Realtime socially-derived and shared time-of-arrival estimation to a destination

• US 8,914,230 B2
• Filed: 06/06/2012
• Issued: 12/16/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Schlesinger, Benny, Weinberg, Shira
• Primary Examiner(s): Cheung, Mary
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sweeney, Brian P
• Application Number:
  US13/489,480
• Publication Number:
  US 20130332067A1
• Time in Patent Office: 923 Days
• Field of Search: 701/422, 701/533, 701/410
• US Class Current: 701/422
• 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

Abstract

Architecture that enables shared social selection by multiple participants of a route (or routes) to a physical destination based at least in part on estimated time-of-arrival (ETA) of the participants to the destination as a group, and joint selection of the destination as a group. The individuals of the group may travel from different locations and along same or different routes to the destination. The architecture assists in planning shared (and/or separate) routes to the destination and estimating the time the group as a whole will be together at the destination. The ETA for the group can be based on the person of the group estimated to arrive at the destination last in time. Interaction capabilities (e.g., texting) are facilitated between group members as part of the navigation system, and dynamic destination decisions can be based on user locations, calculated routes, and/or the type of destination.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a sharing component that enables sharing of geolocation information of entities relative to a destination and estimated time-of-arrival (ETA) information of the entities relative to the destination to identify routes of travel of the entities to the destination, the sharing enabled among the entities, the entities traveling to the destination, the geolocation information and ETA information updated automatically as entities travel to the destination;

a decision component that enables dynamic decision-making among the entities as part of travel to the destination based on entity location at a given point in time and calculated routes to the destination; and

a microprocessor that executes computer-executable instructions stored in a memory.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a decision component that enables dynamic decision-making among the entities as part of travel to the destination, based on entity location at a given point in time and type of destination defined by the entities.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the sharing component interacts with a communications component to enable collaborative interactive communications between the entities associated with navigating to the destination and suggesting a new destination.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising a suggestion component that suggests a new destination suitable to the entities.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the destination is a predetermined specific destination for which the time-of-arrival of the group is estimated.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the destination is a category of destination for which the time-of-arrival of the group is estimated.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the sharing component enables an entity to invite another entity to take a same route to the destination.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising a presentation component that enables visual presentation of an entity graphic representative of an entity, ETA information associated with the entity graphic, and destination.

9. A method, comprising acts of:

computing estimated time-of-arrival (ETA) information of users travelling from respective identified locations to a shared destination as associated with navigation of the users to the shared destination along specific routes;

sharing current locations of the users, associated ETA information, and routes, among the users for viewing by each of the users;

enabling interactive communications between the users via a navigation system;

updating the ETA information of the users in realtime during travel of the users to the shared destination; and

utilizing a microprocessor that executes instructions stored in memory to perform at least one of the acts.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising automatically updating and presenting ETA information and route of a user to other users based on changes in conditions that alter the ETA information and route of the user.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising suggesting a new destination to the users based on ETA information of the users to the destination, and selecting the new destination based on collaboration of the users via the interactive communications.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising inviting other users to travel a specific route based on ETA information related to the route.

13. One or more memory devices storing processing instructions that, when executed, cause one or more processing devices to perform a method, comprising:

computing estimated time-of-arrival (ETA) information of users travelling from respective identified locations to a destination as associated with navigation of the users to the shared destination along specific routes;

sharing current locations of the users, associated ETA information, and routes, among the users for viewing by each of the users;

enabling interactive communications between the users via the navigation system; and

updating the ETA information of the users in realtime during travel of the users to the shared destination.