Riding the Airwaves to Better Traffic CPSC550 James Maxlow April, 2003

Problem Traffic jams increase road deterioration, cause lost $$$ to businesses, and increase driver frustration Traffic jams increase road deterioration, cause lost $$$ to businesses, and increase driver frustration Information on traffic patterns can influence the route drivers will take, helping to alleviate the above concerns Information on traffic patterns can influence the route drivers will take, helping to alleviate the above concerns... How can we get this information to drivers? How can we get this information to drivers?

Current Solutions Electronic traffic signs: Electronic traffic signs: Stationary, only alert drivers who see them Radio traffic reporters: Radio traffic reporters: Only work during certain hours, have to keep listening to station until they come on Voice broadcasts over AM: Voice broadcasts over AM: Must know frequency, may not broadcast continuously, must not refer to your route due to time constraints

Proposed Solution Traffic reports entered into database system via wireless web terminals Traffic reports entered into database system via wireless web terminals Database accessed through net by AM radio station software, which encodes and modulates data Database accessed through net by AM radio station software, which encodes and modulates data Digital data broadcast over AM radio to computerized receivers in vehicles Digital data broadcast over AM radio to computerized receivers in vehicles Receivers demodulate, decode and “read” data to driver Receivers demodulate, decode and “read” data to driver

Model

Benefits Always on Always on Covers entire regions Covers entire regions Computer can find these channels automatically, without requiring human to search Computer can find these channels automatically, without requiring human to search Can send far more information (in text form) than standard voice broadcasts Can send far more information (in text form) than standard voice broadcasts

What Would It Take? Wireless terminals in appropriate dept of transportation vehicles ($$$) Wireless terminals in appropriate dept of transportation vehicles ($$$) Web enabled traffic database (easy) Web enabled traffic database (easy) AM radio stations (already in place) AM radio stations (already in place) Radio station software (easy) Radio station software (easy) Computerized scanners / receivers / decoders in vehicle navigation systems (biggest obstacle) Computerized scanners / receivers / decoders in vehicle navigation systems (biggest obstacle)

References Halsall, Fred. Data Communications, Computer Networks and Open Systems, 4th Edition. New York: Addison-Wesley, Halsall, Fred. Data Communications, Computer Networks and Open Systems, 4th Edition. New York: Addison-Wesley, Highway Advisory Radio Message Development Guide Final Report. Washington, D.C.: Federal Highway Administration, Highway Advisory Radio Message Development Guide Final Report. Washington, D.C.: Federal Highway Administration, Oetting, J. “A Comparison of Modulation Techniques for Digital Radio”. IEEE Transactions on Communications, December Oetting, J. “A Comparison of Modulation Techniques for Digital Radio”. IEEE Transactions on Communications, December Spragins, John, Pawlikowski, Krzysztof, and Hammond, Joseph. Telecommunications: Protocols and Design. Reading: Addison-Wesley, Spragins, John, Pawlikowski, Krzysztof, and Hammond, Joseph. Telecommunications: Protocols and Design. Reading: Addison-Wesley,