Data processing: vehicles – navigation – and relative location – Vehicle control – guidance – operation – or indication – Traffic analysis or control of surface vehicle
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-27
2001-05-15
Cuchlinski, Jr., William A. (Department: 3661)
Data processing: vehicles, navigation, and relative location
Vehicle control, guidance, operation, or indication
Traffic analysis or control of surface vehicle
C701S028000, C701S118000, C701S207000, C701S214000, C340S990000, C340S995190
Reexamination Certificate
active
06233518
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a traffic information providing service method and system, and in particular, to a method and a system for providing an image vector-based traffic information.
BACKGROUND ART
Presently, the environment problems and the oil wasteful consumption caused by the traffic congestion become serious in our country and further the cost for transportation is increased in geometrical. Thus, the optimization in traffic flow is earnestly required. Even though the construction of roads may be the substantial solution for traffic problem, it requires the tremendous cost. Accordingly, it is desirable to find a method for efficiently using the roads currently provided.
There is disclosed a conventional method for providing an image-based traffic information, which introduces nodes. For this method, bit-map based images are stored in the user terminal and the node database must be also stored in the user terminal. The transmitting side (or server) sends the traffic information in text along with the corresponding node numbers. Also, the receiving side (or user terminal) updates the node database in accordance with the received traffic information and node numbers and generates an image in accordance with the content of node database. However, since the node database requires a large quantity of memory and the processing for generation of the image also requires a relatively large number of operations, the user terminal is very complex and thus the cost for manufacturing becomes high, resulting in preventing the method from being popularized. Also, it is difficult that the bitmap-based images of the user terminal are replaced with another one as necessary since the size of the images are too big to be transmitted. Further, adding and/or deleting of a node may need to change the composition of the node database and thus it is not convenient for both a user and an information provider. In summary, the conventional method is prodigal.
In addition, the conventional method has the problem that, when the number of the nodes is large, it is difficult to assign node numbers to respective roads and to maintain the standard therefor.
Also, other conventional methods for transmitting the traffic information in text or in voice type are disclosed. The former method has the problem that a large quantity of data transmission should be made. The latter method has the problem that a relatively long time is required for user to acquire an interested traffic information and this type of traffic information is not easy to understand overall traffic situation.
DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION
Accordingly, the object of the present invention is to provide a method and a system for providing an image-based traffic information, capable of reducing the bandwidth for transmission and displaying the traffic information in a good quality of image.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a method and a system for providing an image-based traffic information, which can be easily managed. Also, the method and the system of this invention do not need the node management and thus has relatively simple composition. This method and system can be implemented in both simplex transmission network and duplex transmission network.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a user device for displaying an image-based information that can be also searched.
The present invention also provides a program storage device to perform such methods.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, there is provided with a method of providing an image-based traffic information in a region having at least one time-variant real entity, comprising the steps of: converting the time-variant real entity into a time-variant image vector entity; generating an attribute-designating statement of the time-variant image vector entity based on a traffic information so as to form a traffic state map; transmitting the traffic state map to a user device via a communication network; and displaying an image in accordance with the traffic state map on a screen of the user device. The attribute-designating statement of the time-variant image vector may be a color designating statement. The time-variant real entity is a road and the color designating statement is determined in accordance with a velocity on the road, in one preferred embodiment.
The time-variant image vector entity of the traffic state map may include the attribute-designating statement, a shape-designating statement and a position-designating statement. The attribute-designating statement is composed of an attribute-designating command and an attribute value.
According to preferred embodiments, the method further comprises the step of compressing the traffic state map such that two time-variant image vector entities for one road are converted into one complex time-variant image vector entity composed of one attribute-designating, two attribute values, a shape-designating statement and a position-designating statement, wherein one of the two time-variant image vector entities is for forward direction and the other is for backward direction of the road.
In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a method of providing an image-based traffic information in a region having at least one time-variant real entity, comprising the steps of: converting the time-variant real entity into a time-variant image vector entity; generating an attribute-designating statement of the time-variant image vector entity based on a traffic information so as to form a traffic state map; converting a plurality of time-invariant real entities into a plurality of time-invariant image vector entities, wherein the plurality of time-invariant real entities are also included in the region; forming at least one basic map using the plurality of time-invariant image vector entities; forming a traffic information map which includes at least the traffic state map; transmitting the traffic information map to a user device via a communication network; displaying a first image in accordance with the basic map on a screen of the user device; and displaying a second image in accordance with the traffic state map, the second image being cumulatively displayed on the first image.
The method may further comprise the step of compressing the traffic state map such that two time-variant image vector entities for one road are converted into one complex time-variant image vector entity composed of one attribute-designating, two attribute values, a shape-designating statement and a position-designating statement, wherein one of the two time-variant image vector entities is for forward direction and the other is for backward direction of the road.
In one preferred embodiment, the traffic information map further includes the basic map. The time-variant image vector entity of the basic map may include the attribute-designating statement, a shape-designating statement and a position-designating statement. Also, the attribute-designating statement is composed of an attribute-designating command and an attribute value. In this case, the attribute-designating command is functioned as a delimiter for discerning between the time-invariant image vector entities.
According to another embodiment of the present invention, the basic map is stored in the user device.
The method may further comprise the steps of: retrieving at least one text information related to the region; converting the text information into a text-shape image vector entity; and displaying a third image in accordance with the text-shape image vector entity on the screen of the user device, the third image being also displayed cumulatively on both the first image and the second image. Also, the traffic information map may further include the text-shape image vector entity.
The steps of retrieving at least one text information related to the region and converting the text information into a text-shape image vector entity, are performed at either providing server side or the user devic
Arthur Gertrude
Cuchlinski Jr. William A.
Finnegan Henderson Farabow Garrett & Dunner L.L.P.
LandOfFree
Method and system for providing an image vector-based... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Method and system for providing an image vector-based..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Method and system for providing an image vector-based... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2443233