Cellular based traffic sensor system

Claim 1

A system for providing vehicular traffic information, comprising: a plurality of receivers for monitoring signals on control and voice channels of a cellular telephone system, each of said plurality of receivers tuneable to a desired control or voice channel; a plurality of receiver processors each connected to one of the plurality of receivers for analyzing the signals monitored from the control and voice channels of the cellular telephone system, each of the receiver processors including: means for detecting and recording call initiations; and means for detecting and recording call handoffs; a controller connected to each of the plurality of receiver processors for generating vehicular traffic reports in response to the analysis of the signals monitored on the control and voice channels, the controller including: means for comparing the recorded call initiations with predetermined levels of call initiations to determine locations of vechicular traffic congestion; means for counting the number of recorded call handoffs per unit time to determine a vehicular traffic count; and means for calculating the time between recorded call handoffs to determine a vehicular traffic flow rate.

Claim 2

A system for providing vehicular traffic information, comprising: a plurality of receivers for monitoring signals on control and voice channels of a cellular telephone system, each of said plurality of receivers tuneable to a desired control or voice channel; a plurality of receiver processors each connected to one of the plurality of receivers for analyzing the signals monitored from the control and voice channels of the cellular telephone system, each of the receiver processors including: means for detecting and recording call initiations; and means for detecting and recording call handoffs; a controller connected to each of the plurality of receiver processors for generating vehicular traffic reports in response to the analysis of the signals monitored on the control and voice channels, the controller including: means for comparing the recorded call initiations with predetermined levels of call initiations to determine locations of vechicular traffic congestion; means for counting the number of recorded call handoffs per unit time to determine a vehicular traffic count; and means for calculating the time between recorded call handoffs to determine a vehicular traffic flow rate.

Claim 9

A method for providing vehicular traffic information to a central control center comprising the steps of: monitoring control and voice channels of a cellular telephone system for call initiations, calls in progress, and call handoffs; recording monitored call initiations, calls in progress, and call handoffs in a data file; comparing the number of recorded call initiations with a standard value; determining an area of vehicular traffic congestion when the number of recorded call initiations exceeds the standard value for the area; forwarding notice of the area of vehicular traffic congestion to the central control center; counting a number of call handoffs recorded per unit time; calculating a vehicular traffic count based upon the number of call handoffs per unit time; and forwarding the vehicular traffic count to the central control center.

Claim 10

A method for providing vehicular traffic information to a central control center comprising the steps of: monitoring control and voice channels of a cellular telephone system for call initiations, calls in progress, and call handoffs; recording monitored call initiations, calls in progress, and call handoffs in a data file; comparing the number of recorded call initiations with a standard value; determining an area of vehicular traffic congestion when the number of recorded call initiations exceeds the standard value for the area; forwarding notice of the area of vehicular traffic congestion to the central control center; counting a number of call handoffs recorded per unit time; calculating a vehicular traffic count based upon the number of call handoffs per unit time; and forwarding the vehicular traffic count to the central control center.

Claim 11

A method for providing vehicular traffic information to a central control center comprising the steps of: monitoring control and voice channels of a cellular telephone system for call initiations, calls in progress, and call handoffs; recording monitored call initiations, calls in progress, and call handoffs in a data file; comparing the number of recorded call initiations with a standard value; determining an area of vehicular traffic congestion when the number of recorded call initiations exceeds the standard value for the area; forwarding notice of the area of vehicular traffic congestion to the central control center; calculating a time period between detected call handoffs; determining a vehicular traffic flow rate based on the time period between call handoffs; and forwarding the vehicular traffic flow rate to the central control center.

Claim 12

A method for providing vehicular traffic information to a central control center comprising the steps of: monitoring control and voice channels of a cellular telephone system for call initiations, calls in progress, and call handoffs; recording monitored call initiations, calls in progress, and call handoffs in a data file; comparing the number of recorded call initiations with a standard value; determining an area of vehicular traffic congestion when the number of recorded call initiations exceeds the standard value for the area; forwarding notice of the area of vehicular traffic congestion to the central control center; calculating a time period between detected call handoffs; determining a vehicular traffic flow rate based on the time period between call handoffs; and forwarding the vehicular traffic flow rate to the central control center.

Claim 13

The method of claim of 8, further including the step of monitoring for preselected emergency numbers upon control channels of the cellular telephone system.