Adaptive Navigation System for Estimating Travel Times

• US 20090182492A1
• Filed: 01/10/2008
• Published: 07/16/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/10/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Alten, Brett Gregory
• Granted Patent: US 8,452,529 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/200
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3484 Personalized, e.g. from learned user behaviour or user-defined profiles

Abstract

An estimated travel time for a route generated by a navigation system can be modified using a route-specific, custom travel factor computed from data collected by the navigation system while the user is traveling the route. In one aspect, the data can be stored in a local or remote database accessible by the navigation system. The data can be used to classify routes so that custom travel factors computed for a route in a given class can be used to estimate travel times for other routes in the same class. In another aspect, the classified custom travel factors can be shared with other users.

Claims

1. A method of estimating travel time, comprising:

obtaining personal travel data associated with a first route collected while traveling the first route;

determining at least one custom travel factor based on the personal travel data; and

estimating a travel time for at least a second route using the custom travel factor.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second routes are of similar types.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the first and second routes are the same.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the custom travel factor is used to modify a generic travel factor.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the personal travel data includes one or more of speed, time, location, driving patterns, season, route type, route features, traffic information, road conditions and location data.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining a custom travel factor, further comprises:

computing an average custom travel factor based on two or more custom travel factors.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the determining and estimating is performed by a network resource.

8. A method of estimating travel time, comprising:

obtaining a route request;

determining a route and estimated travel time based on the request;

determining if a custom travel factor is available for the requested route or a similar route;

if a custom travel factor is available,

obtaining the custom travel factor for the requested route or a similar route; and

applying the custom travel factor to the estimated travel time.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

if a custom travel factor is not available,

obtaining personal travel data associated with the requested route collected while traveling the requested route;

obtaining or determining at least one custom travel factor based on the personal travel data; and

estimating a travel time for the requested route or another route using the custom travel factor.

10. The method of claim 8, where determining if a custom travel factor is available for a similar route, further comprises:

identifying a class for the requested route;

identifying a similar route in the class; and

obtaining a custom travel factor associated with the similar route.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the personal travel data includes one or more of speed, time, location, driving patterns, season, route type, route features, traffic information, road conditions and location data.

12. A navigation system, comprising:

a processor;

a computer-readable medium coupled to the processor and having instructions stored thereon, which, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to perform operations comprising;

obtaining personal travel data associated with a first route collected while traveling the first route;

determining at least one custom travel factor based on the personal travel data; and

estimating a travel time for at least a second route using the custom travel factor.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the first and second routes are of similar types.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the first and second routes are the same.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the custom travel factor is used to modify a generic travel factor.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the personal travel data includes one or more of speed, time, location, driving patterns, season, route type, route features, traffic information, road conditions and location data.

17. The system of claim 12, where determining at least one custom travel factor further comprises:

determining if a custom travel factor is available;

if a custom travel factor is not available,

determining the at least one custom travel factor based on the personal travel data; and

if a custom travel factor is available,

obtaining the custom travel factor.

18. The system of claim 17, where determining at least one custom travel factor further comprises:

identifying a class for the first or second route;

identifying a similar route in the class; and

obtaining a custom travel factor associated with the similar route.

19. The system of claim 12, wherein the personal travel data is obtained by a device from a group of devices including a navigation system, a tethered device, a mobile phone, a vehicle computing system and any combination thereof.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein at least some personal travel data is obtained from sensors on the device.