Google Inc.

Tanmay Wadhwa

Neil Dhillon

To reduce the effects of traffic jams, a traffic reduction system identifies road segments having more a threshold amount of traffic. The traffic reduction system also receives an indication of a current location of a client device operating in a vehicle and compares the current location to the locations of the identified road segments to determine whether the vehicle is on or approaching the road segment. If the vehicle is on or approaching the road segment, the traffic reduction system determines a target speed for the vehicle to maintain an equal distance between the vehicle and the vehicle in front of the vehicle and the vehicle and the vehicle behind the vehicle. The traffic reduction system then provides the target speed to the client device for display on a user interface. By maintaining equal distances between vehicles in front of and behind each other, the amount of traffic dissipates.

Phantom traffic jam detection and avoidance

In a method for efficiently guiding a driver of a vehicle through intersections, information regarding status of one or more traffic lights positioned at one or more intersections is received by a computing device or system associated with the driver or vehicle. A value of speed for the vehicle that, if matched by the driver, causes the vehicle to arrive at the intersection while the traffic light is green and avoids stopping as the vehicle moves through the intersection, is calculated. A dynamic visual or audio indicator is caused, by the computing device or system, to be presented to the driver via a display or speaker, respectively, of the computing device or system. Causing the dynamic indicator to be presented to the driver includes setting the dynamic indicator based on the calculated value of speed.

Driver feedback for efficiently traversing intersections

In a method for efficiently guiding a driver of a vehicle through intersections, information regarding status of one or more traffic lights positioned at one or more intersections is received by a computing device or system associated with the driver or vehicle, and a current speed of the vehicle is monitored as the vehicle approaches the intersection(s). A dynamic visual or audio indicator is set based on the status information and the current speed, and presented to the driver via a display or speaker, respectively, of the computing device or system. The dynamic indicator is indicative of one or more changes in speed that, if matched by the driver as the vehicle approaches the one or more intersections, would cause the driver to avoid one or more stops as the vehicle moves through the one or more intersections.

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Mountain View, CA, United States of America

Tanmay Wadhwa