Google Inc. v. Traffic Information LLC

Filing 53

Report (TRAFFIC INFORMATION, LLC'S OPENING CLAIM CONSTRUCTION BRIEF). Filed by Traffic Information LLC. (Attachments: # 1 Appendix, # 2 Attachment, # 3 Attachment, # 4 Attachment, # 5 Attachment, # 6 Attachment, # 7 Attachment, # 8 Attachment, # 9 Attachment, # 10 Attachment) (Quisenberry, C.)

Google Inc. v. Traffic Information LLC

Doc. 53 Att. 9

being submitted before the mailing date of the first Office Action on the merits of the above-identified application. In accordance with 37 CFR §1.97(h), the filing of this Information Disclosure Statement will not be regarded as an admission that any patent or publication or combination of patents referred to herein is, or is considered to be, material to patentability under 3 7 CFR §1.56(b) unless specifically designated as such. A list of the patents and publications enclosed herewith is set forth on the attached Form PTO-1449 (Modified). The person making this statement is the attorney who signs below on the basis of the information supplied by the inventor and the information in his file. Respectfully submitted,

evin L. Russell Attorney for Applicant Tel: (503) 2 2 7 - 5 6 3 1 CERTIFICATE OF MAILING

&I

I hereby certify that this correspondence is being deposited with the United States Postal Service as First Class Mail in an envelope addressed to: Mail Stop DD, Commissioner Patents, P. 0 . Box 1450, Alexandria, VA. 22313-1450 on May
2003.

Dated: Kevin L. Russell

A000352
Dockets.Justia.com

FORM PTO- 1449 (Modified) LIST OF PATENTS AND PUBLIC APPLICANT'S INFORMATION D STATEMENT

A'ITY. DOCKET NO.

SERIAL NO.

101367,162

GROUP

366 1
REFERENCE DESIGNATION US. PATENT DOCUMENTS EXAMINER INITIAL

DOCUMENT NUMBER

DATE Mar. 28, 1995

1
I

NAME Zijderhand

I
I

CLASS

I
I

SUBCLASS
--

1
I

FILING DATE IF APPROPRIATE
--

July 23,1996
!en. !4. !99?

Mandhyan, et, al.

.

I
--

n~;.," VII.Y. *.. -+

st. -I

I
-

I

Sept. 30, 1997 June 30, 1998 Sept. 22,1998 Dec. 1, 1998 Mar. 30, 1999 July 20, 1999 Sept 28,1999 Nov. 9.1999

Pietzsch, et. al. Sm~th, et, al. Jr., Albrecht, et. al. Peterson Fastenrath Jones, et. al. Fan, et. al. Laaaenbusch. et. al.

Oct. 15, 2002

DeKock, et. al.

I
TRANSLATION

FOREIGN PATENTS

COUNTRY

OTHER ART (Including Author, Title, Date, Pertinent Pages, Etc.)

EXAMINER

DATE CONSIDERED
-

EXAMINER: Initial if reference considered, whether or not citation IS in conformance with MPEP 609; Draw line through citation if not in conformance and not considered. Include copy o f this form with next communication to applicant. , Information Disclosure Statement --PTO-1449 (Modified)

Q:\Bonnie Dillon\KLR\DeKOCK\Porm 1449 for 0006.wpd

A000353

Page 1 of 1

..

APPLICATION NUMBER

I

FlLlNGiRECElPT DATE

I

FIRST NAMED APPLICANT

I

ATTORNEY DOCKET NUMBER

101367, 162

0211312003

Bruce W. DeKock

KLR 7 1 16.0006
CONFIRMATION NO. 3015

00152 CHERNOFF, VILHAUER, MCCLUNG & STENZEL 1600 ODs TOWER 601 SW SECOND AVENUE PORTLAND, OR 97204-3157 Date Mailed: 05113/2OO3

NOTICE TO FILE CORRECTED APPLICATION PAPERS
Filing Date Granted
An application number and filing date have been accorded to this application. The application is informal since it does not comply with the regulations for the reason(s) indicated below. Applicant is given TWO MONTHS from the date of this Notice within which to correct the informalities indicated below. Extensions of time may be obtained by filing a petition accompanied by the extension fee under the provisions of 37 CFR 1.136(a). The required item@) identified below must be timely submitted to avoid abandonment:
a

Replacement claim(s) commencing on a separate sheet in compliance with 37 CFR 1.75(h) and 1.121 is required.

A copy of this notice MUST be returned with the reply.

Customer Service Center

s .q
PART 3 - OFFICE COPY

Initial Patent Examination Division (703) 308- 1202

A000354

I Filing Date
FORM
(to be used for all comspondence after initial filing)

I February 13.2003 7fA I
Brucew D e K s

First Named Invent r Group Art Unit Examiner Name
I

4.

3661

I

Marc-Coleman. M

Total Number of Pages in this Submission

Attorney Docket Number

7116.0006

Fee transmittal Fee attached form

IXI Amendment
After Final1Response

I
Assignment Papers (for an application) Drawing@) Licensing Related Papers Petition Routing Slip (PTOISB169) and Accompanying Petition Application

ENCLOSURES (check all that apply)

After Allowance Comrnunicatiol to Group

n ~ p p e aCommunication to Boarc l of Appeals and Interferences u ~ p p e aCommunication to Groul l
(Appeal Notice, Brief, Reply Brief)

~Aff~davitsl~eclaration(s)
~xtension Time Request of

q

Proprietary lnformation Status Letter Additional Enclosures

q Express Abandonment Request 1 Petition to Convert to a Provisional
lnformation Disclosure Statement Certified copy of Priority Documents Response to Missing Parts1 Incomplete Application Response to Missing Parts Under 37 CFR 1.52 or 1.53 Power of Attorney, Revocation, Change of CorrespondenceAddress Terminal Disclaimer

(identifv below)

lcknowledgment Postcard

C j Small Entity Statement
Request for Refund Remarks:
I

IRE OF APPLICANT, ATTORNEY OR AGENT 7rm or Individual Name Signature late
April 29,2003 Kevin L. Russell of Chernoff Vilhauer McClung & Stenzel, LLP

CERTIFICATE OF MAILING
I hereby certify that, on the date shown below, this correspondence is being deposited with the United States Postal Service in an envelope addressed to: Assistant Commissioner for Patents, Washington, D.C., 20231 with sufficient postage as first class mail as "Express Mail Post Office to Addressee" mailing label no.
I

I

-

Type or print name Sianature

Kevin L. Russell

Date

April 29,2003

A000355

ATTORNEY DOCKET NO. 7 116.0006

IN THE UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE PATENT APPLICATION EXAMINING OPERATIONS
Bruce W. CeKock 101367,162 February 13,2003

Applicant: Serial No: Filed:

Grow Art Uiii:
Examiner:

MAY 4 7 2003

Ec~~~m,
R 36001 ~
- -,,

Ti?!.:

SYSTE?.! FOE?PRO'lrlEI?*TC- TRAFFIC XYTPGEYWTIGU~

G

~

~

PRELIMINARY AMENDMENT
Chernoff Vilhauer McClung & Stenzel, LLP 1600 ODs Tower 601 SW Second Avenue Portland, OR 97204-3 157 April 29,2003 Commissioner for Patents P.O. Box 1450 Alexandria, VA 223 13-1450 Dear Sir:
/

Preliminary to examination, please amend the above-identified patent application as follows:

A000356

ATTORNEY DOCKET NO. 7 116.0006

Claims Amendment

In the Claims:
Please cancel claims 1-38, without prejudice. Please add the following new claims:

39.

