Patent ID: 8566010

Claim:
A communication device for providing road conditions and monitoring congestion, comprising: a memory; and a processor configured by the memory to perform the steps of: extracting at least one current vehicle and/or traffic condition at a vehicle having the communication device; determining if the extracted current vehicle and/or traffic condition represents a departure from an expected vehicle and/or traffic condition; if the extracted current vehicle and/or traffic condition is a departure from the expected vehicle and/or traffic condition, using the current vehicle and/or traffic condition to create a smart message, wherein the smart message contains extracted current vehicle and/or traffic condition data; and if the extracted current vehicle and/or traffic condition is a confirmation of the expected vehicle and/or traffic condition, creating a confirmation message that does not contain the extracted current vehicle and/or traffic condition data, yet confirms similarity between the extracted current vehicle and/or traffic condition and the expected vehicle and/or traffic condition, wherein an expected vehicle and/or traffic condition is a previously stored vehicle and/or traffic condition, wherein the expected vehicle and/or traffic condition comprises a prior extracted vehicle and/or traffic condition from one or more other vehicles that were driving on a path that is the same as a path currently being driven by the current vehicle, and wherein the extracted current vehicle and/or traffic condition is a departure from the expected vehicle and/or traffic condition if the extracted current vehicle and/or traffic condition is outside of a predefined range of values relative to the expected vehicle and/or traffic condition.