PROVIDING ROUTE RECOMMENDATIONS

• US 20140372030A1
• Filed: 09/03/2014
• Published: 12/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Leader, Adam L., Kirmse, Andrew
• Granted Patent: US 9,417,074 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/526
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3617 using user history, behaviour, conditions or preferences, e.g. predicted or inferred from previous use or current movement

Abstract

In one implementation, a computer-implemented method includes obtaining travel information that indicates travel patterns for a mobile computing device that is associated with a user; identifying a current context for the mobile computing device and the user; identifying one or more destination locations that the user has at least a threshold likelihood of travelling to with the mobile computing device based on the current context and the obtained travel information; generating a prediction that one or more events have at least a threshold probability of occurring along one or more of a plurality of routes for travelling to the identified one or more destination locations; selecting a particular route from the plurality of routes to recommend to the user based on the current context and the prediction of the one or more events; and providing route information that identifies the selected particular route.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

obtaining, at a computer system, travel information that indicates travel patterns for a mobile computing device that is associated with a user;

identifying a current context for the mobile computing device and the user, wherein the current context includes at least a current geographic location where the mobile computing device is currently located;

identifying, by the computer system, one or more destination locations that the user has at least a threshold likelihood of travelling to with the mobile computing device based on the current context and the obtained travel information;

generating a prediction that one or more events have at least a threshold probability of occurring along one or more of a plurality of routes for travelling from the current geographic location to the identified one or more destination locations;

selecting, by the computer system, a particular route from the plurality of routes to recommend to the user based on the current context and the prediction of the one or more events; and

providing, by the computer system, route information that identifies the selected particular route.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the current context includes a current time of day, a current date, and one or more calendar events for the user.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the current context includes recent user activity with regard to one or more applications that are installed on the mobile computing device.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein the one or more applications are selected from the group consisting of:

an email application, a calendar application, a texting application, a voicemail application, a telephone application, and a social networking application.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the current context includes one or more events that are associated with the user and that were or are scheduled to occur within a threshold period of a current time.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, wherein the one or more events are identified from an electronic calendar that is associated with the user or from correspondence between the user and other users using one or more modes of communication on the mobile computing device.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the travel information that indicates travel patterns for the user is obtained from a user model that is associated with the user.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the particular route is selected from the plurality of routes based on the one or more events being predicted to affect travel along the one or more routes by at least a threshold amount of time.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the route information identifying the particular route is provided without being prompting by the user.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the route information is provided to the user in response to user input that indicates a request for a route recommendation.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein

the computer system comprises the mobile computing device;

and

providing the route information comprises outputting the route information on the mobile computing device.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein outputting the route information on the mobile computing device comprises displaying, on a display of the mobile computing device, a map that depicts the particular route or displaying textual directions for travelling along the particular route.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein outputting the route information comprises audibly outputting, using one or more speakers of the mobile computing device, directions for travelling along the particular route.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the computer system is separate from the mobile computing device;

the method further comprising;

receiving, at the computer system and from the mobile computing device, a request to provide a route recommendation for the user of the mobile computing device, wherein the request includes information that identifies the mobile computing device and at least a portion of the current context of the mobile computing device or the user;

wherein the route information is provided by the computer system to the mobile computing device and causes the mobile computing device to output information describing the particular route.

15. A mobile computing device comprising:

an input subsystem programmed to detect a current context for the mobile computing device and a user of the mobile computing device, wherein the current context includes at least a current geographic location where the mobile computing device is currently located;

a travel monitor unit programmed to obtain travel information that indicates travel patterns for the mobile computing device;

a destination unit programmed to identify one or more destination locations that the user has at least a threshold likelihood of travelling to with the mobile computing device based on the current context and the travel information;

an event prediction unit programmed to generate predictions that one or more events have at least a threshold probability of occurring along one or more of a plurality of routes for travelling from the current geographic location to the identified one or more destination locations;

a recommendation unit programmed to select a particular route from the plurality of routes to recommend to the user based on the current context and the prediction of the one or more events; and

an output subsystem of the mobile computing device that is programmed output route information that identifies the selected particular route to the user of the mobile computing device.

16. The mobile computing device of claim 15, further comprising a route unit programmed to identify the plurality of routes based, at least in part, on the one or more destination locations identified by the destination unit.

17. The mobile computing device of claim 15, wherein the output subsystem comprises a display of the mobile computing device that is configured to visually output the route information.

18. The mobile computing device of claim 15, wherein the output subsystem comprises a speaker system of the mobile computing device that is configured to audibly output the route information.

19. The mobile computing device of claim 15, wherein the travel information that indicates travel patterns for the user is obtained from a user model that is associated with the user.

20. A computer program product embodied in a computer readable storage device storing instructions that, when executed, cause a computing system having one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

obtaining travel information that indicates travel patterns for a mobile computing device that is associated with a user;

identifying a current context for the mobile computing device and the user, wherein the current context includes at least a current geographic location where the mobile computing device is currently located;

identifying one or more destination locations that the user has at least a threshold likelihood of travelling to with the mobile computing device based on the current context and the obtained travel information;

generating a prediction that one or more events have at least a threshold probability of occurring along one or more of a plurality of routes for travelling from the current geographic location to the identified one or more destination locations;

selecting a particular route from the plurality of routes to recommend to the user based on the current context and the prediction of the one or more events; and

providing route information that identifies the selected particular route.