Adaptive Route Guidance Based on Preferences

• US 20090005965A1
• Filed: 01/25/2008
• Published: 01/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Christie, Gregory N., Forstall, Scott, Tiene, Kevin, Borchers, Robert E.
• Granted Patent: US 8,175,802 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/201
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3484 Personalized, e.g. from learned user behaviour or user-defined profiles

Abstract

Adaptive route guidance can include analyzing route progressions associated with one or more routes based on multiple user preferences. The adaptive route guidance can provide one or more preferred routes based on the user preferences including those derived from historical selection or use, which can be presented to a user for navigation purposes.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a plurality of preferences associated with a user;

identifying destination information associated with the user;

identifying one or more potential routes comprising a plurality of route progressions based on a current location and the destination information;

analyzing the plurality of route progressions based on the plurality of preferences associated with the user; and

presenting one or more preferred routes to the user based on the analysis.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising weighting the plurality of route progressions based on the plurality of preferences associated with the user and using the weights to produce a score for each route progression.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising retrieving route information associated with the plurality of route progressions and analyzing the plurality of route progressions based on the plurality of preferences and the route information.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising providing an estimated time associated with the one or more preferred routes presented to the user, the estimated time being based on route information comprising traffic information.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a selection from among the one or more preferred routes from the user.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising identifying the destination information based on user input.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of preferences comprise at least two of road preferences, traffic preferences, scenery preferences, traffic control device preferences, restaurant preferences, city preferences, or speed preferences.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising inferring one or more of the plurality of preferences based upon adherence to a presented route or a number of times the route has previously been traversed.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein analyzing the plurality of route progressions based on the plurality of preferences comprises:

weighting the route progressions based on preference strengths and scores associated with the route progressions; and

comparing the weighted route progressions.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of analyzing the plurality of route progressions comprises reordering the route progressions based on the plurality of preferences.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

analyzing route progressions associated with a selected route during navigation of the route;

comparing the analysis to alternative route progressions associated with one or more alternative routes based on the plurality of preferences; and

presenting a recommended alternative route based on the comparison.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

collecting traversed route data;

deriving one or more preferences based upon the traversed route data;

using the derived one or more preferences to analyze the plurality of route progressions.

13. A system comprising:

a preference engine operable to identify a plurality of user preferences;

a destination engine operable to identify destination information;

a routing engine operable to identify a plurality of routes each route comprising a plurality of route progressions, the identification of the plurality of routes being based on a current location and the destination information;

an analysis engine operable to analyze the plurality of route progressions based upon the plurality of user preferences; and

a presentation engine operable to present one or more preferred routes to the user based on the analysis engine.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the analysis engine is further operable to weight the plurality of route progressions based on the plurality of user preferences and use the weights to produce a score for each route progression.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the analysis engine is further operable to retrieve route information associated with the plurality of route progressions and to analyze the plurality of route progressions based on the plurality of user preferences and route information.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the analysis engine is operable to derive an estimated time associated with the plurality of routes, and the presentation engine is operable to provide an estimated time associated with the plurality of routes presented to the user, the estimated time being based on route information.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the presentation engine is further operable to receive a selection from among the one or more preferred routes from the user.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein the destination engine is operable to identify the destination information based on user input.

19. The system of claim 13, wherein the plurality of user preferences comprise at least two of road preferences, traffic preferences, scenery preferences, traffic control device preferences, restaurant preferences, city preferences, or speed preferences.

20. The system of claim 13, wherein the analysis engine is further operable to weight the route progressions based on the preferences and to compare the weighted route progressions.

21. The system of claim 13, wherein the analyzing engine is operable to reorder the plurality of routes based on the plurality of user preferences.

22. The system of claim 13, wherein the analysis engine is further operable to analyze route progressions associated with a selected route during navigation of the selected route and to compare the analysis to alternative route progressions associated with one or more alternative routes based on the plurality of preferences;

and

wherein the presentation engine is further operable to present a recommended alternative route based on analysis engine results.

23. One or more computer readable media storing instructions that are executable by a processing device, and upon such execution cause the processing device to perform operations comprising:

collecting historical navigation data based on a plurality of navigations associated with a user;

deriving a plurality of user preferences based on the historical navigation data;

identifying destination information associated with the user;

identifying one or more potential routes comprising a plurality of route progressions based on a current location and the destination information;

analyzing the plurality of route progressions based on the plurality of user preferences; and

presenting one or more preferred routes to the user based on the analysis.

24. A computer implemented method, comprising:

collecting historical navigation data based on a plurality of navigations associated with a user;

deriving a plurality of user preferences based on the historical navigation data;

identifying destination information associated with the user;

identifying one or more potential routes comprising a plurality of route progressions based on a current location and the destination information;

analyzing the plurality of route progressions based on the plurality of user preferences; and

presenting one or more preferred routes to the user based on the analysis.

25. A method comprising:

receiving a plurality of preferences associated with a user;

receiving destination information associated with the user;

identifying a plurality of potential routes comprising a plurality of route progressions, the potential routes being based on a current location and the destination information;

analyzing the potential routes based on the plurality of preferences and based upon the plurality of route progressions; and

communicating one or more recommended routes to a user device, the recommended routes being based upon the analysis.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

receiving a plurality of scores associated with the plurality of route progressions;

aggregating a plurality of respective scores associated with each of the route progressions;

analyzing the potential routes based upon the preferences and based upon the aggregate score associated with the route progressions.