A system for providing traffic information to a plurality of mobile users

connected to a network, comprising: a plurality of mobile user stations, each mobile user station being associated with a display, and a communicating device to allow each of said mobile user stations to send and receive signals; a computer system interconnected with another communicating device and a network, said computer system being capable of sending and receiving signals to and from said mobile user stations; said computer system including a traffic information database, said traffic information database containing data representative of traffic at a plurality of locations; at least one of said mobile user stations providing a request to said computer system for traffic information together with a signal associated with a respective geographic location of said one of said mobile user stations, and in response thereto, said computer system updating said traffic information database based on said geographic location of said one of said mobile user stations and providing to said one of said mobile user stations information representative of selected portions of said traffic

A000357

ATTORNEY DOCKET NO. 7 1 16.0006

information database based on said respective geographic location of said one of said mobile user stations; and (e) said one of said mobile user stations displaying graphically on said display information representative of selected portions of said traffic information database.

40.

The system of claim 39 wherein said computer system updates said traffic

information database based on data derived from a plurality of traffic monitors.

41.

The system of claim 40 wherein said computer system compares data from

said mobile user stations with said data derived from said traffic monitors before updating said traffic information database.

42.

The system of claim 39 wherein said at least one of said mobile user

stations is a cellular phone.

43.

The system of claim 39 wherein said mobile user station further comprises

a memory capable of storing a map database.

44.

The system of claim 43 wherein said mobile user station displays a

selected portion of said map database.

A000358

AlTORNEY DOCKET NO. 71 16.0006

45.

The system of claim 39 wherein each said mobile user station provides

longitude and latitude information to said computer system.

46.

The system of claim 39 wherein said location of said one of said mobile

user stations is displayed graphically.

47.

The system of claim 39 wherein said computer system screens data

provided by said mobile user stations to determine whether said data corresponds to actual traffic conditions.

48.

The system of claim 39 wherein said computer system fbrther comprises a

map database, and said computer system compares said signal associated with said respective geographic location of said one of said mobile user stations with said map database before updating said traffic information database,

49.

A system for providing traffic information to a plurality of mobile users

connected to a network, comprising:
(a)

a plurality of mobile user stations, each mobile user station being associated with a display, and a communicating device to allow each of said mobile user stations to send and receive signals;

(b)

a computer system interconnected with another communicating device and
a network, said computer system being capable of sending and receiving signals to and from said mobile user stations;

A000359

AITORNEY DOCKET NO. 71 16.0006

(c)

said computer system including a map database and a traffic information database, said traffic information database containing data representative of traffic at a plurality of locations;

(d)

at least one of said mobile user stations providing a signal associated with a respective geographic location of said one of said mobile user stations, and in response thereto, said computer system updating said traffic imhmation database based on said geographic location of said one of said mobile user stations; and

(e)

said computer system comparing said signal associated with said respective geographic location of said one of said mobile user stations with said map database before updating said traffic information database.

50.

The system of claim 49 wherein said at least one of said mobile user

stations is a cellular phone.

5 1.

The system of claim 49 wherein said computer system provides to said one

of said mobile user stations information representative of selected portions of said traffic information database based on said respective geographic location of said one of said mobile user stations.

52.

The system of claim 49 wherein said mobile user station comprises a

display, and said one of said mobile user stations displays graphically on said display information

A000360

AlTORNEY DOCKET NO. 71 16.0006

representative of selected portions of said traffic information database.

53.

The system of claim 49 wherein said computer system updates said traffic

information database based on data derived from a plurality of traffic monitors.

54.

The system of claim 49 wherein said mobile user station further comprises

a rncrnory capabie of storing a map database.

55.

The system of claim 54 wherein said mobile user station displays a

selected portion of said map database and a selected portion of said traffic information database.

56.

The system of claim 49 wherein each said mobile user station provides

longitude and latitude information to said computer system.

57.

The system of claim 49 wherein said location of said one of said mobile

user stations is displayed graphically.

58.

The system of claim 49 wherein said computer system screens data

provided by said mobile user stations to determine whether said data corresponds to actual traffic conditions.

A000361

A7TORNEY DOCKET NO. 71 16.0006

REMARKS
Prior to examination, please consider the new claims.

Respectfully submitted,

Reg. No. 38,292 Attorneys for Applicant Telephone: [phone]

CERTIFICATE OF MAILING
I hereby certify that this correspondence is being deposited with the United States Postal Service as first class mail postage prepaid in an envelope addressed to: Mail Stop Patent Application, Commissioner for Patents, P.O. Box 1450, Alexandria, VA 22313-1450 on April 29,2003.

Dated: April 29,2003 Kevin L. Russell

Q:Uean2UU,R\DeKock\W6Cont\Prelim. Amend .wpd

A000362

PATENT APPLICATION SERIAL NO.

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE FEE RECORD SHEET

'US. Government PrinUngm e : 2001 - 481597159173

A000363

Application or Docket Number

PATENT APPLICATION FEE DETERMINATION RECORD

Effective January 1,2003
CLAIMS AS FILED PART 1
(Column 1)
TOTAL CLAIMS
FOR
TOTAL CHARGEABLE CLAIMS INDEPENDENT CLAIMS MULTIPLE DEPENDENT CLAIM PRESENT
k 18 th- A'=----

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SMALL ENTITY TYPE 0
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OTHER THAN OR S M A L L E N I N

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NUMBER EXTRA

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uiiw arlce in coiumn i is less than zero, enter "0"n column 2 i

--

CLAIMS AS AMENDED PART II

-

L+~@,@R

TOTAL

1

OTHER THAN SMALL ENTITY OR SMALL ENTITY

Z

D 1 Total

1

1

*

If the entry in column 1 is less than the entry in column 2, write '' in column 3. 0 *If the 'Highest Number Previously Paid For' IN THlS SPACE is less than 20, enter '20.' *If the "Highest Number Previously Paid For" IN THlS SPACE is less than 3, enter '3.' The "Highesl Number Previously Paid For" (Total or Independent) is the highest numbel found in the appropriate box in column 1.
r

I
I

:OR:.'PTO-875

ID=,, lit%\

Patent and Trademark Oftice U S DEPARTMENT OF COMMFRCF

A000364

SERIAL NO.

