DE19727388A1 - Remote query system for providing information about traffic conditions on expressways - Google Patents

Abstract

The system is accessible via the telephone network or internet, and has a databank (3) holding information relating to traffic congestion etc.. A signalling channel provides the information to a user upon interrogation. The databank is accessed via an input element (10) which differentiates between the signalling channel and the interrogation channel. The databank has a speech or word recognition device (4) for recognising key words in a telephone or internet call, for accessing the information relating to the required motorway section, fed to the user via an output element (2).

Description

The invention relates to a remote query system for providing Information about traffic conditions, especially congestion Traffic, fog, slippery, ghost drivers, on expressways.

Information about the current traffic situation is provided by radio stations usually only at a longer interval, e.g. B. sent every half hour. As a result, it happens again and again that drivers get stuck in a traffic jam, because they are informed too late. This is especially so annoying if, with timely knowledge of the traffic conditions a different route could have been chosen. On the other hand, too frequently the case that radio broadcasts warn of a traffic jam that in reality has already dissolved. Here align yourself Motorists on detours who are aware of the current traffic situation can be avoided. Since many channels also a big one Most of the traffic information is for the listener irrelevant.

A disadvantage of the known traffic jam systems is that they are not can react flexibly to the current traffic situation, as the time of the day Origin until a traffic jam is reported and until the Traffic jam reports are often very long.

Telephonic remote access systems are known which are used for example for Query of account balances or make bookings Telephone banking or order by telephone in mail order. The user is made of predeterminable with an announcement text Announcement text blocks are instructed for use or the Desired information transmitted, the user his commands outputs coded using the keypad of his phone using the multi-frequency method. Furthermore, remote telephone inquiry systems are known, their operation and control via pure voice signals, which a Able to evaluate the speech recognition unit of the remote access system is.  

Online services on the Internet continue to function as a remote query system Known what information a user based on a database Provide request.

The invention has for its object to provide a traffic jam system To make available; which provides the most current information possible about the Is able to provide traffic conditions and this to any Makes times available for those interested.

The task is solved by a remote inquiry system for the provision of Information about traffic conditions on expressways with a Input element, which user information is able to recognize, and an output element, which predeterminable text modules compile and the user as perceivable by this Is able to transmit signal. The input element takes the User information received via a reporting channel, information about Location and type of traffic disruption, together with information stored in a database about the time of the call. Farther it takes from the user information that is received via a query channel, Information about the route of interest, what the Remote query system a database query for the route in question carries out, and the determined information about the Traffic conditions communicated to the user through the output element become. The remote query system according to the invention works mainly on a telephone basis, with callers using the reporting channel the database provide with information and this again via a query channel can retrieve. In addition, however, an online Query option provided over the Internet.

Further advantageous embodiments of the invention are in the Subclaims marked.

The remote query system according to the invention guides the user telephone access with an announcement from predeterminable Announcement text modules for use. These announcement texts are the Caller transmitted acoustically through the output element. Likewise, it transmits the information that the caller has when querying the Traffic conditions from the database. To operate the It is remote inquiry system according to the invention via pure voice signals  necessary for the remote answering system to transmit those transmitted by a caller Information about the location and type of traffic disruption (Reporting channel) or the route that interests him (query channel). For this purpose, the input element of the remote query system has a Speech recognition unit based on the natural language of the Caller recognizes certain keywords and uses them in converts usable information, which is then converted into the Database or with the help of a database query is feasible. These keywords are preferably all Motorway and federal road names, names of localities, as well as junctions and motorway junctions. Furthermore, the Speech recognition unit the different types of traffic disruption, e.g. B. Traffic jam, heavy traffic, fog, slippery, ghost driver, identify can.

In order to facilitate speech recognition, the remote query system requests preferably the user in turn to enter only this Keywords on. If the system did not recognize a keyword, then so it prompts the user to enter it again.

Traffic conditions are queried online via the Internet preferably using a suitable screen mask, which the User to enter the route of interest at his terminal prompts. The remote control system offers ease of operation the user preferably the relevant keywords Characterize the route in a list from which the User only needs to select. It can also be a street map on which the user is interested Select route section by clicking or on the current one Traffic disruptions are already optically marked.

Depending on the channel via which a call to the remote access system is made is received, the information formed from the keywords about the location of a traffic disruption or one that interests the user The route is stored in the database or queried from the database.

The database can consist of a list of all motorway and Federal road segment, characterized by start and End point such as junction (s) and / or motorway junction or town,  consist. These route segments are each with the property "traffic jam", "heavy traffic", "smoothness" etc. or "no disturbance" featured. In addition to these features, the Number of routes received for the relevant route segment Messages and their time saved. This makes it easier Assessment of the relevance of the existing fault reports.

