 8N to 8B, the vehicle-collected traffic information is triggered the following case, and then such demands can be generated. For example, when the mobile communication device such as the cellular phone is transferred from one cell to another cell or a predetermined time passes after the vehicle-collected traffic information is received from the vehicle, the vehicle -collected traffic information database can be updated after the vehicle-collected traffic information is received from traffic data collecting terminal.

FIG. 9 is a detailed view for illustrating a data format of a vehicle-collected traffic information database according to one embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 9, a vehicle-collected traffic information database 703 comprises a time field 901, a vehicle ID field 902, a vehicle state field 903, a speed field 904, a road direction field 905, a field of a sort of the vehicle 906, a position field 907 and other state field 908. In this case, the vehicle ID field 902, the vehicle state field 903, the speed field 904, the road direction field 905, the field of a sort of the vehicle 906, the position field 907 and other state field 908 respectively correspond to the vehicle ID field 107, the vehicle state field 101, the speed field 102, the road direction field 103, the field of a sort of the vehicle 104, the position field 105 and other state field 106. The time field 901 indicates the update time of the vehicle-collected traffic information.

The vehicle ID field 902 can use one selected from the group consisting of the number of the vehicle, the phone number of the cellular phone, the native number of the traffic data collecting apparatus and other native number.

FIG. 10 is schematic view for showing a construction of an apparatus for collecting traffic data according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 10, a traffic data collecting apparatus 200, for example, comprises a mobile communication device 201 like the cellular phone, a GPS 202, a traffic data collecting terminal 203. The traffic data collecting terminal 203 combines with the mobile communication device 203 and the GPS 202. Also, the traffic data collecting terminal 203 can fully or selectively combine with the collision sensor, the rear-end collision sensor, the digital sensor 204 such as the lever of the direction indicating lamp, an inputting device such as the control panel 205 for inputting the data by the user, the break 206 and the side break 207. The signal applied to the traffic data collecting terminal 203 from the break 206 is a break signal line. The break signal line is generally mounted in the conventional vehicle and is used for turning on a red rear-end lamp which indicates the operation of the break, so the break signal line can be inputted into the traffic data collecting terminal 203. Also, a side break signal line can be inputted into the traffic data collecting terminal 203. When the side break works, this operation is indicated to the driver through the side break signal line.

As shown in FIG. 10, the traffic data collecting terminal 203 comprises a memory area therein and the map in FIG. 6 can be restored in the memory area. According to another embodiments of the present invention, the map can be restored in a memory area of GPS 202 and the traffic data collecting terminal 203 can access the memory area. Also, according to other embodiment of the present invention, the traffic data collecting terminal 203 can comprises an external memory for restoring the map and such memory combines with the traffic data collecting terminal 203. Furthermore, in the preferred embodiment of the present invention, an interface between the mobile communication device 201 and the traffic data collecting terminal 203 can be accomplished and an interface between the GPS 202 and the traffic data collecting terminal 203 can be accomplished according to RS232C. Such interface can be accomplished other matching device.

FIG. 11 is schematic view for showing a construction of an apparatus for collecting traffic data according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 11, the traffic data collecting terminal 203 combines with an engine control unit (ECU) and a transmission control (TCU) 208 to communicate the data. For example, the data transmitted form the ECU and the TCU 208 to the traffic data collecting terminal 203 may be the number of rotations of the engine, the speed of the vehicle, the operation of the air conditioner, the position of the transmission (the first stage, the second stage or a backward stage) or the mis-operations of each parts of the vehicle. Besides the above-mentioned data, a number of data related the operation of the vehicle can be inputted into the traffic data collecting terminal 203. With reference to FIG. 10, the distance can be recognized by counting the number of pulses wherein the number of the pulses per unit time means the speed of the vehicle. In the meantime, the speed data can be inputted by the demand of the traffic data collecting terminal 203 to the ECU/TCU 208 as shown in FIG. 11. According to the preferred embodiments of the present invention, the speed of the vehicle in FIGs. 10 and 11 can be calculated as an average speed from a new start point to a predetermined point as disregarding the prior speed data when the vehicle passes a crossing point or a diverging point, the vehicle changes it's direction, the vehicle moves form the stoppage state. That the vehicle passes the crossing point can be recognized by the map matching between the internal map and the tendency of the handle because the driver manipulates a handle of the vehicle for turning or going ahead. In another preferred embodiment, the traffic data collecting terminal has an internal electronic map which can be compatible with the electronic map included in the traffic situation database and such electronic map comprises the divided sections of the road as the case of the traffic situation database (see the step 1211 in FIG. 12B), so new speed data can generate by using the data related the sections when the vehicle.

Also, the method for calculating the speed of the vehicle can be executed by using the coordinates obtained form the GPS 202 and the time corresponding to the coordinates or by dividing the moving distance obtained from the wheel distance sensor with a time. Furthermore, the method for calculating the speed can be executed by using the speedometer of the vehicle.

