Routing method and system

• US 7,761,225 B2
• Filed: 08/15/2007
• Issued: 07/20/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/15/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: LinkedIn Corporation (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Vaughn, Garfield Winston
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Kim T
• Application Number:
  US11/838,924
• Publication Number:
  US 20090048767A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,070 Days
• Field of Search: 701/117, 701/118, 701/199, 701/200, 701/201, 701/202, 701206-209, 701/213, 701/215, 340988-991, 340/995.1, 34099513-99514, 340/995.16, 340/995.19
• US Class Current: 701/201
• 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 21/3484 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: G08G 1/096827 where the route is computed onboard
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096838 where the user preferences are taken into account or the user selects one route out of a plurality
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096866 where the complete route is shown to the driver
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096888 where input information is obtained using learning systems, e.g. history databases

Abstract

A routing method and system. The method includes receiving by a global positioning satellite (GPS) transceiver, a user profile comprising user preference data and destination location data. The GPS transceiver retrieves first geospatial coordinate values for a current location of the user and a destination location. The GPS transceiver processes the user profile and the first geospatial coordinate values to identify a geographical route for traveling from the current location to the destination location. The GPS transceiver retrieves current traffic speed/traffic density data and historical traffic speed/traffic density data associated with second geospatial coordinate values for various locations located along the first geographical route. The GPS transceiver processes the current traffic speed/traffic density data and the historical traffic speed/traffic density data to determine if the first geographical route comprises an efficient geographical route for the user.

Claims

1. A routing method comprising:

receiving from a user, by a global positioning satellite (GPS) transceiver in a vehicle, a user profile comprising user preference data comprising a slowest speed that said user is willing to travel;

receiving from said user, by said GPS transceiver, destination location data defining a destination location for said user;

retrieving from a satellite, by said GPS transceiver, first geospatial coordinate values for a current location of said user and second geospatial coordinate values for said destination location;

first identifying, by said GPS transceiver, a first geographical route for traveling from said current location to said destination location, said first identifying based on said user profile, said first geospatial coordinate values, and said second geospatial coordinate values;

retrieving from a plurality of radar traffic speed/density receiving devices, by said GPS transceiver, a plurality of geospatial coordinate values for various locations located along said first geographical route;

retrieving from a first database, by said GPS transceiver during travel of said vehicle along said first geographical route, current real time traffic speed/traffic density data associated with each geospatial coordinate value of said plurality of geospatial coordinate values;

retrieving from a second database, by said GPS transceiver during said travel of said vehicle along said first geographical route, historical traffic speed/traffic density data associated with each said geospatial coordinate value of said plurality of geospatial coordinate values;

performing, by a computer processor of said GPS transceiver, a trending analysis process on said current real time traffic speed/traffic density data;

performing, by said GPS transceiver, a historical analysis process on said historical traffic speed/traffic density data;

determining, by said GPS transceiver, if said first geographical route comprises an efficient geographical route for said user to travel from said current location to said destination location, said determining based on said user profile, results of said trending analysis process, and results of said historical analysis process; and

continuously altering, by said GPS transceiver during said travel of said vehicle and at different locations associated with each said geospatial coordinate value, said first route such that a plurality of different modified routes are generated from said first route and based on said user profile, said results of said trending analysis process, and said results of said historical analysis process, wherein each route of said plurality of different modified routes is comprises a different starting location associated with each said geospatial coordinate value.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining by said GPS transceiver determines that said first geographical route comprises an efficient geographical route for said user to travel from said current location to said destination location, and wherein said method further comprises:

generating, by said GPS transceiver, a map illustrating said first geographical route; and

displaying for said user, by said GPS transceiver, said map.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining by said GPS transceiver determines that said first geographical route does not comprise an efficient geographical route for said user to travel from said current location to said destination location, and wherein said method further comprises:

second identifying, by said GPS transceiver, a second geographical route for traveling from said current location to said destination location, said second geographical route identifying based on said user profile, said first geospatial coordinate values, said second geospatial coordinate values, said results of said trending analysis process, and said results of said historical analysis process;

generating, by said GPS transceiver, a map illustrating said second geographical route; and

displaying for said user, by said GPS transceiver, said map.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said user preference data comprises user selected information selected from the group consisting of a lowest speed that the user is willing to travel and type of road preferred by said user.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said GPS transceiver is located within an automobile.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said various locations are located at specified mileage points along said first geographical route.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said user preference data further comprises data indicating specified towns or cities that said user is willing to travel through.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein performing said trending analysis process results in a trending assessment associated with current traffic patterns at different sections of said first route as compared to normal traffic patterns at said different sections of said first route.

