Electronic navigation related technology

• US 8,670,930 B1
• Filed: 04/08/2013
• Issued: 03/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Uber Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Jason Adam Denise
• Inventors: Denise, Jason Adam
• Primary Examiner(s): Trammell, James
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lang, Michael D
• Application Number:
  US13/858,928
• Time in Patent Office: 337 Days
• Field of Search: 701/416, 701/417, 701/422
• US Class Current: 701/417
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3415 Dynamic re-routing, e.g. recalculating the route when the user deviates from calculated route or after detecting real-time traffic data or accidents
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/36 Input/output arrangements for on-board computers

Abstract

Techniques are described for monitoring whether a user is following directions to a destination during electronic navigation to the destination provided by an electronic navigation device. When the electronic navigation device determines that the user is not following directions to the destination (e.g., the user has missed several turns suggested by the electronic navigation device), the electronic navigation device determines that the user appears to be avoiding the route (or a primary component thereof) to the destination. In response to a determination that the user appears to be avoiding the route (or a primary component thereof) to the destination, the electronic navigation device may automatically, without human intervention, perform an operation directed to using an alternative route (or alternative primary component) to the destination despite the current route remaining preferred according to current routing settings.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

tracking multiple instances of routing decisions made by a user of an electronic navigation device;

based on tracking multiple instances of routing decisions made by the user of the electronic navigation device, storing, in electronic storage, data that identifies at least one of (1) avoided routes that the user has avoided and times when the user avoided the avoided routes and (2) preferred routes that the user has preferred and times when the user preferred the preferred routes;

accessing the stored data that identifies at least one of (1) avoided routes that the user has avoided and times when the user avoided the avoided routes and (2) preferred routes that the user has preferred and times when the user preferred the preferred routes;

analyzing time information within the accessed data by at least one of (1) grouping the avoided routes into routes avoided at similar time periods and (2) grouping the preferred routes into routes preferred at similar time periods;

based on the analysis of the time information within the accessed data, identifying trends of the user within particular time periods; and

performing, by the electronic navigation device, an operation based on the identified trends of the user within the particular time periods.

2. The method of claim 1:

wherein storing data that identifies at least one of (1) avoided routes that the user has avoided and times when the user avoided the avoided routes and (2) preferred routes that the user has preferred and times when the user preferred the preferred routes comprises storing data that identifies (1) avoided routes that the user has avoided and times when the user avoided the avoided routes and (2) preferred routes that the user has preferred and times when the user preferred the preferred routes;

wherein accessing the stored data that identifies at least one of (1) avoided routes that the user has avoided and times when the user avoided the avoided routes and (2) preferred routes that the user has preferred and times when the user preferred the preferred routes comprises accessing the stored data that identifies (1) avoided routes that the user has avoided and times when the user avoided the avoided routes and (2) preferred routes that the user has preferred and times when the user preferred the preferred routes; and

wherein analyzing time information within the accessed data by at least one of (1) grouping the avoided routes into routes avoided at similar time periods and (2) grouping the preferred routes into routes preferred at similar time periods comprises analyzing time information within the accessed data by (1) grouping the avoided routes into routes avoided at similar time periods and (2) grouping the preferred routes into routes preferred at similar time periods.

3. The method of claim 1:

wherein storing data that identifies at least one of (1) avoided routes that the user has avoided and times when the user avoided the avoided routes and (2) preferred routes that the user has preferred and times when the user preferred the preferred routes comprises storing data that identifies avoided routes that the user has avoided and times when the user avoided the avoided routes;

wherein accessing the stored data that identifies at least one of (1) avoided routes that the user has avoided and times when the user avoided the avoided routes and (2) preferred routes that the user has preferred and times when the user preferred the preferred routes comprises accessing the stored data that identifies avoided routes that the user has avoided and times when the user avoided the avoided routes; and

wherein analyzing time information within the accessed data by at least one of (1) grouping the avoided routes into routes avoided at similar time periods and (2) grouping the preferred routes into routes preferred at similar time periods comprises analyzing time information within the accessed data by grouping the avoided routes into routes avoided at similar time periods.

