System and method for providing turn-by-turn directions to a moving waypoint

• US 7,865,300 B2
• Filed: 11/15/2006
• Issued: 01/04/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: LinkedIn Corporation (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Wojciechowski, Larissa Nicole, Seacat, Lisa Anne
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; Dalena
• Application Number:
  US11/560,179
• Publication Number:
  US 20080114528A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,511 Days
• Field of Search: 701/207, 701/36, 701/96, 701/301, 701/302, 340/435, 340/436, 180167-170, 349/148
• US Class Current: 701/207
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3438 Rendez-vous, i.e. searching a destination where several users can meet, and the routes to this destination for these users; Ride sharing, i.e. searching a route such that at least two users can share a vehicle for at least part of the route
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0072 Transmission between mobile stations, e.g. anti-collision systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0294 Trajectory determination or predictive filtering, e.g. target tracking or Kalman filtering
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096811 where the route is computed offboard
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096844 where the complete route is dynamically recomputed based on new data
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096861 where the immediate route instructions are output to the driver, e.g. arrow signs for next turn

Abstract

A system and method are disclosed for providing turn-by-turn directions to a moving waypoint where the present position of the moving waypoint is known and its future movement is constrained by a road network. The most likely future route of the moving waypoint is predicted, a rendezvous point is determined, an intercept route through the road network is computed and turn-by-turn direction to follow this intercept route are generated.

Claims

1. A system for providing turn-by-turn directions for rendezvousing with a moving waypoint comprising:

a first position determining system for determining the present geographic position of the moving waypoint from a cellular telephone network and a transmitter configured to transmit the present geographic position of the moving waypoint;

a tracking vehicle including a second position determining system for determining the present geographic position of the tracking vehicle from the cellular telephone network and a receiver configured to receive the present geographic position of the moving waypoint;

wherein future movement of both the moving waypoint and the tracking vehicle are constrained by a local road network; and

the tracking vehicle further includes

a map database containing the defined movement constraints of the local road network,

a position predicting module that applies the constraints of the local road network, the constraints comprising dead-end streets, one-way streets, speed limits, weather information, traffic accident information, traffic slow down information, and construction information to the present geographic position of the moving waypoint to generate a rendezvous point for the tracking vehicle and the moving waypoint and adjusts the rendezvous point to a safe stop, the safe stop selected from the group consisting of a parking lot and a rest stop, and

a turn-by-turn direction generating module which generates turn-by-turn directions from the present position of the tracking vehicle to the adjusted rendezvous point.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the transmitter configured to transmit the present geographic position of the waypoint and the receiver are both equipped with security provisions to preclude unauthorized eavesdropping.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the security provisions comprise a shared digital code between the transmitter and receiver.

4. The system of claim 1 further comprising a network system adapted to receive the present geographic position of the moving waypoint and to transmit this received position to a plurality of receivers where this plurality of receivers includes the receiver of the tracking vehicle.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the moving waypoint is a cooperating vehicle and the system further comprises:

a transmitter in the tracking vehicle configured to transmit the adjusted rendezvous point to the cooperating vehicle; and

a second turn-by-turn direction generating module which generates turn-by-turn directions from the present position of the cooperating vehicle to the adjusted rendezvous point.

6. A method for providing turn-by-turn directions for rendezvousing with a moving waypoint comprising:

receiving a transmitted present position of a moving waypoint at a tracking vehicle;

predicting a most likely future route of the moving waypoint, based on the moving waypoint'"'"'s present position and movement constraints imposed by a local road network, wherein the transmitted present position is determined from a cellular telephone network;

determining a rendezvous point and computing an intercept route between a present position of the tracking vehicle and the moving waypoint, wherein the rendezvous point and intercept route are based on the most likely future route of the moving waypoint, the present position of the tracking vehicle, and the constraints of the local road network, the present position of the tracking vehicle is determined from the cellular telephone network, and the constraints of the local road system comprise dead-end streets, one-way streets, speed limits, weather information, traffic accident information, traffic slow down information, and construction information;

adjusting the rendezvous point to a safe stop, the safe stop selected from the group consisting of a parking lot and a rest stop;

generating turn-by-turn directions to follow the intercept route to the adjusted rendezvous point; and

providing the turn-by-turn directions to an operator of the tracking vehicle.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the step of computing the intercept route further computes this route such that the tracking vehicle intercepts the moving waypoint at the rendezvous point at a selective target approach angle.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein the selective target approach angle is selected from a group consisting of:

a head-on approach, a right-angle approach at an intersection, and an approach from behind.

9. The method of claim 6 wherein the tracking vehicle is pursuing the moving waypoint and the intercept route is relayed to traffic control systems configured to use the intercept route to further the movement of the pursuing tracking vehicle and to hinder the movement of the pursued moving waypoint.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the traffic control system furthers vehicle movement by strategically setting green lights along the intercept route and hinders vehicle movement by strategically setting red lights along the most likely future route of the moving waypoint.

11. A method for providing turn-by-turn directions for rendezvousing a first moving vehicle with a second moving vehicle comprising:

determining the geographic position and speed of the first moving vehicle from a cellular telephone network;

receiving a transmitted present geographic position and speed of the second moving vehicle, wherein the transmitted present geographic position and speed of the second moving vehicle is determined from the cellular telephone network;

determining a most likely future route of the second moving vehicle and the second vehicle'"'"'s most likely future speed profile along that route, based on the second moving vehicle'"'"'s transmitted present geographic position and present speed and the constraints of the local road network, the constraints of the local read network comprising dead-end streets, one-way streets, speed limits, weather information, traffic accident information, traffic slow clown information, and construction information;

computing an intercept route, an intercept speed plan, and a rendezvous point based on the most likely future route and most likely future speed profile of the second moving vehicle, the geographic position and speed of first vehicle, and the constraints of the local road network;

adjusting the rendezvous point to a safe stop, the sate stop selected from the group consisting of a parking lot and a rest stop;

generating turn-by-turn directions and instructions on changing speeds to follow the intercept route to the adjusted rendezvous point.