GB2399715A

GB2399715A - Traffic and road condition data capture and distribution system for a mobile telecommunications network

Info

Publication number: GB2399715A
Application number: GB0306360A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Malcolm Bell
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2003-03-20
Filing date: 2003-03-20
Publication date: 2004-09-22
Also published as: GB0306360D0

Abstract

A mobile telecommunications network 1 has a plurality network antennas 2, 3, 4 that have associated data capture devices 5, 6, 7 for capturing local data pertinent to conditions local to the masts individually. The local data can be accessed by users on a mobile telephone handset 9 through the mobile network, for example to plan a route for a journey, based on traffic conditions along the route.

Description

239971 5 Data capture and distribution system for a mobile

telecommunications network This invention relates to a data capture and distribution system for a mobile telecommunications network and has particular but not exclusive application to capturing traffic and road condition infommation for distribution to subscribers of a mobile telephone network.

Cellular, public land mobile networks (PLMNs) have of a large number of telecommunications masts to provide duplex communication with mobile stations such as mobile telephone handsets of subscribers to the network. The masts are located throughout the coverage area of the network, often at elevated locations to improve their cellular coverage and also often close to major transport routes such as motorways.

Conventionally, cellular networks have been used for voice communication, for example networks configured according to the Global System Mobile (GSM) recommendations of the European Telecommunications Institute (ETSI). More recently, developments have been introduced that allow the mobile station to be used as a browser, for example using Wireless application protocol (WAR), as an adjunct to GSM, either using a short messaging service (SMS) a general packet radio system (GPRS) to browse data from servers associated with the mobile network. The data may comprise images. Also, a development of SMS known as multi media messaging (EMS) has been introduced to allow image data to be transmitted to and from mobile stations.

So-called third generation PLhlNs have a substantially increased bandwidth compared with conventional GSM networks and allow moving images to be transmitted to and from mobile stations in real time.

According to the invention, it has been appreciated that the masts of a PLMN are often located in a vantage point that gives a good view of local conditions such as traffic flow on a road or the weather conditions through a pass, and according to the invention a data capture device such as a camera is provided on or associated with the mast to provide local condition data corresponding to the local conditions. The user may obtain data from the data capture device through the network, for example to make a decision whether to travel along a particular route. The data may be supplied to a mobile station such as a mobile telephone handset.

Broadly stated the invention provides a mobile telecommunications network having a data capture and distribution system, comprising an network antenna mast provided with an associated data capture device for capturing local data pertinent to conditions local to the mast, and means for accessing the local data through the mobile network.

The data capture device may comprise a camera configured to provide image data corresponding to a field of view from the mast and may provide the image data as a continuous stream of real-time video signals or as successive

time spaced samples of the field of view.

Also, one or more sensors may be provided for producing non-image local data corresponding to ambient conditions at the mast.

A server may be provided to receive the local data from the data capture devices at the masts, through the network, and to make the local data available to users of the network, for example for viewing on a browser on a mobile station connected to the network.

Also, the data capture devices may have an associated individual subscriber identity accessible by mobile users of the network to retrieve the local data In order that the invention may be more fully understood, an embodiment thereof will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein: Figure 1 is a schematic block diagram of a data capture and distribution system according to the invention, Figure 2 is a schematic perspective view of a camera on a mast producing local data relating to a traffic jam, and Figure 3 is a block diagram of a mobile telephone handset.

Figure 1 illustrates a network in accordance with the invention. A PLMN 1 is shown schematically, and may be of any suitable architecture, for example a GSM network with a home location register (HLR), a visitor location register, a switching centre (MSC), one or more base station controllers (BSCs) and a plurality of base stations (BS). Since these network units are well known in the art, they are not shown in Figure 1. Each base station has an associated mast that carries microwaves antennas for the cells of the network and three masts 2, 3 and 4 are shown in Figure 1. Alternatively, the network may comprise a third generation UMTS network with a broader transmission bandwidth than a GSM network.

- td Each mast 2, 3, 4 has an associated detector for gathering local data relating to conditions in the vicinity of the mast. In Figure 1, detectors in the form of digital cameras 5, 6 and 7 are shown mount on the masts 2, 3 and 4. The cameras provide local data in the fomm of image data of a region around the mast concerned, for example road conditions on a motorway or local weather conditions. The local data is supplied through the PLMN 1 to a server 8, so that the data can be made available to users of the network.

