Device, system, and method of dynamic route guidance

• US 20110098915A1
• Filed: 10/28/2009
• Published: 04/28/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Disatnik, Israel, Shmuelevitz, Yuval, Levine, Uri
• Application Number:
  US12/588,786
• Publication Number:
  US 20110098915A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/201
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3415 Dynamic re-routing, e.g. recalculating the route when the user deviates from calculated route or after detecting real-time traffic data or accidents

Abstract

Device, system, and method of dynamic route guidance. For example, a method includes: calculating an optimal route from a first location, in which a navigation device is located, to a destination point entered by a user of said navigation device; receiving from the navigation device a travel update, indicating that the navigation device is located in a second location, wherein the second location is on said optimal route; and based on real-time traffic information and real-time road information, determining that an alternate route, from the second location to the destination point, is now an optimal route to the destination point.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

calculating an optimal route from a first location, in which a navigation device is located, to a destination point entered by a user of said navigation device;

receiving from the navigation device a travel update, indicating that the navigation device is located in a second location, wherein the second location is on said optimal route; and

based on real-time traffic information and real-time road information, determining that an alternate route, from the second location to the destination point, is now an optimal route to the destination point.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

updating the navigation device to reflect that the alternate route is a new optimal route replacing a previously-calculated optimal route to said destination point.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

obtaining approval of the user of the navigation device prior to replacing the previously-calculated optimal route with said alternate route.

4. The method of claim 2, comprising:

automatically replacing the previously-calculated optimal route with said alternate route independent of obtaining approval from the user of the navigation device.

5. The method of claim 4, comprising:

automatically performing said replacing if an estimated travel time on the alternate route is smaller than an estimated travel time on the previously-calculated optimal route by at least a pre-defined time period.

6. The method of claim 4, comprising:

automatically performing said replacing if an estimated travel time on the alternate route is smaller than an estimated travel time on the previously-calculated optimal route by at least a pre-defined percentage value.

7. The method of claim 4, comprising:

automatically performing said replacing if the number of road segment of the alternate route is smaller than the number of road segments of the previously-calculated optimal route by at least a pre-defined threshold value.

8. The method of claim 1, comprising:

substantially continuously calculating an optimal route from a current location of the navigation device to said destination point; and

automatically replacing a previously-calculated optimal route with a newly-calculated optimal route.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining that an alternate route is now an optimal route to the destination point is performed upon receiving a real-time traffic update comprising one or more of:

data indicating a traffic jam in a road segment of the optimal route;

data indicating slow traffic in a road segment of the optimal route;

data indicating a vehicular accident in a road segment of the optimal route;

data indicating a blockage in a road segment of the optimal route;

data indicating removal of a blockage in a road segment of an alternate route;

data indicating alleviation of a traffic jam in a road segment of an alternate route;

data indicating increased velocity of traffic in a road segment of an alternate route.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining that an alternate route is now an optimal route to the destination point is performed upon obtaining data comprising one or more of:

data indicating a change in predicted traffic on one or more road segments in the optimal route;

data indicating a change in predicted traffic on one or more road segments in an alternate route;

data indicating a difference between estimated driving time and actual driving time along the already-traveled portion of the optimal route;

data indicating that the user of the navigation device temporarily stopped the travel along the optimal route.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the navigation device comprises a device selected from the group consisting of:

a cellular phone, a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) device, a smart-phone, a Portable Navigation Device (PND), a mobile navigation device, a portable navigation device, a mobile route guidance device, a mobile mapping device, a mobile traffic updates device, a vehicular navigation device, and a vehicular dashboard device.

12. A system comprising:

a routing module to calculate an optimal route from a first location, in which a navigation device is located, to a destination point entered by a user of said navigation device;

to receive from the navigation device a travel update, indicating that the navigation device is located in a second location, wherein the second location is on said optimal route; and

based on real-time traffic information and real-time road information, to determine that an alternate route, from the second location to the destination point, is now an optimal route to the destination point.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the routing module is to update the navigation device to reflect that the alternate route is a new optimal route replacing a previously-calculated optimal route to said destination point.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the routing module is to obtain approval of the user of the navigation device prior to replacing the previously-calculated optimal route with said alternate route.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the routing module is to automatically replace the previously-calculated optimal route with said alternate route independent of obtaining approval from the user of the navigation device.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the routing module is to automatically perform said replacement if an estimated travel time on the alternate route is smaller than an estimated travel time on the previously-calculated optimal route by at least a pre-defined time period.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the routing module is to automatically perform said replacement if an estimated travel time on the alternate route is smaller than an estimated travel time on the previously-calculated optimal route by at least a pre-defined percentage value.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the routing module is to automatically perform said replacement if the number of road segment of the alternate route is smaller than the number of road segments of the previously-calculated optimal route by at least a pre-defined threshold value.

19. The system of claim 12, wherein the routing module is to substantially continuously calculate an optimal route from a current location of the navigation device to said destination point;

and to automatically replace a previously-calculated optimal route with a newly-calculated optimal route.

20. The system of claim 12, wherein the routing module is to determine that an alternate route is now an optimal route to the destination point upon receiving a real-time traffic update comprising one or more of:

data indicating a traffic jam in a road segment of the optimal route;

data indicating slow traffic in a road segment of the optimal route;

data indicating a vehicular accident in a road segment of the optimal route;

data indicating a blockage in a road segment of the optimal route;

data indicating removal of a blockage in a road segment of an alternate route;

data indicating alleviation of a traffic jam in a road segment of an alternate route;

data indicating increased velocity of traffic in a road segment of an alternate route.

21. The system of claim 12, wherein the routing module is to determine that an alternate route is now an optimal route to the destination point upon obtaining data comprising one or more of:

data indicating a change in predicted traffic on one or more road segments in the optimal route;

data indicating a change in predicted traffic on one or more road segments in an alternate route;

data indicating a difference between estimated driving time and actual driving time along the already-traveled portion of the optimal route;

data indicating that the user of the navigation device temporarily stopped the travel along the optimal route.

22. The system of claim 12, wherein the navigation device comprises a device selected from the group consisting of:

a cellular phone, a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) device, a smart-phone, a Portable Navigation Device (PND), a mobile navigation device, a portable navigation device, a mobile route guidance device, a mobile mapping device, a mobile traffic updates device, a vehicular navigation device, and a vehicular dashboard device.