Optional re-routing

• US 8,700,316 B2
• Filed: 12/16/2011
• Issued: 04/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Uber Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Su, Chien-Wen Danny, Bharathan, Aarti, Solis, Adrian, Aroner, Jonathan
• Primary Examiner(s): ARTHUR JEANGLAUD, GERTRUDE
• Application Number:
  US13/328,964
• Publication Number:
  US 20120303264A1
• Time in Patent Office: 851 Days
• Field of Search: 701/416, 701/411, 701/417, 701/420, 701/421, 701/425, 701/300, 701/426
• US Class Current: 701/416
• 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 21/3605 Destination input or retrieval
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3626 Details of the output of route guidance instructions traffic control systems for road vehicles involving transmission of navigation instructions to the vehicle G08G1/0968
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3629 Guidance using speech or audio output, e.g. text-to-speech text to speech systems per se G10L13/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3697 Output of additional, non-guidance related information, e.g. low fuel level G01C21/3679 takes precedence

Abstract

Disclosed herein are tools and techniques for providing optional re-routing. In one exemplary embodiment disclosed herein, a determination is made that a location of a computing device is not on a predetermined route between a start location and an end location. Based on the determining, a re-route option is provided. Also, while the re-route option is available, a determination is made that a subsequent location of the computing device is on the predetermined route, or a re-route is performed responsive to receiving a touch-anywhere input event on a touchscreen display.

Claims

1. A method implemented in part using a computing device that implements a map navigation tool, the method comprising:

determining that a location of the computing device is not on a predetermined route between a start location and an end location;

based on the determining, providing a re-route option;

while the re-route option is available for selection, determining that a subsequent location of the computing device is on the predetermined route; and

responsive to the determining that the subsequent location of the computing device is on the predetermined route, removing the re-route option from being available for selection.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the re-route option comprises displaying a re-route option notice.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying a list of directions for the predetermined route.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining that the location of the computing device is not on the predetermined route comprises:

calculating a distance between the location and the route;

comparing the distance with a threshold distance; and

determining that the threshold distance has been exceeded.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising, based on the determining that the computing device is not on the predetermined route, providing an alert that the location is not on the predetermined route, the alert comprising an off-route audio cue, an off-route speech announcement, displayed text, a map orientation, or a de-emphasized list item.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the list of directions for the predetermined route is in an order, the order beginning with a first list item associated with a current location of the computing device;

and

providing an audio announcement of the first list item.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the location of the computing device is a second location of the computing device, and wherein the determining that the second location of the computing device is not on the predetermined route comprises:

comparing a threshold distance with a first distance between a first location of the computing device and the route;

determining that the threshold distance has been exceeded;

based on the determining that the threshold distance has been exceeded, extending the threshold distance to an extended threshold distance;

comparing the extended threshold distance with a second distance between the second location and the route; and

determining that the extended threshold distance has been exceeded.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein removing the re-route option comprises removing the re-route option notice from display.

9. A computing device that includes a processor, memory and storage media, the storage media storing computer-executable instructions for causing the computing device to perform a method, the method comprising:

determining that a location of the computing device is not on a predetermined route between a start location and an end location;

based on the determining, providing a re-route option;

while the re-route option is available, determining that a subsequent location of the computing device is on the predetermined route; and

responsive to the determining that the subsequent location of the computing device is on the redetermined route removing the re-route option from being available for selection.

10. The computing device of claim 9, wherein providing the re-route option comprises displaying a re-route option notice.

11. The computing device of claim 9, further comprising

displaying a list of directions for the predetermined route.

12. The computing device of claim 9, wherein the determining that the location of the computing device is not on the predetermined route comprises:

calculating a distance between the location and the route;

comparing the distance with a threshold distance; and

determining that the threshold distance has been exceeded.

13. The computing device of claim 9, wherein the method further comprises based on the determining that the location of the computing device is not on the predetermined route, providing an alert that the location is not on the predetermined route, the alert comprising an off-route audio cue, an off-route speech announcement, displayed text, a map orientation, or recolored directions.

14. The computing device of claim 9, wherein the location of the computing device is a second location of the computing device, and the determining that the second location of the computing device is not on the predetermined route comprises:

comparing a threshold distance with a first distance between a first location of the computing device and the route;

determining that the threshold distance has been exceeded;

based on the determining that the threshold distance has been exceeded, extending the threshold distance to an extended threshold distance;

comparing the extended threshold distance with a second distance between the second location and the route; and

determining that the extended threshold distance has been exceeded.

15. The computing device of claim 14 wherein a first check comprises the determining that the threshold distance has been exceeded, and a consecutive check comprises the determining that the extended threshold distance has been exceeded.

16. One or more computer-readable storage media storing computer-executable instructions for causing a computing device to perform a method, the method comprising:

based on a first check and a subsequent check of consecutive checks, determining that a location of the computing device is not on a predetermined route between a start location and an end location of the predetermined route, the determining that the location of the computing device is not on the predetermined route comprises;

by the first check of the consecutive checks, determining that a first threshold distance from a location on the route is exceeded;

extending the first threshold distance to an extended threshold distance;

calculating a distance between the location of the computing device and the route;

comparing the calculated distance with the extended threshold distance; and

based on the comparing the calculated distance with the extended threshold distance, determining that the threshold distance has been exceeded by the subsequent check of the consecutive checks;

based on the determining, providing a re-route option, the providing the re-route option comprising displaying a re-route option notice in a list of directions for the predetermined route;

also based on the determining, providing an alert that the location is not on the predetermined route, the alert comprising an off-route audio cue, an off-route speech announcement, displayed text, a map orientation, or a de-emphasized list item;

while the re-route option is available, identifying that a current location of the computing device is on the predetermined route; and

based on the identifying that the current location of the computing device is on the predetermined route, removing the re-route option notice from display.