Traffic Information Sub-Segmentation for High-Resolution Broadcast
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing traffic information broadcast systems, such as RDS/TMC, TPEG, and PLR, face challenges in achieving high geospatial resolution and efficient coding over bandwidth-constrained channels, particularly satellite radio, due to excessive bit usage, reliance on specific map databases, and limited information transmission.
Innovation Solution
The system divides road segments into smaller sub-segments, uses flow vectors, and encodes traffic data efficiently, allowing distribution over satellite-based broadcast and data networks, with enhanced coding techniques to support higher resolution and flexible map integration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If existing coding standards (RDS/TMC, TPEG, PLR) are used to broadcast traffic information, then compatibility with current systems is maintained, but geospatial resolution and information accuracy are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides road segments into smaller sub-segments, allowing traffic information to be represented at a finer granular level. This segmentation enables more precise geospatial resolution while maintaining compatibility with existing broadcast frameworks, directly addressing the limitation of coarse segmentation in traditional standards.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces flow vectors as an additional dimensional representation of traffic conditions, complementing traditional location-based coding. This new dimension allows encoding of detailed traffic state information (speed, flow, congestion) alongside geospatial data, thereby improving information accuracy without sacrificing broadcast compatibility.
2Measurement precision
If higher geospatial resolution is implemented, then traffic information accuracy improves, but bandwidth requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs variable-length coding where the number of bits required to represent sub-segment information depends on the complexity of traffic conditions. Simple conditions use fewer bits while complex conditions use more bits, allowing high resolution to be achieved only when necessary, thus optimizing bandwidth usage.
Solution Approach 2:
The flow vector encoding scheme serves multiple functions simultaneously: it encodes geospatial location, traffic speed, flow conditions, and congestion state within a unified structure. This multi-functionality reduces the total bit requirement compared to separate encoding of each parameter, thereby maintaining high resolution with lower bandwidth consumption.
3Loss of information
If detailed traffic event information is transmitted, then information completeness improves, but transmission efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and encodes only the essential traffic event attributes (location, speed, flow, congestion) using flow vectors, while optional detailed information (free text descriptions) is appended only when necessary. This extraction approach maintains information completeness for critical parameters while improving transmission efficiency by avoiding unnecessary data.
Solution Approach 2:
The encoding structure is dynamic, allowing the inclusion of free text descriptions and other detailed information only when the traffic event requires it. This dynamic adaptation ensures that transmission efficiency is maintained for simple events while providing complete information for complex events, balancing productivity and information completeness.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods are provided for increasing the geospatial resolution of traffic information by dividing known location intervals into a fixed number of sub-segments not tied to any one map providers format, efficient coding of the traffic information, and distribution of the traffic information to end-user consuming devices over one or more of a satellite based broadcast transport medium and a data communications network. Exemplary embodiments of the present invention detail a nationwide traffic service which can be encoded and distributed through a single broadcast service, such as, for example, an SDARS service, or a broadcast over a data network. Exemplary embodiments include aggregating the traffic data from segments of multiple location intervals, into predefined and predetermined flow vectors, and sending the flow vectors within a data stream to users. Confidence levels obtained from raw traffic data can both (i) be disclosed to drivers/users to supplement a very low signal (or no signal) speed and congestion report, and (ii) can also be used in various system algorithms that decide what local anomalies or aberrations to filter out as noise, or to disclose as accurate information and thus more granularly depict the roadway in question (and use additional bits to do so) as an actual highly localized traffic condition.