Patent ID: 7650228

Claim:
A method for obtaining real time traffic related information on a highway location using a plurality of roadside devices said roadside devices comprising traffic sensors, the method comprising: i. providing a plurality of roadside devices comprising at least one traffic sensor along said highway for detecting traffic flow past said highway location and connecting said roadside devices to the Internet; ii. providing a central control computer also connected to the Internet via a modem, wherein said central control computer is programmed to provide a plurality of active virtual ports connected to the Internet through said modem, iii. obtaining a device Internet address for said central control computer and for each of said plurality of roadside devices and assigning a virtual port in said central control computer to each of said devices address; iv. establishing an Internet connection between each of said at least one roadside device and said central control computer whereby said central control computer accesses said each of said roadside devices through said assigned virtual port by polling said each of said roadside devices to obtain traffic information; and v. receiving at said central control computer, responsive to said polling, said traffic information from said plurality of roadside devices in non-sequential order, wherein said traffic information from each of said plurality of roadside devices is received quasi-simultaneously via said assigned virtual ports.