Precomputation and transmission of time-dependent information for varying or uncertain receipt times

• US 7,831,532 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2005
• Issued: 11/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Horvitz, Eric J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sparks; Donald
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHANG, LI WU
• Application Number:
  US11/171,063
• Publication Number:
  US 20060106599A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,958 Days
• Field of Search: 706/45
• US Class Current: 706/45
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/36 Input/output arrangements for on-board computers
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3676 Overview of the route on the road map
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/4393 Multimedia presentations, e.g. slide shows, multimedia albums
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/003 Navigation within 3D models or images
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/4092 Image resolution transcoding, e.g. by using client-server architectures

Abstract

A system that facilitates analyzing time-related data comprises an interface component that receives a packet of information that includes a plurality of predictions and timing information associated therewith. A time-analysis component communicatively coupled to the interface component compares the timing information associated with the plurality of predictions with a current time and makes a determination relating to output of at least one of the plurality of predictions based at least in part upon the comparison.

Claims

1. A system that facilitates analyzing time-related data, comprising:

at least one processor adapted to implement;

an interface component that receives a packet of information that includes a plurality of predictions and timing information associated therewith, the timing information indicating at least one of a time when sensor data on which a prediction of the plurality of predictions is based was obtained or a predicted time of an event that is predicted within the plurality of predictions; and

a time-analysis component communicatively coupled to the interface component that compares the timing information associated with the plurality of predictions with a current time and makes a determination relating to output of at least one of the plurality of predictions based at least in part upon the comparison, the determination indicating that information associated with the prediction is output when the information is relevant at the current time,

wherein;

when the timing information indicates a time when sensor data on which the prediction of the plurality of predictions is based was obtained, the determination indicates that information associated with the prediction is not output when the sensor data is out of date at the current time because of a delay in sensor data reaching a component that generated the prediction;

when the timing information indicates a predicted time of an event that is predicted within the plurality of predictions, the determination indicates that information associated with the prediction is output when the predicted time of the event has not passed; and

the plurality of predictions relate to traffic conditions associated with one or more regions of a roadway at a predicted time.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the packet of information further comprises reliability data associated with each of the plurality of predictions; and

the system outputs reliability data together with the at least one prediction.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the time-analysis component makes the determination based on relevance of the one or more regions of the roadway at the predicted time to a user'"'"'s current travel plans.

4. A portable computing device comprising the system of claim 1.

5. A wristwatch comprising the system of claim 1.

6. The system of claim 1, each of the plurality of predictions within the information packet is associated with disparate points in time in the future.

7. The system of claim 6, further comprising a time-stamp generator that associates the timing information with each of the plurality of predictions.

8. The system of claim 1, the packet of information comprises a lookup table that is utilized by the time-analysis component to make the at least one determination, the lookup table includes one or more of time information associated with a prediction within the packet of information and reliability data associated with a prediction within the packet of information.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the time-analysis component makes a determination to withhold a prediction from a user if a variance of the timing information associated with the prediction is greater than a threshold.

10. The system of claim 1, the time-analysis component makes a determination relating to where on a screen to display a reliability metric associated with the at least one prediction.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the system further comprises a utility component that calculates a measure of utility in connection with displaying at least a portion of the packet of information; and

the time-analysis component makes the determination based on the measure of utility for the at least the portion of the packet at a time indicated by the timing information associated with the at least the portion of the packet.

12. The system of claim 1, the interface component receives a plurality of packets of information and the time-analysis component selects a subset of the plurality of packets of information to display to a user.

13. The system of claim 1, the time-analysis component is utilized to determine a location within a queue that the packet of information is positioned.

14. A system that facilitates analyzing time-related data, comprising:

at least one processor adapted to implement;

an interface component that receives a packet of information that includes a plurality of predictions and timing information associated therewith, the timing information indicating at least one of a time when sensor data on which a prediction of the plurality of predictions is based was obtained or a predicted time of an event that is predicted within the plurality of predictions; and

a time-analysis component communicatively coupled to the interface component that compares the timing information associated with the plurality of predictions with a current time and makes a determination relating to output of at least one of the plurality of predictions based at least in part upon the comparison, the determination indicating that information associated with the prediction is output when the information is relevant at the current time;

wherein;

the time-analysis component is utilized to determine a location within a queue that the packet of information is positioned, the location being selected based on a score indicating relevance of the packet of information to a user; and

information from packets of information are displayed to the user in an order based on position of the packets of information within the queue; and

the plurality of predictions relate to traffic conditions associated with one or more regions of a roadway at a predicted time.

15. A method for analyzing time-related data, comprising:

with at least one processor;

receiving predictive data with timing information associated with the predictive data, the timing information indicating a time when the predictive data was obtained;

determining a current time;

comparing the current time to the time information associated with the predictive data to determine whether the predictive data is out of date at the current time because of a delay in receipt of the predictive data; and

based at least in part on the comparing indicating that the predictive data is not out of date;

making a prediction based on the predictive data; and

selectively outputting the prediction,

wherein the prediction relates to traffic conditions associated with one or more regions of a roadway.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising determining a device to which to provide the prediction.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein making the prediction further comprises making a plurality of predictions and associating disparate time information with each prediction within the plurality of predictions, the time information corresponds to future times.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein:

making the prediction further comprises making a plurality of predictions;

determining a probability of correctness associated with the plurality of predictions; and

outputting a prediction if the probability of correctness is above a threshold.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein:

making the prediction further comprises making a plurality of predictions;

associating reliability data with each of the plurality of predictions; and

graphically presenting reliability data associated with the output prediction to a user.