Load-based mapping

• US 10,527,441 B2
• Filed: 05/05/2017
• Issued: 01/07/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Michael K. Colby
• Original Assignee: Michael K. Colby
• Inventors: Colby, Michael K
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G
• Assistant Examiner(s): Smith-Stewart, Demetra R
• Application Number:
  US15/588,097
• Publication Number:
  US 20190049261A1
• Time in Patent Office: 977 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3461 Preferred or disfavoured areas, e.g. dangerous zones, toll or emission zones, intersections, manoeuvre types, segments such as motorways, toll roads, ferries
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3484 Personalized, e.g. from learned user behaviour or user-defined profiles
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3492 employing speed data or traffic data, e.g. real-time or historical traffic control systems for road vehicles involving transmission of navigation instructions to the vehicle G08G1/0968
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3641 Personalized guidance, e.g. limited guidance on previously travelled routes

Abstract

This document describes techniques and apparatuses for load-based mapping. The techniques provide routes for drivers that take into account a cognitive, emotional, or psychological load for the routes. By so doing, a driver can receive a route from one point to another that the driver may better enjoy, feel less tired or stressed by, or take less mental effort to drive.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining, for a driver of a vehicle intending to drive from a first location to a second location, a determined route of multiple potential routes from the first location to the second location, the determining based on;

a time or distance for each of the potential routes; and

one or more factors affecting a cognitive, emotional, or psychological load on the driver, the cognitive, emotional, or psychological load including road surroundings for a portion of at least one of the potential routes, lane number for portions of each of the potential routes, nature visible on a portion of at least one of the potential routes, types of vehicles present or likely to be present on a portion of at least one of the potential routes, perceived danger determined to be perceivable by the driver of a portion of at least one of the potential routes, a prior-driven route portion driven by the driver for at least one of the potential routes, aesthetics of a portion of at least one of the potential routes, or a route-based disturbance of a portion of at least one of the potential routes, the one or more factors including at least the prior-driven route portion driven by the driver for a least one of the potential routes;

wherein the determined route includes the at least one prior-driven route portion driven by the driver, the prior-driven route portion having a third location and a fourth location, the third location equal to or following after the first location of the determined route and the fourth location equal to or preceding before the second location of the determine route; and

providing the determined route to the driver of the vehicle.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the cognitive, emotional, or psychological load is determined based on previously determined preferences of the driver.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein providing the determined route to the driver includes providing instructions indicating to proceed to a name for the fourth location, the instructions to the fourth location indicating the name for the fourth location and avoiding at least one step of step-by-step instructions to proceed from the third location to the fourth location.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein providing the determined route to the driver further includes step-by-step instructions from the fourth location to the second location.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein determining the determined route from the first location to the second location further comprises the determined route including a second prior-driven route portion driven by the driver, the prior-driven route portion having a fifth location proceeding after the fourth location and prior to or equal to the second location.

6. The method as recited in claim 5, wherein providing the determined route to the driver includes providing instructions indicating to proceed to the fifth location, the instructions to the fifth location indicating a name for the fifth location and avoiding at least one step of step-by-step instructions to proceed from the fourth location to the fifth location.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the one or more factors further include at least the road surroundings for a portion of at least one of the potential routes, and wherein the road surroundings for the portion of the at least one of the potential routes is determined to have a low cognitive, emotional, or psychological load based on the road surroundings for the portion having open spaces and large gaps from a road of the portion to objects, and wherein the determined route includes the portion determined to have the low cognitive, emotional, or psychological load.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the one or more factors further include at least the lane number for a portion of at least one of the potential routes, and wherein the lane number for the portion of the at least one of the potential routes is determined to have a low cognitive, emotional, or psychological load based on the lane number being two lanes, and wherein the determined route includes the portion determined to have the low cognitive, emotional, or psychological load.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the one or more factors further include at least the types of vehicles on or likely to be on a portion of at least one of the potential routes, and wherein the types of vehicles for the portion of the at least one of the potential routes is determined to have a high cognitive, emotional, or psychological load based on the types of vehicles including semi-tractor trailers, and wherein the determined route does not include the portion determined to have the high cognitive, emotional, or psychological load.

10. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the one or more factors further include at least the perceived danger for a portion of at least one of the potential routes, and wherein the perceived danger for the portion of the at least one of the potential routes is determined to have a high cognitive, emotional, or psychological load based on the perceived danger including a lack of shoulder or lack of gradual entry, and wherein the determined route does not include the portion determined to have the high cognitive, emotional, or psychological load.

11. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein inclusion of the prior-driven route increases a total distance or time for the determined route.

12. A computing device comprising:

an audio or visual output structure;

an input structure;

one or more processors; and

one or more computer-readable storage memory having one or more instructions stored thereon that, responsive to execution by the one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform operations comprising;

receiving, through the input structure, a request for a route to an end location, the route having a start location;

determining, based on one or more factors affecting a cognitive, emotional, or psychological load, and a time or distance for potential routes from the start location to the end location, a determined route from the start location to the end location, the cognitive, emotional, or psychological load including road surroundings for a portion of at least one of the potential routes, lane number for portions of each of the potential routes, nature visible on a portion of at least one of the potential routes, types of vehicles present or likely to be present on a portion of at least one of the potential routes, perceived danger determined to be perceivable by a driver of a portion of at least one of the potential routes, a prior-driven route portion driven by the driver for at least one of the potential routes, aesthetics of a portion of at least one of the potential routes, or a route-based disturbance of a portion of at least one of the potential routes, the one or more factors including at least the prior-driven route portion driven by the driver for a least one of the potential routes,

wherein the determined route includes the at least one prior-driven route portion driven by the driver, the prior-driven route portion having a first location and a second location, the first location equal to or following after the start location of the determined route and the second location equal to or preceding before the end location of the determine route, and

providing, through the audio or visual output structure, the determined route to the driver of the route or an entity from which the request was received.

13. The computing device of claim 12, wherein determining the determined route further comprises receiving multiple potential routes and determining, based on the factors and the time or distance, and the determining selects the determine route from the received multiple routes.

14. The computing device of claim 12, wherein the determining the determined route determines a change to a portion of an existing route, the change to the portion altering the existing route based on the one or more factors.

15. The computing device of claim 12, wherein using the prior-driven route portion increases a total time for the route compared to a fastest route from the start location to the end location.

16. The computing device of claim 12, wherein providing the determined route to the driver includes providing instructions indicating to proceed to a name for the second location, the instructions avoiding at least one step of step-by-step instructions to proceed from the start location to the second location.

17. The computing device of claim 12, wherein providing the determined route to the driver further includes step-by-step instructions from the second location of the prior-driven location to the end location.

18. The computing device of claim 12, wherein determining the determined route from the start location to the end location further comprises the determined route including a second prior-driven route portion driven by the driver, the prior-driven route portion having a third location proceeding after the second location and prior to or equal to the end location.

19. The computing device of claim 18, wherein providing the determined route to the driver includes providing instructions indicating to proceed to the third location, the instructions to the third location indicating a name for the third location and avoiding at least one step of step-by-step instructions to proceed from the second location to the third location.

20. The computing device of claim 12, wherein the one or more factors further include at least the road surroundings for a portion of at least one of the potential routes, and wherein the road surroundings for the portion of the at least one of the potential routes is determined to have a low cognitive, emotional, or psychological load based on the road surroundings for the portion having open spaces and large gaps from a road of the portion to objects, and wherein the determined route includes the portion determined to have the low cognitive, emotional, or psychological load.

21. The computing device of claim 12, wherein the one or more factors further include at least the lane number for a portion of at least one of the potential routes, and wherein the lane number for the portion of the at least one of the potential routes is determined to have a low cognitive, emotional, or psychological load based on the lane number being two lanes, and wherein the determined route includes the portion determined to have the low cognitive, emotional, or psychological load.

22. The computing device of claim 12, wherein the one or more factors further include at least the types of vehicles on or likely to be on a portion of at least one of the potential routes, and wherein the types of vehicles for the portion of the at least one of the potential routes is determined to have a high cognitive, emotional, or psychological load based on the types of vehicles including semi-tractor trailers, and wherein the determined route does not include the portion determined to have the high cognitive, emotional, or psychological load.

23. The computing device of claim 12, wherein the one or more factors further include at least the perceived danger for a portion of at least one of the potential routes, and wherein the perceived danger for the portion of the at least one of the potential routes is determined to have a high cognitive, emotional, or psychological load based on the perceived danger including a lack of shoulder or lack of gradual entry, and wherein the determined route does not include the portion determined to have the high cognitive, emotional, or psychological load.