WO2007032576A1

WO2007032576A1 - Apparatus and method for collecting traffic information via broadcasting network

Info

Publication number: WO2007032576A1
Application number: PCT/KR2005/004665
Authority: WO
Inventors: Moon-Soo Lee; Jong-Woo Choi; Myung-Jin Lee; Oh-Cheon Kwon
Original assignee: Electronics And Telecommunications Research Institute
Priority date: 2005-09-16
Filing date: 2005-12-30
Publication date: 2007-03-22
Also published as: JP4866907B2; KR20070032118A; JP2009509228A; KR100701128B1

Abstract

Provided are an apparatus and method for collecting traffic information via a broadcasting network. The apparatus includes: a receiver receiving a traffic information request message that requests traffic condition information on a predetermined area during a predetermined period through a broadcasting network; a determiner determining whether a vehicle which receives the traffic information request message is within the predetermined area; an information collector collecting traffic information on the predetermined area during the predetermined period when the vehicle which receives the traffic information request message is within the predetermined area; and a transmitter transmitting a traffic information response message including the collected traffic information.

Description

APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR COLLECTING TRAFFIC INFORMATION VIA BROADCASTING NETWORK

Technical Field

[I] The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for collecting traffic information.

Background Art

[2] The number of vehicles on the road is gradually increasing, but improvements to roads to accommodate the increased number of vehicles are not being made. Therefore, serious traffic congestion has arisen, resulting in a deterioration of the traffic environment.

[3] To solve this problem, traffic facilities and intelligent transport systems (ITS) have been developed to effectively control traffic flow.

[4] Examples of ITSs include advanced traffic management systems (ATMS) for controlling traffic in real-time, advanced public transportation systems (APTS) for providing traffic information to the public, commercial vehicle operations (CVO) for managing freight and freight vehicles, advanced vehicle & highway systems (AVHS) for expanding a driver's view and informing a driver of road surroundings, and advanced traveler information systems (ATIS) for providing traffic information.

[5] A basic function of ATISs is to collect traffic information. To collect traffic information, loop detectors, image detectors, ultrasonic detectors, automatic vehicle location (AVL), and mobile phone & global positioning system (GPS) probe vehicles are used.

[6] Probe vehicles collect traffic information using mainly the following five methods.

[7] In a first method, traffic information is collected by detecting probe vehicles using beacons or radio frequency identification (RFID).

[8] In a second method, traffic information is collected using electronic tags attached to probe vehicles via transmitter/receivers mounted in road surfaces.

[9] In a third method, when public transportation vehicles or commercial vehicles stop at a stop, traffic information is collected via a wireless transmission/reception tower mounted in the stop.

[10] In a fourth method, traffic information is collected by tracing the location of a mobile phone using a base station mounted in the mobile phone, and measuring a communication time.

[I I] In a fifth method, traffic information is collected using GPS receivers mounted in probe vehicles and is transmitted to a traffic center via a mobile communication channel.

Disclosure of Invention

Technical Problem

[12] However, when traffic information is collected using probe vehicles, the probe vehicles are not generalized, traffic information on an area where probe vehicles do not travel is not acquired, traffic information on an area where a traffic information collector is not mounted is not acquired, and costs for managing traffic information are additionally required since traffic information is obtained from many areas.

Technical Solution

[13] The present invention provides an apparatus and method for collecting real-time traffic information on a predetermined area during a predetermined period via a broadcasting network.

[14] According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for collecting traffic information, the apparatus being mounted in a running vehicle and the apparatus comprising: a receiver receiving a traffic information request message that requests traffic condition information on a predetermined area during a predetermined period through a broadcasting network; a determiner determining whether a vehicle which receives the traffic information request message is within the predetermined area; an information collector collecting traffic information on the predetermined area during the predetermined period when the vehicle is within the predetermined area; and a transmitter transmitting a traffic information response message including the collected traffic information.

[15] According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided method of collecting traffic information, the method comprising: transmitting a traffic information request message that requests traffic condition information on a predetermined area during a predetermined period to a vehicle through a broadcasting network; collecting traffic information on the predetermined area during the predetermined period, if the vehicle which receives the traffic information request message is within the predetermined area; and transmitting a traffic information response message including the collected traffic information.

