Predictive transit calculations

• US 8,738,292 B1
• Filed: 06/18/2013
• Issued: 05/27/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Faaborg, Alexander, Costa, Antonio Bernardo Monteiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Jabr, Fadey
• Assistant Examiner(s): Soofi, Yazan A
• Application Number:
  US13/920,876
• Time in Patent Office: 343 Days
• Field of Search: 701/537, 701/117
• US Class Current: 701/537
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• 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 21/3655 Timing of guidance instructions
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/38 Electronic maps specially adapted for navigation; Updating thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3874 Structures specially adapted for data searching and retrieval
• 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 1/00 Traffic control systems for road vehicles arrangement of road signs or traffic signals E01F9/00 ; automatic vehicle control B62D
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/005 including pedestrian guidance indicator

Abstract

A computing device is described that determines an exit location at which a user of a computing device exited a stop associated with a transportation service. The computing device determines a predicted duration of travel by the user from a current location of the computing device to the exit location at which the user exited the stop associated with the transportation service. The computing device outputs, for display, a notification based at least in part on the predicted duration.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining, by a computing device, a first mode of transportation being used by a user of the computing device, wherein the first mode of transportation is associated with a transportation service;

determining, by the computing device, an exit location at which the user of the computing device exited a stop associated with the transportation service that the user was previously using;

subsequent to determining that the user of the computing device has used a second mode of transportation that is not associated with the transportation service, determining, by the computing device, a predicted duration of travel for the user to travel using the second mode of transportation from a current location of the computing device back to the exit location at which the user exited the stop associated with the transportation service that the user was previously using; and

outputting, by the computing device and for display, a notification based at least in part on the predicted duration.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the exit location comprises responsive to determining that the user of the computing device is using the transportation service, determining the exit location at which the user of the computing device exited the stop associated with the transportation service that the user was previously using.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the exit location comprises responsive to determining that the user has exited a vehicle of the transportation service, determining the exit location at which the user of the computing device exited the stop associated with the transportation service that the user was previously using.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, by the computing device and based at least in part on a current time and the predicted duration, one or more departure times of transportation services provided by the transportation service at the exit location; and

outputting, by the computing device and for display, an indication of the one or more departure times.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, by the computing device, a point of origin from which the user boarded a vehicle associated with the transportation service;

determining, by the computing device and based at least in part on a current time and the predicted duration, one or more departure times of transportation services provided by the transportation service from the exit location to the point of origin; and

outputting, by the computing device and for display, an indication of the one or more departure times.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the stop is a first stop, wherein the predicted duration is a first predicted duration, the method further comprising:

determining, by the computing device, a point of origin from which the user boarded a vehicle associated with the transportation service;

determining, by the computing device and based on the current location, a second predicted duration of travel for the user to travel using the second mode of transportation from the current location of the computing device to a second stop associated with the transportation service, the second stop being a shorter distance from the current location than the exit location;

determining, by the computing device, and based at least in part on the current time, one or more departure times of transportation services provided by the transportation service from the second stop to the point of origin; and

outputting, by the computing device and for display, an indication of the one or more departure times.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, by the computing device and based on an updated current location of the computing device, an updated predicted duration of travel for the user to travel using the second mode of transportation from the updated current location to the exit location; and

outputting, by the computing device and for display, an indication of the updated predicted duration.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the stop is an exit stop, the method further comprising:

determining, by the computing device, at a first point in time, a first speed associated with the computing device at a first location that corresponds to a first stop along a route of the transportation service;

determining, by the computing device, at a second point in time, a second speed associated with the computing device at a second location that corresponds to a second stop along the route of the transportation service; and

determining, by the computing device, and based at least in part on the first speed and the second speed, that the user is using the transportation service.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining, by the computing device and based at least in part on a schedule of the transportation service, an appropriate time to present the notification, wherein the computing device outputs the notification for display at the appropriate time.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

determining, by the computing device and based on the schedule, at least one departure time of transportation services provided by the transportation service from the exit location,