FILING DATE

I

A000365

UTILITY PATENT APPLICATION TRANSMITTAL
(Only for new non-provisional applications under 37CFR§1.53(b))

Attorney Docket No.

KLR 7116.0006 DeKock, et al. lNFoRMATloN

hc"

First Inventor or Application identifier

s,,

-4

IsysTE~ PROVIDING
Express Mail Label No. EL 915420176 US

jw s---\
w-GN
04

e", +a e so
$

APPLICATION ELEMENTS See MPEP chapter 600 concerning utility patent appbcafion contents. *Fee Transmittal Form (e.g. PTOISBH7) (Submit an originaland a duplicafe for fee processing)
,

Commissioner for Patents B Trademarks ADDRESS TO: Box Patent Application Washington. D.C. 20231 5. Microfiche Computer Program (Appendix)

1

%

Specification

Totapages (preferred arrangement set fodh below) Descriptive ~ i l of the lnvention e - Cross References to Related Applications - Statement Regarding Federally Sponsored Research - Reference to Microfiche Appendix - Background of the lnvention - Brief Summary of the lnvention - Brief ~escriptionjofthe Drawings (iffiled) - Detailed Description - Clairn(s) -Abstract of the Disclosure

I
a.
b.

6. Nucleotide andlor Amino Acid Sequence Submission (if applicable, all necessary) Computer readable copy Paper copy (identical to computer copy) Statement verifying identity of above copies ACCOMPANYING APPLICATION PARTS 7. 8. Assignment Papers (cover sheet & document(s)) 37 CFR §3.73(b) Statement when there is an assignee Power of Attorney

c.

9
.

English translation document (ifapplicable) Information Disclosure Statement (IDS) IPTO
of IDS Citations

5 Drawing@) (35 USC 113)

rota1 Pages

14

10. 1449

Oath or Declaration a. [? Newly executed (original or copy) b. [XI Copy from a prior application (37 CFR §1.63(d)) (for continuation/divisional with Box 16 completed)

11.

Preliminary Amendment

I J 12. Y Return Receipt Postcard (MPEP 503) (should be specifically itemized)
13. *Small Entity Statements (PTO/sb/OS-12) Statement filed in prior application. Status still proper and desired.

1.

Deletion of Inventor(s) Signed statement attached deleting inventor(s) named in the prior application, see 37,CFR .53(d)(2) and 1.33(b)

!

14.

8
HContinuation
-~-~

Certified Copy of Priority Docurnent(s) (if foreign priority is claimed)

Note for Items 18 13, In order to be entitled to pay small 15. Other ntity fees, a smalt enhty statement is required (37 CFR $1.27), xcept if one filedin a prior applicat~on relied upon (37 CFR is 1.28) 6. If a CONTINUING APPLICATION, check appropriate box, and supply the requwte mformat~on below and In a prel~m~naryarnendment
Divisional Continuation-in-part (CIP) of prior application No.:10/218,850 Prior application info'rmat~on: Examiner Marc Coleman Group No.lArt Unit 3661 or CONTINUATION or DIVISIONAL APPS only: The ent~re disclosure of the prior application, from which an oath or declaration is supplied under ox4b, is considered a part of the disclosure of the accompandna continuation or divisional application and is herebv incorporated bv reference.
--

lame ddress :ity :ountry

Kevin L. Russell 601 SW Second Ave.. Suite 1600 Portland
USA

PATENT TRADEMARK OFFICE

State

OR 1(503)227-5631
I

Zip Code 97204-3157

1Telephone

1FAX

1(503)228-4373

Name (print type) Signature

I Kevin L. Russell

,

I Reg~strationNo.

I

1 38.292
I

Date

February 13,2003

A000366

FEE TRANSMITTAL for FY 2003
Patent fees are subiect to annual revision.

Complete If Known pplication Number Filing Date First Named Inventor IExaminer Name

I
Concurrently herewith DeKock. et al.

I
KLR 71 16.0006

I

a

Applicant claims small entity status. See 37CFR
TOTAL AMOUNT OF PAYMENT

1.27
$537

Art Unit
Attorney Docket No.

I

METHOD O F PAYMENT (check all that apply)

I

FEE CALCULATION (continued)

( 3. ADDITIONAL FEES

a Deposit Account
051

Fee Description

Fee Paid

..
130p1

..

65 Surcharge - late filing fee or oath 25 Surcharge-lateprovisionalf i h g fee or cover
sheet

he Commissioner is authorized to:(check all that apply) ]charge fees indicated below U c r e d l t any OverPaPents

053 130 1053 130 Non-Englishspecification 812 2,520 1812 2,520 Forfiling a request for ex-parte reexamination 804 920' 1804

] Charge any additional fee(s) during the pendency of this
application
]Charge any fee(s) indicated below, except for the filing fee to the above-identified deposit account. FEE CALCULATION

I

920' Requesting publication of SIR prior lo Examlner
actlon

1840' Requesting publication of SIR after Examiner
actlon

. BASIC FILING FEE
arge Entity mall Enbty Fee Descriptian Fee Paid

001 002 003 004 005

750 330 520 750 160

2001 2002 2003 2004 2005

375 165 260 375 80

Utilityfdingfee Design f~ling fee Plant filing fee Reissue filing fee Provisional filmg fee SUBTOTAL (1)

55 Extension for reply within first month 205 Extension for reply within second month 465 Extension for reply within third month 725 Extensionfor reply within fourth month 985 Extensionfor reply withln fifth month 160 Notice of Appeal
160 Filing a brlef In support of an appeal

$375

. EXTRA CLAIM FEES FOR UTILITY AND REISSUE
ota claims idep. Claims ar e Enti :ode
($)

B: ;E;liEl ;
Extra Claims Fee from below Fee Paid mall Enti

140 Request for oral hearing 1,510 Petition to institute a public use proceeding 55 Petition to revive - unavoidable 650 Petition to revive - unintentional 650 Utility issue fee (or reissue) 235 Design issue fee 315 Plant issue fee 1460 1807 1806 3021 1809 130 50 180 40 1460 1807 1806 8021 130 Petitions to the Commissioner 50 Processing fee under 37 CFR 1.17(q) 180 Submission of Information Disclosure Stmt 40 Recording each patent assignment per property
(times number of properties)
(37 C.F.R 1.129(a))

lultiple Dependent

Code

750 2809 750 2810 750 2801 900 1802

375 Filing a submission after final rejection
invention to be examined (37 375 For each add~t~onal CFR 1.129(b))

201 84 2201

203 280 12203 140 Multiple dependent claim, if not paid 2204 42 "Reissue independent claims over
original patent

I
I

42

independent claims in excess of 3

1810 1801 1802

375 Request for Continued Examination (RCE) 900 Request for expedited examination of a design
application

2205

9

'Reissue claims in excess of 20 and over orlainal oatent -. SUBTOTAL

Olher fee (specify) Reduced by Basic Fil

(2)

Jame (print type)
;ignature

I

Kevin L. Russell

I
I

Registration No.

