Method and system for determining dynamic traffic information

A process for mobile wireless acquisition, in a service center and in a terminal in a vehicle, of dynamic traffic information in a roadway system the process comprising the steps of:

• determining, in the terminal provided in the vehicle, the vehicle's position;
• detecting, in the terminal provided in the vehicle, additional traffic-relevant attributes;
• relaying information obtained in at least one of the determining step and the detecting step over a mobile wireless telecommunication system to at least one of a group comprising other mobile wireless subscribers and the service center;
• compiling long-term traffic information in the vehicle;
• controlling the acquisition of traffic information in the vehicle by reaching virtual data acquisition points in the roadway system;
• and
• compiling a historical traffic database in the service center at least in part from the long-term traffic information compiled in the vehicle;
• wherein the detecting step is accomplished by remote scanning conducted at least in part for certain segments of roadway, where stationary and/or dynamically variable acquisition areas are defined, in and/or between which the data acquisition takes place.

A process for mobile wireless acquisition, in a service center and in a terminal in a vehicle, of dynamic traffic information in a roadway system, the process comprising the steps of:

• determining, in the terminal provided in the vehicle, the vehicle's position;
• detecting, in the terminal provided in the vehicle, additional traffic-relevant attributes;
• relaying information obtained in at least one of the determining step and the detecting step over a mobile wireless telecommunication system to at least one of a group comprising other mobile wireless subscribers and the service center;
• compiling long-term traffic information in the vehicle;
• controlling the acquisition of traffic information in the vehicle by reaching virtual data acquisition points in the roadway system;
• and
• compiling a historical traffic database in the service center at least in part from the long-term traffic information compiled in the vehicle;
• wherein an event-based standard data acquisition is performed at least in part, where a return message is sent back to the service center only after one or more predefined events occurs.

A system for mobile wireless acquisition of dynamic traffic information in a roadway system, the traffic information acquisition system comprising:

• a service center comprising memory and data processing elements;
• at least one mobile terminal in a vehicle;
• a mobile wireless telecommunication system by means of which said mobile terminal and said service center are in mutual communication;
• detectors in the vehicle for sensing traffic-relevant factors and for communicating the factors to said service center by means of said telecommunication system;
• a compilation element in said mobile terminal to compile and store long-term traffic information;
• a mobile terminal controller structured to control the acquisition of traffic information in said mobile terminal when the vehicle reaches virtual data acquisition locations in the roadway system;
• and
• a compilation element in said service center to compile a historical traffic database at least from the long-term traffic information gathered.

A process for compiling traffic information in a vehicle, the process comprising the steps of:

• determining the vehicle's position;
• acquiring traffic-relevant attributes based on the vehicle's position;
• and
• compiling long-term traffic information in the vehicle based on the traffic-relevant attributes.

A process for mobile wireless acquisition, in a service center, of dynamic traffic information relating to a roadway system, the process comprising the steps of:

• compiling long-term traffic information in a plurality of vehicles that travel on the roadway system;
• sending the long-term traffic information over a mobile wireless telecommunication system from the plurality of vehicles to the service center;
• and
• compiling a historical traffic database in the service center at least in part from the long-term traffic information received by the service center through the mobile wireless system.