Traffic monitoring and congestion prediction using handoffs in wireless cellular communications

In this paper, we report on a feasibility study conducted to demonstrate a cost-effective and efficient method using handoffs in wireless cellular communications for monitoring traffic flow and predicting congestion. The algorithm for this intelligent traffic monitoring system uses handoff information to estimate the average speed of the cars and their locations. It is tested on a model network (street map overlaid on cellular coverage map) by simulating different traffic conditions such as normal and congested traffic flows. The simulation results indicate that the system is able to successfully find the location of the mobile vehicle and accurately estimate the average speed in a relatively short time