CONTEXTUAL TRAFFIC OR TRANSIT ALERTS

• US 20130345953A1
• Filed: 07/12/2013
• Published: 12/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Udeshi, Tushar, Stamm, Tom Carl, Hawkins, Dale, Bellver, Pablo
• Granted Patent: US 9,002,636 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/117
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3617 using user history, behaviour, conditions or preferences, e.g. predicted or inferred from previous use or current movement
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3691 Retrieval, searching and output of information related to real-time traffic, weather, or environmental conditions arrangements for giving variable traffic instructions G08G1/09

Abstract

A computing system is described that can provide a user with alerts based on traffic information related to the user'"'"'s expected travel route. In some embodiments, a user can be alerted if a traffic delay exists on the user'"'"'s expected travel route. In other embodiments, a user can be alerted when their usual bus or train is delayed. In further embodiments, a user can be alerted when traffic on an expected route to the user'"'"'s next event location might impact the user'"'"'s ability to arrive at that location on time

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining, by a computing system, an expected travel route of a user of a computing device and an expected departure time for the user to begin traveling along the expected travel route to a destination such that the user arrives at the destination by a future time;

determining, by the computing system, traffic information associated with the expected travel route, the traffic information indicating possible travel delays along the expected travel route and occurring during a time interval before the expected departure time;

determining, by the computing system, based at least in part on the traffic information, a traffic delay associated with the expected travel route during the time interval; and

sending, by the computing system, to the computing device, information based on the traffic delay.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the information based on the travel delay includes, an indication of an updated departure time for the user to begin traveling along the expected travel route to the destination such that the user arrives at the destination by the future time in response to determining, by the computing system, that the traffic delay will cause the user to arrive at the destination after the future time if the user begins traveling along the expected travel route at the expected departure time.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the information based on the travel delay includes an indication of an alternative travel route to the destination such that the user arrives at the destination by the future time in response to determining, by the computing system, that the traffic delay will cause the user to arrive at the destination after the future time if the user begins traveling along the expected travel route at the expected departure time.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, by the computing system, the destination and the future time based on event information included in a calendar associated with the user.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the computing system, a location history associated with the computing device; and

determining, by the computing system and based on the location history, the expected travel route of the user.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

identifying, by the computing system and based on the location history, a home location associated with the user, the home location being a first location in the location history that is associated with multiple times of day during a nighttime;

identifying, by the computing system and based on the location history, a work location associated with the user, the work location being a second location in the location history that is associated with multiple times of day during a daytime; and

determining, by the computing system, that the expected travel route of the user is a commuting travel route the user takes between the home location and the work location.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

determining, by the computing system and based on the location history, the expected departure time, wherein the expected departure time is an average departure time based on prior instances when the user has started traveling along the expected travel route.

8. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

determining, by the computing system and based on the location history, a mode of transportation associated with the user for traveling along the expected travel route, wherein determining the traffic information associated with the expected travel route includes determining the traffic information based on the mode of transportation.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to determining that the computing device is no longer charging, determining, by the computing system, the expected departure time, the expected departure time being within a time threshold of the current time associated with the computing device.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, by the computing system and based on the location history, a previous travel route that the user has taken from a current location of the computing device to the destination; and

determining, by the computing system, that the expected travel route of the user is the previous travel route.

11. A method comprising:

sending, by a computing device, to a computing system, an indication of a current location of a user associated with the computing device;

receiving, by the computing device, from the computing system, an indication of an estimated trip time for the user to travel along an expected travel route at an expected departure time for the user to arrive at an expected location by a future time; and

responsive to determining that a difference between an amount of time remaining until the future time and the estimated trip time satisfies a threshold, outputting, by the computing device and for display, an indication of a suggested departure time for the user to begin traveling along the expected travel route to the expected location such that the user arrives at the expected location by the future time.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving, by the computing device, from the computing system, an indication of a traffic delay associated with the expected travel route and an updated suggested departure time based on the traffic delay; and

outputting, by the computing device and for display, an indication of the traffic delay and the updated suggested departure time.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

responsive to receiving an indication of a traffic delay associated with the expected travel route, receiving, by the computing device, from the computing system, an indication of an alternative travel route to the expected location such that the user arrives at the expected location by the future time; and

prior to the suggested departure time, outputting, by the computing device and for display, an indication of the alternative travel route.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

sending, by the computing device, to the computing system, calendar information associated with the user, the calendar information including an event location and an event time associated with the event location, wherein the expected location corresponds to the event location and the event time corresponds to the future time; and

outputting, by the computing device and for display, a calendar reminder associated with the event location and the event time, wherein the calendar reminder includes an indication of the suggested departure time for the user to begin traveling along the expected travel route to the expected location such that the user arrives at the expected location by the expected time.

