Instantaneous traffic monitoring system

Claim 2

A traffic monitoring system for a selected region, comprising: a. a plurality of monitoring electronic devices, each said monitoring electronic device being located in a motor vehicle traveling in a selected region; b. a physical location detecting means coupled to each said monitoring electronic device, said physical location detecting means being used to determine the physical location of each said monitoring electronic device; c. a velocity determining means for determining the velocity of a motor vehicle containing each said monitoring electronic device; d. a wireless communication means connected to said monitoring electronic device enabling each said monitoring electronic device to connect to a wireless communication network; e. a wireless communication network located around a region; f. a wide area network; g. a central computer connected to said wide area network, said central computer being to used receive said physical location and velocity information from a plurality of said monitoring electronic devices located in motor vehicles in a region and connected to said wide area network by said wireless communication means; h. a map database connected to said central computer, and; i. a traffic monitoring software program connected to said central computer, said traffic monitoring software program being used to collect said physical location and velocity information and said map database to create a traffic congestion database for the region, a portion of said traffic congestion database being transmitted over said wide area network and said wireless communication means to each said monitoring electronic devices.

Claim 3

The traffic monitoring system, as recited in claim 1 , further including a roadway specific database, said roadway specific database including specific information of selected roadways in a region, said specific information including the speed limit and the number and types of lanes on a roadway.

Claim 4

The traffic monitoring system, as recited in claim 1 , further including a user route database connected to said central computer, said user route database containing specific route information which may be selected by the user to request traffic congestion information on specific routes.

Claim 5

The traffic monitoring system, as recited in claim 1 , further including means to provide comparative traffic congestion data for alternative routes.

Claim 6

The traffic monitoring system, as recited in claim 1 , further including means to calculate the estimated times of arrival for a selected route.

Claim 7

The traffic monitoring system, as recited in claim 1 , further including a traffic events database connected to said central computer, said traffic events database containing event information that affects traffic on selected roadways in a region.

Claim 8

The traffic monitoring system, as recited in claim 1 , further including an other sources traffic database containing traffic congestion information from outside sources.

Claim 9

The traffic monitoring system, as recited in claim 1 , further including means on each said monitoring device to manually input traffic data to said central computer.

Claim 10

The traffic monitoring system, as recited in claim 1 , wherein said traffic congestion information is continuously sent to each said monitoring electronic device.

Claim 11

The traffic monitoring system, as recited in claim 1 wherein said physical location detecting means is a GPS receiver used in a GPS network.

Claim 12

The traffic monitoring system, as recited in claim 1 , wherein said wireless communication means is a wireless modem for communicating with said wireless communication network.

Claim 13

The traffic monitoring system, as recited in claim 1 , further including a client-side software program loaded into each said monitoring electronic device and a server side software program loaded into said central computer to enable said monitoring electronic device to communicate with said central computer.

Claim 14

The traffic monitoring system, as recited in claim 1 , wherein said traffic congestion information transmitted to said monitoring electronic devices includes flow information of a specific lane of traffic on a selected roadway.

Claim 15

The traffic monitoring system, as recited in claim 1 , further including a plurality of non-monitoring electronic devices, each said non-monitoring electronic device including a wireless communication means enabling each said non-monitoring electronic device to connect over said wireless communication network and said wide area network to said central computer to download said traffic congestion information therefrom.

Claim 16

The traffic monitoring system, as recited in claim 14 , wherein said non-monitoring electronic device is connected to a wireless modem for connecting to a wireless communication network.

Claim 17

A traffic monitoring system, comprising: a. a plurality of monitoring electronic devices, each said monitoring electronic device being located in a motor vehicle traveling in a selected region; b. a physical location detecting means coupled to each said monitoring electronic device, said physical location detecting means being used to determine the physical location of each said monitoring electronic device; c. a velocity determining means for determining the velocity of a motor vehicle containing each said monitoring electronic device; d. a wireless communication means connected to each said monitoring electronic device enabling each said monitoring electronic device to connect to a wireless communication network; e. a wireless communication network located around a region; f. a wide area network; g. a central computer connected to said wide area network, said central computer being used to receive said physical location from a plurality of said monitoring electronic devices located in motor vehicles in a region and connected to said wide area network by said wireless communication means; h. a map database connected to said central computer, i. a user route database containing selected route information for users of said system; j. means to calculate the estimated times of arrival for a selected route, and; k. a traffic monitoring software program connected to said central computer, said traffic monitoring software program being used to collect said physical location and velocity information and said map database to create a traffic congestion database for the region, a portion of said traffic congestion database being transmitted over said wide area network to a plurality of said monitoring electronic devices.

