Ranking of path segments based on incident probability

• US 9,200,910 B2
• Filed: 12/11/2013
• Issued: 12/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HERE Global B.V. (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: HERE Global B.V. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Fowe, James Adeyemi
• Primary Examiner(s): Alharbi, Adam
• Application Number:
  US14/103,479
• Publication Number:
  US 20150160024A1
• Time in Patent Office: 720 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/34 Route searching; Route guidance
• 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

Abstract

A route is selected based on the likelihood that an incident will occur while traveling on the route. An apparatus receives request for routing to a destination and identifies alternative routes to the destination. The apparatus selects a time interval based on a current time or another future time selected by a user. A comparison is performed for incident probabilities for the alternative routes and assigned to the time interval. The apparatus selects one of the alternative routes based on the incident probabilities.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a request for routing to a destination;

identifying a plurality of routes to the destination;

identifying a time interval;

identifying a first incident probability function for a first condition defined by a first subset of historical data;

identifying a second incident probability function for a second condition defined by a second subset of historical data;

receiving data indicative of a real time condition;

performing a comparison of incident probabilities for the plurality of routes and

associated with the time intervals wherein the comparison is based on the first incident probability function when the first condition is included in the real time condition and based on the second incident probability function when the second condition is included in the real time condition; and

Controlling a selection of one of the plurality of routes based on the comparison of incident probabilities.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the incident probabilities include a distance component and an incident rate defined per unit distance.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the incident probability for at least one of the plurality of routes is provided by a binary variable.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a risk preference setting, wherein the comparison of the plurality of routes is a function of the risk preference setting.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the risk preference setting indicates either risk averse or risk neutral.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a vehicle type value, wherein the comparison of the plurality of routes is a function of the vehicle type value.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the time interval is a time epoch associated with a time of day or a day of the week.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the time interval is a function of traffic on a road segment.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the first condition is weather and the second condition is peak traffic.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the first condition is rain and the second condition is snow.

9. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code for one or more programs;

the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least perform;

identify a plurality of routes, wherein each of the plurality of routes comprises a series of path segments;

identify a first incident probability function for a first condition defined by a first subset of historical data;

identify a second incident probability function for a second condition defined by a second subset of historical data;

receive data indicative of a real time condition;

perform a comparison for the plurality of routes, wherein the comparison is based on the first incident probability function when the first condition is included in the real time condition and based on the second incident probability function when the second condition is included in the real time condition; and

select a preferred route from the plurality of routes based on the comparison of incident probabilities for the series of path segments.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the computer program code is configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform:

receive data indicative of a current time,

wherein real time condition is based on the current time.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the computer program code is configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform:

sum incident probabilities over time for the series of path segments.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the computer program code is configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform:

access data indicative of a risk preference for a user, wherein the comparison of the incident probabilities is a function of the risk preference for the user.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the risk preference for the user is selected from a low risk aversion level and a high risk aversion level.

14. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the incident probabilities include a distance component and an incident rate defined per unit distance.

15. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the incident probability for at least one of the plurality of routes is provided as a binary variable for peak travel times.

16. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the incident probability describes a likelihood that the series of path segments includes traffic congestion at the predetermined time.

17. A non-transitory computer readable medium including instructions that when executed are operable to:

identify a plurality of routes comprising path segments;

identify a first incident probability function for a first condition defined by a first subset of historical data;

identify a second incident probability function for a second condition defined by a second subset of historical data;

receive data indicative of a real time condition;

calculate an incident probability for each of the plurality of routes based on at least the first incident probability function when the first condition is included in the real time condition and based on at least the second incident probability function when the second condition is included in the real time condition;

perform a comparison of the incident probabilities for the plurality of routes for a predetermined time interval; and

Controlling a selection of one of the plurality of routes based on the incident probabilities.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the instructions are configured to:

receive a user risk preference setting, wherein the comparison of the plurality of routes is a function of the risk preference setting.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the incident rates for the path segments are based on historical data for the path segments.