Meanwhile, the cellular phone 201, the GPS 202 and the traffic data collecting terminal 203 can be fabricated as a module with reference to FIGs. 10 and 11. FIG. 12, 12A and 12B are diagrams for illustrating a method for processing the speed data generated by the vehicle-collected traffic information obtained from each base station 701.

Referring to FIG 12A, the database of the traffic control center 702 is composed of two type ones. The one type of the database is the vehicle-collected traffic information database 703 collected from a plurality of vehicles through the base station and the other type of the database is the traffic situation database restoring the fundamental traffic situation information provided to the customers who use the traffic information after the traffic information is processed. Various the methods for configuring the traffic situation database may exist, the present invention does not relate to those methods, so detailed explanation about those methods will be omitted.

However, the traffic situation database of the present invention at least comprises the speed data of the specific section of the road divided into several sections.

The method for calculating the speed of the specific section of the road recorded in the traffic situation database will be described on the basis of the data restored in the vehicle-collected traffic information database 703.

Referring to FIG. 12A, in a step of 1201, the vehicle-collected traffic information is read from the vehicle-collected traffic information database 703 wherein the vehicle-collected traffic information is collected from the vehicles (that is, the traffic data collecting terminal 200 of each vehicle) moving on the road included in a predetermined section through the base station. The predetermined section means a region which one base station supports when the vehicle-collected traffic information databases 703 are configured in each base station. However, more wide or narrow section can be configured. After that, the vehicle-collected traffic information is checked whether it is terminates or not at a step of 1202. That is, it is checked whether all the data collected form the vehicles moving on the predetermined section are processed or not.

When the number of the collected data from the vehicles exceeds ea predetermined amount, some data can be discarded by statistical methods in order to reduce the computing load of the system. More particularly, when the number of the data per unit time exceeds the predetermined amount, the controller of the vehicle-collected traffic information database 703 can discard the prior data and write new data at the restoring step of the vehicle -collected traffic information database 703. When the vehicle-collected traffic information database 703 is established in the base station, the base station functions as the controller of the vehicle-collected traffic information database 703 and the traffic information control center functions as the controller when the vehicle-collected traffic information database 703 is established in the traffic information control center. Also, the database controller 801 functions the controller as the according to the configuration in FIG. 8A.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, the data collecting can be controlled. For example, the excessive accumulation of the vehicle-collected traffic information can be prevented by controlling the demand of the base station when the base station demands the vehicle-collected traffic information.

When all the data are processed at the step of 1202, a step of 1207 proceeds, otherwise a step of 1203 proceeds, and then it is checked whether the accident data exists in the vehicle-collected traffic information.

If the accident data exist, a step of 1204 proceeds to process a request of an emergency rescue. The emergency rescue request process, for example, is a process that transferring the data related the vehicle causing the accident and the position of the vehicle by calling to a rescue party . If the accident data do not exist in the step of 1203, a step of 1205 discriminates whether the vehicle is stopped or parked on the basis of the vehicle-collected traffic information. Such discrimination can be executed on the basis of some or all the stoppage subfield 302, the side break subfield 303, the engine subfield 304 and the break subfield 305 as shown in FIG. 3. The process proceeds to the step of 1201 when the vehicle is stopped or parked, otherwise the process proceeds to a step of 1206. The vehicle-collected traffic information is classified by the distance and the direction of the road in the step of 1206. In particular, the vehicle-collected traffic information is classified into the data related to the road direction of the section on the basis of the position field and road direction field in the vehicle-collected traffic information because at least one section of the road can be included in a predetermined region and the vehicles moves forward or backward on each section of the road. In the meantime, the step of 1207 proceeds when all the vehicle-collected traffic information are inputted and classified in the step of 1202.

The steps of 1207 and 1212 illustrate the procedure for calculating the speed concerning a road direction of a section of the road included in the concerned region. For example, the procedure is executed sixteen times when the concerned region includes eight sections of the road and two road directions.

In the step of 1207, the prior data can be neglected besides the recent data among the vehicle-collected traffic information collected form the vehicles moving on the concerned section of the road in the concerned direction of the road when the data collected form the same vehicle are more than two.

