SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR SHOPPING DETOUR DURING TRAFFIC CONGESTION

• US 20160252359A1
• Filed: 05/09/2016
• Published: 09/01/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PayPal, Inc. (PayPal Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: PayPal, Inc. (PayPal Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ikavalko, Karin Andrea, Thomas, Jeffrey Joseph, Alves, Michael Joseph, Pujals, Michelle
• Granted Patent: US 10,508,924 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3461 Preferred or disfavoured areas, e.g. dangerous zones, toll or emission zones, intersections, manoeuvre types, segments such as motorways, toll roads, ferries
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3484 Personalized, e.g. from learned user behaviour or user-defined profiles
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3492 employing speed data or traffic data, e.g. real-time or historical traffic control systems for road vehicles involving transmission of navigation instructions to the vehicle G08G1/0968
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3679 Retrieval, searching and output of POI information, e.g. hotels, restaurants, shops, filling stations, parking facilities G01C21/3611 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3682 output of POI information on a road map G01C21/3614, G01C21/3685 take precedence

Abstract

A system or a method is provided to provide shopping detours to users during traffic congestions. In particular, the system may detect that a user is experiencing or is about to experience a traffic congestion. The system may then estimate the additional travel time needed to go through the traffic congestion. The system may also find shopping detours which allow the user to take the shopping detours to make purchases and still arrive at the final destination at about the same time as if the user stays in the original route with the traffic congestion.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

providing navigation instructions for a first route to reach a destination specified by a user;

detecting a traffic condition along the first route;

generating, in response to detecting the traffic condition, a second route to reach the destination, the second route being different from the first route;

calculating a first travel cost associated with staying on the first route and a second travel cost associated with taking the second route; and

presenting the first travel cost and the second travel cost to the user;

wherein at least one of the providing, the detecting, the generating, the calculating, and the presenting is performed by an electronic processor of a mobile electronic device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing navigation instructions for the second route in response to a user selection of the second route after the presenting of the first travel cost and the second travel cost.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the generating the second route is performed such that the second route includes a visit to a merchant.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the calculating of the first travel cost and the second travel cost is performed using factors selected from the group consisting of:

a remaining distance of the first route or the second route, a speed of traffic flow along the first route or the second route, a type of vehicle driven by the user, a miles-per-gallon of the vehicle, a driving style of the user, and a parking cost.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

estimating a delay time caused by the traffic condition;

estimating a shopping detour time for traveling to and shopping at the merchant; and

presenting the delay time and the shopping detour time to the user for comparison.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the delay time caused by the traffic condition is estimated based on one or more of a speed of traffic flow through the traffic condition, a type of traffic condition, a duration of the traffic condition, a distance between the user and the traffic condition, and a distance stretch of the traffic condition.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the shopping detour time is estimated based on one or more of a travel distance to the merchant, a traffic flow speed along the shopping detour to the merchant, a wait time at the merchant, and a parking availability at the merchant.

8. A mobile electronic device, comprising:

a non-transitory memory; and

one or more hardware processors coupled to the non-transitory memory and configured to read instructions from the non-transitory memory to cause the system to perform operations comprising;

providing navigation instructions for a first route to reach a destination specified by a user;

detecting a traffic condition along the first route;

generating, in response to detecting the traffic condition, a second route to reach the destination, the second route being different from the first route;

calculating a first travel cost associated with staying on the first route and a second travel cost associated with taking the second route; and

presenting the first travel cost and the second travel cost to the user.

9. The mobile electronic device of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise providing navigation instructions for the second route in response to a user selection of the second route after the presenting of the first travel cost and the second travel cost.

10. The mobile electronic device of claim 8, wherein the generating the second route is performed such that the second route includes a visit to a merchant.

11. The mobile electronic device of claim 8, wherein the calculating of the first travel cost and the second travel cost is performed using factors selected from the group consisting of:

a remaining distance of the first route or the second route, a speed of traffic flow along the first route or the second route, a type of vehicle driven by the user, a miles-per-gallon of the vehicle, a driving style of the user, and a parking cost.

12. The mobile electronic device of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise:

estimating a first arrival time for taking the first route to a final destination;

estimating a second arrival time for taking the second route to the final destination; and

presenting the first and the second arrival time to the user for comparison.

13. The mobile electronic device of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining a desired arrival time at the destination based on a calendar of the user;

selecting the first or the second travel route that allows the user to arrive at the destination on or before the desired arrival time; and

presenting the selected first or second travel to the user.

14. The mobile electronic device of claim 10, wherein the operations further comprise:

providing an user interface for the user to pre-order a product or a service from the merchant while the user is in-route to the merchant;

receiving a purchase order from the user; and

sending the purchase order to the merchant.

15. The mobile electronic device of claim 8, wherein the second route has a travel time less than that of the first route with the traffic condition.

16. A non-transitory machine-readable medium having stored thereon machine-readable instructions executable to cause a machine to perform operations comprising:

providing navigation instructions for a first route to reach a destination specified by a user;

detecting a traffic condition along the first route;

generating, in response to detecting the traffic condition, a second route to reach the destination, the second route being different from the first route;

calculating a first travel cost associated with staying on the first route and a second travel cost associated with taking the second route; and

presenting the first travel cost and the second travel cost to the user.

17. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the operations further comprise providing navigation instructions for the second route in response to a user selection of the second route after the presenting of the first travel cost and the second travel cost.

18. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the generating the second route is performed such that the second route includes a visit to a merchant.

19. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the calculating of the first travel cost and the second travel cost is performed using factors selected from the group consisting of:

a remaining distance of the first route or the second route, a speed of traffic flow along the first route or the second route, a type of vehicle driven by the user, a miles-per-gallon of the vehicle, a driving style of the user, and a parking cost.

20. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the operations further comprise:

estimating a first arrival time for taking the first route to a final destination;

estimating a second arrival time for taking the second route to the final destination; and

presenting the first and the second arrival time to the user for comparison.