Information that is older than a specified time interval, for example, half an hour or an hour, are preferred automatically deleted from the database. To prevent abuse and Only passing on relevant fault reports becomes information released from the database for query only if them multiple times, e.g. B. have been received at least three times.

The deletion of a fault message can also be controlled by the user the message that a reported for a certain route Fault no longer exists. Preferably, such a Deletion notification to be verified multiple times to actually get the To delete the relevant fault entry.

The database is filled by callers who are remote question system to transmit information about the traffic situation. Currently many drivers have a mobile phone with which they can easily Remote query system can report malfunctions. Such a call goes thereby via a reporting channel with the remote access system. Corresponding can provide information about the traffic situation via a query channel can be called up by telephone. Message and query channel can either by two different phone numbers or by an input query be distinguished. Furthermore, access to the query channel is via the internet provided.

When a call arrives via the reporting channel, the caller is answered First asked for street name, driving direction, location and type to indicate the traffic disruption, preferably by specifying the relevant junctions or motorway junctions. This information will from the speech recognition unit into computer-usable information converted over the disturbed route. The calculator poses based on the direction of travel and the name of the motorway or based on the respective connection points or crossing points, in which  Segment of the fault. In the database then the corresponding route segment called "traffic jam" or the respective fault. Furthermore, the time of day Call saved. The entry of information by the user can also be done partially by keyboard commands, e.g. B. "traffic jam" = number 1, "heavy traffic" = number 2 etc.

The remote query system preferably plays that of the Speech recognition unit recognized and converted information, composed of saved text modules, the caller with the help the starting element again and takes it only after it Confirmation in the database. This confirmation that the speech signals recognized correctly, for example by pressing a button multi-frequency coded or also by voice input. An over Incoming calls to the reporting channel are preferably free of charge.

With an incoming call via the query channel or via the Internet allows the user to determine the road conditions Inquire about routes. In the event of a telephone call, the Remote query system using the output element for specifying Street names and directions and, if applicable, the planned one Section requested. From the user's voice signal the speech recognition unit again determines the as in the event of a report Keywords and converts them into computer-usable information around. With this information, the assignment to one in the database saved route section, which consists of one or can consist of several track segments. These line segments are each marked with the characteristic "fault" or "no fault". If in a section of the route of interest with the "Fault" mark is present and this is released for querying this to the user stating the start and end point of the Route segment communicated. If several consecutive Route segments marked with "traffic jam", only the Communication of the start and end point of the entire chain. Becomes analog proceed with the Internet query, whereby here the conversion of the natural language in computer-usable information and back in Announcements are omitted.  

If there is a fault, the remote query system preferably offers that User to determine an undisturbed evasion route and notify him these on request.

The message sent to the caller consists of several Announcement text modules composed, e.g. B. from a basic building block like "On the... between... and... is... reported.", with the gaps in this basic module with the also as announcement text modules saved keywords e.g. B. "A 5, junction XY, a traffic jam" be filled. If there is no disturbance on the queried route, then communicated this in a standard message. Could the planned route are not identified by the speech recognition unit, the Callers preferably asked to re-enter.

Official police information on the traffic situation is preferred included in the database. If necessary, they are always available for consultation released and do not require confirmation by further reports.

The remote inquiry system according to the invention provides a means Providing information about traffic conditions Available, which is flexible to existing and rapidly changing Is able to react to traffic conditions. It also offers the Possibility to selectively select these traffic conditions at any time To query routes. This enables the user to quickly and individual route planning regardless of the official Traffic news on the radio.

An example of the invention is shown in the drawing and described below. The Fig. 1 in the form of a block diagram shows the basic function of the remote system.

The centerpiece of the remote inquiry system is the database 3 , in which information about traffic conditions on individual route segments is stored. Each route segment is clearly defined by its start and end point, possibly also the street number, and is identified with the feature of whether there is a traffic disruption, the type of the disruption preferably also being indicated.

The remote query system according to the invention obtains its information about traffic conditions, and thus the data stored in the database 3 , mainly from messages from private users who transmit this information by telephone via a message channel, left side of FIG. 1. Additional information, e.g. B. official information from the transport services or the police can also be included directly in the database, which is not shown here.

As an interface between man and machine, the remote query system has an input element 1 , which can be accessed by telephone by dialing a specific telephone number in order to transfer information via the message channel or to request information via the query channel, right-hand side of FIG. 1. The query channel can also be accessed online via the Internet, which is shown here in broken lines to distinguish it from telephone access. Furthermore, the remote query system has an output element 2 , which guides the user to operate the system. With telephone access to the reporting or query channel, the user is guided acoustically through the playback of predeterminable announcement texts. When using the remote access system via the Internet, the user is instructed via a suitable screen mask, which is preferably self-explanatory.

