Providing navigational support through corrective data

• US 9,157,755 B2
• Filed: 07/15/2013
• Issued: 10/13/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Kozloski, James R., Pickover, Clifford A., Wisniewski, Robert W.
• Primary Examiner(s): CAMBY, RICHARD M
• Application Number:
  US13/941,661
• Publication Number:
  US 20150019126A1
• Time in Patent Office: 820 Days
• Field of Search: 701/442, 701/445, 701/456, 701/454
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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

A method and system for providing navigational support through corrective data includes monitoring a user'"'"'s current position and travel pattern. A likelihood that the user is lost may be calculated based on the user'"'"'s travel pattern and current position. If the likelihood exceeds a threshold value, the user may be provided with corrective data such as photographs or landmark information through visual or audio communication to assist the user in taking a corrective action or preventing getting lost.

Claims

1. A method for providing navigational support on a computer device, comprising:

monitoring a user'"'"'s travel pattern and current position on a map, wherein the user'"'"'s travel pattern includes travelling a distance during a defined time period;

determining a probability that the user is lost based on the user'"'"'s travel pattern, and current position such that the user'"'"'s distance from the destination increases beyond a the distance during the defined time period; and

providing the user with the plurality of corrective data if the probability that the user is lost exceeds a threshold, wherein at least one of the above steps is performed by a computer.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the corrective data includes non-map data and/or additional map data.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the user'"'"'s travel pattern includes travelling on a path in a first direction, and travelling on the path in a reverse direction within a defined time period.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the user'"'"'s travel pattern includes diverging from a recommended path.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

maintaining a user profile that includes a record of the user'"'"'s travel pattern in the past;

providing the user with the corrective data based on the user profile.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the corrective data includes a fractal data set.

7. The method of claim 2 wherein the non-map data includes:

audio data, video data, digital photographs, a landmark location relative to the user, or an astrological body location relative to the user.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of providing corrective data includes determining a current manner for presenting audio data to the user and providing the user with audio data in a new manner.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the threshold is determined based on a set of past travel patterns of the user.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of corrective data is provided to the user based on a set of past travel patterns of the user.

11. A system for providing navigational support on a computer device, comprising:

a computer having a processor, and a computer-readable storage device; and

a program embodied on the storage device for execution by the processor, the program having a plurality of program modules, including;

a monitoring module configured to monitor a user'"'"'s travel pattern and current position on a map wherein the user'"'"'s travel pattern includes travelling a distance during a defined time period;

a determining module configured to determine a probability that the user is lost based on the user'"'"'s travel pattern and current position such that the user'"'"'s distance from the destination increases beyond a the distance during the defined time period; and

a providing module configured to provide the user with the plurality of corrective data based on the user profile if the probability that the user is lost exceeds a threshold.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the corrective data includes:

non-map data and/or additional map data.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the computer is a global positioning satellite (GPS) device.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the computer is a mobile device.

15. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

a plurality of additional computers each having a processor and a computer readable storage device, wherein one or more of the modules of the program are executed by one or more of the processors of the plurality of additional computers.

16. A computer program product for providing navigational support on a computer device, comprising a computer-readable storage medium having program code embodied therewith, the program code readable/executable by a processor of a computer to perform a method comprising:

monitoring, by the processor, a user'"'"'s travel pattern and current position on a map, wherein the user'"'"'s travel pattern includes travelling a distance during a defined time period;

determining, by the processor, a probability that the user is lost based on the user'"'"'s travel pattern and current position such that the user'"'"'s distance from the destination increases beyond a the distance during the defined time period; and

providing, by the processor, the user with a plurality of corrective data based on the user profile if the probability that the user is lost exceeds a threshold.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the corrective data includes:

non-map data and/or additional map data.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the non-map data includes audio data, video data, digital photographs, a landmark location relative to the user, or an astrological body location relative to the user.

19. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the user'"'"'s travel pattern includes travelling on a path in a first direction, and travelling on the path in a reverse direction within a defined time period.