Automatic travel directions

• US 9,052,200 B1
• Filed: 05/30/2014
• Issued: 06/09/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Shaik, Moulaali
• Primary Examiner(s): Marc, McDieunel
• Application Number:
  US14/291,117
• Time in Patent Office: 375 Days
• Field of Search: 701/408, 701/425, 701/431, 701/533, 340/995.14, 340/995.24
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• 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

Abstract

In one aspect, a computer-implemented method for automatically providing travel directions to users of a geographic information system client may generally include receiving, by one or more computing devices, a search request from a user associated with a geographic location, identifying at least one reference travel route between a current location of the user and the geographic location, monitoring an actual travel route taken by the user without actively providing travel directions to the user as the user travels along the actual travel route, comparing the actual travel route to the at least one reference travel route using a background software routine implemented by the one or more computing devices and automatically initiating, when the actual travel route differs from the at least one reference travel route, a navigation software routine for actively providing the user travel directions to the geographic location.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for automatically providing travel directions to users of a geographic information system client, the method comprising:

receiving, by one or more computing devices, a search request associated with a geographic location from a user;

identifying, by the one or more computing devices, at least one reference travel route between a current location of the user and the geographic location;

monitoring, by the one or more computing devices, an actual travel route taken by the user without actively providing travel directions to the user as the user travels along the actual travel route;

comparing, by the one or more computing devices, the actual travel route to the at least one reference travel route using a background software routine implemented by the one or more computing devices;

automatically initiating, by the one or more computing devices, a navigation software routine when the actual travel route differs from the at least one reference travel route; and

actively providing the user, via the navigation software routine initiated by the one or more computing devices, travel directions to the geographic location.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein identifying at least one reference travel route comprises identifying the at least one reference travel route without receiving a navigation request from the user requesting travel directions to the geographic location.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein monitoring an actual travel route taken by the user comprises monitoring the actual route taken by the user using the background software routine.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the actual travel route differs from the at least one reference travel route when a number of off-route turns included within the actual travel route exceeds a predetermined off-route turn threshold.

5. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising detecting a lost travel pattern within the actual travel route taken by the user when the user is within a predetermined distance from the geographic location.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising identifying when a travel speed of the user falls below a predetermined speed threshold.

7. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the at least one reference travel route is cached within memory of the one or more computing devices and is accessed during implementation of the background software routine.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the one or more computing devices comprises a client device of the user.

9. A system for automatically providing travel directions to users of a geographic information system client, the system comprising:

one or more computing devices including one or more processors and associated memory, the memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, configure the one or more computing devices to;

receive a search request associated with a geographic location from a user;

in response to the search request, implement a background software routine, the background software routine configured to;

monitor movements of the user without actively providing travel directions to the user; and

determine whether the user'"'"'s movements are indicative of the user being lost based on at least one movement-related factor as the user travels to the geographic location;

automatically initiate a navigation software routine when the background software routine determines that the user'"'"'s movements are indicative of the user being lost; and

actively provide the user, via the navigation software routine initiated by the one or more computing devices, travel directions to the geographic location.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the at least one movement-related factor comprises an actual travel route taken by the user as compared to at least one reference travel route between a current location of the user and the geographic location, the background software routine being further configured to:

monitor the actual travel route taken by the user;

compare the actual travel route to the at least one reference travel route; and

automatically initiate the navigation software routine when the actual travel route differs from the at least one reference travel route.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the background software routine is further configured to identify the at least one reference travel route without receiving a navigation request from the user requesting travel directions to the geographic location.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the actual travel route taken by the user is monitored without providing the user any notifications relating the user'"'"'s location to the at least one reference travel route.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the actual travel route differs from the at least one reference travel route when a number of off-route turns included within the actual travel route exceeds a predetermined off-route turn threshold.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the at least one movement-related factor comprises a lost travel pattern of the user, the background software routine being further configured to detect the lost travel pattern within the user'"'"'s movement when the user is within a predetermined distance from the geographic location.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the at least one movement-related factor comprises a travel speed of the user, wherein the background software routine is further configured to identify when the travel speed of the user falls below a predetermined speed threshold.

16. A tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations, comprising:

receiving a search request associated with a geographic location from a user;

identifying at least one reference travel route between a current location of the user and the geographic location;

monitoring an actual travel route taken by the user without actively providing travel directions to the user as the user travels along the actual travel route;

comparing the actual travel route to the at least one reference travel route using a background software routine implemented by the one or more processors;

automatically initiating a navigation software routine when the actual travel route differs from the at least one reference travel route; and

actively providing the user, via the navigation software routine, travel directions to the geographic location.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein identifying at least one reference travel route comprises identifying the at least one reference travel route without receiving a navigation request from the user requesting travel directions to the geographic location.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the actual travel route differs from the at least one reference travel route when a number of off-route turns included within the actual travel route exceeds a predetermined off-route turn threshold.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the actual route taken by the user is monitored without providing the user any notifications relating the user'"'"'s location to the at least one reference travel route.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 16, further comprising at least one of detecting a lost travel pattern within the actual travel route taken by the user when the user is within a predetermined distance from the geographic location or identifying when a travel speed of the user falls below a predetermined speed threshold.