In a step of 1208, after the process discriminates whether the data of the concerned road exist or not, the process proceeds to a step of 1210 when the data exist, otherwise the process proceeds to a step of 1209. In the step of 1209, the process is executed in case that the vehicle-collected traffic information is not collected all from a place specified by the concerned section and direction of the road. The highest speed of the road is set up as the speed data of the concerned road. The collection probability of the vehicle-collected traffic information may decrease because the moving time of the vehicle can be reduced when the traffic situation of the road is good. Hence, the speed of the direction of the road is set up as the highest speed when the collected vehicle-collected traffic information does not exist since the collection probability of the vehicle-collected traffic information more decreases according as the traffic situation of the road becomes better.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, the speed of the concerned road can be set up by the above-described method when the amount of the vehicle-collected traffic information does not get to a sufficient and credible amount though the vehicle-collected traffic information collected from the concerned section and direction of the road exists. Also, the prior information of the concerned road can be utilized in case that the collected vehicle-collected traffic information does not exist or is insufficient. For example, the prior traffic situation information at the same time before a day can be utilized or the traffic situation information at the same time before a week can be unitized considering the traffic situation varied according to a day of the week. Also, the traffic situation information before a year can be utilized when the specific traffic situation occurs in cases of the New Year's Day, the Korean Thanksgiving Day, the holidays, the Christmas and so on. Furthermore, the prior traffic situation information can be used after the prior traffic situation information are statistically processed and restored.

Meanwhile, in the step of 1210, the process estimates the speed of the concerned road on the basis of the data of the speed (that is, the speed) field included in the vehicle-collected traffic information and the established speed data of the concerned road. Such estimation can be executed by a statistical method, for example, calculating a mean value, a medium value or a most frequent value. After the process proceeds the step of 1209 or the step of 1210, the process updates the speed of the road into the traffic situation database, and then proceeds to the step of 1212. In the step of 1212, the process checks whether the velocities is calculated or not concerning all the sections and directions of the road included in the concerned region. The process comes to an end in the step of 1213 when the speed calculating is completed, otherwise the process repeatedly executes the step of 1207 to the step of 1211.

FIG. 13 is a diagram for illustrating a speed updating procedure of the method for collecting traffic data executed at a base station according one embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 13, a distance variable S is initialized as 0 and a timer is bound as 0 in a step of 13. Subsequently, the process checks whether the side break is released or not in a step of 1302. When the side break is not released, the process proceeds backward to the step of 1301, otherwise the process proceeds to a step of 1303. The process proceeds backward to the step of 1301 when the engine does not work after the process discriminates the operation of the engine of the vehicle. Also, the process proceeds backward to the step of 1301 when the traffic section of the road is changed after the process discriminates whether the traffic section is changed or not. That is, the process proceeds backward to the step of 1301 so that the process initializes the distance variable S as 0 and binds the timer as 0 when the side break is released, the engine does not work or the traffic section is changed. Before the process proceeds to the step of 1301 from the steps of 1302 and 1303, the process proceeds backward to the step of 1301 after the process stands by for a predetermined time so as to prevent the process from needless data processing because the time that the side break works or the engine does not works is longer than the time for processing the data. The processing order of the steps of 1302 to 1304 can be varied.

The process checks whether the time of the timer reaches a predetermined time (namely, tl) in a step of 1305, and then the process proceeds to a step of 1306 when the time of the timer reaches the predetermined time. Otherwise, the process proceeds backward to the step of 1302 after waiting for a moment. The process can proceed to the step of 1305 in stead of proceeding to the step of 1302 when the waiting time is short.

When the time of the timer reaches the predetermined time in the step of 1305, the process calculates the speed in a step of 1307 after the distance S of the distance measuring device is inputted in the step of 1306. That is, the speed is calculated according to the formula that speed V = distance S / time tl .

The distance measuring device is configured by using a software program and the distance measuring device can calculate the driving distance S by counting the pulses inputted from the wheel distance sensor. Ns it is described in FIG. 13, the process for updating the speed in the traffic data collecting terminal 203 of the traffic data collecting apparatus can be executed by a predetermined period ro the process for updating the speed can be executed when the mobile communication device 201 such as the cellular phone receives the request for the vehicle-collected traffic information from the base station 701.

FIGs. 14N and 14B are diagrams for illustrating a vehicle-collected traffic information updating processes of the method for collecting traffic data according to preferred embodiments of the present invention. The processes in FIGs. 14N and 14B are the vehicle-collected traffic information processes whose routines start by a interrupt or a polling.

