System and method for providing traffic information using operational data of a wireless network

A system for determining traffic velocities along a plurality of traffic routes by using operational data associated with mobile stations operating in a wireless telephony communications network comprising a cell sector coverage area having a plurality of cell sectors, the system comprising:

• an analysis configuration module, logically coupled to at least one database comprising cell sector coverage area information for the wireless telephony communications network and geographic information for roadways within the cell sector coverage area of the wireless telephony communications network, operable to generate the plurality of traffic routes between any two of the cell sectors by processing the cell sector coverage area information and the geographic information for roadways;
• and
• a traffic modeler module, logically coupled to the analysis configuration module, operable to generate a plurality of data records by processing movement records for the mobile stations within a context provided by the plurality of traffic routes, each movement record comprising first and second locations within the telephony wireless communication network for the same mobile station at different times and reflecting movement within the cell sector coverage area by the same mobile station, each data record comprising an identification of the average velocity for a vehicle along a particular one of the traffic routes at a specific time.

A method for determining traffic velocities along traffic routes based on movement of mobile stations operating within a wireless telephony communications network comprising a cell sector coverage area overlapping with the traffic routes and having a plurality of cell sectors, comprising the steps of:

• creating a plurality of traffic routes between any two of the cell sectors by processing cell sector coverage area information for the wireless telephony communications network and geographic information for roadways within the cell sector coverage area of the wireless telephony communications network, and
• identifying a particular one of the traffic routes traveled by a vehicle associated with one of the mobile stations by processing movement records for the mobile station within a geographical context defined by the plurality of traffic routes, each movement record comprising first and second locations within the telephony wireless communication network for a same one of the mobile stations at different times and reflecting movement of the same mobile station;
• and
• calculating an estimate of an average velocity and a standard deviation of velocity of the vehicle associated with the mobile station along the particular traffic route at a specific time.

A system for determining traffic velocities along a plurality of traffic routes by using operational data associated with mobile stations operating in a wireless telephony communications network overlapping the traffic routes and comprising a cell sector coverage area having a plurality of cell sectors, the system comprising:

• a processor module, logically coupled to the telephony wireless communication network, operable to generate a plurality of traffic data records based on operational data obtained from the telephony wireless communication network, each traffic data record identifying a location within the telephony wireless communication network for one of the mobile stations at a particular time;
• a movement filtering and detection module, logically coupled to the processor module, operable to generate a movement record in response to processing a pair of the traffic data records associated with a wireless communication activity by a same one of the mobile stations, each movement record comprising first and second locations within the telephony wireless communication network for the same mobile station at different times and reflecting movement by the same mobile station;
• an analysis configuration module, logically coupled to at least one database comprising cell sector coverage area information for the wireless telephony communications network and geographic information for roadways within the cell sector coverage area of the wireless telephony communications network, operable to generate the plurality of traffic routes between any two of the cell sectors by processing the cell sector coverage area information and the geographic information for roadways;
• and
• a traffic modeler module, logically coupled to the movement filtering and detection module and to the analysis configuration module, operable to generate a plurality of data records by processing the locations for the mobile stations as identified by the movement records within a geographical context provided by the plurality of traffic routes, each data record comprising an identification of the average velocity along a particular one of the traffic routes at a specific time.

A method for determining traffic velocities along a plurality of traffic routes by using operational data associated with mobile stations operating in a wireless telephony communications network overlapping the traffic routes and comprising a cell sector coverage area having a plurality of cell sectors,, comprising the steps of:

• generating a plurality of traffic data records based on the operational data from the telephony wireless communication network, each traffic data record identifying a location within the telephony wireless communication network for one of the mobile stations at a particular time;
• and
• generating a movement record in response to processing a pair of the traffic data records associated with a wireless communication activity by a same one of the mobile stations, each movement record comprising first and second locations within the telephony wireless communication network for the same mobile station at different times and reflecting movement by the same mobile station;
• creating a plurality of traffic routes between any two of the cell sectors by processing cell sector coverage area information for the wireless telephony communications network and geographic information for roadways within the cell sector coverage area of the wireless telephony communications network;
• identifying from the plurality of traffic routes a particular one of the traffic routes traveled by a vehicle associated with one of the mobile stations by processing movement records for the mobile station, each movement record comprising first and second locations within the telephony wireless communication network for the same mobile station at different times and reflecting movement of the vehicle associated with the same mobile station;
• and
• calculating an estimate of an average velocity and a standard deviation of velocity of vehicular traffic along the particular traffic route for a specific time by using the movement records associated with the particular traffic route.