Claim 18

A traffic monitoring system, comprising: a. a plurality of monitoring electronic devices, each said monitoring electronic device being located in a motor vehicle traveling in a selected region; b. a physical location detecting means coupled to each said monitoring electronic device, said physical location detecting means being used to determine the physical location of each said monitoring electronic device; c. a velocity determining means for determining the velocity of a motor vehicle containing each said monitoring electronic device; d. a wireless communication means connected to each said monitoring electronic device enabling each said monitoring electronic device to connect to a wireless communication network; e. a wireless communication network located around a region; f. a wide area network; g. a central computer connected to said wide area network, said central computer being used to receive said physical location from a plurality of said monitoring electronic devices located in motor vehicles in a region and connected to said wide area network by said wireless communication means; h. a map database connected to said central computer, i. a user route database containing selected route information for users of said system; j. means to calculate the estimated times of arrival for a selected route, and; k. a traffic monitoring software program connected to said central computer, said traffic monitoring software program being used to collect said physical location and velocity information and said map database to create a traffic congestion database for the region, a portion of said traffic congestion database being transmitted over said wide area network to a plurality of said monitoring electronic devices.

Claim 19

The traffic monitoring system, as recited in claim 16 , further including means to provide comparative traffic congestion data for alternative routes.

Claim 20

The traffic monitoring system, as recited in claim 16 , further including a traffic events database connected to said computer, said traffic event database containing event information that affects traffic on selected roadways in a region.

Claim 21

The traffic monitoring system, as recited in claim 16 , further including an other sources traffic database containing traffic congestion information from outside sources.

Claim 22

The traffic monitoring system, as recited in claim 16 , further including a means on each said monitoring electronic device to manually input traffic data to said central computer.

Claim 23

The traffic monitoring system, as recited in claim 16 , wherein said traffic congestion information is continuously sent to at least one said monitoring electronic device.

Claim 24

The traffic monitoring system, as recited in claim 16 , wherein said physical location detecting means is a GPS receiver used in a GPS network.

Claim 25

The traffic monitoring system, as recited in claim 16 , wherein said wireless communication means is a wireless modem for communicating with said wireless communication network.

Claim 26

The traffic monitoring system, as recited in claim 16 , further including a client-side software program loaded into each said monitoring electronic device and a server-side software program loaded into said central computer to enable said monitoring electronic device to communicate with said central computer.

Claim 27

The traffic monitoring system, as recited in claim 16 , wherein said traffic congestion information transmitted to said monitoring electronic device includes flow information of a specific lane of traffic on a selected roadway.

Claim 28

A traffic monitoring system, comprising; a. a wireless communication network; b. a wide area network connected to said wireless communication means; c. a central computer connected to said wide area network; d. a plurality of electronic devices each having means to connect to said central computer over said wireless communication network and said wide area network, each said electronic device being located in a motor vehicle traveling on a roadway in a selected region; e. a means to collect and transmit movement information of each said electronic device to said central computer; f. a map database connected to said central computer, g. a traffic monitoring software program connected to said central computer, said traffic monitoring software program being used to collect said movement information from a plurality of motor vehicles and incorporating said movement information with said map database to create a traffic congestion database for a region, a portion of said traffic congestion database being selectively transmitted over said wide area network to said electronic devices connected thereto.

Claim 29

A traffic monitoring system, comprising; a. a wireless communication network; b. a wide area network connected to said wireless communication means; c. a central computer connected to said wide area network; d. a plurality of electronic devices each having means to connect to said central computer over said wireless communication network and said wide area network, each said electronic device being located in a motor vehicle traveling on a roadway in a selected region; e. a means to collect and transmit movement information of each said electronic device to said central computer; f. a map database connected to said central computer, g. a traffic monitoring software program connected to said central computer, said traffic monitoring software program being used to collect said movement information from a plurality of motor vehicles and incorporating said movement information with said map database to create a traffic congestion database for a region, a portion of said traffic congestion database being selectively transmitted over said wide area network to said electronic devices connected thereto.

Claim 30

The traffic monitoring system as recited in claim 26 , wherein said central computer is using said traffic monitoring software program to constantly collect, process, and transmit traffic congestion information.

Claim 31

The traffic monitoring system, as recited in claim 27 , further including a user route database containing selected route information.

Claim 32

The traffic monitoring system, as recited in claim 28 , further including means to recommend alternative routes from said user route database.