1
I

38.292

lielephone
Date

1

[phone]

I

A000367

CERTIFICATE O F MAILING BY EXPRESS MAIL

Express Mail No.: Date of Deposit:

EL 915420176 US

February 13,2003

I hereby certlfl that the patent application attached hereto entitled SYSTEM

FOR PROVIDING TRAFFIC INFORMATION, DeKock, et al., inventors, is being deposited

with the United States Postal Service "Express Mail Post Oflice to Addressee" service on the date indicated above and is addressed to, The Honorable Commissioner for Patents, Box Patent Application, Washington, D.C. 2023 1.

A000368

'

SYSTEM FOR PROVIDING TRAFFIC INFORMATION

5

This application is a Continuation of U.S.Application No. 101218,850, filed August 14, 2002; which additionally is a Continuation of U.S. Application No. 091550,476, filed on April 14, 2000; which additionally is a Continuation of U.S. Application No. 091352,156, filed July 12, 1999; which claims the benefit 0fU.S. ~rovisional Application No. 601130,399 filed April 19, 1999; U.S. Provisional

10

Application No. 601166,868 filed November 22, 1999; and U.S. Provisional Application No. 60118?,9l3 filed March 16, 2000.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a system for providing traffic information, and more particularly a system for providing traffic information to a plurality of mobile 15 users connected to a network. Commuters have a need for information relating to the congestion and traffic which they may encounter on a commute over a road, a highway, or a freeway. Unfortunately, the prior art methods of providing traffic information to commuters do not allow commuters to evaluate the extent to which there is congestion on a highway on 20 which the commuter may wish to travel. One known method of providing traffic information consists of radio reports. A radio station may broadcast traffic reports, such as hom a helicopter that monitors traffic conditions over portions of a freeway. Unfortunately, these reports are usually intermittent in nature. Accordingly, to hear the report, the commuter must be 25 listening to the radio station at the time the report is being broadcast on the radio.

A000369

2

5

Further, the extent of the information provided is severely limited to broad generalizations. For example, the information provided during the broadcast may be limited to the area being currently viewed by the reporter, or the information may be based on a previous view at a prior time of another portion of the heeway. Some broadcasts may include multiple observers of different portions of the freeway, yet these

10

systems also provide incomplete information relating to overall traffic patterns. In addition, the information provided is vague, subjective, and usually limited to broad generalities relating to traffic flow. Another known traffic information system is provided by television broadcasts. In these systems, television stations may mount video cameras pointed at

15

certain portions of a freeway, or may broadcast video images hom a helicopter. The television station may periodically broadcast traflic reports and include in the traffic report a view of different portions of the freeway from the video cameras. Again, this system provides little usehl ~nformation a commuter. The commuter must be to watching the broadcast at the time the information is being transmitted. However, by the

20

time the commuter actually gets into his vehicle and enters a potentially congested area, the traffic may have changed. Further, the information provided is limited to those areas where the traffic is being monitored and may consist of stale information. Often the video image is limited to a small portion of the road, and shows traffic flowing in a single direction.

25

Yet another method to provide traffic information is to provide a website that is accessible using the Internet that contains traffic information. WIde these types of systems have the advantage of providing more up to date information, these systems typically provide a map for a large area. Thus, for a person commuting in a car, the system displays traffic information for many areas not of interest to the commuter. In

30

addition, these types of systems require manipulation by the commuter to find the

A000370

3
5 relevant traffic information. For example, whde the map may allow the commuter to zoom in on a particular area, the user must provide inputs to the system to instruct the system to zoom in on a particular area. However, a commuter who is actively driving cannot operate a computer and drive at the same time, In addition, these systems may rely on manual entry of data received &om subjective traffic reports andfor traffic

10

sensors. Thus this method may additionally suffer fiom added cost due to manual labor, incorrect entry of data, and slow response to quickly changing traffic conditions. Fan et al., U.S. Patent No. 5,959,577, disclose a system for processing position and travel related information through a data processing station on a data network. In particular, Fan et al. teach the use of a GPS receiver to obtain a measured

15

position fur of a mobile unit. The measured position fur is reported to the data processing station which associates the reported position with a map of the area. Typically, the measured position of the mobile unit is marked and identified by a marker on the map. The area rriap is then stored in the data processing station and made available for access by authorized monitor units or mobile units. An authorized monitor unit may request a

20

specific area map. This permits shipping companies to monitor the location of their fleet and permits the mobile units to identlfy their current location in relation to a map, which is particularly suited for the application of navigation to a particular destination. In addition, Fan et al. teach that the measured position data transmitted from the mobile units may be used to calculate the speeds at which the vehicles travel. The collective

25

speed data from the mobile units is then available for use by the monitor units, such as those at the shipping company, to route the vehicles away from traffic congestions and diversions.' In this manner, the dispatcher at the shipping company, to which Fan et al. teaches the data is available to, may use the collective speed data to decide which vehicles to contact in order-to reroute them.

A000371

5
!

Westerlage et al., US.Patent Nos. 5,097,377 and 5,987,377, disclose a system for determining an expected time of arrival of a vehicle equipped with a mobile unit. Zijderhand, U S . Patent No. 5,402,117, discloses a method of collecting traffic information to determine an origin-destination matrice without infringing upon the

10

privacy of the users. Mandhyan et al., U.S. Patent No. 5,539,645, is related to monitoring movement of traffic along predetermined routes, where individual moving elements can move with a high degree of discretion as to speed except when congestion, accident or the like h t speeds. Mandhyan et al. uses the deployment of calibrant vehicles for

15

collecting and reporting information which describes vehicle speeds actually being experienced along the routes of interest where the data are processed statistically as a hnction of the time of day. The output provides baseline data against which observations at a particular time, category, weather, event, and location can be compared, to identify the existence of abnormal conditions, and to quantify the abnormality. To

20

determine abnormal conditions, Mandhyan et al, teach the use of probe vehicles. In particular, Mandhyan et al. is applicable to monitoring the flow of motor vehicles along roads whch are subject to delays of sufficient frequency and severity that correction action or dissemination of infornlation announcing a delay are economically desirable. Unfortunately, the use of probe vehicles may be expensive and the relevancy of the data

25

is limited to the availability of the probe vehicles. Lappenbusch et al., U.S. Patent No. 5,982,298, disclose a traffic information system having servers that makes traffic data, images, and video clips available to a user interface on client devices. Lappenbusch et al, envision that the client devices are personal or desktop computers, network computers, set-top boxes, or

30

intelligent televisions. The user interface includes a road map showing a plurality of road

A000372

5
5

segments that a user can interactively select. Vehicular speed information is provided to the system from traffic sensors monitoring the trafic. In addition, the user interface has a road image area that changes as the user selects dfierent road segments to show recent images of a currently selected road segment. Unfortunately, the system taught by Lappenbusch et al. is complicated to operate and requires significant user interaction to

10

provide relevant data, which is suitable for such "stationary" traditional computing devices. Smith, Jr. et al., U.S. Patent No. 5,774,827, disclose a system to alleviate the need for sophisticated route guidance systems, where the commuter has a positioning system as well as a map database in a car. A central facility receives and stores current

15

traffic information for preselected commuter routes from various current traffic information sources, such as local police authorities, toll-way authorities, spotters, or sensors deployed on the road ways to detect traffic flow. To achieve the elimination of sophisticated route guidance systems a portable device receives a travel time only for preselected commuter routes fiom the central facility. In this manner, Smith, Jr. et al.