Description of Drawings

[16] The above and other features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent by describing in detail exemplary embodiments thereof with reference to the attached drawings in which:

[17] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a system for collecting and providing traffic information through a broadcasting network according to an embodiment of the present invention; [18] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a system for collecting traffic information through a broadcasting network according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[19] FIG. 3 is a block diagram of an apparatus for collecting traffic information according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[20] FIG. 4 is a block diagram of an apparatus for collecting traffic information according to another embodiment of the present invention;

[21] FIG. 5 is a block diagram of a traffic information request message according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[22] FIG. 6 is a block diagram of a traffic information request message according to another embodiment of the present invention;

[23] FIG. 7 is a block diagram of a traffic information response message according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[24] FIG. 8 is a block diagram of a traffic information response message according to another embodiment of the present invention; and

[25] FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating a method of collecting traffic information according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Best Mode

[26] The present invention will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which exemplary embodiments of the invention are shown. The invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the concept of the invention to those skilled in the art. Like reference numerals in the drawings denote like elements.

[27] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a system for collecting and providing traffic information through a broadcasting network according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 1, the system comprises a contents provider 100, a traffic information processing center 110, a digital multimedia broadcasting (DMB) center 120, and a traffic information user 130 (Alex wrote that a user cannot be part of an invention).

[28] The contents provider 100 collects and manages information including a vehicle speed, road surfaces, traffic density, the occurrence of accidents, etc., which are acquired by a loop detector, a traffic camera, etc. mounted on roads.

[29] The traffic information processing center 110 processes traffic information unknown beforehand or redundant data included in the traffic information collected by the contents provider 100, selects necessary traffic information from the processed traffic information, stores the selected traffic information, and updates the stored traffic information. [30] The traffic information processing center 110 may be, for example, a telematics service provider (TSP).

[31] Telematics refers to wireless technology for providing navigational information to drivers and informing drivers of real-time traffic information using mobile phones or personal digital assistants (PDA) within automobiles and other vehicles in which a global positioning system (GPS) receiver or a geographical information system (GIS) receiver is mounted. The TSP can provide vehicles in which telematics devices are mounted with the selected traffic information.

[32] The DMB center 120 transmits the traffic information processed by the traffic information processing center 110 through a broadcasting network.

[33] The traffic information user 130 receives the traffic information from the DMB center 120 using a telematics device.

[34] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a system for collecting traffic information using a portable device 200 through a broadcasting network according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 2, the system comprises a traffic information user, a telematics service center 210, a DMB center 220, and a vehicle 230 in which a telematics device is mounted.

[35] The portable device 200 may be, for example, a wireless mobile device, such as a mobile phone, a PDA, a DMB device, a telematics device, etc., used to request traffic information on a predetermined area.

[36] The traffic information user requests current traffic information on the predetermined area from the telematics service center 210 using the portable device 200.

[37] The telematics service center 210 determines whether the processed traffic information that is requested by the traffic information user and received from the contents provider 100 includes current traffic information, and, if it is determined that the processed traffic information do not include current traffic information, the telematics service center 210 determines whether the current traffic information can be acquired from the contents provider 100.

[38] If it is determined that the current traffic information cannot be acquired from the telematics service center 210, the telematics service center 210 transmits a traffic information request message requesting the current traffic information on the predetermined area to the DMB center 220.

[39] The DMB center 220 sends the traffic information request message to the vehicle

230 in which the telematics device is currently turned on through a digital broadcasting network (including ground waves and satellites).

[40] The vehicle 230 in which the telematics device is mounted analyzes the received traffic information request message. If the vehicle 230 is within the predetermined area for which traffic information is requested by the traffic information user, the vehicle 230 collects traffic information including the speed of the vehicle 230, road surfaces, etc., and transmits the collected traffic information to the telematics service center 210 through the digital network center 210, or to the traffic information user through a mobile communication network.

[41] FIG. 3 is a block diagram of an apparatus 300 for collecting traffic information according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 3, the apparatus 300, which is mounted in a vehicle and collects traffic condition information, comprises a receiver 310, a determiner 320, an information collector 330, and a transmitter 340.

[42] The receiver 310 receives a traffic information request message requesting traffic information on a predetermined area during a predetermined period through a broadcasting network.

[43] When a traffic information user requests the traffic information for the traffic information processing center 110 (for example, a telematics service center) through a portable device, and the traffic information processing center 110 does not have the traffic information, the traffic information processing center 110 transmits a traffic information request message to the DMB center 120 or 220, and the DMB center 120 or 220 sends the traffic information request message to a vehicle in which the apparatus 300 for collecting traffic information is mounted through the broadcasting network.

[44] The vehicle in which the apparatus 300 is mounted receives the traffic information request message via the receiver 310 when the apparatus 300 for collecting traffic information is operating.