15. A computing system comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one module operable by the at least one processor to;

determine an expected travel route of a user of a computing device and an expected departure time for the user to begin traveling along the expected travel route to a destination such that the user arrives at the destination by a future time;

determine traffic information associated with the expected travel route, the traffic information indicating possible travel delays along the expected travel route and occurring during a time interval before the expected departure time;

determine, based at least in part on the traffic information, a traffic delay associated with the expected travel route during the time interval; and

send, to the computing device, information based on the traffic delay.

16. The computing system of claim 15, wherein the information based on the travel delay includes an indication of an updated departure time for the user to begin traveling along the expected travel route to the destination such that the user arrives at the destination by the future time in response to the at least one module determining that the traffic delay will cause the user to arrive at the destination after the future time if the user begins traveling along the expected travel route at the expected departure time.

17. The computing system of claim 15, wherein the information based on the travel delay includes an indication of an alternative travel route to the destination such that the user arrives at the destination by the future time in response to the at least one module determining that the traffic delay will cause the user to arrive at the destination after the future time if the user begins traveling along the expected travel route at the expected departure time.

18. The computing system of claim 15, wherein the at least one module is further operable by the at least one processor to determine the destination and the future time based on event information included in a calendar associated with the user.

19. The computing system of claim 15, wherein the at least one module is further operable by the at least one processor to:

receive a location history associated with the computing device; and

determine, based on the location history, the expected travel route of the user.

20. The computing system of claim 19, wherein the at least one module is further operable by the at least one processor to:

identify, based on the location history, a home location associated with the user, the home location being a first location in the location history that is associated with multiple times of day during a nighttime;

identify, based on the location history, a work location associated with the user, the work location being a second location in the location history that is associated with multiple times of day during a daytime; and

determine that the expected travel route of the user is a commuting travel route the user takes between the home location and the work location.

21. The computing system of claim 19, wherein the at least one module is further operable by the at least one processor to determine, based on the location history, the expected departure time, wherein the expected departure time is an average departure time based on prior instances determined from the location history when the user has started traveling along the expected travel route.

22. The computing system of claim 19, wherein the at least one module is further operable by the at least one processor to determine, based on the location history, a mode of transportation associated with the user for traveling along the expected travel route, wherein the traffic information associated with the expected travel route is determined based on the mode of transportation.

23. The computing system of claim 15, wherein the at least one module is further operable by the at least one processor to:

responsive to determining that the computing device is no longer charging, determine the expected departure time, the expected departure time being within a time threshold of the current time associated with the computing device.

24. The computing system of claim 15, wherein the at least one module is further operable by the at least one processor to:

determine, based on the location history, a previous travel route that the user has taken from a current location of the computing device to the destination; and

determine that the expected travel route of the user is the previous travel route.

25. A computing device comprising:

a display device;

at least one processor; and

at least one module operable by the at least one processor to;

send, to a computing system, an indication of a current location of a user associated with the computing device;

receive, from the computing system, an indication of an estimated trip time for the user to travel along an expected travel route at an expected departure time for the user to arrive at an expected location by a future time; and

responsive to determining that a difference between an amount of time remaining until the future time and the estimated trip time satisfies a threshold, output, for display at the display device, an indication of a suggested departure time for the user to begin traveling along the expected travel route to the expected location such that the user arrives at the expected location by the future time.

26. The computing device of claim 25, wherein the notification is a first notification, wherein the at least one module is further operable by the at least one processor to:

receive, from the computing system, an indication of a traffic delay associated with the expected travel route and an updated suggested departure time based on the traffic delay; and

output, for display at the display device, an indication of the traffic delay and the updated suggested departure time.

27. The computing device of claim 25, wherein the notification is a first notification, wherein the at least one module is further operable by the at least one processor to:

responsive to receiving an indication of a traffic delay associated with the expected travel route, receive, from the computing system, an indication of an alternative travel route to the expected location such that the user arrives at the expected location by the future time; and

prior to the suggested departure time, output, for display at the display device, an indication of the alternative travel route.

28. The computing device of claim 25, wherein the notification is a first notification, wherein the at least one module is further operable by the at least one processor to:

send, to the computing system, calendar information associated with the user, the calendar information including an event location and an event time associated with the event location, wherein the expected location corresponds to the event location and the event time corresponds to the future time; and

output, for display at the display device, a calendar reminder associated with the event location and the event time, wherein the calendar reminder includes an indication of the suggested departure time for the user to begin traveling along the expected travel route to the expected location such that the user arrives at the expected location by the expected time.