9. A global positioning satellite (GPS) transceiver comprising a computer processor coupled to a computer-readable memory unit, said memory unit comprising instructions that when executed by the processor implement a routing method comprising:

receiving from a user, by said GPS transceiver in a vehicle, a user profile comprising user preference data comprising a slowest speed that said user is willing to travel;

receiving from said user, by said GPS transceiver, destination location data defining a destination location for said user;

retrieving from satellite, by said GPS transceiver, first geospatial coordinate values for a current location of said user and second geospatial coordinate values for said destination location;

first identifying, by said GPS transceiver, a first geographical route for traveling from said current location to said destination location, said first identifying based on said user profile, said first geospatial coordinate values, and said second geospatial coordinate values;

retrieving from a plurality of radar traffic speed/density receiving devices, by said GPS transceiver, a plurality of geospatial coordinate values for various locations located along said first geographical route;

retrieving from a first database, by said GPS transceiver during travel of said vehicle along said first geographical route, current real time traffic speed/traffic density data associated with each geospatial coordinate value of said plurality of geospatial coordinate values;

retrieving from a second database, by said GPS transceiver during said travel of said vehicle along said first geographical route, historical traffic speed/traffic density data associated with each said geospatial coordinate value of said plurality of geospatial coordinate values;

performing, by said computer processor, a trending analysis process on said current real time traffic speed/traffic density data;

performing, by said GPS transceiver, a historical analysis process on said historical traffic speed/traffic density data;

determining, by said GPS transceiver, if said first geographical route comprises an efficient geographical route for said user to travel from said current location to said destination location, said determining based on said user profile, results of said trending analysis process, and results of said historical analysis process; and

continuously altering, by said GPS transceiver during said travel of said vehicle and at different locations associated with each said geospatial coordinate value, said first route such that a plurality of different modified routes are generated from said first route and based on said user profile, said results of said trending analysis process, and said results of said historical analysis process, wherein each route of said plurality of different modified routes is comprises a different starting location associated with each said geospatial coordinate value.

10. The GPS transceiver of claim 9, wherein said determining by said GPS transceiver determines that said first geographical route comprises an efficient geographical route for said user to travel from said current location to said destination location, and wherein said method further comprises:

generating, by said GPS transceiver, a map illustrating said first geographical route; and

displaying for said user, by said GPS transceiver, said map.

11. The GPS transceiver of claim 9, wherein said determining by said GPS transceiver determines that said first geographical route does not comprise an efficient geographical route for said user to travel from said current location to said destination location, and wherein said method further comprises:

second identifying, by said GPS transceiver, a second geographical route for traveling from said current location to said destination location, said second geographical route identifying based on said user profile, said first geospatial coordinate values, said second geospatial coordinate values, said results of said trending analysis process, and said results of said historical analysis process;

generating, by said GPS transceiver, a map illustrating said second geographical route; and

displaying for said user, by said GPS transceiver, said map.

12. The GPS transceiver of claim 9, wherein said user preference data comprises user selected information selected from the group consisting of a lowest speed that the user is willing to travel and type of road preferred by said user.

13. The GPS transceiver of claim 9, wherein said GPS transceiver is located within an automobile.

14. The GPS transceiver of claim 9, wherein said various locations are located at specified mileage points along said first geographical route.

15. A computer program product, stored on a non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising a computer readable program code embodied therein, said computer readable program code adapted to be executed by a computer processor of a global positioning satellite (GPS) transceiver to implement a routing method within said GPS transceiver, said method comprising:

receiving from a user, by said GPS transceiver in a vehicle, a user profile comprising user preference data comprising a slowest speed that said user is willing to travel;

receiving from said user, by said GPS transceiver, destination location data defining a destination location for said user;

retrieving from a satellite, by said GPS transceiver, first geospatial coordinate values for a current location of said user and second geospatial coordinate values for said destination location;

first identifying, by said GPS transceiver, a first geographical route for traveling from said current location to said destination location, said first identifying based on said user profile, said first geospatial coordinate values, and said second geospatial coordinate values;

retrieving from a plurality of radar traffic speed/density receiving devices, by said GPS transceiver, a plurality of geospatial coordinate values for various locations located along said first geographical route;

retrieving from a first database, by said GPS transceiver during travel of said vehicle along said first geographical route, current real time traffic speed/traffic density data associated with each geospatial coordinate value of said plurality of geospatial coordinate values;

retrieving from a second database, by said GPS transceiver during said travel of said vehicle along said first geographical route, historical traffic speed/traffic density data associated with each said geospatial coordinate value of said plurality of geospatial coordinate values;

performing, by said computer processor, a trending analysis process on said current real time traffic speed/traffic density data;

performing, by said GPS transceiver, a historical analysis process on said historical traffic speed/traffic density data;

