Passive crowd-sourced map updates and alternate route recommendations

• US 8,620,532 B2
• Filed: 03/25/2010
• Issued: 12/31/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Uber Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Waldeck Technology, LLC (Concert Technology Corporation)
• Inventors: Curtis, Scott, Halber, Eric P., Evans, Gregory M., Petersen, Steven L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Marc, McDieunel
• Application Number:
  US12/731,242
• Publication Number:
  US 20120046860A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,377 Days
• Field of Search: 701/1.1, 701/2, 701/3, 701/4, 701/7.11, 701/7.14, 701/7.42, 701/35, 701/322, 701/999.01, 701/999.104, 379/93.02, 379/211.02, 709/224, 709/247, 370/401, 707/999.102
• US Class Current: 701/50
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/34 Route searching; Route guidance
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 5/04 Inference or reasoning models
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0282 Rating or review of business operators or products
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/02 Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

Systems and methods for providing passive crowd-sourced alternate route recommendations. In one embodiment, locations of users of a number of mobile location-aware devices are tracked over time. Upon receiving a request, users of mobile location-aware devices that have traveled from a desired start location to a desired stop location are identified. Location histories for the identified users are analyzed to determine one or more different routes taken from the desired start location to the desired stop location. The one or more different routes, or a select subset thereof, are then returned to the requestor as recommended alternate routes.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

tracking locations of a plurality of users of a plurality of mobile location-aware devices over time;

receiving an alternate route request from a requestor, the alternate route request identifying a desired start location and a desired stop location;

identifying one or more users of the plurality of users that have traveled from the desired start location to the desired stop location based on the locations of the plurality of users of the plurality of mobile location-aware devices, wherein the one or more users of the plurality of users includes users other than the requestor;

determining, by a processor, one or more different routes taken by the one or more users from the desired start location to the desired stop location based on the locations of the one or more users; and

providing, by the processor, at least one of the one or more different routes taken by the one or more users from the desired start location to the desired stop location to the requestor as at least one recommended alternate route.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein identifying one or more users of the plurality of users that have traveled from the desired start location to the desired stop location comprises identifying one or more users of the plurality of users that have traveled from the desired start location to the desired stop location during a desired time window.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the desired time window is a reoccurring time window corresponding to at least one of a group consisting of:

a current time of day and a current day of the week.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining, for each different route of the at least one of the one or more different routes, a characteristic of the different route; and

providing the characteristic of each different route to the requestor.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the characteristic of the different route is a number of users of the plurality of users that have traveled the different route.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein the characteristic of the different route is an average travel time for the different route determined based on actual travel times of users of the plurality of users that have traveled the different route.

7. The method of claim 4 wherein the characteristic of the different route is an average travel time for the different route determined based on actual travel times of users of the plurality of users that have traveled the different route during a desired time window.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the desired time window is a reoccurring time window corresponding to at least one of a group consisting of:

a current time of day and a current day of the week.

9. A server comprising:

a communication interface communicatively coupling the server to a plurality of mobile location-aware devices via a network; and

a controller associated with the communication interface and adapted to;

track locations of a plurality of users of the plurality of mobile location-aware devices over time;

receive an alternate route request from a requestor, the alternate route request identifying a desired start location and a desired stop location;

identify one or more users of the plurality of users that have traveled from the desired start location to the desired stop location based on the locations of the plurality of users of the plurality of mobile location-aware devices, wherein the one or more users of the plurality of users includes users other than the requestor;

determine one or more different routes taken by the one or more users from the desired start location to the desired stop location based on the locations of the one or more users; and

provide at least one of the one or more different routes taken by the one or more users from the desired start location to the desired stop location to the requestor as at least one recommended alternate route.

10. The server of claim 9 wherein in order to identify one or more users of the plurality of users that have traveled from the desired start location to the desired stop location, the controller is further adapted to identify one or more users of the plurality of users that have traveled from the desired start location to the desired stop location during a desired time window.

11. The server of claim 10 wherein the desired time window is a reoccurring time window corresponding to at least one of a group consisting of:

a current time of day and a current day of the week.

12. The server of claim 9 wherein the controller is further adapted to:

determine, for each different route of the at least one of the one or more different routes, a characteristic of the different route; and

provide the characteristic of each different route to the requestor.

13. The server of claim 12 wherein the characteristic of the different route is a number of users of the plurality of users that have traveled the different route.

14. The server of claim 12 wherein the characteristic of the different route is an average travel time for the different route determined based on actual travel times of users of the plurality of users that have traveled the different route.

15. The server of claim 12 wherein the characteristic of the different route is an average travel time for the different route determined based on actual travel times of users of the plurality of users that have traveled the different route during a desired time window.

16. The server of claim 15 wherein the desired time window is a reoccurring time window corresponding to at least one of a group consisting of:

a current time of day and a current day of the week.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing software for instructing a controller of a server to:

track locations of a plurality of users of a plurality of mobile location-aware devices over time;

receive an alternate route request from a requestor, the alternate route request identifying a desired start location and a desired stop location;

identify one or more users of the plurality of users that have traveled from the desired start location to the desired stop location based on the locations of the plurality of users of the plurality of mobile location-aware devices, wherein the one or more users of the plurality of users includes users other than the requestor;

determine one or more different routes taken by the one or more users from the desired start location to the desired stop location based on the locations of the one or more users; and

provide at least one of the one or more different routes taken by the one or more users from the desired start location to the desired stop location to the requestor as at least one recommended alternate route.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17 wherein in order to identify one or more users of the plurality of users that have traveled from the desired start location to the desired stop location, the software further instructs the controller to identify one or more users of the plurality of users that have traveled from the desired start location to the desired stop location during a desired time window.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18 wherein the desired time window is a reoccurring time window corresponding to at least one of a group consisting of:

a current time of day and a current day of the week.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17 wherein the software further instructs the controller to:

determine, for each different route of the at least one of the one or more different routes, a characteristic of the different route; and

provide the characteristic of each different route to the requestor.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 20 wherein the characteristic of the different route is a number of users of the plurality of users that have traveled the different route.

22. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 20 wherein the characteristic of the different route is an average travel time for the different route determined based on actual travel times of users of the plurality of users that have traveled the different route.

23. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 20 wherein the characteristic of the different route is an average travel time for the different route determined based on actual travel times of users of the plurality of users that have traveled the different route during a desired time window.

24. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 23 wherein the desired time window is a reoccurring time window corresponding to at least one of a group consisting of:

a current time of day and a current day of the week.