Referring to FIG. 14N, the process checks whether the request for transferring is received or not through the mobile communication device 201 like the cellular phone in a step of 1401. The process waits for the occurrence of such request when the request does not occur and the process reads the state of the vehicle after the process proceeds to a step of 1402 when such request occurs. For example, the signals indicating the state of the vehicle are inputted through various sensors and signal lines combined with the traffic data collecting terminal 203. Subsequently, the process configures the collected data to a vehicle-collected traffic information format in a memory in a step of 1403, and then the process transmits the vehicle-collected traffic information to the base station 701 through the mobile communication device 201 in a step of 1404. When the vehicle-collected traffic information is transferred by using the mobile communication device 201 such as the cellular phone, the vehicle-collected traffic information is loaded into an information channel or a control channel. In particular, when the base station or the control station orders a control instruction by using the control channel, the vehicle-collected traffic information can be restored in the home location resistor with such data.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, the vehicle-collected traffic information can be separately restored into each restoring area of each base station besides the home location resistor. In this case, the traffic information of the concerned region can be retrieved without retrieving all the home location resistor after the vehicle-collected traffic information is transferred to the traffic information control center 702. The time for searching the data of the concerned road can be reduced since the region is divided into small sections of 200 to 5 km, so the process can be greatly fast. FIG. 14B shows a process for updating the vehicle-collected traffic information according to another embodiment of the present invention. The process start in a step of 1411. In the step of 1411, the process checks whether a predetermined time passes or not. The state of the vehicle is inputted when the predetermined time passes. The process configures the collected data to the vehicle-collected traffic information format in the memory in a step of 1413, and then transmits the vehicle-collected traffic information through the mobile communication device 201 in a step of 1414. In the case of the process as shown in FIG. 14B, t the vehicle-collected traffic information is transferred when the request of the base station 701 is received after the vehicle-collected traffic information is maintained in the mobile communication device 201.

The function for receiving the traffic information service can be combined with the traffic data collecting terminal 203, so a traffic information terminal can be constructed. When the traffic information terminal is made and the GPS 202 or the DGPS in FIGs. 10 and 11 is utilized, the correction signal demanded by the DGPS is transferred with the traffic situation information, so the efficiency for utilizing the channel can increase. At that time, though the position of the vehicle can be precisely indicated when the correction signal is frequently transmitted, for example 10 seconds, the transmission period should be adjusted to avoid the communication amount may increase in case of excessively transferring of the correction signal. For example, the position of the vehicle is precisely calculated in the step of 1413 as shown in FIG. 14B after the traffic information is transmitted per 30 seconds or 1 minutes and the speed data of the position of the vehicle are measured per 1 minute or 30 seconds, and then the traffic information is transmitted to the base station when the base station requests the information after the traffic information is transferred to the mobile communication device. Nt that time, the precision subfield in FIG. 3 is set up as "0" by using the DGPS or other device when the position error is minute.

As for the traffic data collecting terminal of the present invention, the controller comprises an antenna and a communication device attached thereto so as to use other wireless network, for example ATM network, though the vehicle-collected traffic information is transferred through the mobile communication device.

Industrial Applicability

According to the above-described traffic data collecting method of the present invention, the processing amount can decrease since there is no necessity for tracking the position of the moving vehicle. In the conventional method, the communication amount for recognizing the position of the vehicle is too much as well as the accumulated position data can be useless when the tracking about the vehicle is failed because the speed of the concerned road is calculated at the control center on the basis of the position data generated by the continuously tracking the position of the vehicle. Such problem also occurs when the speed of the vehicle is measured by using the Bicon or a sensor.

According to the method of the present invention, however, the traffic information can be recognized by only a transmission since the position data indicating the road where the vehicle moves and the speed data and the road direction data of the road are transmitted. Therefore, the requested communication amount can relatively decrease. Also, the reliability of the data and the transmission efficiency can increase by together transferring the state data of the vehicle in order to reduce an error of the traffic situation analysis accomplished on the basis of the speed data transferred from the vehicle. Also, the number of the speed of the vehicles can be recognized by using a detecting device such as the conventional sensor, the speed gun or the closed loop, however, the sensors should be installed on all the road where the traffic information is provided. Hence, the maintaining cost for such detecting device may be too much as well as the cost and the time for installing the detecting device greatly increase. More particularly, the detecting device frequently get out of order due to the wether since the detecting devices is established on the road. Also, other equipments should be demanded for transmitting the traffic information collected from the device to the control center, so the cost and the place for such device and equipments may be serious. Furthermore, more problems may generate concerning the place or the space where all the devices are established. In case of Seoul in Korea, all the cost corresponds to, for example, about one hundred billion dollars.

However, according to the present invention, the traffic information can be sufficiently collected by using the traffic data collecting terminal, preferably a traffic information terminal which receives the traffic information service, can combines with the mobile communication device and the GPS. Also, the traffic data collecting and the providing the processed traffic information service are executed at low cost since the traffic data collecting terminal of the present invention can combines with a traffic information terminal receiving the traffic information.

Although the preferred embodiments of the invention have been described, it is understood that the present invention should not be limited to this preferred embodiments, but various changes and modifications can be made by one skilled in the art within the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.

Claims

1. A method for collecting traffic data by using a traffic data collecting apparatus connected to a mobile communication device and a global positioning system, which comprises the steps of : calculating a speed of a vehicle by using the traffic data collecting apparatus; inputting a position of the vehicle to the traffic data collecting apparatus from the global positioning system; producing a vehicle-collected traffic information by using the traffic data collecting apparatus, said vehicle-collected traffic information comprising the speed of the vehicle and the position of the vehicle; and transferring said vehicle-collected traffic information to a base station through the mobile communication device.

