Metropolitan navigation system

• US 7,925,427 B2
• Filed: 06/21/2007
• Issued: 04/12/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Zehler, Peter J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Beaulieu; Yonel
• Application Number:
  US11/766,342
• Publication Number:
  US 20080319644A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,391 Days
• Field of Search: 701200-202, 701/208, 701117-119, 340/988
• US Class Current: 701/201
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network

Abstract

In embodiments herein, a desired destination is received from user input as an end location. The embodiments can determine the current position (the beginning location) based on automated positioning and/or user input. Thus, the embodiments can calculate potential routes from the beginning location to the end location and can select one of the potential routes (e.g., the best route). This selected route is output to the user. The potential routes that are selected from comprise mass transit rides.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, as user input, a desired destination as an end location;

determining a current position as a beginning location;

calculating potential routes from said beginning location to said end location;

selecting one of said potential routes as a selected route; and

outputting, to a user, said selected route,

wherein said potential routes comprise mass transit ride legs,

wherein said mass transit ride legs comprise motorized and unmotorized pedestrian walks and at least one of public and commercial bus ride legs, public and commercial train ride legs, public and commercial subway ride legs, public and commercial ferry ride legs, and public and commercial taxi ride legs,

wherein said potential routes include specific departure times, entry points, and stops for specific ones of said mass transit ride legs, and

wherein said calculating of said potential routes is based on an average elapsed time for each of said mass transit ride legs, an average walking time for motorized and unmotorized pedestrian walks, and route time schedules for stops on said mass transit ride legs.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising outputting, to said user, ride-by-ride navigation while said user is traversing said selected route, wherein said ride-by-ride navigation comprises route legs, wherein each route leg comprises a different ride leg of said mass transit ride legs.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein said different ride leg comprises a subsequent ride leg which, when compared to a relatively prior ride leg, requires said user to physically move from one of said mass transit ride legs to a different one of said mass transit ride legs.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein said different ride leg comprises a subsequent ride leg which, when compared to a relatively prior ride leg, comprises one of a subsequent public and commercial bus ride leg, subsequent public and commercial train ride leg, subsequent public and commercial subway ride leg, subsequent public and commercial ferry ride leg, subsequent public and commercial taxi ride leg, and subsequent motorized and unmotorized pedestrian walk that is different than a relatively prior public and commercial bus ride leg, prior public and commercial train ride leg, prior public and commercial subway ride leg, prior public and commercial ferry ride leg, prior public and commercial taxi ride leg, and prior motorized and unmotorized pedestrian walk.

5. The method according to claim 2, wherein during said ride-by-ride navigation, said method further comprises dynamically recalculating said selected route based on a current position, wherein said recalculating comprises re-determining said current position based on least one of intermittent automated positioning and user input.

6. A method comprising:

receiving, as user input, a desired destination as an end location;

determining a current position as a beginning location based on one of automated positioning and said user input;

calculating potential routes from said beginning location to said end location;

selecting one of said potential routes as a selected route;

outputting, to a user, said selected route; and

outputting, to said user, ride-by-ride navigation while said user is traversing said selected route,

wherein said potential routes comprise mass transit ride legs,

wherein said mass transit ride legs comprise motorized and unmotorized pedestrian walks and at least one of public and commercial bus ride legs, public and commercial train ride legs, public and commercial subway ride legs, public and commercial ferry ride legs, and public and commercial taxi ride legs,

wherein said ride-by-ride navigation comprises route legs, wherein each route leg comprises a different ride leg of said mass transit ride legs,

wherein said potential routes include specific departure times, entry points, and stops for specific ones of said mass transit ride legs, and

wherein said calculating of said potential routes is based on an average elapsed time for each of said mass transit ride legs, an average walking time for motorized and unmotorized pedestrian walks, and route time schedules for stops on said mass transit ride legs.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein said different ride leg comprises a subsequent ride leg which, when compared to a relatively prior ride leg, requires said user to physically move from one of said mass transit ride legs to a different one of said mass transit ride legs.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein said different ride leg comprises a subsequent leg which, when compared to a relatively prior leg, comprises one of a subsequent public and commercial bus ride leg, subsequent public and commercial train ride leg, subsequent public and commercial subway ride leg, subsequent public and commercial ferry ride leg, subsequent public and commercial taxi ride leg, and subsequent motorized and unmotorized pedestrian walk that is different than a relatively prior public and commercial bus ride leg, prior public and commercial train ride leg, prior public and commercial subway ride leg, prior public and commercial ferry ride leg, prior public and commercial taxi ride leg, and prior motorized and unmotorized pedestrian walk.

9. The method according to claim 6, wherein during said ride-by-ride navigation, said method further comprises dynamically recalculating said selected route based on a current position, wherein said recalculating comprises re-determining said current position based on least one of intermittent automated positioning and user input.

10. The method according to claim 6, wherein said outputting of said ride-by-ride navigation comprises determining a completion of a first route leg based on comparing an elapsed time with an average historical time for said first route leg.