20

teach that each user receives only the traffic information that is relevant to the user's preselected commuter routes. If desired, the preselected commuter routes may be presented as a set of route segments, where each of the segments is coded to indicate commute time. In response, the user may choose an alternative route known by him that is different from any preselected commuter routes. Smith, Jr. et al. further suggest that a

25

GPS enabled portable unit for transmitting a present position of the portable device to the central facdity such that the central facility uses each present position to calculate at least a portion of the current travel information. By matching multiple positions of the portable divice with known positions on the preselected route and measuring the time between two consecutive matched positions the central facility can obtain up-to-the

30

minute traffic information to be used in broadcasting hture travel times to other users of

A000373

6

preselected commuter routes. Unfortunately, the system taught by Smith, Jr. et al. requires the user to defme a set of preselected commuter routes for each route to be traveled, which may be difficult if the user is unfarmliar with the area. In addition, Smith, Jr, et al, teach that the user should select alternative routes that are known to the user, presumably if the commute time of the preselected commuter routes are too long, which is difficult if the user is not already familiar with the area. Pietzsch et al., U.S. Patent No. 5,673,039, disclose a system for dynamic monitoring of the total trafic in a stretch of road equipped with monitoring and mforrnation-provision system, as well as warnings to drivers, and hence the possibility of regulating the traffic. The system does not require that the vehcles be equipped with appropriate sensors and transmitting equipment. Akutsu et al., U.S. Patent No. 5,987,374, disclose a vehicle traveling guidance system that includes data providing devices laid on a road and a vehicle. The vehicle includes a data transmitter for sending a data providing device trawling data of the vehicle when the vehicle passes over the vicinity of the data providing device and a data receiver for receiving data sent from the data providing device. The traveling data may include vehicle pass time or vehicle pass time and speed. The data providing devices laid on the road include a receiver for receiving the traveling data from the vehicle and a transmitter for sending other passing vehicles the traveling data. A control center communicating through the data providing devices laid on the road can use the received trafic data from the vehicles to predict the occurrence of traffic congestion based on the pass time and speed of a vehicle. It is assumed that at a certain point, vehicles were traveling smoothly at a certain time and the speed of each vehicle has decreased drastically at the next time. In this case it is expected that traffic congestion will occur in the vicinity of that point. Therefore, smooth travel can be achieved by, for examplc, communicating to each vehicle data etc. indicating bypasses in order not to

A000374

5

worsen traffic congestion. Therefore, a vehicle operator can gain knowledge of the traveling state of a vehicle which has already passed over that point and adjust travel considering traffic flow. While all of the above systems provide some degree of traffic ~nformation for a comyuter, nevertheless the above systems do not provide an efficient method of

10

collecting and presenting objective traffic information to a commuter. What is desired, therefore, is a system for providing traffic information which allows a commuter to obtain information at any time desired by the commuter, that provides information relating to a plurality of points along a road, that provides information relating to dif3erent trafic levels, that provides information that is particularly relevant to the
1

15

commuter, and that provides the information in an easily understood format that may be easily utilized by a commuter while driving.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention overcomes the limitations of the prior art by providing i system for providing traffic information to a plurality of users connected to a

20

network. In a fust aspect the present invention provides a system comprised of a plurality of traffic monitors, each comprising at least a traffic detector and a transmitter, the trafic detector generating a signal in response to vehicular traffic and the transmitter transnlitting the signal. The system also includes a receiver that receives the signals from the traffic monitors. A conlputer system is connected to the receiver and is also

25

connected to the network. The computer system, in response to a request signal receivcd from one of the users, transmits in response thereto information representative of the signals transmitted by the traffic monitors. In a second separate aspect of the invention, a system provides traffic information to a plurality ofusers connected to a network. Traffic is detected at each of a

A000375

8
5

plurality of locations along a road and a signal is generated at each of the locations reprcsentative of the trafic at each of the locations. Each of the signals is transmitted from cach of the plurality of locations to a receiver. These signals are sent fiom the receiver to a conlputcr system. The computer system receives a request fiom one of thc users for traffic information. In response to the request, the computer system transmits information representative of the trafic at each of the plurality of locations to the user, In a third separate aspect of the invention, a system provides traffic information to a plurality of users connected to a network. The system comprises a plurality of mobile user stations, each mobile user station being associated with the display, a global positioning system receiver and a communicating device to allow each of the mobile user stations to send and receive signals. A computer system is interconnected with another communicating device in the network. The computer system is capable of sending and receiving signals to the mobile user stations using the other communicating device in the network. The computer system maintains a map database and a traffic information database. The traffic information database contains information

20

representative of traffic data at a plurality of locations. At least one of the mobile user stations provides a request to the computer system for information together with the respective geographic location of the mobile user station. In response to the request, the computer system provides to the mobile user station information representative of selected portions of the map database and selected portions of the traffic information

25

database based on the respective geographic location of the requesting mobile user station. The mobile user station then displays graphically on the display dormation representative of selected portions of the map database and selected portions of the traffic information database. The trafic information database may be derived from information

30

obtained fiom stationary traffic monitors, mobile user stations, or a combination thereof.

A000376

9
The mobile user station allows traffic information to be displayed in a variety of manners. The display can also show graphically the location of the car on the display. The user may select among different modes for displaying traffic information on the display. The various aspects of the present invention have one or more of the following advantages. The present invention allows a commuter to obtain trafic
10

information at any time, without waiting for a report to bc broadcast. The present invention also allows detailed information relating to traffic conditions based on measurements of the traffic, such as the average vehicular speed or traffic density, to be supplied for a plurality of locations along a road. The invention also allows the convenient display of information in a readily understood form to the user, such as a

15

graphical display.

The foregoing and other features and advantages of the

invention will be more readily understood upon consideration of the following detailed description of the invention, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 shows a schematic of an exemplary embodiment of a system for

20

providing trafic information.

FIG. 2 shows a front elevational view of an exemplary trafic monitor. FIG. 3 shows an exemplary display for a user station. FIG. 4 shows a schematic view of an exemplary embodunent of a mobile
user unit of the present invention. 25

FIG. 5 is a partial electrical schematic for a traffic monitor of FIG. 2. FIG. 6 is an alternative exemplary display.