4. The method of claim 1:

wherein storing data that identifies at least one of (1) avoided routes that the user has avoided and times when the user avoided the avoided routes and (2) preferred routes that the user has preferred and times when the user preferred the preferred routes comprises storing data that identifies preferred routes that the user has preferred and times when the user preferred the preferred routes;

wherein accessing the stored data that identifies at least one of (1) avoided routes that the user has avoided and times when the user avoided the avoided routes and (2) preferred routes that the user has preferred and times when the user preferred the preferred routes comprises accessing the stored data that identifies preferred routes that the user has preferred and times when the user preferred the preferred routes; and

wherein analyzing time information within the accessed data by at least one of (1) grouping the avoided routes into routes avoided at similar time periods and (2) grouping the preferred routes into routes preferred at similar time periods comprises analyzing time information within the accessed data by grouping the preferred routes into routes preferred at similar time periods.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein storing data that identifies at least one of (1) avoided routes that the user has avoided and times when the user avoided the avoided routes and (2) preferred routes that the user has preferred and times when the user preferred the preferred routes comprises, each time the electronic navigation device determines that the user does not follow a direction, storing data identifying route information for a route the user followed instead of the direction.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein performing, by the electronic navigation device, an operation based on the identified trends of the user within the particular time periods comprises automatically, without human intervention, changing settings of the electronic navigation device and handling electronic navigation related operations based on the changed settings of the electronic navigation device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying trends of the user within particular time periods comprises determining whether preferences of the user appear to be changing.

8. The method of claim 1:

wherein analyzing time information within the accessed data by at least one of (1) grouping the avoided routes into routes avoided at similar time periods and (2) grouping the preferred routes into routes preferred at similar time periods comprises analyzing time information within the accessed data by at least one of (1) grouping the avoided routes into routes avoided at similar time frames during a day and (2) grouping the preferred routes into routes preferred at similar time frames during a day; and

wherein identifying trends of the user within particular time periods comprises identifying trends of the user at particular time frames during a day.

9. An electronic system comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one computer-readable storage medium encoded with executable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, causes the at least one processor to perform operations comprising;

tracking multiple instances of routing decisions made by a user of an electronic navigation device;

based on tracking multiple instances of routing decisions made by the user of the electronic navigation device, storing, in electronic storage, data that identifies at least one of (1) avoided routes that the user has avoided and times when the user avoided the avoided routes and (2) preferred routes that the user has preferred and times when the user preferred the preferred routes;

accessing the stored data that identifies at least one of (1) avoided routes that the user has avoided and times when the user avoided the avoided routes and (2) preferred routes that the user has preferred and times when the user preferred the preferred routes;

analyzing time information within the accessed data by at least one of (1) grouping the avoided routes into routes avoided at similar time periods and (2) grouping the preferred routes into routes preferred at similar time periods;

based on the analysis of the time information within the accessed data, identifying trends of the user within particular time periods; and

performing an operation based on the identified trends of the user within the particular time periods.

10. The system of claim 9:

wherein storing data that identifies at least one of (1) avoided routes that the user has avoided and times when the user avoided the avoided routes and (2) preferred routes that the user has preferred and times when the user preferred the preferred routes comprises storing data that identifies (1) avoided routes that the user has avoided and times when the user avoided the avoided routes and (2) preferred routes that the user has preferred and times when the user preferred the preferred routes;

wherein accessing the stored data that identifies at least one of (1) avoided routes that the user has avoided and times when the user avoided the avoided routes and (2) preferred routes that the user has preferred and times when the user preferred the preferred routes comprises accessing the stored data that identifies (1) avoided routes that the user has avoided and times when the user avoided the avoided routes and (2) preferred routes that the user has preferred and times when the user preferred the preferred routes; and

wherein analyzing time information within the accessed data by at least one of (1) grouping the avoided routes into routes avoided at similar time periods and (2) grouping the preferred routes into routes preferred at similar time periods comprises analyzing time information within the accessed data by (1) grouping the avoided routes into routes avoided at similar time periods and (2) grouping the preferred routes into routes preferred at similar time periods.

