# US 7,609,172 B2 · System and method for providing real-time traffic information > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 7,609,172 B2 - Document ID: US7609172B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 11/549,106 - Filed: 2006-10-12 - Published: 2008-04-17 - Granted: 2009-10-27 - Earliest claimed: 2006-10-12 - Assignees: Garmin Ltd. - Inventors: Timothy C. Rozum; Scott J. Brunk - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7609172B2 ## CPC - G08G 1/096716: {where the received information does not generate an automatic action on the vehicle control} - G08G 1/09675: {where a selection from the received information takes place in the vehicle} - G08G 1/096775: {where the origin of the information is a central station} - G08G: TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEMS (guiding railway traffic, ensuring the safety of railway traffic B61L; arrangement of road signs or traffic signals E01F9/00; radar or analogous systems, sonar systems, lidar systems specially adapted for traffic control G01S13/91, G01S15/88, G01S17/88; {radar or analogous systems, sonar systems, lidar systems specially adapted for anti-collision purposes G01S13/93, G01S15/93, G01S17/93}) ## Abstract A device and method for filtering traffic information. In one embodiment, the device comprises a traffic component, a computing device coupled with the traffic component, and a display coupled with the computing device. The traffic component is operable to receive traffic data corresponding to a plurality of traffic events. The computing device is operable to filter the received traffic data based on the severity of the traffic events to form filtered traffic data and the display is operable to present an indication of the filtered data. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A device, comprising: a traffic component operable to receive traffic data corresponding to a plurality of traffic events; a computing device coupled with the traffic component, the computing device operable to acquire a current geographic location of the device and calculate an estimated delay time utilizing the received traffic data; and a display coupled with the computing device, the display operable to be controlled by the computing device to present a map of an area in proximity to the current geographic location of the device and overlay on the map an indication of the estimated delay time. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the computing device is further operable to determine a severity for each of the traffic events and exclude low severity events from the calculation of the estimated delay time. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the computing device is further operable to acquire a current geographic location of the device, identify a road currently traveled by the device utilizing the acquired current geographic location, and exclude traffic events not corresponding to the currently traveled road from the estimated delay time calculation. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the computing device is further operable to acquire a current geographic location of the device, calculate a route from the current geographic location to a destination, and exclude traffic events not corresponding to the route from the estimated delay time calculation. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, further including a speaker coupled with the computing device, the speaker operable to audibly indicate the estimated delay time. ### Claim 6 A device, comprising: a location determining component operable to determine a current geographic location of the device; a communications element operable to wirelessly receive traffic data corresponding to a plurality of traffic events; a memory including a map information database; a computing device coupled with the location determining component, the communications element, and the memory, the computing device operable to identify traffic events corresponding to the current geographic location of the device and calculate an estimated delay time based on the identified traffic events; and a display coupled with the computing device, the display operable to be controlled by the computing device to present: a map of an area in proximity to the current geographic location of the device, one or more traffic icons placed on the map corresponding to the location of one or more of the identified traffic events, and an overlay on the map including an indication of the estimated delay time. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The device of claim 6, further including a portable and handheld housing for housing the location determining component, the communications element, the memory, the computing device, and the display. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The device of claim 6, wherein the communication element is selected from the group consisting of a cellular telecommunications transceiver, a FM-RDS radio traffic receiver, and a Wi-Fi communications transceiver. ### Claim 9 (depends on 6) The device of claim 6, wherein the received traffic data includes Traffic Message Channel (TMC) formatted information. ### Claim 10 (depends on 6) The device of claim 6, wherein the computing device is further operable to determine a severity for each of the traffic events and exclude low severity events from the calculation of the estimated delay time. ### Claim 11 (depends on 6) The device of claim 6, wherein the display presents the overlay on the map only when the estimated delay time exceeds a minimum threshold. ### Claim 12 (depends on 6) The device of claim 6, wherein the overlay comprises a magnified icon having a size larger than any one of the traffic icons. ### Claim 13 (depends on 6) The device of claim 6, wherein the computing device is operable to calculate a route from the current geographic location to a destination and the identified traffic events correspond to traffic events associated with the calculated route. ### Claim 14 (depends on 6) The device of claim 6, wherein the computing device is operable to identify a road currently traveled by the device based on the current geographic location of the device and the identified traffic events correspond to traffic events associated with the identified road.