wherein the appropriate time is determined based at least in part on a current time, the at least one departure time, and the predicted duration, and wherein the appropriate time occurs prior to the at least one departure time by at least the predicted duration.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the at least one departure time is a last time of departure of transportation services provided by the transportation service from the exit location to a point of origin from which the user boarded a vehicle associated with the transportation service.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising determining, by the computing device, a transaction duration at the exit location, wherein the transaction duration indicates at least one of a predicted duration of time for the user to board a vehicle associated with the transportation service and a predicted duration of time for the user to purchase a ticket for using the transportation service, wherein the appropriate time occurs prior to the at least one departure time by at least a combination of the predicted duration and the transaction duration.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising;

receiving, by the computing device, an indication of a preferred time to arrive at the exit location; and

determining, by the computing device, and based at least in part on the preferred time, the appropriate time to output the notification based at least in part on the predicted duration, wherein the appropriate time occurs prior to the preferred time by at least the predicted duration.

14. A system comprising:

a display device;

at least one processor; and

at least one module operable by the at least one processor to;

determine a first mode of transportation being used by a user, wherein the first mode of transportation is associated with a transportation service;

determine an exit location at which the user exited a stop associated with the transportation service that the user was previously using;

subsequent to determining that the user of the computing device has used a second mode of transportation that is not associated with the transportation service, determine a predicted duration of travel for the user to travel using the second mode of transportation from a current location of the system back to the exit location at which the user exited the stop associated with the transportation service that the user was previously using; and

output, for display at the display device, a notification based at least in part on the predicted duration.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the at least one module is further operable by the at least one processor to:

determine, based at least in part on a schedule of the transportation service, an appropriate time to present the notification; and

output, for display, at the display device and at the appropriate time, the notification.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the at least one module is further operable by the at least one processor to:

determine, based on the schedule, at least one departure time of transportation services provided by the transportation service from the exit location; and

determine the appropriate time based at least in part on a current time, the at least one departure time, and the predicted duration, wherein the appropriate time occurs prior to the at least one departure time by at least the predicted duration.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the stop is an exit stop, wherein the at least one module is further operable by the at least one processor to:

determine, at a first point in time, a first speed associated with the system at a first location that corresponds to a first stop along a route of the transportation service;

determine, at a second point in time, a second speed associated with the system at a second location that corresponds to a second stop along the route of the transportation service; and

determine, based at least in part on the first speed and the second speed, that the user is using the transportation service.

18. A system comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one module operable by the at least one processor to;

receive, from a mobile computing device, information that indicates a current location of a mobile computing device;

determine a first mode of transportation being used by a user of the mobile computing device, wherein the first mode of transportation is associated with a transportation service;

determine, based on the current location, an exit location at which the user associated with the mobile computing device exited a stop associated with the transportation service that the user was previously using;

subsequent to determining that the user of the computing device has used a second mode of transportation that is not associated with the transportation service, determine a predicted duration of travel for the user to travel using the second mode of transportation from the current location of the mobile computing device back to the exit location at which the user exited the stop associated with the transportation service that the user was previously using; and

transmit, to the mobile computing device, an indication of the predicted duration.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the at least one module is further operable by the at least one processor to:

responsive to determining that the user associated with the mobile computing device is using the transportation service, determine a point of origin along the route of the transportation service from which the user boarded a vehicle of the transportation service; and

transmit, to the mobile computing device, an indication of the point of origin.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the at least one module is further operable by the at least one processor to:

receive, from the mobile computing device, additional information that indicates a current speed of the mobile computing device; and

responsive to determining that the current speed satisfies a speed threshold associated with a vehicle traveling on the route of the transportation service, determine that the user associated with the mobile computing device is using the transportation service.

21. The system of claim 18, wherein the at least one module is further operable by the at least one processor to:

responsive to determining that the current location is within a distance threshold of a route of a transportation service, and prior to determining the exit location at which the user associated with the mobile computing device exited the stop associated with the transportation service, determine, that the user associated with the mobile computing device is using the transportation service; and

transmit, to the mobile computing device, an indication that the user associated with the mobile computing device is using the transportation service.

22. The system of claim 18, wherein the at least one module is further operable by the at least one processor to:

determine, based on the current location, that the user has exited a vehicle associated with the transportation service;

responsive to determining that the user has exited the vehicle associated with the transportation service, determine the exit location of the stop associated with the transportation service that the user was previously using from which the user exited the vehicle; and

transmit, to the mobile computing device, an indication of the exit location.