2. The method for collecting traffic data as claimed in claim 1, said method further comprising a step of calculating a direction of a road the vehicle moves thereon at the traffic data collecting apparatus and said vehicle-collected traffic information further comprising the direction of the road.

3. The method for collecting traffic data as claimed in claim 2, wherein said step of transferring the vehicle-collected traffic information is responsively performed by a transfer demand of the base station.

4. The method for collecting traffic data as claimed in claim 2, wherein the vehicle-collected traffic information further comprises a vehicle state information.

5. The method for collecting traffic data as claimed in claim 4, wherein the vehicle state information further comprises moving direction data which indicate a moving direction of the vehicle.

6. The method for collecting traffic data as claimed in claim 4, wherein the vehicle state information further comprises parking/stoppage data which indicate whether the vehicle is parked or stopped.

7. The method for collecting traffic data as claimed in claim 6, wherein the parking/stoppage data further comprises side break data which indicate whether a side break of the vehicle works or not.

8. The method for collecting traffic data as claimed in claim 6, wherein the parking/stoppage data further comprises engine data which indicate whether an engine of the vehicle works or not.

9. The method for collecting traffic data as claimed in claim 4, wherein the vehicle state information further comprises traffic accident data which indicate whether the vehicle causes a traffic accident or not.

10. The method for collecting traffic data as claimed in claim 9, wherein the traffic accident data comprises at least one selected the group consisting of a collision accident, a rear-end collision accident and a rollover accident.

11. The method for collecting traffic data as claimed in claim 9, a communication connection for transferring said vehicle-collected traffic information to the base station is performed by a demand of the traffic data collecting apparatus.

12. The method for collecting traffic data as claimed in claim 4, wherein the vehicle state information further comprises stagnation data which indicate whether a road where the vehicle moves is tied-up or not.

13. The method for collecting traffic data as claimed in claim 4, wherein said step of calculating the speed of the vehicle is performed on the basis of position data obtained form the global positioning system and a time data related the position data.

14. The method for collecting traffic data as claimed in claim 4, wherein said step of calculating the speed of the vehicle is performed on the basis of the number of pulse inputted from a wheel distance sensor of the vehicle for a predetermined time.

15. The method for collecting traffic data as claimed in claim 4, wherein said step of calculating the speed of the vehicle is performed by averaging data inputted from a speedometer mounted in the vehicle.

16. The method for collecting traffic data as claimed in claim 4, wherein the mobile communication device is a cellular phone.

17. The method for collecting traffic data as claimed in claim 16, wherein said vehicle-collected traffic information is transferred through a information channel between the mobile communication device and related communication channels of the base station.

18. The method for collecting traffic data as claimed in claim 16, wherein said vehicle-collected traffic information is transferred through a control channel between the mobile communication device and related communication channels of the base station.

19. The method for collecting traffic data as claimed in claim 4, said method further comprising a step of restoring vehicle-collected traffic information to a vehicle-collected traffic information database wherein the vehicle-collected traffic information are collected from a plurality of traffic information collecting apparatuses respectively mounted in a plurality of vehicles.

20. The method for collecting traffic data as claimed in claim 19, wherein said traffic information collecting database is located in the base station combined with the mobile communication device through a wireless communication network.

21. The method for collecting traffic data as claimed in claim 20, said method further comprising a step of transferring a vehicle-collected traffic information demanded by a traffic control center from the vehicle-collected traffic information database of the base station to the traffic control center when the traffic control center demands the vehicle-collected traffic information.

22. The method for collecting traffic data as claimed in claim 20, a home location resistor is located at the base station besides the vehicle-collected traffic information database.

23. The method for collecting traffic data as claimed in claim 19, wherein said database of the vehicle-collected traffic information collected from a plurality of traffic information collecting terminals respectively mounted in a plurality of vehicles is located at a database center connected to the base station through a predetermined communication network.

24. The method for collecting traffic data as claimed in claim 23, wherein each of the database center is established at each base station.

25. The method for collecting traffic data as claimed in claim 24, wherein a database control unit transfers a vehicle-collected traffic information demanded by a traffic control center from the vehicle-collected traffic information database to the traffic control center when the traffic control center demands the vehicle-collected traffic information.

26. The method for collecting traffic data as claimed in claim 24, wherein a home location resistor is located at the database center besides the vehicle-collected traffic information database.

27. The method for collecting traffic data as claimed in claim 19, said method further comprising the steps of: inputting related vehicle-collected traffic information from the vehicle-collected traffic information database to a predetermined field at the traffic information control center; sorting the vehicle-collected traffic information by relevant sections of the roads and relevant directions of the roads; and calculating a plurality of section velocities by a statistical method concerning all the sections and directions of the roads which belongs to the field.

