US 7,605,720 B1 · Methods and systems for traffic event priority and reporting

Abstract

Systems and methods for selecting, sequencing, and presenting traffic events to viewers. This may involve using a prioritizing scheme that estimates the proximity or relevance of the event to the viewers by associating the event with a geographic zone and the viewer with a localized service area served by a particular distribution points of the television content distribution system. In some cases, for each localized service area, zones are given priority values that are used when prioritizing the relevance of traffic events associated with those zones. For viewers in a given localized service area, a first zone may have a higher priority than a second zone, such that in prioritizing traffic events, events associated with the first zone are given a higher priority than events occurring in the second zone. Different zone priority schemes may be associated with a given localized service area at different times of day, week, or year. For example, a zone near the airport may have a higher priority during weekend time periods than during the week.

Claims17

Dependent claims

A method of prioritizing traffic events associated with a geographic area for displaying to viewers through a television content distribution system of distribution points and associated service areas, comprising:

determining priority schemes for a plurality of viewers, wherein a first priority scheme indicates relative importance of a plurality of traffic event zones for a first viewer associated with a first localized service area, and a second priority scheme indicates relative importance of the plurality of traffic event zones for a second viewer associated with a second localized service area, wherein the first priority scheme differs from the second priority scheme;
associating a first and a second traffic event with selected traffic event zones, wherein the first traffic event is associated with a first traffic event zone and the second traffic event is associated with a second traffic event zone different from the first traffic event zone;
prioritizing the first and second traffic events for the first localized service area using the first priority scheme, wherein the first traffic event has a greater priority than the second traffic event;
and
prioritizing the first and second traffic events for the second localized service area using the second priority scheme, wherein the first traffic event has a lesser priority than the second traffic event.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Methods and systems for traffic event priority and reporting

Life of this patent

Methods and systems for traffic event priority and reporting

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims17