System and method for travel route planning using safety metrics

• US 8,315,792 B2
• Filed: 08/13/2007
• Issued: 11/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Benjamin C. Armitage, Gary J. Speier, Steven W. Lundberg
• Original Assignee: Benjamin C. Armitage, Gary J. Speier, Steven W. Lundberg
• Inventors: Speier, Gary J., Lundberg, Steven W., Armitage, Benjamin C.
• Primary Examiner(s): To, Tuan C.
• Application Number:
  US11/838,101
• Publication Number:
  US 20090048771A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,926 Days
• Field of Search: 701/200, 701/400, 707/706, 702/34, 735/88
• US Class Current: 701/400
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3461 Preferred or disfavoured areas, e.g. dangerous zones, toll or emission zones, intersections, manoeuvre types, segments such as motorways, toll roads, ferries

Abstract

Systems and methods are described to receive a safety preference; calculate a temporary route; analyze a portion of the temporary route to determine whether the portion is sufficiently safe based on the safety preference; modify the portion of the temporary route when the portion is not sufficiently safe; and present the temporary route. Other systems and methods are described.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, at a processor-based system, a safety preference indicating a minimum acceptable safety rating of a type of a transportation structure, the minimum acceptable safety rating indicative of a minimum acceptable structural integrity of the type of transportation structure;

calculating, at the processor-based system, a temporary route;

analyzing, at the processor-based system, a portion of the temporary route to determine whether the portion is sufficiently safe based on the safety preference, wherein analyzing includes;

accessing an inspection record stored at a federal, state, or local government database, the inspection record corresponding to a transportation structure of the type indicated by the safety preference and found in the portion of the temporary route; and

determining a discrete safety rating for the transportation structure based on the inspection record, the discrete safety rating indicative of a structural integrity of the transportation structure; and

modifying, at the processor-based system, the portion of the temporary route when the portion is determined not sufficiently safe by excluding transportation structures from the temporary route with a discrete safety rating less than the minimum acceptable safety rating; and

presenting, with the processor-based system, the temporary route.

2. A method comprising:

receiving, at a processor-based system, a plurality of travel preferences, wherein the plurality of travel preferences comprise a first travel preference, a second travel preference, and a third travel preference, and wherein the first travel preference is to minimize the time spent traveling, and wherein the second travel preference is to minimize the distance traveled, and a third travel preference is to maximize the safety of travel;

determining, at the processor-based system, a weighting of each preference in the plurality of travel preferences;

determining, at the processor-based system, a temporary route based on the weighting of each preference;

analyzing, at the processor-based system, the temporary route to determine whether the temporary route is sufficiently safe wherein analyzing includes;

accessing an inspection record stored at a federal, state, or local government database, the inspection record corresponding to a transportation structure found in the temporary route; and

determining a discrete safety rating for the transportation structure based on the inspection record, the discrete safety rating indicative of a structural integrity of the transportation structure; and

modifying, at the processor-based system, the temporary route when the temporary route is determined not sufficiently safe by excluding transportation structures from the temporary route with a discrete safety rating less than a minimum acceptable safety rating; and

presenting, with the processor-based system, the temporary route.

3. A method comprising:

receiving from a user, at a processor-based system, a request to generate a travel route, the request including a minimum acceptable safety rating of a type of transportation structure, the minimum acceptable safety rating indicative of a minimum acceptable structural integrity of the type of transportation structure;

generating, at the processor-based system, a temporary travel route using the request;

identifying in the temporary route, at the processor-based system, a transportation structure of the type in the request;

accessing, using the processor-based system, an inspection record stored at a federal, state, or local government database, the inspection record corresponding to the transportation structure;

determining, at the processor-based system, a discrete safety rating for the transportation structure based on the inspection record, the discrete safety rating indicative of a structural integrity of the transportation structure;

modifying, at the processor-based system, the temporary route when the discrete safety rating for the transportation structure is less than the minimum acceptable safety rating; and

presenting, with the processor-based system, the temporary route.

4. A system comprising:

a memory; and

a processing module coupled to the memory, wherein the processing module is configured to;

access a safety preference from the memory, the safety preference indicating a minimum acceptable safety rating of a type of a transportation structure, the minimum acceptable safety rating indicative of a minimum acceptable structural integrity of the type of transportation structure;

calculate a temporary route;

analyze a portion of the temporary route to determine whether the portion is sufficiently safe based on the safety preference, wherein analyzing includes;

accessing an inspection record stored at a federal, state, or local government database, the inspection record corresponding to a transportation structure of the type indicated by the safety preference and found in the portion of the temporary route; and

determining a discrete safety rating for the transportation structure based on the inspection record, the discrete safety rating indicative of a structural integrity of the transportation structure; and

modify the portion of the temporary route when the portion is determined not sufficiently safe by excluding transportation structures from the temporary route with a discrete safety rating less than the minimum acceptable safety rating; and

present the temporary route.