28. The method for collecting traffic data as claimed in claim 27, wherein said step of calculating the section velocities is performed by using the vehicle state information included in the vehicle-collected traffic information.

29. The method for collecting traffic data as claimed in claim 27, wherein said step of calculating the section velocities further comprises discarding a prior vehicle-collected traffic information when a plurality of vehicle-collected traffic information are collected into a vehicle concerning the same section of the road and the same direction of the road.

30. The method for collecting traffic data as claimed in claim 27, wherein said step of calculating the section velocities further comprises binding a highest speed of the related road to a speed of the related road when a collected vehicle-collected traffic information does not exist concerning a relevant section of the road and a relevant direction of the road.

31. The method for collecting traffic data as claimed in claim 27, wherein said step of calculating the section velocities is performed on the basis of a prior speed of the related road when collected vehicle-collected traffic information are less than a statistically credible amount concerning the relevant section and direction of the road.

32. The method for collecting traffic data as claimed in claim 31, wherein the prior speed of the road is a speed of the road which is calculated at the same time before a day.

33. The method for collecting traffic data as claimed in claim 31, wherein the prior speed of the road is a speed of the road which is calculated at the same time before a week.

34. The method for collecting traffic data as claimed in claim 31, wherein the prior speed of the road is a speed of the road which is calculated at the same time in the same day before a year when a traffic problem occurs.

35. The method for collecting traffic data as claimed in claim 31, wherein the prior speed of the road is a speed of the road which is statistically processed by using prior velocities of the road during the same time period.

36. The method for collecting traffic data as claimed in claim 27, wherein the statistical method is performed by averaging a plurality of speed data.

37. The method for collecting traffic data as claimed in claim 27, wherein the statistical method is performed by finding a speed data having a highest frequency among a plurality of speed data.

38. The method for collecting traffic data as claimed in claim 27, wherein the statistical method is performed by calculating an average value of a plurality of speed data.

39. The method for collecting traffic data as claimed in claim 27, said method further comprising the steps of: deciding whether the inputted vehicle-collected traffic information is a data related a traffic accident after the inputting; and performing a process related to an emergency rescue when the inputted information is data related the traffic accident.

40. The method for collecting traffic data as claimed in claim 27, wherein said step of sorting the vehicle-collected traffic information is performed by using position data included in the vehicle-collected traffic information and a section map included at the traffic information control center wherein the section map comprising a section including a road and a position of the road.

41. The method for collecting traffic data as claimed in claim 4, wherein the vehicle-collected traffic information database is located at the traffic information control center.

42. The method for collecting traffic data as claimed in claim 4, wherein said step of calculating the velocities of the vehicle is performed by using the vehicle state information.

43. The method for collecting traffic data as claimed in claim 4, wherein a section map is installed in the traffic data collecting apparatus.

44. A method for collecting traffic data by using a traffic data collecting apparatus connected to a global positioning system, which comprises the steps of : calculating a speed of a vehicle by using the traffic data collecting apparatus; inputting a position of the vehicle to the traffic data collecting apparatus from the global positioning system; producing a vehicle-collected traffic information comprising the speed of the vehicle and the position of the vehicle by using the traffic data collecting apparatus; and transferring said vehicle-collected traffic information through a communication network.

45. The method for collecting traffic data as claimed in claim 44, said method further comprising calculating a direction of a road where the vehicle moves at the traffic data collecting apparatus and the vehicle-collected traffic information further comprising the direction of the road.

46. The method for collecting traffic data as claimed in claim 45, said method further comprising restoring a vehicle-collected traffic information to a vehicle-collected traffic database, wherein the vehicle-collected traffic information is collected from a plurality of traffic data collecting terminals respectively installed in a plurality of vehicles.

47. The method for collecting traffic data as claimed in claim 45, wherein the vehicle-collected traffic information further comprises a vehicle state information.

48. The method for collecting traffic data as claimed in claim 47, wherein the vehicle state information further comprises moving direction data which indicate a moving direction of the vehicle.

49. The method for collecting traffic data as claimed in claim 47, wherein the vehicle state information further comprises parking/stoppage data which indicate whether the vehicle is parked or stopped.

50. The method for collecting traffic data as claimed in claim 49, wherein the parking/stoppage data further comprises side break data which indicate whether a side break of the vehicle is worked or not.

51. The method for collecting traffic data as claimed in claim 49, wherein the parking/stoppage data further comprises engine data which indicate whether an engine of the vehicle works or not.

52. The method for collecting traffic data as claimed in claim 47, wherein the vehicle state information further comprises traffic accident data which indicate whether the vehicle causes a traffic accident or not.

53. The method for collecting traffic data as claimed in claim 52, wherein the traffic accident data comprises at least one selected the group consisting of a collision accident, a rear-end collision accident and a rollover accident.

54. The method for collecting traffic data as claimed in claim 47, wherein the vehicle state information further comprises stagnation data which indicate whether a road where the vehicle moves is tied-up or not.

