Method and apparatus for providing a route forecast user interface

• US 10,365,112 B2
• Filed: 03/31/2015
• Issued: 07/30/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HERE Global B.V. (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: HERE Global B.V. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Mak, Oliver, Pochkin, Anatoliy
• Primary Examiner(s): Augustine, Nicholas
• Application Number:
  US14/674,863
• Publication Number:
  US 20160291820A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,582 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/34 Route searching; Route guidance
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3423 Multimodal routing, i.e. combining two or more modes of transportation, where the modes can be any of, e.g. driving, walking, cycling, public transport
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/362 received from an external device or application, e.g. PDA, mobile phone or calendar application
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/047 Optimisation of routes or paths, e.g. travelling salesman problem
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting

Abstract

An approach is provided for a route forecast user interface. The approach involves determining at least one target geographic point and at least one target time of arrival at the at least one target geographic point. The approach also involves causing, at least in part, a calculation of at least one reachability forecast with respect to one or more transportation parameters. The at least one reachability forecast indicates whether at least one user can reach the at least one target geographic point at the at least one target time from at least one starting location, at least one starting time, or a combination thereof with respect to the one or more transportation parameters. The approach further involves causing, at least in part, a generation of one or more representations of the at least one reachability forecast. The approach further involves causing, at least in part, a presentation of the one or more representations in at least one calendar-based user interface.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining a target geographic point and a target time of arrival at the target geographic point of a target calendar entry;

causing, at least in part, a calculation of at least one reachability forecast with respect to transportation parameters, wherein the at least one reachability forecast indicates whether a user can reach the target geographic point at the target time from a starting geographic point, at least one starting time, or a combination thereof of a starting calendar entry with respect to the transportation parameters that include a plurality of modes of transport, and the modes of transport include at least two of driving, walking, and using public transportation;

causing, at least in part, a generation of representations of the at least one reachability forecast with respect to each of the modes of transport; and

causing, at least in part, a presentation of the representations with respect to each of the modes of transport side-by-side between the starting and target calendar entries in a calendar-based user interface.

2. A method of claim 1, further comprising:

causing, at least in part, visual representations of the modes of transport with respective latest possible time points to reach the target geographic point at the target time in the calendar-based user interface.

3. A method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining at least one visual characteristic of the representations based, at least in part, on the at least one reachability forecast and the modes of transport,

wherein the at least one visual characteristic includes, at least in part, a color, an icon, or combination thereof.

4. A method of claim 3, wherein determining the color for the representations comprises at least one of the following:

specifying a first color as the color if the user can reach the target geographic point earlier than a specified time period before the target time;

specifying a second color as the color if the user can reach the target geographic point later than a specified time period but before the target time; and

specifying a third color as the color if the user cannot reach the target geographic point earlier than the target time.

5. A method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining the target geographic point and the target time of arrival from at least one appointment scheduled in at least one calendar of the user; and

determining a plurality of starting time points to at least one other appointment scheduled in the at least one calendar, from the target geographic point at the target time of arrival, from at least one current location of the user at a specified time, or a combination thereof.

6. A method of claim 5, further comprising:

causing, at least in part, a presentation of the representations of the at least one reachability forecast between the at least one appointment and the at least one other appointment in the calendar-based user interface, between the at least one current location at the specified time, a second location of the at least one appointment at a subsequent time, and a third location of the at least one other appointment at a time later than the subsequent time, or a combination thereof.

7. A method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining at least one recommended transportation parameter from among the transportation parameters based, at least in part, on the at least one reachability forecast; and

causing, at least in part, a presentation of the at least one recommended transportation parameter in the calendar-based user interface.

8. A method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the user will reach the target geographic point earlier with a specified time period before the target time based, at least in part, on the at least one reachability forecast; and

determining one or more recommendations of one or more points of interest and one or more respective user activities other than transportation based, at least in part, on the specified time period, wherein the one or more points of interest are along a route between a current location of the user and the target geographic point.

