Pedestrian traffic monitoring and analysis

Abstract

Numerous mobile devices report their respective locations to a server which collects the location reports to provide real-time pedestrian traffic information, e.g., as a map that shows locations of individual mobile devices. Distribution of mobile devices in a geographic area more closely represents overall population locations and densities. Each device is identified by a digital fingerprint, formed from a number of system and device configuration parameters. Each mobile device is configured to periodically report its location, e.g., at a predetermined time interval and/or whenever the mobile device determines its location for another reason. A known location of a wireless network access point to which a mobile device is connected can serve as an estimated location of the mobile device.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for reporting traffic information regarding a population of people, the method comprising:
 receiving a request for the traffic information from a remotely located client device, wherein the request specifies one or more attributes of the traffic information;   in response to the request, determining respective locations of two or more computing devices;   preparing the traffic information from the attributes and the locations; and   sending the traffic information to the client device.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the traffic information is a map in which the respective locations of the computing devices within a predetermined recency are represented. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the traffic information is a statistical regression of the respective locations of the computing devices collected over time. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the respective locations of each of the computing devices are associated with a digital fingerprint of the computing device. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 estimating at least one location of at least one of the computing devices from a location of a wireless network access point to which the computing device is connected. 
 
     
     
         6 . A tangible computer readable medium useful in association with a computer that includes one or more processors and a memory, the computer readable medium including computer instructions that are configured to cause the computer, by execution of the computer instructions in the one or more processors from the memory, to report traffic information regarding a population of people by at least:
 receiving a request for the traffic information from a remotely located client device, wherein the request specifies one or more attributes of the traffic information;   in response to the request, determining respective locations of two or more computing devices;   preparing the traffic information from the attributes and the locations; and   sending the traffic information to the client device.   
     
     
         7 . The computer readable medium of  claim 6  wherein the traffic information is a map in which the respective locations of the computing devices within a predetermined recency are represented. 
     
     
         8 . The computer readable medium of  claim 6  wherein the traffic information is a statistical regression of the respective locations of the computing devices collected over time. 
     
     
         9 . The computer readable medium of  claim 6  wherein the respective locations of each of the computing devices are associated with a digital fingerprint of the computing device. 
     
     
         10 . The computer readable medium of  claim 6  wherein the computer instructions are configured to cause the computer to report traffic information regarding a population of people by at least also:
 estimating at least one location of at least one of the computing devices from a location of a wireless network access point to which the computing device is connected. 
 
     
     
         11 . A computer system comprising:
 at least one processor;   a computer readable medium that is operatively coupled to the processor;   network access circuitry that is operatively coupled to the processor; and   location monitoring and assessment logic (i) that executes at least in part in the processor from the computer readable medium and (ii) that, when executed, causes the processor to report traffic information regarding a population of people by at least:   receiving a request for the traffic information from a remotely located client device, wherein the request specifies one or more attributes of the traffic information;   in response to the request, determining respective locations of two or more computing devices;   preparing the traffic information from the attributes and the locations; and   sending the traffic information to the client device.   
     
     
         12 . The computer system of  claim 11  wherein the traffic information is a map in which the respective locations of the computing devices within a predetermined recency are represented. 
     
     
         13 . The computer system of  claim 11  wherein the traffic information is a statistical regression of the respective locations of the computing devices collected over time. 
     
     
         14 . The computer system of  claim 11  wherein the respective locations of each of the computing devices are associated with a digital fingerprint of the computing device. 
     
     
         15 . The computer system of  claim 11  wherein the location monitoring and assessment logic causes the processor to report traffic information regarding a population of people by at least also:
 estimating at least one location of at least one of the computing devices from a location of a wireless network access point to which the computing device is connected.