# US 9,518,837 B2 · Monitoring and visualizing traffic surprises

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- Number: US 9,518,837 B2
- Document ID: US9518837B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 14/558,401
- Filed: 2014-12-02
- Published: 2016-06-02
- Granted: 2016-12-13
- Earliest claimed: 2014-12-02
- Assignees: HERE Global B.V.
- Applicants: HERE Global B.V.
- Inventors: James Fowe
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9518837B2

## CPC

- G01C 21/3697: {Output of additional, non-guidance related information, e.g. low fuel level (G01C21/3679 takes precedence)}
- G01C 21/3691: {Retrieval, searching and output of information related to real-time traffic, weather, or environmental conditions (arrangements for giving variable traffic instructions G08G1/09)}
- G08G 1/0104: {Measuring and analyzing of parameters relative to traffic conditions}
- G08G 1/0112: {from the vehicle, e.g. floating car data [FCD]}
- G08G 1/0116: {from roadside infrastructure, e.g. beacons}
- G08G 1/012: {from other sources than vehicle or roadside beacons, e.g. mobile networks}
- G08G 1/0129: {for creating historical data or processing based on historical data}
- G08G 1/0133: {for classifying traffic situation}
- G08G 1/0141: {for traffic information dissemination}
- G08G 1/096716: {where the received information does not generate an automatic action on the vehicle control}
- G08G 1/096741: {where the source of the transmitted information selects which information to transmit to each vehicle}
- G08G 1/096775: {where the origin of the information is a central station}
- G01C: MEASURING DISTANCES, LEVELS OR BEARINGS; SURVEYING; NAVIGATION; GYROSCOPIC INSTRUMENTS; PHOTOGRAMMETRY OR VIDEOGRAMMETRY (measuring liquid level G01F; radio navigation, determining distance or velocity by use of propagation effects, e.g. Doppler effects, propagation time, of radio waves, analogous arrangements using other waves G01S)
- 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

Systems, methods, and apparatuses are described for monitoring and visualizing traffic surprises. Traffic data is received for a region of interest comprising one or more routes. A surprise factor may be calculated for one or more routes in the region of interest based on a ratio of historical traffic data and real-time traffic data. A comparison may be performed of the surprise factor to at least one threshold. A surprise traffic message may be generated based on the comparison.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method comprising:
receiving traffic data for a plurality of vehicles for a region of interest comprising one or more routes, wherein the traffic data for each vehicle of the plurality of vehicles includes position data derived from a global positioning system and traffic speed data;
calculating real-time traffic flow data from the traffic data for one or more routes in the region;
identifying historical traffic flow data;
calculating, by a processor, a surprise factor for the one or more routes in the region of interest based on a ratio of the historical traffic flow data and the real-time traffic flow data;
performing, by the processor, a comparison of the surprise factor to at least one threshold;
generating, by the processor, a surprise traffic message based on the comparison; and
transmitting, by the processor, the surprise traffic message to one or more navigation devices.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one threshold for the surprise factor indicates that the real-time traffic flow data is faster than predicted from the historical traffic flow data.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one threshold for the surprise factor indicates that the real-time traffic flow data is slower than predicted from the historical traffic flow data.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 where the one or more routes comprise an origin and a destination.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The method of claim 4, further comprising:
presenting one or more surprise traffic messages in an origin destination matrix using the origin and destination of the one or more routes.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5, wherein calculating further comprises:
calculating the surprise factor for one or more origin destination pairs in the origin destination matrix.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein a traffic level (TLS) is based on the surprise factor (SF) and calculated according to the following formula:
TLSij(t)=|1−SFij(t)|;
where
SF
ij
⁡
(
t
)
=
L
ij
⁡
(
t
)
L
ij
h
⁡
(
t
)
;
where Lij(t) is an average traffic level on a particular route from i to j at time t; and
where Lijh(t) is a historic average traffic level on a particular route from i to j at time t.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the surprise factor (TLS) is calculated according to the following formula:
TLSij(t)=|Lij(t)−Lijh(t)|;
where Lij(t) is an average traffic level on a particular route from i to j at time t; and
where Lijh(t) is a historic average traffic level on a particular route from i to j at time t.

### Claim 9

An apparatus comprising:
at least one processor; and
at least one memory including computer program code for one or more programs; the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least perform:
receive traffic information for a plurality of vehicles for one or more route segments wherein the traffic information includes position data derived from a global positioning system and traffic speed data;
calculate current traffic flow conditions from the traffic information for the plurality of vehicles;
calculate a surprise factor for one or more route segments as a function of a ratio of historical and current traffic flow conditions;
calculate an origin and destination matrix for the one or more route segments, and a corresponding surprise factor for each of a plurality of origin destination pairs in the origin and destination matrix; and
transmit, by the processor, the origin destination matrix including traffic flow conditions for the plurality of origin destination pairs that have a surprise factor that exceeds a predetermined threshold.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to:
display the origin destination matrix.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to:
send the origin destination matrix to a device.

### Claim 12 (depends on 9)

The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the current traffic flow conditions are calculated using traffic volume and traffic speed derived from the received traffic information.

### Claim 13 (depends on 9)

The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to:
receive a request for a route from an origin to a destination;
generating the route including a plurality of route segments of the one or more route segments; and
transmit the route including only the surprise factor for any of the plurality of route segments that exceeds a threshold.

### Claim 14

A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions that when executed are operable to:
calculate a plurality of routes including a plurality of route segments from a plurality of origins to a plurality of destinations;
receive traffic data including an average traffic level and a historical average traffic level for the plurality of route segments in a designated region;
calculate a traffic level (TLS) for each of the plurality of routes based on a surprise factor (SF) and calculated according to the following formula:
TLSij(t)=|1−SFij(t)|;
where
S
⁢
⁢
F
i
⁢
⁢
j
⁡
(
t
)
=
L
i
⁢
⁢
j
⁡
(
t
)
L
i
⁢
⁢
j
h
⁡
(
t
)
;
where Lij(t) is the average traffic level on a particular route from i to j at time t;
where Lij(t) is the historic average traffic level on a particular route from i to j at time t;
generate an origin destination matrix for the plurality of routes from the plurality of origins to the plurality of destinations using the traffic level (TLS) for the plurality of routes; and
transmit the origin destination matrix to a navigation device.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein the instructions are configured to:
calculate the surprise factor based on real time traffic flow data and historical traffic flow data.

### Claim 16 (depends on 14)

The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein the surprise factor is compared to at least one threshold including a first level for faster than expected traffic and a second level for slower than expected traffic.

### Claim 17 (depends on 14)

The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein the instructions are configured to:
receive a request for a route of the plurality of routes segments; and
transmit route traffic data including only the surprise factor for any of the plurality of route segments that exceeds a threshold.