11. An apparatus comprising:

a power supply;

a processor operatively connected to said power supply;

a memory operatively connected to said processor, wherein said memory is adapted to store mass transit ride legs comprising motorized and unmotorized pedestrian walks and at least one of public and commercial bus ride legs, public and commercial train ride legs, public and commercial subway ride legs, public and commercial ferry ride legs, and public and commercial taxi ride legs;

a graphic user interface operatively connected to said processor, wherein said graphic user interface is adapted to receive, as user input, a desired destination as an end location; and

an antenna adapted to receive wireless positional information,

wherein said processor is adapted to;

determine a current position as a beginning location;

calculate potential routes comprising said mass transit ride legs from said beginning location to said end location; and

select one of said potential routes as a selected route,

wherein said graphic user interface is adapted to output said selected route,

wherein said potential routes include specific departure times, entry points, and stops for specific ones of said mass transit ride legs, and

wherein said calculating of said potential routes is based on an average elapsed time for each of said mass transit ride legs, an average walking time for motorized and unmotorized pedestrian walks, and route time schedules for stops on said mass transit ride legs.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said processor is adapted to calculate ride-by-ride navigation while said user is traversing said selected route,

wherein said ride-by-ride navigation comprises route legs, wherein each route leg comprises a different ride of said mass transit ride legs, and

wherein said graphic user interface is adapted to output said ride-by-ride navigation.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said different ride leg comprises a subsequent leg which, when compared to a relatively prior leg, requires said user to physically move from one of said mass transit ride legs to a different one of said mass transit ride legs.

14. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said different ride leg comprises a subsequent ride leg which, when compared to a relatively prior ride leg, comprises one of a subsequent public and commercial bus ride leg, subsequent public and commercial train ride leg, subsequent public and commercial subway ride leg, subsequent public and commercial ferry ride leg, subsequent public and commercial taxi ride leg, and subsequent motorized and unmotorized pedestrian walk that is different than a relatively prior public and commercial bus ride leg, prior public and commercial train ride leg, prior public and commercial subway ride leg, prior public and commercial ferry ride leg, prior public and commercial taxi ride leg, and prior motorized and unmotorized pedestrian walk.

15. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein during said ride-by-ride navigation, said processor is further adapted to dynamically recalculate said selected route based on a current position, wherein said recalculating comprises re-determining said current position based on least one of intermittent receipt of said wireless position information through said antenna and user input received through said graphic user interface.

16. An apparatus comprising:

a power supply;

a processor operatively connected to said power supply;

a memory operatively connected to said processor, wherein said memory is adapted to store mass transit ride legs comprising motorized and unmotorized pedestrian walks and at least one of public and commercial bus ride legs, public and commercial train ride legs, public and commercial subway ride legs, public and commercial ferry ride legs, and public and commercial taxi ride legs;

a graphic user interface operatively connected to said processor, wherein said graphic user interface is adapted to receive, as user input, a desired destination as an end location; and

an antenna adapted to receive wireless positional information,

wherein said processor is adapted to;

determine a current position as a beginning location based on one of said wireless positional information received through said antenna and user input received through said graphic user interface;

calculate potential routes comprising said mass transit ride legs from said beginning location to said end location; and

select one of said potential routes as a selected route,

wherein said graphic user interface is adapted to output said selected route,

wherein said processor is adapted to calculate ride-by-ride navigation while said user is traversing said selected route,

wherein said ride-by-ride navigation comprises route legs, wherein each route leg comprises a different ride of said mass transit ride legs,

wherein said graphic user interface is adapted to output said ride-by-ride navigation,

wherein said potential routes include specific departure times, entry points, and stops for specific ones of said mass transit ride legs, and

wherein said calculating of said potential routes is based on an average elapsed time for each of said mass transit ride legs, an average walking time for motorized and unmotorized pedestrian walks, and route time schedules for stops on said mass transit ride legs.

17. The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein said different ride leg comprises a subsequent leg which, when compared to a relatively prior leg, requires said user to physically move from one of said mass transit ride legs to a different one of said mass transit ride legs.

18. The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein said different ride leg comprises a subsequent ride leg which, when compared to a relatively prior ride leg, comprises one of a subsequent public and commercial bus ride leg, subsequent public and commercial train ride leg, subsequent public and commercial subway ride leg, subsequent public and commercial ferry ride leg, subsequent public and commercial taxi ride leg, and subsequent motorized and unmotorized pedestrian walk that is different than a relatively prior public and commercial bus ride leg, prior public and commercial train ride leg, prior public and commercial subway ride leg, prior public and commercial ferry ride leg, prior public and commercial taxi ride leg, and prior motorized and unmotorized pedestrian walk.

19. The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein during said ride-by-ride navigation, said processor is further adapted to dynamically recalculate said selected route based on a current position, wherein said recalculating comprises re-determining said current position based on least one of intermittent receipt of said wireless position information through said antenna and user input through said graphic user interface.