Historical Traffic Data Analysis for Route Optimization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for obtaining and providing road traffic information are limited by the lack of accurate and timely data, especially in areas without traffic sensors, and struggle to predict future traffic conditions effectively.
Innovation Solution
The development of a system that analyzes historical traffic data from sensors and mobile sources to generate representative traffic flow information, which can be used to predict future conditions and improve travel planning by dividing roads into segments and aggregating data based on time and conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If traffic sensors are deployed on roads, then traffic flow measurement accuracy is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses mobile devices (smartphones, tablets) as copies of fixed traffic sensors. These mobile devices run traffic monitoring applications that collect similar traffic flow data without requiring physical installation on roads. The system aggregates data from multiple mobile devices to create a comprehensive traffic picture, effectively replacing the need for expensive fixed sensor infrastructure while maintaining measurement accuracy.
2Ease of operation
If real-time traffic information is provided, then travel planning is improved, but data availability is limited to areas with sensors
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes mobile devices universal traffic data collection points. Any smartphone or tablet with a traffic monitoring application can function as a traffic sensor, regardless of location. This universal approach enables the system to provide real-time traffic information across the entire service area, including regions without fixed sensor infrastructure, by leveraging the widespread availability of mobile devices.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces mobile devices as intermediaries between travelers and the traffic information system. These devices serve as both data collection points and communication channels, allowing the system to gather traffic information from users and deliver relevant traffic updates back to them. This intermediary approach enables comprehensive geographic coverage without requiring direct deployment of fixed infrastructure throughout the entire area.
3Measurement precision
If historical traffic data is analyzed to predict future conditions, then travel prediction accuracy is improved, but data processing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments historical traffic data into meaningful categories such as time-based patterns (peak hours, weekends, holidays) and event-based patterns (accidents, construction, weather events). By organizing data this way, the system can analyze specific patterns separately and apply them to predictions for different scenarios. This segmentation reduces the complexity of analyzing massive datasets by breaking them down into manageable, interpretable components that can be processed more efficiently.
Data Source
AI summary
Techniques are described for automatically analyzing historical information about road traffic flow in order to generate representative information regarding current or future road traffic flow, and for using such generated representative traffic flow information. Representative traffic flow information may be generated for a variety of types of useful measures of traffic flow, such as for average speed at each of multiple road locations during each of multiple time periods. Generated representative traffic flow information may be used in various ways to assist in travel and for other purposes, such as to determine likely travel times and plan optimal routes. The historical traffic data used to generate the representative traffic flow information may include data readings from physical sensors that are near or embedded in the roads, and/or data samples from vehicles and other mobile data sources traveling on the roads.