11. The system of claim 9:

wherein storing data that identifies at least one of (1) avoided routes that the user has avoided and times when the user avoided the avoided routes and (2) preferred routes that the user has preferred and times when the user preferred the preferred routes comprises storing data that identifies avoided routes that the user has avoided and times when the user avoided the avoided routes;

wherein accessing the stored data that identifies at least one of (1) avoided routes that the user has avoided and times when the user avoided the avoided routes and (2) preferred routes that the user has preferred and times when the user preferred the preferred routes comprises accessing the stored data that identifies avoided routes that the user has avoided and times when the user avoided the avoided routes; and

wherein analyzing time information within the accessed data by at least one of (1) grouping the avoided routes into routes avoided at similar time periods and (2) grouping the preferred routes into routes preferred at similar time periods comprises analyzing time information within the accessed data by grouping the avoided routes into routes avoided at similar time periods.

12. The system of claim 9:

wherein storing data that identifies at least one of (1) avoided routes that the user has avoided and times when the user avoided the avoided routes and (2) preferred routes that the user has preferred and times when the user preferred the preferred routes comprises storing data that identifies preferred routes that the user has preferred and times when the user preferred the preferred routes;

wherein accessing the stored data that identifies at least one of (1) avoided routes that the user has avoided and times when the user avoided the avoided routes and (2) preferred routes that the user has preferred and times when the user preferred the preferred routes comprises accessing the stored data that identifies preferred routes that the user has preferred and times when the user preferred the preferred routes; and

wherein analyzing time information within the accessed data by at least one of (1) grouping the avoided routes into routes avoided at similar time periods and (2) grouping the preferred routes into routes preferred at similar time periods comprises analyzing time information within the accessed data by grouping the preferred routes into routes preferred at similar time periods.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein storing data that identifies at least one of (1) avoided routes that the user has avoided and times when the user avoided the avoided routes and (2) preferred routes that the user has preferred and times when the user preferred the preferred routes comprises, each time the electronic navigation device determines that the user does not follow a direction, storing data identifying route information for a route the user followed instead of the direction.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein performing an operation based on the identified trends of the user within the particular time periods comprises automatically, without human intervention, changing settings of the electronic navigation device and handling electronic navigation related operations based on the changed settings of the electronic navigation device.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein identifying trends of the user within particular time periods comprises determining whether preferences of the user appear to be changing.

16. The system of claim 9:

wherein analyzing time information within the accessed data by at least one of (1) grouping the avoided routes into routes avoided at similar time periods and (2) grouping the preferred routes into routes preferred at similar time periods comprises analyzing time information within the accessed data by at least one of (1) grouping the avoided routes into routes avoided at similar time frames during a day and (2) grouping the preferred routes into routes preferred at similar time frames during a day; and

wherein identifying trends of the user within particular time periods comprises identifying trends of the user at particular time frames during a day.

17. A method comprising:

tracking multiple instances of routing decisions made by a user of an electronic navigation device;

based on tracking multiple instances of routing decisions made by the user of the electronic navigation device;

determining, for a first destination, that the user of the electronic navigation device prefers a first route that matches a preferred route to the first destination according to routing settings at the time of the tracking, and

determining, for a second destination that is different than the first destination, that the user of the electronic navigation device prefers a second route that does not match a preferred route to the second destination according to routing settings at the time of the tracking;

based on the determination that the user of the electronic navigation device prefers the first route that matches the preferred route to the first destination and the determination that the user of the electronic navigation device prefers the second route that does not match the preferred route to the second destination, updating routing data that the electronic navigation device uses in determining routes to destinations such that the electronic navigation device uses the first route for the first destination and uses the second route for the second destination; and

controlling the electronic navigation device to perform routing using the updated routing data.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein controlling the electronic navigation device to perform routing using the updated routing data comprises automatically, without human intervention, changing settings of the electronic navigation device and handling routing based on the changed settings of the electronic navigation device.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein tracking multiple instances of routing decisions made by a user of an electronic navigation device comprises tracking instances in which the user of the electronic navigation device has indicated preference for a route that is different than a route preferred according to routing settings at the time of the tracking.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein tracking multiple instances of routing decisions made by a user of an electronic navigation device comprises tracking instances in which the user of the electronic navigation device has ignored directions in a route presented to the user according to routing settings at the time of the tracking.