1. Technical Field
The following relates generally to navigation and traffic reporting systems, and in particular to systems and methods with traffic probes that report traffic conditions on intervals.
2. Related Art
Rush hour traffic volume, road construction, vehicular collisions, and roadside emergencies are just a few examples of the various events and circumstances that can cause traffic congestion. Due to the nature of such events traffic congestion can be difficult to predict. Although radio, television, and online news sources can provide traffic information gathered using various techniques such as highway cameras, phone-in traffic tips, satellite imagery, and road sensors; this information is stale and/or inaccurate.
Old or inaccurate traffic information can be troublesome for various reasons. For example, an alternate traffic route, which may be less convenient, is chosen due to a traffic report indicating that a traffic problem exists, even though, in fact, the problem has been resolved. This can cause a commuter to take a less optimal route, which can waste fuel, cause them to be late, and cause congestion on side-roads. Conversely, a traffic report may indicate that the commuter's route is clear, when in fact an event has, in the meantime, created a traffic jam, since the traffic report is based on information that is not current. Although it may be considered that more frequent positional reporting may help with faster detection of traffic jams, other considerations may be important, such as conservation of battery life of devices, network resources, and so on. Therefore, further improvements in navigation and traffic systems are desired.