Route planning using location/time encoded data from location aware snowplows

• US 8,880,330 B2
• Filed: 11/20/2012
• Issued: 11/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Gooding, Thomas M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jabr, Fadey
• Assistant Examiner(s): KLEINMAN, LAIL A
• Application Number:
  US13/682,161
• Publication Number:
  US 20130080052A1
• Time in Patent Office: 714 Days
• Field of Search: 701/415, 702/3, 340/905
• US Class Current: 701/400
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3407 specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3461 Preferred or disfavoured areas, e.g. dangerous zones, toll or emission zones, intersections, manoeuvre types, segments such as motorways, toll roads, ferries
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3691 Retrieval, searching and output of information related to real-time traffic, weather, or environmental conditions arrangements for giving variable traffic instructions G08G1/09

Abstract

Techniques are described for using geographic location data of snowplows to update a snow depth associated with a section of a surface street. The route of the snowplow may be tracked continuously which allows the snow depth of the street to be reset in real-time. The updated snow depth may then be used to generate a cost of travelling on the street. The travelling cost may then be used to plan a route through the region. Alternatively, the cost may be graphically displayed on a map to permit a user to determine which surface streets to avoid. In another embodiment, the cost of travelling on a particular street may be changed by the attributes of the vehicle that will navigate the snow-covered roads, driver'"'"'s experience, or the geographic terrain of a road. This new cost may then be used, for example, to plan a route or display roads to avoid.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

estimating a depth of frozen precipitation on at least a portion of a surface based on an accumulation rate of the frozen precipitation;

receiving location data associated with a vehicle, wherein the vehicle is equipped to remove frozen precipitation from the surface;

upon determining based on the received location data that the vehicle has passed over the portion of the surface, resetting the estimate of the current depth of the frozen precipitation on the portion of the surface;

adjusting the estimate of the current depth to yield an adjusted depth of the frozen precipitation based on a received indicator of traffic density on the portion of the surface, the adjusted depth representing a compactness of the frozen precipitation;

generating, by operation of one or more computer processors, a traveling cost for the portion of the surface based on the adjusted depth; and

transmitting for display at least one of;

(i) map data that associates the traveling cost to a particular geographic location and (ii) a planned route based on the traveling cost.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the planned route includes the portion of the surface associated with the traveling cost and further comprising receiving a request to plan a route between at least two geographic points.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving the current accumulation rate of the frozen precipitation on the portion of the surface.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an attribute of a user vehicle associated with a user of the display device, wherein the attribute affects a performance of the user vehicle on a surface covered by the frozen precipitation; and

updating the traveling cost based on the received attributes.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the received attributes are at least one of:

a drive system of the user vehicle, a user vehicle type, a weight of the user vehicle, a clearance of the user vehicle, and whether the user vehicle is equipped with snow tires or snow chains.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the map data or the planned route is displayed on a display device that is part of a mobile device capable of using information from global positioning system (GPS) satellites.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the vehicle includes a plow configured to remove the frozen precipitation from the surface, and wherein the location data includes a historical route taken by the vehicle while the vehicle was removing the frozen precipitation with the plow.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein resetting of the estimate of the depth of the frozen precipitation comprises reducing the current depth to a predefined value indicating that at least a portion of the frozen precipitation was removed from the portion of the surface by the vehicle.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein resetting the estimate of the current depth of the frozen precipitation comprises selecting a reset value of the estimate of the current depth based on a surface texture of the portion of the surface, wherein different surface textures correspond to different reset values of the estimate of the current depth.

4. A method, comprising:

estimating a depth of frozen precipitation on at least a portion of a surface based on an accumulation rate of the frozen precipitation;

receiving location data associated with a vehicle, wherein the vehicle is equipped to remove frozen precipitation from the surface;

upon determining based on the received location data that the vehicle has passed over the portion of the surface, resetting the estimate of the current depth of the frozen precipitation on the portion of the surface;

adjusting the estimate of the current depth to yield an adjusted depth of the frozen precipitation based on a received indicator of traffic density on the portion of the surface, the adjusted depth representing a compactness of the frozen precipitation;

generating, by operation of one or more computer processors, a traveling cost for the portion of the surface based on the adjusted depth; and

transmitting for display at least one of;

(i) map data that associates the traveling cost to a particular geographic location and (ii) a planned route based on the traveling cost, wherein the map data displays the traveling cost using a visual indicator, the visual indicator is at least one of;

a numerical value, a shaded cost gradient, highlighting, a static marker, and a flashing marker.

11. A method, comprising:

estimating a depth of frozen precipitation on at least a portion of a surface based on an accumulation rate of the frozen precipitation;

receiving location data associated with a vehicle, wherein the vehicle is equipped to remove frozen precipitation from the surface, wherein the received location data associated with the vehicle includes directional data indicating a direction the vehicle traveled;

upon determining based on the received location data that the vehicle has passed over the portion of the surface, resetting the estimate of the current depth of the frozen precipitation on the portion of the surface;

determining, based on the directional data, a lane of the portion of the surface traversed by the vehicle, wherein only the estimate of the current depth of the frozen precipitation on the lane is reset;

adjusting the estimate of the current depth to yield an adjusted depth of the frozen precipitation based on a received indicator of traffic density on the portion of the surface, the adjusted depth representing a compactness of the frozen precipitation;

generating, by operation of one or more computer processors, a traveling cost for the portion of the surface based on the adjusted depth; and

transmitting for display at least one of;

(i) map data that associates the traveling cost to a particular geographic location and (ii) a planned route based on the traveling cost.