55. The method for collecting traffic data as claimed in claim 47, wherein said step of calculating the speed of the vehicle is performed on the basis of position data obtained form the global positioning system and a time data related the position data.

56. The method for collecting traffic data as claimed in claim 47, wherein said step of calculating the speed of the vehicle is performed on the basis of the number of pulse inputted from a wheel distance sensor of the vehicle for a predetermined time.

57. The method for collecting traffic data as claimed in claim 47, wherein said step of calculating the speed of the vehicle is performed by averaging data inputted from a speedometer mounted in the vehicle.

58. The method for collecting traffic data as claimed in claim 47, said method further comprising a step of restoring vehicle-collected traffic information to vehicle-collected traffic information database wherein the vehicle-collected traffic information are collected from a plurality of traffic information collecting terminals respectively mounted in a plurality of vehicles.

59. The method for collecting traffic data as claimed in claim 58, wherein said method further comprising the steps of: inputting related vehicle-collected traffic information from the vehicle-collected traffic information database to a predetermined field at the traffic information control center; sorting the vehicle-collected traffic information by relevant sections of the roads and relevant directions of the roads; and calculating a plurality of section velocities by a statistical method concerning all the sections and directions of the roads which belongs to the field.

60. The method for collecting traffic data as claimed in claim 59, wherein said step of calculating the section velocities is performed by using the vehicle state information included in the vehicle-collected traffic information.

61. The method for collecting traffic data as claimed in claim 59, wherein said step of calculating the section velocities further comprises binding a highest speed of related road to a speed of related road when a collected vehicle-collected traffic information does not exist concerning a relevant section of the road and a relevant direction of the road.

62. The method for collecting traffic data as claimed in claim 59, wherein said step of calculating the section velocities is performed on the basis of a prior speed of the related road when collected vehicle-collected traffic information are less than a statistically credible amount concerning the relevant section and direction of the road.

63. The method for collecting traffic data as claimed in claim 62, wherein the prior speed of the road is a speed of the road which is calculated at the same time before a day.

64. The method for collecting traffic data as claimed in claim 62, wherein the prior speed of the road is a speed of the road which is calculated at the same time before a week.

65. The method for collecting traffic data as claimed in claim 62, wherein the prior speed of the road is a speed of the road which is calculated at the same time in the same day before a year when a traffic problem occurs.

66. The method for collecting traffic data as claimed in claim 62, wherein the prior speed of the road is a speed of the road which is statistically calculated by using prior velocities of the road during the same time period.

67. The method for collecting traffic data as claimed in claim 59, wherein said step of sorting the vehicle-collected traffic information is performed by using position data included in the vehicle-collected traffic information and a section map included at the traffic information control center wherein the section map comprising a section including a road and a position of the road.

68. The method for collecting traffic data as claimed in claim 47, wherein said step of calculating the speed of the vehicle is performed by using the vehicle state information.

69. The method for collecting traffic data as claimed in claim 48, wherein a section map is installed in the traffic data collecting apparatus.

70. A method for processing speed data of vehicle-collected traffic information, wherein said method processes the speed data of a predetermined field in a system comprising a traffic state database where processed traffic state information are recorded and a vehicle-collected traffic information database where vehicle-collected traffic information are recorded, the vehicle-collected traffic information having at least position data, speed data and direction data of a road respectively collected from a plurality of traffic data collecting apparatuses mounted in a plurality of vehicles, which comprises the steps of: inputting vehicle-collected traffic information related the predetermined field from the vehicle-collected traffic database at the traffic information control center; sorting the vehicle-collected traffic information by relevant sections of the road and relevant directions of the road on the basis of the position data and the direction data of the road included in the vehicle-collected traffic information; calculating a plurality of section velocities by a statistical method concerning all the sections and directions of the road which belongs to the field; and restoring the calculated section velocities into the traffic state database.

71. The method for processing speed data of vehicle-collected traffic information as claimed in claim 70, wherein the vehicle-collected traffic information further comprises a vehicle state information and said step of calculating the section velocities is performed by using the vehicle state information included in the vehicle-collected traffic information.

72. The method for processing speed data of vehicle-collected traffic information as claimed in claim 70, wherein said step of calculating the section velocities further comprises discarding a prior vehicle-collected traffic information when a plurality of vehicle-collected traffic information are collected into a vehicle concerning the same section and direction of the road.

73. The method for processing speed data of vehicle-collected traffic information as claimed in claim 70, wherein said step of calculating the section velocities further comprises binding a highest speed of the related road to a speed of the related road when a collected vehicle-collected traffic information does not exist concerning a relevant section and direction of the road.

74. The method for processing speed data of vehicle-collected traffic information as claimed in claim 70, wherein said step of calculating the section velocities is performed on the basis of a prior speed of the related road when collected vehicle-collected traffic information are less than a statistically credible amount concerning the relevant section and direction of the road.

