CONTEXTUAL TRAFFIC OR TRANSIT ALERTS

• US 20150153194A1
• Filed: 02/06/2015
• Published: 06/04/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Udeshi, Tushar, Stamm, Tom Carl, Hawkins, Dale, Bellver, Pablo
• Application Number:
  US14/616,284
• Publication Number:
  US 20150153194A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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:

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.

2. The method of claim 1, 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.

3. The method of claim 1, 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.

4. The method of claim 1, 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.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein sending the indication of the current location of the user associated with the computing device comprises sending, by the computing device, to the computing system, a location history associated with the computing device.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending, by the computing device, to the computing system, device information that indicates that the computing device is no longer charging at a current time;

responsive to sending the device information, receiving, by the computing device, from the computing system, an indication of an updated trip time for the user to travel along the expected travel route at the current time for the user to arrive at the expected location by the future time; and

responsive to determining that the difference between the amount of time remaining until the future time and the updated estimated trip time satisfies the threshold, outputting, by the computing device and for display, the indication of the current time as 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 future time.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, by the computing device, that the current location of the user is a home location of the user or a work location of the user, wherein the indication of the current location of the user associated with the computing device is sent to the computing system in response to the computing device determining that a current time is after an average time that the user typically travels along a commuting travel route between the home location and the work location.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one module is further operable by the at least one processor to:

determine that the current location of the user is a home location of the user or a work location of the user, wherein the indication of the current location of the user associated with the computing device is sent to the computing system in response to the computing device determining that a current time is after an average time that the user typically travels along a commuting travel route between the home location and the work location.

8. 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.

9. The computing device of claim 8, 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.

10. The computing device of claim 8, 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.

11. The computing device of claim 8, 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.

12. The computing device of claim 8, wherein the at least one module is further operable by the at least one processor to send the indication of the current location of the user associated with the computing device by at least sending, to the computing system, a location history associated with the computing device.

13. The computing device of claim 8, wherein the at least one module is further operable by the at least one processor to:

send, to the computing system, device information that indicates that the computing device is no longer charging at a current time;

responsive to sending the device information, receive, from the computing system, an indication of an updated trip time for the user to travel along the expected travel route at the current time for the user to arrive at the expected location by the future time; and

responsive to determining that the difference between the amount of time remaining until the future time and the updated estimated trip time satisfies the threshold, output, for display at the display device, the indication of the current time as 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 future time.

15. A computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed, configure at least one processor of a computing device 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, 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.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 comprising additional instructions that, when executed, configure the at least one processor of the computing device 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, an indication of the traffic delay and the updated suggested departure time.

17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 comprising additional instructions that, when executed, configure the at least one processor of the computing device 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, an indication of the alternative travel route.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 comprising additional instructions that, when executed, configure the at least one processor of the computing device 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, 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.

19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 comprising additional instructions that, when executed, configure the at least one processor of the computing device to:

determine that the computing device is no longer charging at a current time, wherein the indication of the suggested departure time is output for display further in response to determining that the computing device is no longer charging at the current time.

20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 comprising additional instructions that, when executed, configure the at least one processor of the computing device to:

determine that the current location of the user is a home location of the user or a work location of the user, wherein the indication of the current location of the user associated with the computing device is sent to the computing system in response to the computing device determining that a current time is after an average time that the user typically travels along a commuting travel route between the home location and the work location.