MOBILE STATE DETERMINATION OF LOCATION AWARE DEVICES

• US 20120253656A1
• Filed: 03/31/2011
• Published: 10/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Brandt, Eli U.
• Granted Patent: US 8,886,457 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/410
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3484 Personalized, e.g. from learned user behaviour or user-defined profiles

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for determining the mode of travel of a location aware device. Data from the location aware device is received, which includes location aware data about the speed, location, and navigational route of the location aware device and data about the connection of the location aware device to a power source. These features of data from the location aware device are used to determine the mode of travel of the location aware device. The data from the location aware device can also be used to determine preferred routes of navigation, speed of roads, and traffic on roads.

Claims

1. A method for determining a mode of travel for a user of a location aware device, the method comprising:

receiving data from a location aware device, wherein the data comprises a location of the location aware device and information about whether the location aware device is connected to an external power source; and

determining based on the information a mode of travel of the user of the location aware device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the mode of travel is determined to be a vehicle where the information indicates that the location aware device is connected to the external power source.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the mode of travel is determined to be walking where the information indicates that the location aware device is not connected to the external power source.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the information indicates that the location aware device is permanently connected to the external power source.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the information indicates that the location aware device is temporarily connected to the external power source.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving data from the location aware device that indicates that the location aware device is held or carried by the user.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving data comprising a speed of the location aware device.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving data comprising a velocity of the location aware device.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a speed for the location aware device; and

determining the mode of travel based on the speed of the location aware device.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the speed of the location aware device is estimated as the speed at a designated percentile in a probability distribution of speeds.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the mode of travel is determined to be a vehicle if the speed is greater than a threshold amount.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the mode of travel is determined to be a bicycle if the speed is below a threshold amount or between certain threshold amounts.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the mode of travel is determined to be walking if the speed is below a threshold amount.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising determining the acceleration of the location aware device to determine the mode of travel of the user of the location aware device.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a navigational route of the location aware device based on a plurality of locations of the location aware device;

comparing the navigational route with map data about the plurality of locations; and

determining based on the navigational route the mode of travel of the user of the location aware device.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the mode of travel is determined to be a vehicle if the navigational route follows a highway.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the mode of travel is determined to be walking if the navigational route follows a walking path.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising determining a preferred route of travel based on the navigational route of the location aware device.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein determining the preferred route of travel is responsive to a request for directions from a user of the location aware device.

20. The method of claim 9, further comprising determining an average speed of a road based on speeds of a plurality location aware device.

21. The method of claim 9, further comprising determining traffic conditions for a road based on speeds of a plurality of location aware devices.

22. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a speed and a navigational route of the location aware device;

determining a mode of travel based on the speed, the navigational route, and the connection to the power source of the location aware device.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein the location aware device determines its location using a geospatial satellite system.

24. The method of claim 1, wherein the location aware device determines its location using a location based service.

25. The method of claim 1, wherein the location aware device determines its location using dead reckoning.

48. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 24, wherein the mode of travel is determined based on a speed, a navigational route, and the connection to the power source of the location aware device.

26. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing executable computer program instructions for determining a mode of travel for a location aware device, the computer program instructions comprising instructions for:

receiving data from a location aware device, wherein the data comprises a location of the location aware device and information about whether the location aware device is connected to an external power source; and

determining based on the information a mode of travel of the user of the location aware device.

27. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 26, wherein the mode of travel is determined to be a vehicle where the information indicates that the location aware device is connected to the external power source.

28. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 26, wherein the mode of travel is determined to be walking where the information indicates that the location aware device is not connected to the external power source.

29. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 26, wherein the information indicates that the location aware device is permanently connected to the external power source.

30. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 26, wherein the information indicates that the location aware device is temporarily connected to the external power source.

31. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 26, further comprising receiving data from the location aware device that indicates that the location aware device is held or carried by the user.

32. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 26, further comprising receiving data comprising a speed of the location aware device.

33. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 26, further comprising receiving data comprising a velocity of the location aware device.

34. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 26, further comprising:

determining a speed for the location aware device; and

determining the mode of travel based on the speed of the location aware device.

35. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 34, wherein the speed of the location aware device is estimated as the speed at a designated percentile in a probability distribution of speeds.

36. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 34, wherein the mode of travel is determined to be a vehicle if the speed is greater than a threshold amount.

37. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 34, wherein the mode of travel is determined to be a bicycle if the speed is below a threshold amount or between certain threshold amounts

38. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 34, wherein the mode of travel is determined to be walking if the speed is below a threshold amount.

39. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 34, further comprising determining the acceleration of the location aware device to determine the mode of travel of the user of the location aware device.

40. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 26, further comprising:

determining a navigational route of the location aware device based a plurality of locations of the location aware device;

comparing the navigational route with map data about the plurality of locations; and

determining based on the navigational route the mode of travel of the user of the location aware device.

41. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 40, wherein the mode of travel is determined to be a vehicle if the navigational route follows a highway.

42. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 40, wherein the mode of travel is determined to be walking if the navigational route follows a walking path.

43. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 40, further comprising determining a preferred route of travel based on the navigational route of the location aware device.

44. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 43, wherein determining the preferred route of travel is responsive to a request for directions from a user of the location aware device.

45. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 26, further comprising:

determining a speed and a navigational route of the location aware device;

determining a mode of travel based on the speed, the navigational route, and the connection to the external power source of the location aware device

46. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 34, further comprising determining an average speed of a road based on speeds of a plurality of location aware devices.

47. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 34, further comprising determining traffic conditions for a road based on speeds of a plurality of location aware devices.

49. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 26, wherein the location aware device determines its location using a geospatial satellite system.

50. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 26, wherein the location aware device determines its location using a location based service.

51. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 26, wherein the location aware device determines its location using dead reckoning.

52. A computer system for determining a mode of travel for a location aware device, the system comprising:

a computer processor; and

a computer program executable by the computer processor and performing actions comprising;

receiving data from a location aware device, wherein the data comprises a location of the location aware device and information about whether the location aware device is connected to an external power source; and

determining based on the information a mode of travel of the user of the location aware device.

53. The system of claim 52, wherein the mode of travel is determined to be a vehicle where the information indicates that the location aware device is connected to the external power source.

54. The system of claim 52, wherein the mode of travel is determined to be walking where the information indicates that the location aware device is not connected to the external power source.

55. The system of claim 52, wherein the information indicates that the location aware device is permanently connected to the external power source.

56. The system of claim 52, wherein the information indicates that the location aware device is temporarily connected to the external power source.

57. The system of claim 52, further comprising receiving data from the location aware device that indicates that the location aware device is held or carried by the user.

58. The system of claim 52, further comprising receiving data comprising a speed of the location aware device.

59. The system of claim 52, further comprising receiving data comprising a velocity of the location aware device.

60. The system of claim 52, further comprising

determining a speed for the location aware device;

and

determining the mode of travel based on the speed of the location aware device.

61. The system of claim 60, wherein the speed of the location aware device is estimated as the speed at a designated percentile in probability distribution of speeds.

62. The system of claim 60, wherein the mode of travel is determined to be a vehicle if the speed is greater than a threshold amount.

63. The system of claim 60, wherein the mode of travel is determined to be a bicycle if the speed is below a threshold amount or between certain threshold amounts.

64. The system of claim 60, wherein the mode of travel is determined to be walking if the speed is below a threshold amount.

65. The system of claim 60, further comprising determining the acceleration of the location aware device to determine the mode of travel of the user of the location aware device.

66. The system of claim 52, further comprising:

determining a navigational route of the location aware device based a plurality of locations of the location aware device;

comparing the navigational route with map data about the plurality of locations; and

determining based on the navigational route the mode of travel of the user of the location aware device.

67. The system of claim 66, wherein the mode of travel is determined to be a vehicle if the navigational route follows a highway.

68. The system of claim 66, wherein the mode of travel is determined to be walking if the navigational route follows a walking path.

69. The system of claim 66, further comprising determining a preferred route of travel based on the navigational route of the location aware device.

70. The system of claim 69, wherein determining the preferred route of travel is responsive to a request for directions from a user of the location aware device.

71. The system of claim 60, further comprising determining an average speed of a road based on speeds of a plurality of location aware devices.

72. The system of claim 60, further comprising determining traffic conditions for a road based on speeds of a plurality of location aware devices.

73. The system of claim 52, further comprising:

determining a speed and a navigational route of the location aware device;

determining a mode of travel based on the speed, the navigational route, and the connection to the external power source of the location aware device.

74. The system of claim 52, wherein the location aware device determine its location using a geospatial satellite system.

75. The system of claim 52, wherein the location aware device determines its location using a location based service.

76. The system of claim 52, wherein the location aware device determines its location using dead reckoning.