Prediction of vehicle operator destinations

• US 20050125148A1
• Filed: 12/08/2003
• Published: 06/09/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations Incorporated (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Inventors: Van Buer, Darrel J., Johnson, Richard A., Dao, Son K., Simon, Andrea Marie
• Granted Patent: US 7,233,861 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/209
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3617 using user history, behaviour, conditions or preferences, e.g. predicted or inferred from previous use or current movement

Abstract

A method for predicting vehicle operator destinations including receiving vehicle position data for a vehicle. The vehicle position data for a current trip is compared to vehicle position data for a previous trip to predict a destination for the vehicle. A path to the destination is suggested.

Claims

1. A method for predicting vehicle operator destinations, the method comprising:

receiving vehicle position data for a vehicle;

comparing said vehicle position data for a current trip to vehicle position data for a previous trip to predict a destination for said vehicle; and

suggesting a path to said destination.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said comparing includes performing event categorization and pattern recognition.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein said event categorization includes identifying transitions between said vehicle being stopped and said vehicle being underway.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein said pattern recognition includes combining said current trip and said previous trip.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said predicting includes performing behavior prediction and modeling driver activity.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said previous trip includes a starting time and location, an ending time and location, and route data including a plurality of said previous position data.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said vehicle position data includes navigation coordinates.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein said navigation coordinates are GPS coordinates.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein said vehicle position data includes a time stamp, a date stamp and navigation coordinates.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein said vehicle position data further includes a vehicle heading and a vehicle speed.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising communicating to an operator of said vehicle responsive to said suggesting.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein said communicating is further responsive to vehicle data.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein said communicating is further responsive to environment data.

14. The method of claim 1 further comprising communicating said path to a telematic service.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein said telematic service is one or more of navigation, traffic, weather, travel, and car maintenance.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein said receiving occurs once during each pre-selected time interval.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein said receiving occurs in response to said vehicle moving a pre-selected distance.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein said vehicle is an automobile.

19. A system for predicting vehicle operator destinations, the system comprising:

a navigation device;

a storage device;

a microprocessor in communication with said navigation device and said storage device, said microprocessor including instructions to implement the method comprising;

receiving vehicle position data for a vehicle via said navigation device;

comparing said vehicle position data for a current trip to vehicle position data for a previous trip to predict a destination for said vehicle, said vehicle position data for a previous trip stored in said storage device; and

suggesting a path to said destination.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein said navigation device is a GPS receiver.

21. The system of claim 19 wherein said storage device is physically located within said microprocessor.

22. A computer program product for predicting vehicle operator destinations, the product comprising:

a storage medium readable by a processing circuit and storing instructions for execution by the processing circuit for performing a method comprising;

receiving vehicle position data for a vehicle;

comparing said vehicle position data for a current trip to vehicle position data for a previous trip to predict a destination for said vehicle; and

suggesting a path to said destination.