5. A system comprising:

a memory; and

a processing module coupled to the memory, wherein the processing module is configured to;

access a plurality of travel preferences from the memory, wherein the plurality of travel preferences comprise a first travel preference, a second travel preference, and a third travel preference, and wherein the first travel preference is to minimize the time spent traveling, and wherein the second travel preference is to minimize the distance traveled, and a third travel preference is to maximize the safety of travel;

determine a weighting of each preference in the plurality of travel preferences;

determine a temporary route based on the weighting of each preference;

analyze the temporary route to determine whether the temporary route is sufficiently safe, wherein analyzing includes;

accessing an inspection record stored at a federal, state, or local government database, the inspection record corresponding to a transportation structure found in the temporary route; and

determining a discrete safety rating for the transportation structure based on the inspection record, the discrete safety rating indicative of a structural integrity of the transportation structure; and

modify the temporary route when the temporary route is determined not sufficiently safe by excluding transportation structures from the temporary route with a discrete safety rating less than a minimum acceptable safety rating; and

present the temporary route.

6. A system comprising:

a memory; and

a processing module coupled to the memory, wherein the processing module is configured to;

access a request to generate a travel route from the memory, the request including a minimum acceptable safety rating of a type of transportation structure, the minimum acceptable safety rating indicative of a minimum acceptable structural integrity of the type of transportation structure;

generate a temporary travel route using the request;

identify in the temporary route, a transportation structure of the type in the request;

access an inspection record stored at a federal, state, or local government database, the inspection record corresponding to the transportation structure;

determine a discrete safety rating for the transportation structure based on the inspection record, the discrete safety rating indicative of a structural integrity of the transportation structure;

modify the temporary route when the discrete safety rating for the transportation structure is less than the minimum acceptable safety rating; and

present the temporary route.

7. A non-transitory computer-readable medium including instructions that, when executed on a computer, cause the computer to:

receive a safety preference indicating a minimum acceptable safety rating of a type of a transportation structure, the minimum acceptable safety rating indicative of a minimum acceptable structural integrity of the type of transportation structure;

calculate a temporary route;

analyze a portion of the temporary route to determine whether the portion is sufficiently safe based on the safety preference, wherein analyzing includes;

accessing an inspection record stored at a federal, state, or local government database, the inspection record corresponding to a transportation structure of the type indicated by the safety preference and found in the portion of the temporary route; and

determining a discrete safety rating for the transportation structure based on the inspection record, the discrete safety rating indicative of a structural integrity of the transportation structure; and

modify the portion of the temporary route when the portion is determined not sufficiently safe by excluding transportation structures from the temporary route with a discrete safety rating less than the minimum acceptable safety rating; and

present the temporary route.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein the safety preference is to avoid a type of transportation structure.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein the safety preference is to favor a type of transportation structure.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein the type of the transportation structure comprises a road, bridge, or tunnel.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable medium including instructions that, when executed on a computer, cause the computer to:

receive a plurality of travel preferences, wherein the plurality of travel preferences comprise a first travel preference, a second travel preference, and a third travel preference, and wherein the first travel preference is to minimize the time spent traveling, and wherein the second travel preference is to minimize the distance traveled, and a third travel preference is to maximize the safety of travel;

determine a weighting of each preference in the plurality of travel preferences;

determine a temporary route based on the weighting of each preference;

analyze the temporary route to determine whether the temporary route is sufficiently safe, wherein analyzing includes;

accessing an inspection record stored at a federal, state, or local government database, the inspection record corresponding to a transportation structure found in the temporary route; and

determining a discrete safety rating for the transportation structure based on the inspection record, the discrete safety rating indicative of a structural integrity of the transportation structure; and

modify the temporary route when the temporary route is determined not sufficiently safe by excluding transportation structures from the temporary route with a discrete safety rating less than a minimum acceptable safety rating; and

present the temporary route.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the instructions to modify the temporary route comprises instructions to reroute to avoid a portion of the temporary route identified as being insufficiently safe.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable medium including instructions that, when executed on a computer, cause the computer to:

receive a request to generate a travel route, the request including a minimum acceptable safety rating of a type of transportation structure, the minimum acceptable safety rating indicative of a minimum acceptable structural integrity of the type of transportation structure;

generate a temporary travel route using the request;

identify in the temporary route, a transportation structure of the type;

access an inspection record stored at a federal, state, or local government database, the inspection record corresponding to the transportation structure;

determine a discrete safety rating for the transportation structure based on the inspection record, the discrete safety rating indicative of a structural integrity of the transportation structure;

modify the temporary route when the discrete safety rating for the transportation structure is less than the minimum acceptable safety rating; and

present the temporary route.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the instructions to determine whether the transportation structure is sufficiently safe based on the inspection record comprise instructions to use keyword analysis of the inspection record.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the instructions to determine whether the transportation structure is sufficiently safe based on the inspection record comprise instructions to:

analyze the inspection record for a reclassification of a safety rating;

determine whether the reclassification was performed to effectively increase the safety rating; and

influence the determination of whether the transportation structure is sufficiently safe based on the determination of whether the reclassification was performed to effectively increase the safety rating.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the transportation structure comprises a road, bridge, or tunnel.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the instructions to determine whether the transportation structure is sufficiently safe based on the inspection record comprise instructions to:

compile inspection records from two or more of the federal, state, or local government databases; and

determine whether the transportation structure is sufficiently safe based on the compiled inspection records.