Computer-Implemented Method, System, and Computer Program Product for Detecting Modes of Transportation of a User

• US 20180073881A1
• Filed: 11/17/2017
• Published: 03/15/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2015
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
• Original Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
• Inventors: KARG, Michael, ROOR, Roman, STRASSBERGER, Markus, FRUEH, Aaron, KARSUNKE, Olga
• Application Number:
  US15/816,303
• Publication Number:
  US 20180073881A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3423 Multimodal routing, i.e. combining two or more modes of transportation, where the modes can be any of, e.g. driving, walking, cycling, public transport
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/04 Forecasting or optimisation specially adapted for administrative or management purposes, e.g. linear programming or "cutting stock problem" market predictions or forecasting for commercial activities G06Q30/0202
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/26 Government or public services business processes related to the transportation industry G06Q50/40
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/40 Business processes related to the transportation industry shipping G06Q10/083

Abstract

A computer-implemented method for detecting modes of transportation of a user includes detecting one or more key points in a digital map, determining a key point of the one or more key points within a predefined range of a current position of the user, and determining one or more further key points associated with the determined key point. The method also includes tracking, by each of the one or more further key points, whether the user stops at a particular key point of the one or more further key points, and setting a mode of transportation of the user to a public transportation mode in response to said tracking indicating that the user stops at the particular key point of the one or more further key points.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for detecting modes of transportation of a user, wherein the method comprises the acts of:

detecting one or more key points in a digital map;

determining a key point of the one or more key points within a predefined range of a current position of the user;

determining one or more further key points associated with the determined key point;

tracking, by each of the one or more further key points, whether the user stops at a particular key point of the one or more further key points; and

setting a mode of transportation of the user to a public transportation mode in response to said tracking indicating that the user stops at the particular key point of the one or more further key points.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

setting the mode of transportation of the user to a car transportation mode in response to said tracking indicating that the user stops at none of the one or more further key points.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the one or more further key points are determined based on one or more connections of one or more public transportation systems available at the determined key point.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein the one or more further key points are determined based on one or more connections of one or more public transportation systems available at the determined key point.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

detecting a transition of the mode of transportation of the user when the user is in the public transportation mode,

wherein detecting the transition of the mode of transportation of the user comprises;

determining an even further key point associated with the particular key point at which the user stops;

determining one or more transition key points associated with the particular key point, wherein a transition key point is a key point which is nearby the particular key point and is arrived at by walking from the particular key point;

setting the mode of transportation of the user to a transition mode;

tracking the even further key point and the one or more transition key points to determine whether the user stops at one of these key points; and

setting the mode of transportation of the user to the public transportation mode if the user stops at one of these key points.

6. The method according to claim 2, further comprising:

detecting a transition of the mode of transportation of the user when the user is in the public transportation mode,

wherein detecting the transition of the mode of transportation of the user comprises;

determining an even further key point associated with the particular key point at which the user stops;

determining one or more transition key points associated with the particular key point, wherein a transition key point is a key point which is nearby the particular key point and is arrived at by walking from the particular key point;

setting the mode of transportation of the user to a transition mode;

tracking the even further key point and the one or more transition key points to determine whether the user stops at one of these key points; and

setting the mode of transportation of the user to the public transportation mode if the user stops at one of these key points.

7. The method according to claim 3, further comprising:

detecting a transition of the mode of transportation of the user when the user is in the public transportation mode,

wherein detecting the transition of the mode of transportation of the user comprises;

determining an even further key point associated with the particular key point at which the user stops;

determining one or more transition key points associated with the particular key point, wherein a transition key point is a key point which is nearby the particular key point and is arrived at by walking from the particular key point;

setting the mode of transportation of the user to a transition mode;

tracking the even further key point and the one or more transition key points to determine whether the user stops at one of these key points; and

setting the mode of transportation of the user to the public transportation mode if the user stops at one of these key points.

8. The method according to claim 5, the method further comprising setting the mode of transportation to a walking state if the user stops at none of said key points.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a movement activity of the user and a probability of the movement activity from an activity detection engine, wherein the activity movement engine detects the movement activity at least based on an acceleration sensor; and

mapping the movement activity of the user to a motorized state if the movement activity indicates that the user uses a vehicle at a probability above a predefined threshold;

setting the mode of transportation to a motorized state.

10. The method according to claim 9, further comprising setting the mode of transportation of the user to a public transportation mode if the mode of transportation is in the motorized state and the user stops at the particular key point of the one or more further key points.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein said tracking whether the user stops at one of the one or more further key point comprises:

setting a key point logic of a key point of the one or more key points to a tracking state;

calculating a probability for arriving at a key point of the one or more further key points based on a distance from the user to the key point; and

removing the key point of the one or more further key points if the calculated probability decreases below a predefined threshold.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the probability is a weighted probability.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein said tracking whether the user stops at one of the one or more further key point comprises:

determining whether the user is within a predefined distance to a particular key point of the one or more further key points,

wherein if the user is within a predefined distance to the particular key point of the one or more further key points, the method further comprises

setting the key point logic of the particular key point to a check if the user stops state;

detecting whether the user stops at the particular key point of the one or more further key points,

wherein if the user stop at the particular key point, the method further comprises

setting the key point logic of the particular key point to an on public state;

setting the mode of transportation to the public transportation mode.

14. A system configured to detect modes of transportation of a user, wherein the system is configured to:

detect one or more key points in a digital map;

determine a key point of the one or more key points within a predefined range of a current position of the user;

determine one or more further key points associated with the determined key point;

track, by each of the one or more further key points, whether the user stops at a particular key point of the one or more further key points; and

set a mode of transportation of the user to a public transportation mode in response to said tracking indicating that the user stops at the particular key point of the one or more further key points.

15. A computer program product for detecting modes of transportation of a user, the computer program product comprising a non-transitory readable medium containing instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

detect one or more key points in a digital map;

determine a key point of the one or more key points within a predefined range of a current position of the user;

determine one or more further key points associated with the determined key point;

track, by each of the one or more further key points, whether the user stops at a particular key point of the one or more further key points; and

set a mode of transportation of the user to a public transportation mode in response to said tracking indicating that the user stops at the particular key point of the one or more further key points.