determining, by said GPS transceiver, if said first geographical route comprises an efficient geographical route for said user to travel from said current location to said destination location, said determining based on said user profile, results of said trending analysis process, and results of said historical analysis process; and

continuously altering, by said GPS transceiver during said travel of said vehicle and at different locations associated with each said geospatial coordinate value, said first route such that a plurality of different modified routes are generated from said first route and based on said user profile, said results of said trending analysis process, and said results of said historical analysis process, wherein each route of said plurality of different modified routes is comprises a different starting location associated with each said geospatial coordinate value.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein said determining by said GPS transceiver determines that said first geographical route comprises an efficient geographical route for said user to travel from said current location to said destination location, and wherein said method further comprises:

generating, by said GPS transceiver, a map illustrating said first geographical route; and

displaying for said user, by said GPS transceiver, said map.

17. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein said determining by said GPS transceiver determines that said first geographical route does not comprise an efficient geographical route for said user to travel from said current location to said destination location, and wherein said method further comprises:

second identifying, by said GPS transceiver, a second geographical route for traveling from said current location to said destination location, said second geographical route identifying based on said user profile, said first geospatial coordinate values, said second geospatial coordinate values, said results of said trending analysis process, and said results of said historical analysis process;

generating, by said GPS transceiver, a map illustrating said second geographical route; and

displaying for said user, by said GPS transceiver, said map.

18. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein said user preference data comprises user selected information selected from the group consisting of a lowest speed that the user is willing to travel and type of road preferred by said user.

19. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein said GPS transceiver is located within an automobile.

20. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein said various locations are located at specified mileage points along said first geographical route.

21. A process for supporting computer infrastructure, said process comprising providing at least one support service for at least one of creating, integrating, hosting, maintaining, and deploying computer-readable code in a global positioning satellite (GPS) transceiver comprising a computer processor coupled to a computer readable memory unit, wherein the code in combination with the computer processor of the GPS transceiver is configured to be executed by the computer processor to perform a routing method, said method comprising:

receiving from a user, by said GPS transceiver in a vehicle, a user profile comprising user preference data comprising a slowest speed that said user is willing to travel;

receiving from said user, by said GPS transceiver, destination location data defining a destination location for said user;

retrieving from a satellite, by said GPS transceiver, first geospatial coordinate values for a current location of said user and second geospatial coordinate values for said destination location;

first identifying, by said GPS transceiver, a first geographical route for traveling from said current location to said destination location, said first identifying based on said user profile, said first geospatial coordinate values, and said second geospatial coordinate values;

retrieving from a plurality of radar traffic speed/density receiving devices, by said GPS transceiver, a plurality of geospatial coordinate values for various locations located along said first geographical route;

retrieving from a first database, by said GPS transceiver during travel of said vehicle along said first geographical route, current real time traffic speed/traffic density data associated with each geospatial coordinate value of said plurality of geospatial coordinate values;

retrieving from a second database, by said GPS transceiver during said travel of said vehicle along said first geographical route, historical traffic speed/traffic density data associated with each said geospatial coordinate value of said plurality of geospatial coordinate values;

performing, by said computer processor, a trending analysis process on said current real time traffic speed/traffic density data;

performing, by said GPS transceiver, a historical analysis process on said historical traffic speed/traffic density data;

determining, by said GPS transceiver, if said first geographical route comprises an efficient geographical route for said user to travel from said current location to said destination location, said determining based on said user profile, results of said trending analysis process, and results of said historical analysis process; and

continuously altering, by said GPS transceiver during said travel of said vehicle and at different locations associated with each said geospatial coordinate value, said first route such that a plurality of different modified routes are generated from said first route and based on said user profile said results of said trending analysis process, and said results of said historical analysis process, wherein each route of said plurality of different modified routes is comprises a different starting location associated with each said geospatial coordinate value.

22. The process of claim 21, wherein said determining by said GPS transceiver determines that said first geographical route comprises an efficient geographical route for said user to travel from said current location to said destination location, and wherein said method further comprises:

generating, by said GPS transceiver, a map illustrating said first geographical route; and

displaying for said user, by said GPS transceiver, said map.

23. The process of claim 21, wherein said determining by said GPS transceiver determines that said first geographical route does not comprise an efficient geographical route for said user to travel from said current location to said destination location, and wherein said method further comprises:

second identifying, by said GPS transceiver, a second geographical route for traveling from said current location to said destination location, said second geographical route identifying based on said user profile, said first geospatial coordinate values, said second geospatial coordinate values, said results of said trending analysis process, and said results of said historical analysis process;

generating, by said GPS transceiver, a map illustrating said second geographical route; and

displaying for said user, by said GPS transceiver, said map.

24. The process of claim 21, wherein said various locations are located at specified mileage points along said first geographical route.