[45] The receiver 310 includes an authority establisher 311 determining whether the vehicle which receives the traffic information request message is authorized to respond to the traffic information request message.

[46] If the authority establisher 311 determines that the vehicle which receives the traffic information request message is not authorized to receive the traffic information request message based on an authority restriction code established in the traffic information request message, the traffic information request message is ignored.

[47] The authority establisher 311 will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 5.

[48] If the authority establisher 311 determines that the vehicle which receives the traffic information request message is authorized, the determiner 320 determines whether the vehicle in which the apparatus 300 for collecting traffic information is mounted is within the predetermined area requested by the traffic information user using a global positioning system (GPS) capable of determining the location of the vehicle.

[49] If it is determined that the vehicle in which the apparatus 300 for collecting traffic information is mounted is within the predetermined area requested by the traffic in- formation user, the information collector 330 collects traffic information including location, traffic speed, acceleration speed, engine speed, whether an accident has occurred, traffic density, etc. using the GPS, a sensor, etc. during a predetermined time period included in the traffic information request message, thereby controlling network traffic of the system for collecting traffic information.

[50] The transmitter 340 includes a transmission acknowledger 341 acknowledging that a traffic information response message including the traffic information collected by the information collector 330 is to be transmitted.

[51] If the transmission acknowledger 341 acknowledges that the traffic information response message is to be transmitted, the transmitter 340 transmits the traffic information response message to the traffic information user via a mobile communication network, or to the contents provider 100 or the traffic information processing center 110 (for example, the telematics service center).

[52] FIG. 4 is a block diagram of an apparatus for collecting traffic information according to another embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 4, the apparatus for collecting traffic information, not necessarily restricted thereto, is r ealized as a telematics device 400. V arious changes in form and details may be made in the apparatus for collecting traffic information without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

[53] The telematics device 400 includes a broadcasting receiving module 402 to receive a traffic information request message through a broadcasting network. The telematics device 400 determines whether a communication security manager 412 is authorized to respond to the traffic information request message received by the broadcasting receiving module 402, and, if the telematics device 400 determines that the security manager 412 is authorized to respond to the traffic information request message, a traffic information message processor 411 determines whether a vehicle in which the telematics device 400 is mounted is within a predetermined area.

[54] If the traffic information message processor 411 determines that the vehicle in which the telematics device 400 is mounted is within the predetermined area, the telematics device 400 collects traffic information including location, traffic speed, acceleration speed, engine speed, whether an accident has occurred, traffic density, etc. during a predetermined period indicated by the traffic information request message using a vehicle information collection interface 420, a GPS receiver 431, or a collection sensor 432.

[55] The communication security manager 412 generates a traffic information response message based on the traffic information collected by the telematics device 400 in response to the traffic information request message. In detail, if the broadcasting receiving module 402 receives traffic information request messages Al, A2, A3, ..., the communication security manager 412 is authorized to respond to the traffic information request messages Al, A2, A3, ...„ and the vehicle in which the telematics device 400 is mounted is within a predetermined area requested by the traffic information request messages Al, A2, A3, ..., the communication security manager 412 can manage traffic information response messages Bl, B2, and B3 in response to the traffic information response messages Al, A2, and A3, respectively.

[56] (note: Al, A2, A3, Bl, B2, B3 are not in drawings, and therefore they cannot be in the description)

[57] When the traffic information message processor 411 is allowed to transmit the traffic information response message, the traffic information message processor 411 directly transmits the traffic information response message to a traffic information user through a mobile communication network, or to the contents provider 100 or to the communication information processing center 110 (for example, the telematics service center) through a broadcasting network.

[58] FIG. 5 is a block diagram of a traffic information request message 500 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 5, the traffic information message 500 is used to request a vehicle in which an apparatus for collecting traffic information is mounted to collect traffic information on a predetermined area during a predetermined period through a broadcasting network.

[59] The traffic information request message 500 includes an origin ID 510 for identifying an origin of a traffic information request, a predetermined area scope 520 for acquiring traffic information, a predetermined period 530 for acquiring traffic information, and an authority restriction code 540 for determining whether an authorizer receives the traffic information message 500.

[60] The origin ID 510 identifies the origin of the traffic information message 500, thereby allowing the traffic information message 500 to be classified. The origin ID 510 is also used as a destination to which collected traffic information is transmitted.