9. A method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining contextual information associated with travel between the starting geographic point and the target geographic point, wherein the contextual information includes, at least in part, weather information, traffic information, cost information, or a combination thereof;

determining that one or more other points of interest and one or more other respective user activities other than transportation as recommendable based, at least in part, on the contextual information, wherein the one or more other points of interest are along the route between the current location of the user and the target geographic point;

determining that the one or more other points of interest and the one or more other respective user activities require a time period longer than the specified time period; and

causing, at least in part, an exclusion of the one or more other points of interest and the one or more other respective user activities from the representations.

10. A method of claim 1, further comprising:

causing, at least in part, a presentation of the one or more recommendations and the one or more respective user activities other than transportation in the representations as one or more interactive elements of the at least one reachability forecast with respect to at least one of the modes of transport in the calendar-based user interface,

wherein one or more user interactions with the one or more interactive elements causes, at least in part, a presentation of information related to the at least one reachability forecast, the at least one of the modes of transport, the one or more recommendations, or a combination thereof.

11. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code for one or more programs,

the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following,

determine a target geographic point and a target time of arrival at the target geographic point of a target calendar entry;

cause, at least in part, a calculation of at least one reachability forecast with respect to transportation parameters, wherein the at least one reachability forecast indicates whether a user can reach the target geographic point at the target time from a starting geographic point, at least one starting time, or a combination thereof of a starting calendar entry with respect to the transportation parameters that include a plurality of modes of transport, and the modes of transport include at least two of driving, walking, and using public transportation;

cause, at least in part, a generation of representations of the at least one reachability forecast with respect to each of the modes of transport; and

cause, at least in part, a presentation of the representations with respect to each of the modes of transport side-by-side between the starting and target calendar entries in a calendar-based user interface.

12. An apparatus of claim 11, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

cause, at least in part, visual representations of the modes of transport with respective latest possible time points to reach the target geographic point at the target time in the calendar-based user interface.

13. An apparatus of claim 11, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

determine at least one visual characteristic of the representations based, at least in part, on the at least one reachability forecast,

wherein the at least one visual characteristic includes, at least in part, a color, an icon, or combination thereof.

14. An apparatus of claim 13, wherein determining the color for the representations causes the apparatus to further:

specify a first color as the color if the user can reach the target geographic point earlier than a specified time period before the target time;

specify a second color as the color if the user can reach the target geographic point later than a specified time period but before the target time; and

specify a third color as the color if the user cannot reach the target geographic point earlier than the target time.

15. An apparatus of claim 11, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

determine the target geographic point and the target time of arrival from at least one appointment scheduled in at least one calendar of the user; and

determine the at least one starting point, the at least one starting time, or a combination thereof from at least one other appointment scheduled in the at least one calendar, at least one current location of the user, at least one current time, at least one specified location, at least one specified time, or a combination thereof.

16. An apparatus of claim 15, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

cause, at least in part, a presentation of the representations of the at least one reachability forecast between the at least one appointment and the at least one other appointment in the calendar-based user interface.

17. An apparatus of claim 11, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

cause, at least in part, a presentation of the representations as one or more interactive elements in the calendar-based user interface,

wherein one or more user interactions with the one or more interactive elements causes, at least in part, a presentation of information related to the at least one reachability forecast, the transportation parameters, or a combination thereof.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium carrying one or more sequences of one or more instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause an apparatus to at least perform the following steps:

determining a target geographic point and a target time of arrival at the target geographic point of a target calendar entry;

causing, at least in part, a calculation of at least one reachability forecast with respect to transportation parameters, wherein the at least one reachability forecast indicates whether a user can reach the target geographic point at the target time from a starting geographic point, at least one starting time, or a combination thereof of a starting calendar entry with respect to the transportation parameters that include a plurality of modes of transport, and the modes of transport include at least two of driving, walking, and using public transportation;

causing, at least in part, a generation of representations of the at least one reachability forecast with respect to each of the modes of transport; and

causing, at least in part, a presentation of the representations with respect to each of the modes of transport side-by-side between the starting and target calendar entries in a calendar-based user interface.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the apparatus is further caused to perform:

causing, at least in part, visual representations of the modes of transport with respective latest possible time points to reach the target geographic point at the target time in the calendar-based user interface.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the apparatus is further caused to perform:

determining at least one visual characteristic of the representations based, at least in part, on the at least one reachability forecast,

wherein the at least one visual characteristic includes, at least in part, a color, an icon, or combination thereof.