Destination arrival estimates auto-notification based on cellular systems

• US 8,165,773 B1
• Filed: 03/29/2005
• Issued: 04/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Inventors: Shaw, David, Mogale, Nivedita, Mehr, Assaph, Klatsmanyi, Nandor, Chavez, David L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Khoi
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jen, Ian
• Application Number:
  US11/093,483
• Time in Patent Office: 2,583 Days
• Field of Search: 701/117, 701/93, 701/200, 701/209, 701/201, 701/301, 701/204, 340/906, 340/994
• US Class Current: 701/93
• 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

The present, in one embodiment, is directed to a method for determining vehicular speeds over various travel routes that includes the steps:

• • (a) for a plurality of mobile communication devices, determining a respective first geographic location at a first time and a second geographic location at a second later time;
  • (b) determining a respective velocity for each cellular communication device over the distance between the first and second geographic locations; and
  • (c) based on the respective velocities, providing to a driver at least one of (I) a velocity over a selected travel route, (ii) a traffic volume over the selected travel route, and (iii) an estimated time of travel over the selected travel route.

Claims

1. A system for providing an estimated time of arrival to a party traveling between a first physical location and a second physical location, comprising:

an Estimated Time of Arrival or ETA notification agent operable to;

receive a request to provide to a party an ETA notification at a selected destination;

determine the first physical location of the selected destination;

determine the second physical location of a mobile communication device associated with the party for whom the ETA is requested, wherein the mobile communication device is a cellular phone in communication with a respective base station and wherein the cellular phone comprises a Global Positioning System locator operable to determine GPS coordinates for the second physical location;

determine a velocity of travel for the party for whom the ETA is requested;

determine the ETA based on the distance between the first and second physical locations and the velocity;

provide the ETA notification to the party for whom the ETA is requested;

an ETA service requestor operable to;

interact with the party for whom the ETA is requested;

determine an electronic address of a second communication device at the selected destination and/or time(s) at which and to whom the ETA notification is to be provided; and

a multiplexer operable to transmit, as part of messages normally transmitted when the mobile communication device is in the idle state, at least one of (i) GPS coordinates for the second physical location;

(ii) an electronic address of a second communication device at the selected destination; and

(iii) a time at which the ETA notification is to be provided; and

(iv) the party to whom the ETA notification is to be provided.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the velocity is determined based on velocities of other mobile communication devices of other users over the same route of travel.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the ETA notification agent is operable to determine the second physical location and a third physical location of the mobile communication device at first and second times, respectively;

the distance between the second and third physical locations; and

the velocity based on the firstand second times and the distance between the second and third physical locations.

4. A system for providing an estimated time of arrival to a party traveling between a first physical location and a second physical location, comprising:

an Estimated Time of Arrival or ETA notification means for;

receiving a request to provide to a party an ETA notification at a selected destination;

determining the first physical location of the selected destination;

determining the second physical location of a mobile communication device associated with the party for whom the ETA is requested, wherein the mobile communication device is a cellular phone in communication with a respective base station and wherein the cellular phone comprises a Global Positioning System location means for determining GPS coordinates for the second physical location;

determining a velocity of travel for the party for whom the ETA is requested;

determining the ETA based on the distance between the first and second physical locations and the velocity;

providing the ETA notification to the party for whom the ETA is requested;

an ETA service requestor operable to interact with the party for whom the ETA is requested and determining the electronic address of a second communication device at the selected destination and/or time(s) at which and to whom the ETA notification is to be provided; and

multiplexing means for transmitting, as part of messages normally transmitted when the mobile communication device is in the idle state, at least one of (i) GPS coordinates for the second physical location;

(ii) an electronic address of a second communication device at the selected destination; and

(iii) a time at which the ETA notification is to be provided; and

(iv) the party to whom the ETA notification is to be provided.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the velocity is determined based on velocities of other mobile communication devices of other users over the same route of travel.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the ETA notification means is further operable to determine the second physical location and a third physical location of the mobile communication device at first and second times, respectively;

the distance between the second and third physical locations; and

the velocity based on the first and second times and the distance between the second and third physical locations.