[61] The predetermined area scope 520 is a traffic area for which the traffic information mounted requested by a traffic information user. Here, traffic information on the traffic area has not been acquired by a telematics service center that stores traffic area information and updates the stored traffic area information to build a database.

[62] In detail, when a traffic information user requests traffic information from the traffic information processing center 100 (for example, the telematics service center), and the database built by the traffic information processing center 110 does not include the traffic information requested by the traffic information user, the traffic information processing center 100 sends the traffic information request message 500 including the predetermined area scope 520 through a broadcasting network.

[63] The predetermined period 530 is used to prevent a traffic information overload caused by a continuous collection of traffic information by instructing a traffic information collecting apparatus to collect the traffic information on a predetermined period.

[64] The authority restriction code 540 is used to determine whether an authorized user receives the traffic information request message 500. The authority establisher 311 determines whether to discard the traffic information request message 500 based on the authority restriction code 540 included in the traffic information request message 500.

[65] The authority restriction code 540 is used to restrict an unauthorized user from accessing the traffic information request message since the traffic information request message includes personal information, such as an ID, of a portable device that requests the traffic information.

[66] The authority restriction code 540 can be replaced or used with a conditional access module (CAM) or a conditional access system (CAS) used in a pay broadcasting network.

[67] FIG. 6 is a block diagram of a traffic information request message according to another embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 6, the traffic information request message includes a message start 610, authority restriction code information 620, a message ID 630, collection period information 640, a receiver contact location 650, traffic information 660, and a message end 690.

[68] The message start 610 and the message end 690 indicate the start and end of the traffic information request message, respectively. The message ID 630 is used to identify the traffic information request message. The receiver contact location 650 is a location from which traffic information is requested, and is used to transmit collected traffic information.

[69] The collection period information 640 includes a period for which a traffic information user wishes to know traffic information. The traffic information includes a traffic information code 661 that classifies traffic condition information including vehicle speed, road surfaces, the occurrence of an accident, etc., location information 662 that indicates a traffic area for which the traffic information user wishes to know traffic information, and a collection scope 663 for collecting traffic information from a plurality of vehicles in order to increase the accuracy of collected traffic information.

[70] FIG. 7 is a block diagram of a traffic information response message 700 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 7, the traffic information response message 700, which is for responding to a traffic information request message, includes an ID 710 that identifies an apparatus that receives the traffic information request message and responds to the traffic information request message, collected traffic information 720, and transmitter information 730 indicating the transmitter that transmits the traffic information request message. [71] The ID 710 is generated based on the origin ID of the traffic information request message, is used to classify apparatuses for receiving traffic information, and identifies the traffic information response message 700 for responding to the traffic information request message based on the classified apparatuses.

[72] The traffic information 720 is the traffic information collected by the information collector 330.

[73] The transmitter information 730 is information on a traffic information user that requests the traffic information or information on the traffic information processing center 110 (for example, the telematics service center), and serves as a destination address of the traffic information response message 700.

[74] A return channel used to transmit the traffic information response message 700 can be a bi-directional communication channel such as a character message, a t ransmission control protocol/Internet protocol (TCP/IP) via a mobile communication, a wireless local area network (WLAN), a portable Internet, etc.

[75] FIG. 8 is a block diagram of a traffic information response message 800 according to another embodiment of the present invention. The traffic information response message 800 includes a message start 810, a device ID 820, collection period information 830, traffic information 840, and a message end 890.

[76] The message start 810 and the message end 890 indicate the start and end of the traffic information response message 800, respectively. The device ID 820 is used to identify an apparatus for collecting traffic information.

[77] The traffic information 840 includes a message ID 841, a traffic information code

842, location information 843, and collected traffic information 844. The message ID 841 is used to identify the traffic information response message 800. The traffic information code 842 is used to classify the collected traffic condition information including vehicle speed, road surfaces, the occurrence of an accident, etc. The location information 843 indicates a traffic area requested by a traffic information user.

[78] FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating a method of collecting traffic information according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 9, if the traffic information processing center 110 transmits a traffic information request message to a broadcasting center to supplement currently unknown of traffic information requested by a traffic information user, the broadcasting network transmits the traffic information request message to a vehicle (Operation 910). The traffic information request message requests traffic condition information on a predetermined area during a predetermined period.

[79] It is determined whether the vehicle which receives the traffic information request message is authorized to respond to the traffic information request message based on an authority restriction code included in the traffic information request message (Operations 920 and 930). If it is determined that the vehicle which receives the traffic information request message is authorized to respond to the traffic information request message, it is determined whether the vehicle which receives the traffic information request message is within the predetermined area scope 520 included in the traffic information request message (Operation 940).