75. The method for processing speed data of vehicle-collected traffic information as claimed in claim 74, wherein the prior speed of the road is a speed of the road which is calculated at the same time before a day.

76. The method for processing speed data of vehicle-collected traffic information as claimed in claim 74, wherein the prior speed of the road is a speed of the road which is calculated at the same time before a week.

77. The method for processing speed data of vehicle-collected traffic information as claimed in claim 74, wherein the prior speed of the road is a speed of the road which is calculated at the same time in the same day before a year when a traffic problem occurs.

78. The method for processing speed data of vehicle-collected traffic information as claimed in claim 74, wherein the prior speed of the road is a speed of the road which is statistically processed by using prior velocities of the road during the same time period.

79. The method for processing speed data of vehicle-collected traffic information as claimed in claim 70, wherein the statistical method is performed by averaging a plurality of speed data.

80. The method for processing speed data of vehicle-collected traffic information as claimed in claim 70, wherein the statistical method is performed by finding a speed data having a highest frequency among a plurality of speed data.

81. The method for processing speed data of vehicle-collected traffic information as claimed in claim 70, wherein the statistical method is performed by calculating an average value of a plurality of speed data.

82. The method for processing speed data of vehicle-collected traffic information as claimed in claim 70, said method further comprising the steps of: deciding whether the inputted vehicle-collected traffic information is a data related a traffic accident after the inputting; and performing a process related to an emergency rescue when the inputted information is the data related the traffic accident.

83. The method for processing speed data of vehicle-collected traffic information as claimed in claim 70, wherein said step of sorting the vehicle-collected traffic information is performed by using position data included in the vehicle-collected traffic information and a section map included at the traffic information control center wherein the section map comprising a section including a road and a position of the road.

84. An apparatus for collecting traffic data connected to a mobile communication device and a global positioning system, which comprises: a speed calculating means for calculating a speed of a vehicle; an inputting means for inputting a position of the vehicle from the global positioning system; a producing means for generating vehicle-collected traffic information comprising the speed of the vehicle and the position of the vehicle at the apparatus for collecting traffic data; and a transferring means for transferring the vehicle-collected traffic information to a base station through the mobile communication device.

85. The apparatus for collecting traffic data as claimed in claim 84, wherein said apparatus further comprises a direction calculating means for calculating a direction of a road where the vehicle moves and the vehicle-collected traffic information further comprises the direction of the road.

86. The apparatus for collecting traffic data as claimed in claim 85, wherein the vehicle-collected traffic information further comprises a vehicle state information.

87. The apparatus for collecting traffic data as claimed in claim 86, wherein the vehicle state information further comprises moving direction data which indicate a moving direction of the vehicle.

88. The apparatus for collecting traffic data as claimed in claim 86, wherein the vehicle state information further comprises parking/stoppage data which indicate whether the vehicle is parked or stopped.

89. The apparatus for collecting traffic data as claimed in claim 88, wherein the parking/stoppage data further comprises side break data which indicate whether a side break of the vehicle works or not.

90. The apparatus for collecting traffic data as claimed in claim 88, wherein the parking/stoppage data further comprises engine data which indicate whether an engine of the vehicle works or not.

91. The apparatus for collecting traffic data as claimed in claim 86, wherein the vehicle state information further comprises traffic accident data which indicate whether the vehicle causes a traffic accident or not.

92. The apparatus for collecting traffic data as claimed in claim 91, wherein the traffic accident data comprises at least one selected the group consisting of a collision accident, a rear-end collision accident and a rollover accident.

93. The apparatus for collecting traffic data as claimed in claim 86, wherein the vehicle state information further comprises stagnation data which indicate whether a road where the vehicle moves is tied-up or not.

94. The apparatus for collecting traffic data as claimed in claim 86, wherein said speed calculating means calculates the speed of the vehicle on the basis of the position data obtained form the global positioning system and a time data related the position data.

95. The apparatus for collecting traffic data as claimed in claim 86, wherein said speed calculating means calculates the speed of the vehicle on the basis of the number of pulse inputted from a wheel distance sensor of the vehicle for a predetermined time.

96. The apparatus for collecting traffic data as claimed in claim 86, wherein said speed calculating means calculates the speed of the vehicle by statically processing data inputted from a speedometer mounted in the vehicle.

97. The apparatus for collecting traffic data as claimed in claim 86, wherein the vehicle state information further comprises a section map including a plurality of divided sections of the road according to a position of the road and a direction of the road and said speed calculating means calculates the speed of the vehicle by using the section map and the position and the time data from the global positioning system.

98. A recording medium comprising a program for working the method for collecting traffic data according to claims 1 to 43.

99. A recording medium comprising a program for working the method for collecting traffic data according to claims 44 to 63.