7. A method for determining an ETA for a person traveling between a first physical location and a second physical location, the method comprising:

a processor executing an Estimated Time of Arrival (ETA) notification agent;

the Estimated Time of Arrival (ETA) notification agent receiving a request to provide to an ETA notification at a selected destination, wherein the selected destination is an electronic address of a communication device at the first physical location;

the ETA notification agent determining the first physical location of the communication device;

the ETA notification agent determining the second physical location of a mobile communication device associated with the party for whom the ETA is requested, wherein the mobile communication device is a cellular phone in communication with a respective base station and wherein the cellular phone comprises a Global Positioning System location means for determining GPS coordinates for the second physical location;

the ETA notification agent determining a travel distance between the first physical location and the second physical location;

the ETA notification agent determining a velocity of travel for the party along a travel route between the first physical location and the second physical location;

the ETA notification agent determining the ETA by dividing the travel distance by the velocity of travel; and

the ETA notification agent providing the ETA to the party for whom the ETA is requested;

interacting with the party for whom the ETA is requested;

determining the electronic address of a second communication device at the selected destination and/or time(s) at which and to whom the ETA notification is to be provided; and

transmitting, as part of messages normally transmitted when the mobile communication device is in the idle state, at least one of (i) GPS coordinates for the second physical location;

(ii) an electronic address of a second communication device at the selected destination; and

(iii) a time at which the ETA notification is to be provided; and

(iv) the party to whom the ETA notification is to be provided.

8. The method as defined in claim 7, wherein the ETA notification agent provides a second ETA based on a third physical location of the mobile communication device, the third physical location different from the second physical location of a mobile communication device.

9. The method as defined in claim 7, wherein the selected destination is an electronic address.

10. The method as defined in claim 9, wherein the ETA notification agent determines the first physical location of the communication device by finding the electronic address in a database that lists electronic address and corresponding physical locations.

11. The method as defined in claim 9, wherein the electronic address is received at a conclusion of a live communication session.

12. The method as defined in claim 7, wherein the velocity is determined by a current traffic volume.

13. The method as defined in claim 12, wherein the velocity is over a shortest drivable route between the first physical location and the second physical location.

14. The method as defined in claim 7, wherein the velocity is an average velocity over two or more travel routes.

15. The method as defined in claim 14, wherein the travel routes are provided by the person.

16. The method as defined in claim 7, wherein the ETA is provided to a second person at the selected destination.

17. A computer readable medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to provide an estimated time of arrival to a party traveling between a first physical location and a second physical location, the instructions comprising:

instructions to execute an Estimated Time of Arrival or ETA notification agent, the ETA notification agent including instructions to;

receive a request to provide to a party an ETA notification at a selected destination;

determine the first physical location of the selected destination;

determine the second physical location of a mobile communication device associated with the party for whom the ETA is requested, wherein the mobile communication device is a cellular phone in communication with a respective base station and wherein the cellular phone comprises a Global Positioning System location means for determining the GPS coordinates for the second physical location;

determine a velocity of travel for the party for whom the ETA is requested;

determine the ETA based on the distance between the first and second physical locations and the velocity;

provide the ETA notification to the party for whom the ETA is requested;

instructions to interact with the party for whom the ETA is requested and to determine the electronic address of a second communication device at the selected destination and/or time(s) at which and to whom the ETA notification is to be provided; and

instructions to transmit, as part of messages normally transmitted when the mobile communication device is in the idle state, at least one of the (i) GPS coordinates for the second physical location;

(ii) an electronic address of a second communication device at the selected destination; and

(iii) a time at which the ETA notification is to be provided; and

(iv) the party to whom the ETA notification is to be provided.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the velocity is determined based on velocities of other mobile communication devices of other users over the same route of travel.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 18, wherein the ETA notification agent further includes instructions to determine the second physical location and a third physical location of the mobile communication device at first and second times, respectively;

the distance between the second and third physical locations; and

the velocity based on the first and second times and the distance between the second and third physical locations.