The input unit has a speech recognition unit which is used for Recognition and conversion of voice signals into computer usable Information serves. The input unit determines when a call arrives determined from the natural speech signal via the message channel Keywords that unambiguously assign a Traffic information for a specific route segment or Allow chain of track segments. Likewise, upon receipt of a Call the route of interest determined via the query channel and in converted usable information. These keywords are sensibly the names of localities, junctions, Expressways and certain traffic disruptions. The Speech recognition unit can specifically learn these keywords to have.

The information coming in via the reporting channel is included in database 3 . Location information is used to identify the route segment (s), the indication of the fault to change the fault characteristic. Furthermore, the time of the message is stored in the database with the fault characteristic. A user can also use the message channel to inform them that a previously reported fault is no longer present. If such a message is received, the fault characteristic of the route in question is set to "no fault" again.

The incoming messages via the query channel are analyzed to identify the route of interest. The speech recognition unit 4 filters certain keywords from the natural speech signal as in the case of the fault report via the message channel and converts these into information with which a database query can be carried out. When an inquiry is received via the Internet, it is not necessary to convert it into computer-usable data; here the input element 1 can therefore directly access the database 3 without the aid of speech recognition 4 .

The fault characteristic is one or more in the query channel Route segments queried from the database. In doing so, a Disturbance feature only released for playback if it is sufficiently relevant, e.g. B. multiple times by independent users has been entered, represents official police information and / or is not too old.

If there is no fault message for the route in question or if it is not released for querying, the user is informed by the output element 2 that the route of interest is not disturbed. In the event of a released fault message, this is transmitted to the user stating the location and type of the fault.

The transmission of information to the user in the query channel is accomplished by the output element 2, like the user guidance, acoustically by predetermined announcement text modules, which are put together to form an adapted speech signal, or via the Internet, as a result of which the information is displayed to the user on the screen.

Claims (14)

1.Remote query system for providing information about traffic conditions on expressways with an input element, which is able to recognize user information, and an output element, which can put together predeterminable text modules and is able to transmit to the user as a signal perceivable by this, characterized in that the input element takes information about the location and type of traffic disruption from the user information that is received via a reporting channel, which is stored in a database together with information about the time of the call, and information about the route of interest from the user information that is received via a query channel, whereupon the remote query system carries out a database query for the route in question, and the determined information about the traffic conditions is communicated to the user by the output element. 2. Remote query system according to claim 1, characterized in that that the remote access system is accessible by telephone, the Input element the distinction between message and query channel hits and contains a speech recognition unit, which keywords recognizable from an incoming phone call and in computer-usable information about the location and type of traffic disruption or is able to convert the route of interest, and that Output element predeterminable announcement text modules together deliver and output by phone as a voice signal. 3. Remote query system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the query channel of the remote query system is accessible via the Internet is, the input element the user to specify the route of interest prompts, preferably keywords to Offers selection, and the output element to the user place and type of Indicates traffic disruption on the route concerned. 4. Remote query system according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized featured,  that the keywords all freeway, preferably also Federal street names, names of localities and of Junction points and crossing points are. 5. remote access system according to one of the preceding claims, characterized, that the keywords are stored as text modules. 6. remote access system according to one of the preceding claims, characterized, that the remote control system when receiving a phone call via the Message channel by means of saved announcement texts to indicate to the user Street name, direction and location of the traffic disruption, preferably the relevant connection points or Crossing points, prompts. 7. remote access system according to one of the preceding claims, characterized, that the remote control system when receiving a phone call via the Query channel by means of saved announcement texts for the user to specify the street name, direction of travel and, if applicable, the planned one Section of the route. 8. remote access system according to one of the preceding claims, characterized, that after user submitted information about the traffic situation a predeterminable time interval automatically from the database be removed. 9. remote access system according to one of the preceding claims, characterized, that the deletion of information stored in the database the traffic situation due to new ones received via the reporting channel Data is given, preferably if it has been verified several times. 10. Remote query system according to claim 9, characterized in that the input element in the message channel makes a query whether a reported traffic disruption no longer exists.   11. Remote access system according to one of the preceding claims, characterized, that information from the database is only released for query if they are used several times, preferably at least three times, have been received. 12. Remote access system according to one of the preceding claims, characterized, that official police information is included in the database become. 13. Remote query system according to one of the preceding claims, characterized, that official police information is always released for consultation and do not require confirmation by further reports. 14. Remote access system according to one of the preceding claims, characterized, that when using the remote access system over the phone Differentiation between message and query channel via different Phone numbers or an input query is made.