[80] If it is determined that the vehicle which receives the traffic information request message is within the predetermined area scope 520, the traffic information is collected within the predetermined area scope 520 during the predetermined period 530 (Operation 950).

[81] It is determined whether to transmit the collected traffic information (Operation

960). If it is determined that the collected traffic information is to be transmitted, a traffic information response message is generated and transmitted (Operations 970 and 980).

[82] The present invention can also be embodied as computer readable code on a computer readable recording medium. The computer readable recording medium is any data storage device that can store data which can be thereafter read by a computer system. Examples of the computer readable recording medium include read-only memory (ROM), random-access memory (RAM), CD-ROMs, magnetic tapes, floppy disks, optical data storage devices, and carrier waves. The computer readable recording medium can also be distributed over network coupled computer systems so that the computer readable code is stored and executed in a distributed fashion.

[83] The present invention can collect real-time traffic information and provide the collected traffic information to a traffic information user (a user, a telematics service center, etc.) whenever the traffic information user requests the traffic information.

[84] The present invention also restricts the time when and location where the traffic information is to be collected, thereby controlling network traffic of a system for collecting traffic information, and preventing a traffic information overload of a central server.

[85] A content provider (CP) that collects current traffic information reduces costs for running facilities such as a probe car, a fixed traffic information collector, etc., thereby reducing maintenance/management expenses required for collecting the traffic information and providing cheap and high quality traffic information.

[86] The present invention can collect additional vehicle information in real-time such as traffic information, weather information, places of interest (POI), etc.

[87] While the present invention has been particularly shown and described with r eference to exemplary embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the following claims.

Claims

[1] An apparatus for collecting traffic information, the apparatus being mounted in a running vehicle and the apparatus comprising: a receiver receiving a traffic information request message that requests traffic condition information on a predetermined area during a predetermined period through a broadcasting network; a determiner determining whether a vehicle which receives the traffic information request message is within the predetermined area; an information collector collecting traffic information on the predetermined area during the predetermined period when the vehicle is within the predetermined area; and a transmitter transmitting a traffic information response message including the collected traffic information.

[2] The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the transmitter transmits the traffic information response message through the broadcasting network or a mobile communication network.

[3] The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the receiver comprises an authority establisher determining whether the receiver is authorized to respond to the traffic information request message after receiving the traffic information request message .

[4] The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the transmitter comprises a transmission acknowledger acknowledging whether to transmit the traffic information response message.

[5] The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the predetermined area is an area on which traffic information has not been acquired by a telematics service center that stores traffic area information and updates the stored traffic area information to build a database.

[6] The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the traffic information request message comprises: an origin ID identifying an origin of a traffic information request; a predetermined area where the traffic information is to be acquired from; the predetermined period indicating when the traffic information is to be acquired; and an authority restriction code determining whether the authorizer receives the traffic information message .

[7] The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the traffic information response message comprises: the traffic information collected by the information collector; information on a transmitter that has transmitted the traffic information request message; and an ID identifying the apparatus which receives the traffic information request message and responds to the traffic information request message. [8] A method of collecting traffic information, the method comprising: transmitting a traffic information request message that requests traffic condition information on a predetermined area during a predetermined period to a vehicle through a broadcasting network; collecting traffic information on the predetermined area during the predetermined period, if the vehicle which receives the traffic information request message is within the predetermined area; and transmitting a traffic information response message including the collected traffic information. [9] The method of claim 8, wherein the traffic information response message is transmitted through the broadcasting network or a mobile communication network. [10] The method of claim 8, further comprising, when the traffic information request message is received, establishing authority to determine whether the vehicle is authorized to respond to the traffic information request message . [11] The method of claim 8, further comprising: acknowledging whether to transmit the traffic information response message. [12] The method of claim 8, wherein the predetermined area is an area on which traffic information has not been acquired by a telematics service center that stores traffic area information and updates the stored traffic area information to build a database. [13] The method of claim 8, wherein the traffic information request message comprises: an origin ID identifying an origin of a traffic information request; a predetermined area where the traffic information is to be acquired from; the predetermined period indicating when the traffic information is to be acquired; and an authority restriction code determining whether the authorizer receives the traffic information message . [14] The method of claim 8, wherein the traffic information response message comprises: the traffic information collected by the information collector; information on a transmitter that has transmitted the traffic information request message; and an ID identifying the apparatus which receives the traffic information request message and responds to the traffic information request message.