Travel route adjustment

• US 8,255,158 B2
• Filed: 03/23/2007
• Issued: 08/28/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: O'Neill, David J.
• Primary Examiner(s): MANCHO, RONNIE M
• Application Number:
  US11/690,294
• Publication Number:
  US 20080234927A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,985 Days
• Field of Search: 701/201, 701/209, 701/210, 701/118, 701/117, 701/119, 701/400, 701/410, 701/465, 701/423, 701/414, 340/905, 340/934, 340/936, 340/995, 340/990, 340/995.1
• US Class Current: 701/465
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/34 Route searching; Route guidance
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096811 where the route is computed offboard

Abstract

A data store includes at least one adjustment factor. A server that is configured to: receive a request for a travel route, the request including an origin, a destination, and an estimated time of departure; determine the travel route; calculate a normal travel time; use at least one adjustment factor to the normal travel time to calculate an adjusted travel time; and calculate an estimated time of arrival based on the estimated time of departure and the adjusted travel time.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving a request for a travel route, the request including an origin, a destination, and an estimated time of departure;

determining the travel route;

calculating a normal travel time;

using the normal travel time and the estimated time of departure to determine an estimated time of arrival;

multiplying the normal travel time by at least one adjustment factor to calculate an adjusted travel time, wherein the at least one adjustment factor is a numeric value associated with at least one of a weather condition, a construction condition, and an estimated travel time for a segment of the travel route based on current traffic data; and

calculating an adjusted estimated time of arrival based on the estimated time of departure and the adjusted travel time.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing the estimated time of arrival to a client device.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an input modifying the estimated time of departure; and

calculating a new estimated time of arrival based at least in part on the input.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the adjusted travel time exceeds a predetermined threshold;

identifying a set of endpoints for a sub-route of the travel route where an adjusted travel time for the sub-route exceeds a predetermined threshold associated with the sub-route; and

calculating a new sub-route between the endpoints.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one adjustment factor is a plurality of adjustment factors.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising obtaining the at least one adjustment factor via a network.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving the request via a network.

8. The method of claim 1, tangibly embodied as a set of computer-executable instructions on a computer-readable medium.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the adjustment factor is weighted according to whether the adjustment factor is associated with at least one of the weather condition, the construction condition, and the estimated travel time for a segment of the travel route based on current traffic data.

10. A system, comprising:

a data store including at least one adjustment factor; and

a server that is configured to;

receive a request for a travel route, the request including an origin, a destination, and an estimated time of departure;

determine the travel route;

calculate a normal travel time;

determine an estimated time of arrival using the normal travel time and the estimated time of departure;

multiply the normal travel time by at least one adjustment factor to calculate an adjusted travel time, wherein the at least one adjustment factor is a numeric value associated with at least one of a weather condition, a construction condition, and an estimated travel time for a segment of the travel route based on current traffic data; and

calculate an adjusted estimated time of arrival based on the estimated time of departure and the adjusted travel time.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the server is further configured to provide the estimated time of arrival to a client device.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the server is further configured to:

receive an input modifying the estimated time of departure; and

calculate a new estimated time of arrival based at least in part on the input.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the server is further configured to:

determine that the adjusted travel time exceeds a predetermined threshold;

identify a set of endpoints for a sub-route of the travel route;

wherein a portion of the adjusted travel time attributable to the sub-route exceeds a predetermined threshold for the sub-route; and

calculate a new sub-route between the endpoints.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the at least one adjustment factor is a plurality of adjustment factors.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the server is further configured to obtain the at least one adjustment factor via a network.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the request is received via a network.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein the adjustment factor is weighted according to whether the adjustment factor is associated with at least one of the weather condition, the construction condition, and an estimated travel time for a segment of the travel route based on current traffic data.

18. A method, comprising:

receiving a request, via a network, for a travel route, the request including an origin, a destination, and an estimated time of departure;

determining the travel route;

calculating a normal travel time;

using the normal travel time and the estimated time of departure to determine an estimated time of arrival;

multiplying the normal travel time by at least one adjustment factor to calculate an adjusted travel time, wherein the at least one adjustment factor is a numeric value associated with at least one of a weather condition, a construction condition, and an estimated travel time for a segment of the travel route based on current traffic data;

calculating an adjusted estimated time of arrival based on the estimated time of departure and the adjusted travel time; and

providing the estimated time of arrival to a client device via the network.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

receiving an input modifying the estimated time of departure; and

calculating a new estimated time of arrival based at least in part on the input.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

determining that the adjusted travel time exceeds a predetermined threshold;

identifying a set of endpoints for a sub-route of the travel route;

wherein a portion of the adjusted travel time attributable to the sub-route exceeds a predetermined threshold for the sub-route; and

calculating a new sub-route between the endpoints.

21. The method of claim 18, tangibly embodied as a set of computer-executable instructions on a computer-readable medium.