Method, system, and computer program product for visualizing trip progress

• US 8,589,075 B1
• Filed: 10/19/2011
• Issued: 11/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Jones, Jonah
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Cuong H
• Application Number:
  US13/277,028
• Time in Patent Office: 762 Days
• Field of Search: 701/409, 701/400, 701/442, 701/527, 701428-429, 701/431, 701/533, 701/32.5, 701411-412, 701/418, 701/423, 701/454, 340/990, 340/995.19, 348/116
• US Class Current: 701/527
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3676 Overview of the route on the road map

Abstract

Systems, methods, computer programs, and user interfaces are provided to receive a route request including a start location and an end location, generate a route from the start location to the end location, the route including a number of route segments, determine a route proportion for each of the route segments, generate a progress style based on the route proportion of each of the route segments, and send the route and the progress style to a user device, the user device displaying a segment progress to scale for a current route segment of the route segments based on the progress style.

Claims

1. A method for visualizing trip progress, the method comprising:

receiving a route request comprising a start location and an end location;

generating by one or more processors a route from the start location to the end location, the route comprising a plurality of route segments;

determining by the one or more processors a route proportion for each of the plurality of route segments, the route proportion corresponding to a ratio of a length of the route segment to a length of the route;

generating by the one or more processors a progress style that specifies a minimum proportion for the plurality of route segments, and wherein a given one of the route segments has a route proportion that fails to exceed the minimum proportion; and

sending the route and the progress style to a user device, the user device displaying a progress bar based on the progress style, wherein the progress bar comprises a plurality of progress bar segments corresponding to respective ones of the plurality of route segments, and wherein the progress bar segment corresponding to the given route segment is rendered with a minimum display size based on the route proportion of the given route segment failing to exceed the minimum proportion such that the ratio of a length of the progress bar segment corresponding to the given route segment to a length of the progress bar is greater than the ratio of a length of the given route segment to the length of the route.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the route proportion of a route segment is a ratio of segment distance for the route segment to distance of the route or a ratio of an estimated segment travel time for the route segment to an estimated travel time of the route.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the progress style specifies a maximum proportion for the plurality of route segments,

wherein a given one of the route segments has a route proportion that exceeds the maximum proportion, and

wherein the progress bar segment corresponding to the given route segment is rendered with a maximum display size based on the route proportion of the given route segment exceeding the maximum proportion such that the ratio of a length of the progress bar segment corresponding to the given route segment to a length of the progress bar is less than the ratio of a length of the given route segment to the length of the route.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a corresponding segment type for each of the plurality of route segments,

wherein each of the plurality of route segments is displayed based on the corresponding segment type.

3. A non-transitory computer readable medium having computer-executable program instructions embodied therein that when executed cause a computer processor to:

receive a route request comprising a start location and an end location;

generating a route from the start location to the end location, the route comprising a plurality of route segments;

determine a route proportion for each of the plurality of route segments, the route proportion corresponding to a ratio of a length of the route segment to a length of the route;

generate a progress style that specifies a minimum proportion for the plurality of route segments, and wherein a given one of the route segments has a route proportion that fails to exceed the minimum proportion; and

send the route and the progress style to a user device, the user device displaying a progress bar for a current route segment of the plurality of route segments based on the progress style, wherein the progress bar comprises a plurality of progress bar segments corresponding to respective ones of the plurality of route segments, and wherein the progress bar segment corresponding to the given route segment is rendered with a minimum display size based on the route proportion of the given route segment failing to exceed the minimum proportion such that the ratio of a length of the progress bar segment corresponding to the given route segment to a length of the progress bar is greater than the ratio of a length of the given route segment to the length of the route.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 3, wherein the route proportion of a route segment is a ratio of segment distance for the route segment to distance of the route or a ratio of an estimated segment travel time for the route segment to an estimated travel time of the route.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 3, wherein the progress style specifies a maximum proportion for the plurality of route segments,

wherein a given one of the route segments has a route proportion that exceeds the maximum proportion, and

wherein the progress bar segment corresponding to the given route segment is rendered with a maximum display size based on the route proportion of the given route segment exceeding the maximum proportion such that the ratio of a length of the progress bar segment corresponding to the given route segment to a length of the progress bar is less than the ratio of a length of the given route segment to the length of the route.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 3, the computer-executable program when executed further causing the computer processor to:

determine a corresponding segment type for each of the plurality of route segments,

wherein each of the plurality of route segments is displayed based on the corresponding segment type.

