Transportation information systems and methods associated with degradation modes

• US 8,645,050 B2
• Filed: 09/08/2011
• Issued: 02/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Gontmakher, Alex, Brewin, Frederick Peter, Ben Haim, Noam
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): PATEL, SHARDUL D
• Application Number:
  US13/228,225
• Publication Number:
  US 20120232776A1
• Time in Patent Office: 880 Days
• Field of Search: 701/117, 701/400, 340/994, 340/992, 340/990, 248/430
• US Class Current: 701/117
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3423 Multimodal routing, i.e. combining two or more modes of transportation, where the modes can be any of, e.g. driving, walking, cycling, public transport
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3438 Rendez-vous, i.e. searching a destination where several users can meet, and the routes to this destination for these users; Ride sharing, i.e. searching a route such that at least two users can share a vehicle for at least part of the route
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/025 Coordination of plural reservations, e.g. plural trip segments, transportation combined with accommodation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/047 Optimisation of routes or paths, e.g. travelling salesman problem
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/40 Business processes related to the transportation industry shipping G06Q10/083
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/127 to a central station ; Indicators in a central station

Abstract

An exemplary method includes determining whether real-time vehicle location information deviates from at least one of historical real-time vehicle location information or scheduled vehicle location information. The exemplary method further includes generating a schedule degradation mode based on a deviation of real-time vehicle location information from at least one of historical real-time vehicle location information or scheduled vehicle location information. The exemplary method also includes generating first scheduling information for a user based on the user data and public transportation data when the deviation does not exceed a threshold. The exemplary method farther includes generating second scheduling information, different from the first scheduling information, that includes an indication of the schedule degradation mode for the user based on user data, public transportation data, and the deviation when the deviation exceeds the threshold.

Claims

1. A method for providing transportation information, comprising:

receiving public transportation data including real-time vehicle location information and at least one of historical real-time vehicle location information or scheduled vehicle location information;

determining whether the real-time vehicle location information deviates from at least one of historical real-time vehicle location information or scheduled vehicle location information;

generating a schedule degradation mode based on a deviation of real-time vehicle location information from at least one of historical real-time vehicle location information or scheduled vehicle location information;

generating first scheduling information for a user based on user data and public transportation data when the deviation does not exceed a threshold; and

generating second scheduling information, different from the first scheduling information, that includes an indication of the schedule degradation mode for the user based on user data, public transportation data, and the deviation when the deviation exceeds the threshold.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying first scheduling information to the user when the first scheduling information is generated; and

displaying second scheduling information to the user that indicates timing of the second scheduling information corresponds to the degradation mode and further indicates that the second scheduling information is computed based on approximate scheduling times when the second scheduling information is generated.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the schedule degradation mode indicates that real-time service is running with high precision according to at least one of scheduled vehicle location information or historical real-time vehicle location information.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the schedule degradation mode indicates that real-time service significantly deviates from at least one of scheduled vehicle location information or historical real-time vehicle location information.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the schedule degradation mode indicates that real-time service is inconsistent with at least one of scheduled vehicle location information or historical real-time vehicle location information, and further indicates an approximate frequency of vehicles.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein generating second scheduling information includes generating a route based on a current time and using the approximate frequency of vehicles as an expected wait time.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the second scheduling information is computed based on approximate times, the method further comprising:

computing a confidence interval based on the computed approximate times; and

displaying the confidence interval to the user.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating an alert associated with a schedule degradation mode, the alert informing a user of a service disruption.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein generating the alert is dependent on schedule adherence.

10. A system for providing transportation information, comprising:

a rider analyzer configured to receive public transportation data including real-time vehicle location information and at least one of historical real-time vehicle location information or scheduled vehicle location information;

a public transportation analyzer configured;

(i) to determine whether the real-time vehicle location information deviates from at least one of historical real-time vehicle location information or scheduled vehicle location information, and

(ii) to generate a schedule degradation mode based on a deviation of real-time vehicle location information from at least one of historical real-time vehicle location information or scheduled vehicle location information; and

a routing engine implemented on a computing device and configured;

(i) to generate first scheduling information for a user based on user data and public transportation data when the deviation does not exceed a threshold, and

(ii) to generate second scheduling information, different from the first scheduling information, that includes an indication of the schedule degradation mode for the user based on user data, public transportation data, and the deviation when the deviation exceeds the threshold.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the second transportation information is at least one of transportation schedule information or historical transportation information.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the routing engine is further configured to display the generated scheduling information.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the routing engine is further configured to alter an appearance of scheduling information based on the degradation mode.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the public transportation analyzer indicates a level of deviation from the schedule.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the routing engine is further configured to provide relevant public transportation route segments based on public transportation data, user data, a user profile, and the degradation mode.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the rider analyzer is further configured to provide an updated user profile based on public transportation data, user data, a user profile, and the degradation mode.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein, the public transportation analyzer is further configured to analyze at least one of real-time public transportation vehicle location information, public transportation scheduling information, historical public transportation vehicle location information, public transportation stations, public transportation lines, or public transportation available trips.

18. An apparatus comprising at least one non-transitory computer readable storage medium encoding instructions thereon that, in response to execution by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform operations comprising:

receiving public transportation data including real-time vehicle location information and at least one of historical vehicle location information or scheduled vehicle location information;

determining whether the real-time vehicle location information deviates from the at least one of historical vehicle location information or scheduled vehicle location information;

generating a schedule degradation mode based on the deviation of real-time vehicle location information from at least one of scheduled vehicle location information or historical real-time vehicle location information when the deviation exceeds a threshold;

generating first scheduling information for a user based on the user data and public transportation data when the deviation does not exceed a threshold; and

generating second scheduling, information, different from the first scheduling information, that includes an indication of the schedule degradation mode for a user based on user data, public transportation data, and the deviation.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, the operations further comprising:

displaying first scheduling information when the first scheduling information is generated; and

displaying second scheduling information when the second scheduling information is generated, the displayed second scheduling information being displayed differently from the first scheduling information.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, the operations further comprising:

alerting a user based on the schedule degradation mode.