A000377

10 FIG. 7 shows a schematic view of another exemplary embodiment of a series of trafiic monitors along a road. FIG. 8 shows another exemplary display for a user station. FIG. 9 is a flow chart for a method of processing video data to yield traffic information. 10

FIG. 10 is a flow chart for an alternative method ofprocessing video data
to yield traffic information. FIG. 11 is a schematic represcntation of a road system having traffic sensors and vehicles at different locations along the road. FIG. 12 is a combined map and traffic information database representative

15

of the road system depicted in FIG. 11.
'

FIG. 13 is an exemplary embodiment of a centered display. FIG. 14 is an exemplary embodiment of an offset display. FIG. 15 is an exemplary embodiment of a look ahead display. FIG. 16 is a schematic diagram of a mobile user station having alternative

20

mechanisms for inputting commands to the user station.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring now to the figures, wherein like numerals refer to like elements, FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of the system 10 for providing trafic information to a plurality of user stations 52 connected to a network 50. A plurality of trafic monitors 20

25

are arranged at spaced apart locations along a road 12. The trafiic monitors 20 measure traffic information by detecting the speed (velocity) or hequency of vehicles traveling along the road (freeway or highway) 12. For example, in one embodiment, the traffic monitors 20 may detect the speed of individual vehicles 14 traveling along the road 12.

A000378

11 Alternatively, the traffic monitors 20 may measure the frequency with which the individual vehicles 14 pass specified points along the road 12.

FIG. 2 shows a front elevational view of an exemplary embodiment of a
I

traffic monitor 20. The traffic monitor 20 has a detector 22 for measuring or otherwise sensing traffic. FIG. 2 shows two dfferent embodiments 22A and 22B of a detector 22. The detector 22 may be any type of measuring device which is capable of measuring or otherwise sensing traffic and generating a signal representative of or capable of being used to determine the traffic conditions. For example, the detector 22 could measure the average speed of the vehicles (cars or trucks) 14 at locations along the road 12, or it could measure the individual speed (velocities) of each vehicle 14. The detector 22 may detect vehicle frequency, that is, the frequency at which vehicles pass a certain point, or may measure traffic flow, consisting of the number of vehicles passing a certain point for a unit of time (e.g., vehicles per second). The detector 22 may use any suitable technique to measure traffic conditions (data). For example, in one embodiment, the detector 22A could employ radio waves, light waves (optical or infixed), microwaves, sound waves, analog signals, digital signals, doppler shifts, or any other type of system to measure traffic conditions (data). In one embodiment, the detector 22A uses a transmitted beam to measure the velocity of the vehicles 14 passing along the road 12, such as with a conmercial radar gun or speed detector conlmonly used by police. Alternatively, the detector 22A may detect when cars having magnetic tags or markers pass. The detector 22A may e'ither detect signals reflected from the vehicle or signals transmitted by the vehicles. The traffic monitor 20 is shown with an alternative embodiment 22B consisting of one or more pressure sensitive detectors which extends across the road 12. Preferably two spaced apart detectors are positioned at a predetermined spacing to make the velocity determination readily available. The pressure sensitive detector 22B detects

A000379

12
5 when a vehicle passes over the detector 22B. Such a pressure sensitive detector may be used alone or in combination with detector 22A to measure the frequency or speed (velocity) of the traffic passing along thc road 12. Likewise, the detector 22A may be used alone or in combination with the detector 22B to measure the frequency or speed (velocity) of the traffic passing along the road 12. Alternatively, detector 22B could be a

10

wire loop buried in the road to measure changing magnetic fields as vehicles pass over the loop. The detector 22 may measure trafic conditions in a single lane of a freeway or road, or may measure average trafiic information across several lanes. The detector 22 could also be embedded in each lane of a road or freeway, such as with a

15

pressure sensitive detector 22B. Alternatively, individual detectors could be embedded in a roadway which would sense signals or conditions generated by passing vehicles. For example, each vehicle could include a magnet or could include a signaling device which would be detected by the detector, which could be an electromagnetic sensor or a signal receiver.

20

Referring to FIG. 5, the traffic monitors 20 may also include a processor and a memory for collecting, processing, and storing traf5c information provided by the detector 22. The traffic monitor 20 preferably hrther includes a transmitter 26 for transmitting the traffic information collected by the detector 22. The transmitter 26 may

25

be any type of device capable of transmitting or otherwise providing data in either digital or analog form, either through the air or through a conductor. For example, the transmitted could be a digital or analog cellular transmitter, a radio transmitter, a nlicrowave transmitter, or a transmitter connected to a wire, such as a coaxial cable or a telephone line. The transmitter 26 is shown as transmitting the signals through the air to

30

a receiver 30. Alternatively, the transmitter 26 could transmit the data to an intermediate

A000380

13 receiver before being transmitted to the receiver 30. For example, several traffic monitors 20 could transmit traffic information in a daisy chain manner from one end of a road 12 to the last traffic monitor 20 at the other end of the road before being transmitted to receiver 30. To facilitate this type of transmission most traffic monitors 20 would require a receiver. Alternatively, one or more traffic monitors 20 could transmit data to 10 other traffic monitors 20, which in turn transmit the data to the receiver 30. In order to conserve power, the transmitter 26 and the detectors 22 preferably transmit and sense information periodically rather than continuously. Further, the traffic information generated by the detector 22 is preferably averaged, or otherwise statistically modified, over a period of time so as to l i t the amount of data that needs to be transmitted and

15

increase its accuracy.

In one embodiment, the traffic monitoring unit 20 may further include a
video camera 29. The video camera 29 is also connected to the transmitter 26, so that the transmitter 26 may transmit signals corresponding to the image sensed by the video camera 29. Alternatively, the traffic monitors 20 may be replaced by video cameras 29. 20 Multiple images may be obtained by a video camera and the speed of the vehicles 14 determined based on image analysis of multiple frames fiom the video camera(s). One preferred type of monitor 20 utilizes signals from a digital video camera to provide the traffic information. Traffic-related information may be obtained by analyzing the video sequences from the monitoring video cameras 29. The 25 information may include how fast the traffic moves and how congested the road is. The speed of the traffic may be derived by measuring the speed of vehicles in the video. The degree of congestion may be estimated by counting the number of vehicles in the video. This invention provides two algorithms for estimating traffic speed and road congestion based on video input.

