Systems and methods for initiating mapping exit routines and rating highway exits

• US 10,094,678 B2
• Filed: 08/09/2016
• Issued: 10/09/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: MapQuest, Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Nesbitt, David W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Badii, Behrang
• Assistant Examiner(s): GREENE, DANIEL LAWSON
• Application Number:
  US15/232,156
• Publication Number:
  US 20160349068A1
• Time in Patent Office: 791 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3415 Dynamic re-routing, e.g. recalculating the route when the user deviates from calculated route or after detecting real-time traffic data or accidents
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3476 using point of interest [POI] information, e.g. a route passing visible POIs
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3484 Personalized, e.g. from learned user behaviour or user-defined profiles
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3679 Retrieval, searching and output of POI information, e.g. hotels, restaurants, shops, filling stations, parking facilities G01C21/3611 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 5/04 Inference or reasoning models
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 7/01 Probabilistic graphical models, e.g. probabilistic networks

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for inferring a user'"'"'s intent to stop at a predefined location or breakpoint along a predetermined route, such as an exit along a highway, and to enable users to report back to systems maintaining exit or breakpoint POI data. An application executing on a user'"'"'s mobile device may infer or query the user'"'"'s intent upon detecting a deviation away from the route and to use this as a “check-in” at a predefined location corresponding to the point of deviation. Then further check-ins and ratings at amenities/locations associated with the exit can also be used to enhance the rating and popularity of the predefined location (e.g., highway exit) itself. The ratings and popularity of highway exits can then be exposed in applications to provide relevant content related to the highest rated or most popular breakpoints located along their route of travel.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for identifying deviation points along a route of travel, the method comprising:

detecting, by a device and via a global positioning system (GPS), a point of deviation from which a mobile device of a user moves away from a predetermined route;

comparing, by the device, the detected point of deviation to a database of one or more highway exits;

determining, by the device, a highway exit that the user is predicted to exit,

the highway exit being proximate to the detected point of deviation based on the comparison;

determining, by the device, one or more points of interest associated with the highway exit,

the one or more points of interest being determined based upon one or more factors associated with the detected point of deviation or the highway exit; and

providing, by the device, routing options to the one or more points of interest associated with the detected point of deviation or the highway exit via a display on the mobile device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more points of interest are located within a predetermined distance or drive time from the point of deviation.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

monitoring a current location of the mobile device of the user traveling along a portion of the predetermined route toward a specified destination location,

wherein the point of deviation is detected based on the monitoring.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the one or more points of interest comprises:

determining whether a total number of the one or more points of interest exceeds a predetermined threshold quantity.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more factors comprises:

traffic data associated with a portion of the predetermined route, and

data related to the one or more points of interest; and

wherein the determining the one or more points of interest further comprises;

calculating a probability score representing a likelihood of the user to visit the one or more points of interest based on the traffic data and data related to the one or more points of interest; and

determining the one or more points of interest based on the calculated probability score.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the one or more points of interest comprises:

determining whether a popularity score associated with the point of deviation exceeds a predetermined threshold value; and

determining the one or more points of interest based on the determination.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the popularity score is based on a number of times a highway exit has been used as a deviation point by users traveling along the highway during a predetermined period of time.

8. A system, comprising:

one or more memories; and

one or more processors, communicatively coupled to the one or more memories, to;

detect a point of deviation from which a mobile device of a user moves away from a predetermined route via a global positioning system (GPS);

compare the detected point of deviation to a database of one or more highway exits;

determine a highway exit that the user is predicted to exit,

the highway exit being proximate to the detected point of deviation based on the comparison;

determine one or more points of interest associated with the detected point of deviation or the highway exit,

the one or more points of interest being determined based upon one or more factors associated with the detected point of deviation or the highway exit; and

provide routing options to the one or more points of interest associated with the detected point of deviation or the highway exit via a display of the mobile device.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the one or more points of interest are located within a predetermined distance or drive time from the point of deviation.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the one or more processors are further to:

monitor a current location of the mobile device of the user traveling along a portion of the predetermined route toward a specified destination location,

wherein the point of deviation is detected based on the monitoring.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the one or more processors, when determining the one or more points of interest, are further to:

determine whether a total number of the one or more points of interest associated with the detected point of deviation exceeds a predetermined threshold quantity; and

determine the one or more points of interest based on the determination.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the one or more factors comprise:

traffic data associated with a portion of the predetermined route,

data related to the one or more points of interest associated with the point of deviation; and

wherein the one or more processors, when determining the one or more points of interest, are further to;

calculate a probability score representing a likelihood of the user to visit the one or more points of interest based on the traffic data and data related to the one or more points of interest, and

determine the one or more points of interest based upon the calculated probability score.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the one or more processors, when determining the one or more points of interest, are further to:

determine whether a popularity score associated with the point of deviation exceeds a predetermined threshold value; and

determine the one or more points of interest based on the determination.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the popularity score is based on a number of times the exit has been used as a deviation point by users traveling along the highway during a predetermined period of time.

15. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions, the instructions comprising:

one or more instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to;

detect, via a global positioning system (GPS), a point of deviation from which a mobile device of a user moves away from a predetermined route;

compare the detected point of deviation to a database of one or more highway exits;

determine a highway exit that the user is predicted to exit,

the highway exit being proximate to the detected point of deviation based on the comparison;

determine one or more points of interest associated with the highway exit,

the one or more points of interest being determined based upon one or more factors associated with the detected point of deviation or the highway exit; and

provide routing options to one or more points of interest associated with the detected point of deviation or the highway exit via a display of the user of the mobile device.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the one or more instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the one or more processors to:

monitor a current location of the mobile device of the user traveling along a portion of the predetermined route toward a specified destination location,

wherein the point of deviation is detected based on the monitoring.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the one or more points of interest are located within a predetermined distance or drive time from the point of deviation.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the one or more instructions, that cause the one or more processors to determine the one or more points of interest, cause the one or more processors to:

determine whether a popularity score associated with the point of deviation exceeds a predetermined threshold value; and

determine the one or more points of interest based on the determination.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 18, wherein the popularity score is based on a number of times an exit has been used as a deviation point by users traveling along the highway during a predetermined period of time.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the one or more factors comprises:

traffic data associated with a portion of the predetermined route, and

data related to the one or more points of interest.