Patent ID: 8180558

Claim:
A method of providing traffic flow information comprising: storing, at a vehicle, at least one data table comprising location data that corresponds to different segments of roadways over which traffic flow is monitored; receiving, at a vehicle, a digital audio broadcast (DAB) signal comprising multiplexed audio programming channels and at least one data channel for providing traffic flow information, the traffic flow information comprising traffic data relating to a reported speed range for vehicles traveling on respective ones of the segments of roadways; determining, at the vehicle, its current position data; determining, at the vehicle, if its current position data is within one of the segments by comparing its current position data with the location data in the data table; determining, at the vehicle, its current vehicle speed; if the vehicle is determined to be traveling within one of the segments, then determining if its current vehicle speed is within the reported speed range for that segment; generating, at the vehicle, a message reporting its current vehicle speed for transmission to a traffic flow information hub when its current vehicle speed is not within the reported speed range for that segment; and controlling the vehicle to not send a message reporting its current vehicle speed when its current vehicle speed is within the reported speed range for that segment.