6. A method of visualizing trip progress, the method comprising:

sending by one or more processors a route request comprising a start location and an end location;

receiving by the one or more processors route information comprising;

a route from the start location to the end location, the route comprising a plurality of route segments;

a route proportion of each of the plurality of route segments, the route proportion corresponding to a ratio of a length of the route segment to a length of the route; and

a progress style that specifies a minimum proportion for the plurality of route segments, and wherein a given one of the route segments has a route proportion that fails to exceed the minimum proportion; and

displaying a progress bar for the route based on the progress style and the route proportion of each of the plurality of route segments, wherein the progress bar comprises a plurality of progress bar segments corresponding to respective ones of the plurality of route segments, and wherein the progress bar segment corresponding to the given route segment is rendered with a minimum display size based on the route proportion of the given route segment failing to exceed the minimum proportion such that the ratio of a length of the progress bar segment corresponding to the given route segment to a length of the progress bar is greater than the ratio of a length of the given route segment to the length of the route.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the route proportion of a route segment is a ratio of segment distance for the route segment to distance of the route or a ratio of an estimated segment travel time for the route segment to an estimated travel time of the route.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

displaying a segment progress to scale for a current route segment of the plurality of route segments such that the trip progress of a user device along the route is tracked in real-time.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the progress style specifies a maximum proportion for the plurality of route segments,

wherein a given one of the route segments has a route proportion that exceeds the maximum proportion, and

wherein the progress bar segment corresponding to the given route segment is rendered with a maximum display size based on the route proportion of the given route segment exceeding the maximum proportion such that the ratio of a length of the progress bar segment corresponding to the given route segment to a length of the progress bar is less than the ratio of a length of the given route segment to the length of the route.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the progress bar comprise a horizontal progress bar, and wherein the segment progress to scale is displayed as a portion of the horizontal progress bar based on the route proportion of the current route segment.

12. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

receiving a corresponding segment type for each of the plurality of route segments; and

displaying each of the plurality of route segments based on the corresponding segment type.

9. A system, comprising:

one or more memories;

one or more processors, each operatively connected to at least one of the one or more memories;

a user device interface stored on the one or more memories, the user device interface being executed by the one or more processors to;

receive a route request comprising a start location and an end location; and

send a route and a progress style to a user device, the user device displaying a progress bar for the route based on the progress style and the route proportion of each of the plurality of route segments, wherein the current route segment is rendered with a minimum display size based on a route proportion of the current route segment failing to exceed a minimum proportion for the plurality of route segments such that the ratio of a length of a progress bar segment corresponding to a given route segment having a route proportion that fails to exceed the minimum proportion to a length of the progress bar is greater than a ratio of a length of the given route segment to a length of the route; and

a mapping module stored on the one or more memories, the mapping module being executed by the one or more processors to;

generate the route from the start location to the end location, the route comprising a plurality of route segments;

determine the route proportion for each of the plurality of route segments, the route proportion corresponding to a ratio of a length of the route segment to the length of the route; and

generating the progress style, wherein the progress style specifies the minimum proportion for the plurality of route segments.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the route proportion of a route segment is a ratio of segment distance for the route segment to distance of the route or a ratio of an estimated segment travel time for the route segment to an estimated travel time of the route.

16. The system of claim 9, wherein the progress style specifies a maximum proportion for the plurality of route segments,

wherein a given one of the route segments has a route proportion that exceeds the maximum proportion, and

wherein the progress bar segment corresponding to the given route segment is rendered with a maximum display size based on the route proportion of the given route segment exceeding the maximum proportion such that the ratio of a length of the progress bar segment corresponding to the given route segment to a length of the progress bar is less than the ratio of a length of the given route segment to the length of the route.

17. The system of claim 9, the mapping module being further executed by the one or more processors to:

determine a corresponding segment type for each of the plurality of route segments,

wherein each of the plurality of route segments is displayed based on the corresponding segment type.

18. The system of claim 9, the user device interface being further executed by the one or more processors to:

send the route request to the user device interface;

receive the route and the progress style from the user device interface; and

display an overall progress bar for the route based on the progress style and the route proportion of each of the plurality of route segments.