A000381

5

The first algorithm is based on optical flow and ils flow diagram is shown in Figure 9. First, the algorithm performs camera calibration based on the input video of the road and the physical measurements of certain markings on the road. Then the algorithm (1) takes a number of frames from the input video; (2) computes oplical flow;

(3) estimates camera motion which may be caused by wind, etc., (4) estinlates
10 independent vehicle motion after compensating the camera motion; (5) estimates traffic speed based on the averaged vehicle motion and the camera parameters obtained from the camera calibration step; estimates road congestion by counting the number of independent motion components; and (6) outputs the estimated speed and congestion results. The second algorithm is based on motion blob tracking and its bock diagram is shown in Figure 10. First, the algorithm performs camera calibration based on the input video of the road and the physical measurements of certain markings on the road. The algorithm (1) takes a number of frames from the input video; (2) estimates camera motion; (3) detects independent motion blobs after compensating the camera 20 motion; (4) tracks motion blobs; (5) estimates traffic speed based on the averaged blob motion and the camera parameters obtained from the camera calibration step; estimates road congestion by counting the number of independent motion blobs; and (6) outputs thc estimated speed and congestion results. Traffic monitor 20 further includes a power supply 24. The power supply 25 24 is preferably a battery, or may alternatively be a power line, such as a 12 or 120 volt power line. The traffic monitor 20 is shown with an optional solar power supply 28. The power supply 24 or 28 provides the power necessary for the detectors 22A and/or 22B, the transmitter 26, and any other electronics, such as a computer system and/or video camera.

A000382

15 5

The receiver 30 receives the signals &om the traffic monitors 20 andor video cameras 29. The receiver 30 may be any device capable of receiving information (data) such as in either an analog or a digital form. For example, the receiver 30 may be a digital or analog cellular receiver, a standard phone, a radio receiver, an antenna, or a data port capable of receiving analog or digital information, such as that transmitted

10

pursuant to a data protocol. The receiver 30 receives the information from the traffic monitors 20 andor video cameras 29 and passes that information to a computcr system 40. The computer system 40 preferably includes a processor (such as a general purpose processor,

ASIC, DSP, etc.), a clock, a power supply, and a memory. The computer system 40
15

preferably has a port 42, or any type of interconnection, to interconnect the computer system 40 with the network 50. Preferably, the computer system 40 includes information representative of the road 12 along which the traffic monitors 20 are located, such as a map database. The computer system 40 receives the traffic lnformation transnlitted by the respective traffic monitors 20. The information transmitted by the traffic monitors 20

20

includes the location or identification of each particular traffic monitor 20 together with the data representative of the traffic data provided by the detector 22 andor video camera 29 at each traffic monitor 20. The computer system 40 may manipulate the traffic information in some manner, as necessary, so as to provide average speeds or other statistical data. In the event of video, the computer system 40 may process the images to

25

determine the speed of vehcles. Also, the video may be provided. Alternatively, the user stations may process the traffic information.
'

In one embodiment, both the receiver 26 of the traffic monitors and the

transmitter 30 of computer system are each capable of receiving and transmitting data. This allows for two way communication between the monitor 20 and the computer

30

system 40.i Thus, the computer system 40 could remotely operate the traffic monitor 20

A000383

5

to change settings, diagnose problems, and otherwise provide input to traffic monitor 20 to facilitate collection of traffic data. For example, the video camera 29 could be remotely positioned to view a traffic lane of interest. Traffic information may be provided to users in any suitable manner, such as the examples that follow. A user station 52 is connected to the network 50.

10

Preferably, the user station 52 includes a graphic display unit 54 (see FIG, 3). For example, the user station 52 may be a standard personal computer with a display monitor 54. The nytwork 50 is preferably the Internet. However, the network 50 could also be a local area network or any other type of closed or open network, or could also be the telephone network. The user station 52 sends a signal over the nctwork 50 to the

15

computer system 40 requesting traffic information. In response to receiving a request from the user station 52, the computer system 40 transmits traffic information representative of the traffic information collected by the various traffic monitors 20 to the requesting user station 52. The computer system 40 may transmt average speeds detected by each of the traffic monitors 20 at each of their respective locations. The

20

traffic information may be presented to the user as a web page. The computer system may send traffic information corresponding to only some of the traffic monitors. The user may select which portions of the road 12 are of interest, and the computer system 40 may transmit traffic infornlation corresponding to that portion of the road 12.
3

FIG. 3 shows an exemplary display 54 displaying the traflic information

25

provided by the computer system 40. The computer system 40 provides data from its memory which is representative of the road 12, such as data from a map database, which is displayed as a road 112 on the display 54. The computer system 40 also provides traffic information collected by each, or a selected set, of the respective traffic monitors 20 which is displayed in portions 114a-114d andlor the traffic information derived fiom

30

individual mobile user stations having a global positioning system locator as described in

A000384

17
detail below. In the exemplary display shown in FIG. 3, the portions 114a-114d display dif'ferent colors or patterns representative of average vehicle speeds (for example, in miles per hour) along different portions of the road 112. Of course, the display may display other types of information, such as trafic flow (vehicles per second) or vehicle frequency. The display 54 may include information in either graphical or text format to indicate the portion of the road displayed, such as location of milepost markers or place names 116. While the display 54 shows one format for displaying the mformation, other formats for presenting the information may likewise be used, as desired. It is not necessary to provide a graphical representation of the road 12. Instead, informatlon could be provided in a textual manner, such as, for example, mile post locations for each of the traffic monitors 20 and presenting textual traffic information for each location. Thus, the system may operate as follows. The traffic monitors 20 detect or otherwise sense traffic to provide trafic mformation. The traffic monitors 20 may detect or otherwise calculate vehicle speed, average vehicle speed, traffic flow, vehicle frequency, or other data representative of the traffic. The traffic monitors 20 may sample either continuously, or may sample at intervals to conserve power. The transmitter 26 transmits the signals provided by the traffic monitors 20 to the receiver 30 either continuously or at mtervals. Such signals may be either transmitted directly to the receiver 30, or may be transmitted through other traffic monitors 20. The receiver 30 receives the signals received by the various traffic monitors 20 and passes these signals to the computer system 40. The computer system 40 receives the data from the traffic monitors 20. The computer system may calculate or process the traffic information for the users, as necessary. It is not necessary for the traffic monitors 20 to calculate traffic data, if desired. In response to a request fiom a user station 52, the computer system 40 provides the traffic information over the network 50 to the user station 52.

A000385

I

18 The system 10 has many advantages. It allows a user to receive

contemporaneous traffic information &om a plurality of locations. It allows the user to obtain immediate information rather than waiting for the broadcast of information at specified times. Further, the amount of information provided by the system is far superior to that provided by any other trafic reporting system. A user can obtain immediate .and contemporaneous traffic conditions, such as average vehicular speed, trafic flow, or vehicle frequency, for a plurality of locations along a road. Where traffic monitors are provided along several different roads, a commuter may then select among the various alternative routes, depending on the traffic conditions for each road. The system also does not rely on the manual input of information, and thus provides 15 information more accurately and more quickly. It also eliminates subjective descriptions of traffic information by providing measured data representative of traffic conditions.
.