A mobtle station 9 in the form of a mobile telephone handset can communicate in a conventional manner through the PLMN 1 and in Figure 1, the handset is shown in communication with the network through a radio link to antenna mast 3, although the handset can move and communicate through other masts in different cells of the network as well known in the art i.e. through masts 2 or 4 when in the cells associated with them. The communication can be with other handsets (not shown) or through a PSTN (not shown) to a conventional wired telephone set.

Figure 2 illustrates the configuration of mast 2 in more detail, located on a hillside near to a motorway 10 from city 11. The camera 5 is mounted on the mast 2 and the motorway 10 is within its field of view. Thus, as shown in the Figure 2, the camera 5 is producing local image data corresponding to heavy traffic 12 leaving city 11. The image data may comprise image frames sampled every few seconds in order to conserve bandwidth, or may comprise a continuous, real time image stream if the network bandwidth permits such a transmission.

The local data may also include non-image data and sensors 13 may be provided to detect local temperature, humidity, pollution or other local ambient conditions. The local data is sent to the server 8 shown in Figure 1 and may be accessed from mobile station 9 to enable the subscriber to find out the local conditions at the mast 2 and decide whether to travel on motorway 10 out of the city 11.

The accessing of the data from the server 8 by the mobile handset will now be described.

Figure 3 illustrates the circuitry of the handset 9 schematically. The handset 9 comprises a transmitter/receiver unit 14 that communicates through an antenna 15 over a radio link to the network 1, through mast 3 in this example. The transceiver unit 14 is coupled to a microcontroller 16 that is coupled to a speaker 17 and microphone 18. The microcontroller 16 is operable to perfomm A/D conversion to analogue signals from the microphone for transmission through the radio link by the transceiver 14 and also to perfomm D/A conversion of received signals to be supplied to the speaker 17 as well known in the art.

The handset 9 also includes a keyboard 19 and a display device 20 which may comprise a LCD display and may operate in colour.

A memory 21 stores program data so that the microcontroller 16 can run a browser and display a browser window on the display device 19. The browser may be configured for use with XHTML. The memory 21 may also be configured to receive and store MMS messages.

The server 8 is allocated an individual universal resource locator (URL) so that the user of handset 9 can use the browser to access the server 8. Menu options may be provided to enable the local data from each mast camera to be accessed individually and displayed in the browser on the display device 19 of the handset. The displayed data may also include the data from the sensors 13 as well as the image data from the camera 5. Local data from different masts may also be displayed. By viewing the data, the user can decide which route to follow when planning a journey.

The data may be accessed from the server 8 with no charge or a charge may be made on the basis of the time of access or the quantity of data downloaded.

Other ways of accessing the local data will be evident to those skilled in the art. For example, each camera may be given an individual subscriber identity (MSISDN) so that the local data can be dialled directly from the mobile handset. Also, the image data can be sent to the handset 9 as a MMS.

Other modifications fall within the scope of the invention. For example, some of the cameras may be mounted independently of the masts and connected to the mobile network and can be used for applications other than traffic and weather monitoring, for example in security systems. The cameras may themselves be mobile such as in or on a vehicle as part of a security or monitoring system.

Claims

1. A mobile telecommunications network having a data capture and distribution system, comprising an network antenna mast provided with an associated data capture device for capturing local data pertinent to conditions local to the mast, and means for accessing the local data through the mobile network.

2. A system according to claim 1 wherein the data capture device comprises a camera configured to provide image data corresponding to a field of view from the mast.

3. A system according to claim 2 wherein the image data comprises a continuous stream of real-time video signals.

4. A system according to claim 2 wherein the image data comprises a successive time spaced samples of the field of view.

5. A system according to any preceding claim wherein the data capture device includes one or more sensors for producing non-image local data corresponding to ambient conditions at the mast.

6. A system according to any preceding claim including a server to receive the local data from the or each said data capture device at the mast, through the network, the server being configured to make the local data available to users of the network.

7. A system according to claim 6 wherein the server is configured to make the local data available for viewing on a browser on a mobile station connected to the network.

8. A system according to any one of claims 1 to 5 wherein each of the data capture devices has an associated individual subscriber identity accessible by mobile users of the network to retrieve the local data.

9. A system according to any preceding claim including at least one data capture device connected to the network, which is not mounted on the mast.

10. A system according to any preceding claim including a plurality of network masts each with a said data capture device thereon.

11. A system substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

12. A method of choosing a route for a journey comprising accessing local data from one or more data capture devices in a network as claimed in any preceding claim, and choosing the route depending on the conditions at masts as indicated by said local data.