In one embodiment, the computer system 40 also receives the signals

generated by the video cameras 29 at the respective traffic monitors 20. FIG. 3 shows an exemplary display 54 in which a video image 129 is provided. In this embodiment, the 20 user may select from which traffic monitoring unit 20 the video image 129 is to be received from. For example, a user could initially select to view the image generated by the video qamera at a fust location, and then later view the image transmitted by another video camera 29, preferably at another traffic monitor 20, at a different location. The system 10 preferably further includes the ability to send mcssages 25 about road conditions. FIG. 3 shows such an exemplary message 130 in text format. The computer system 40 is capable of storing data messages and transmitting the data messages with the traffic information. The data messages would indicate items of part~cularinterest to the commuter. For example, the text message 130 could indicate that there was an accident at a particular location or milepost, that construction was 30 occurring at another location or milepost, or that highway conditions were particularly

A000386

5

severe and that alternative routes should be selected. The system 10 could provide nlultiple messages through which the user could scroll so as to receive different messages

in addition to the traffic information received from the various traffic monitors 20. In
another embodiment, the user station 52 includes a voice synthesizer capable of reading the messages to the user. , In yet another embodiment, the system 10 may also provide additional graphical information relating to traflic conditions. For example, the computer system 40 could transmit the location of an accident or construction site along the road 12. The information would be displayed on display 54 as an icon or other symbol at the location
I

10

indicating the presence of an accident or hghway construction. Such an icon is shown at 140 in FIG. 3. Alternatively, the computer system could also display an icon representative of a restaurant, gas station, hospital, rest area, or roadside attraction. In such a system, the computer system would contain or be linked to a database containing such information. The lnforrnation could be displayed automatically, or in response to a request for such information from a user. 20 In another exemplary embodiment, the computer system 40 automatically generates traffic reports to be sent to the user station 52 at predetermined times. For example, a:user may indicate that it wishes to receive a traffic report every morning at

7:30 a.m. The computer system 40 automatically sends to the user station 52 at the
predetermined time (7:30 a.m., for example) the traffic information collected from the 25 traffic monitoring units 20. The information could be sent to be displayed, such as in FIG. 3, or could be sent alternatively in a text or graphical format via e-mail. The traffic report ma$ also be provided in a format specific to the user's geographic region and/or user's drivhg habits, such as anticipated (potential) route to be traveled. The computer system 40 may also automatically send the traffic information to a display in the user's

30

vehicle in response to some event, such as turning on the vehicle, tinze, key press, etc.

A000387

20 In another embodiment, the computer system 40 allows a user to calculate the amount of time necessary to travel fiom one location to another location along the road 12. The user sends a request to the computer system 40 indicating the two locations along the road along whch travel is desired. The user may, for example, indicate on the display by highlighting the two locations on the road 112 using a computer mouse. Alternatively, the two locations may include the user's current location, as determmed by

a vehicle based GPS system, so that only the destination needs to be entered. The
computer system 40 then calculates the anticipated amount of time it will take to travel &om one point to the other point based upon the traffic data collected by the various traffic monitors 20 between the two locations. In addition, the system may calculate alternativeiroutes in order to determine the fastest route in view of the traffic information. The computer system 40 then sends a signal back to the user station 52 to indicate the amount of time that the travel fiom the first to the second location will take. The route determined as the best may be overlaid on a map to assist the user in travel. In yet another embodiment of the invention, FIG. 7 shows a divided heeway with vehicle traffic flowing in opposite directions in each of the divided sections. Each section of the freeway 12 has multiple lanes 12A-12C. The traffic monitors 20 measure traffic in each of the lanes 12A-12C of each section 12 of the divided freeway. The monitors 20 may measure traffic on only one portion of the divided fieeway, or may measure traffic conditions in each of the lanes of each of the sections of the divided freeway. The monitor used to measure traffic in multiple lanes may be a digital video camera.
I

FIG. 8 shows yet another embodiment of a display 54, which displays

traffic information for each individual lane of the divided fieeway shown in FIG. 7. For examplc, in display 54, the traffic conditions in each individual lane 112A-112C is displayed for the road section 112. By displaying conditions for each particular lane, the

A000388

21 5 system has the advantage of allowing the user to anticipate particular lane problems which may occur ahead, such as a wreck 140 in lane 112C. In addition, in an alternative embodiment, the display 54 is capable of displaying the individual location of each individual vehicle on the road 112. FIG. 4 shows an alternative embodiment of a user station 52. User station 52 is a mobile unit in a car 60. User station 52 has transmitting andfor receiving units 64 for communicating with the network 50. Such transmitting and receiving units 64 may be any devices capable of transmitting digital or analog data, such as, for example, a digital or analog cellular phone. The user station 52 may also be contained

within a car 60 that further mcludes an associated global positioning system (GPS) receiver 62. The GPS receiver 62 receives signals from GPS satellites 70 which enable the GPS receiver to determine its location. When a commuter requests traffic information using the nlobile user station 52, the request for trafic information may mclude the location of the user as determed by the GPS receiver 62. When the computer system 40 receives this request, it provides trafic information back to the mobile user station 52 based on the location of the car 60 as provided by the GPS receiver 62. Alternatively, the computer system 40 may provide trafic information to the user station 52 which in combination with the position determined by the GPS receiver

62 displays suitable data to the user on a display or audibly. The user station may also be
a cellular phone with an integrated or associated GPS.

FIG. 6 shows a representative display of the traffic information provided
by the computer system 40. The mformation provided is essentially the same as that shown in FIG. 3, except that thc display 54 contains at 161 the position of the car 60. The mobile user station 52 provides a significant advantage in that it allows the commuter to immediately determine traffic information in the commuter's immediate

30

vicinity based on the commuter's present location. The commuter does not have to wait

A000389

22 5
for a periodic traffic report. Further, traffic conditions are provided at a plurality of locations, and the information is contemporaneous. Based on the receipt of such information, the commuter may decide to use an alternate route rather than continue on the current freeway. Thus, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, the system provides the
10

relevant traffic ~nformation the commuter or user on a timely basis. The display may to be tailored to provide the information for the current location of the commuter, together with the upcoming traffic that lies ahead. In a preferred embodiment, the system obtains traffic information from users that have a GPS receiver 62. In this system, whenever a user station 52 requests

15

traffic information from the computer system 40, the computer system 40 associates a velocity (speed) of that particular user with its current location. The velocity may be determined through a variety of methods. In one system, when the user requests trafic information, the user station 52 supplies not only its location but also its current velocity. The user station 52 may obtain its current velocity in any fashion. For example, the user

20

station 52 may track its location over time using the GPS receiver 62, and also keep track of the time associated with each location by using an internal clock. The velocity could then be calculated by simply dividing the difference between respective locations by respective times. Alternatively, the user station 52 may be connected to the vehicle's speedometer or odometer, and measure velocity using information provided by the

25

vehicle 60 itself. Alternatively, the computer system 40 itself c