Intelligent destination recommendations based on historical data

• US 9,200,918 B2
• Filed: 03/09/2012
• Issued: 12/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Chelotti, Brandon Anthony, Miller, Howard Aron, Strathmeier, Brian Egon
• Primary Examiner(s): Jabr, Fadey
• Assistant Examiner(s): Troost, Aaron L
• Application Number:
  US13/416,927
• Publication Number:
  US 20130238241A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,362 Days
• Field of Search: 701/207, 701/208, 701/533, 705/10, 706/11, 706/14, 706/18, 706/48, 707/14.64, 707/14.58, 709/217, 709/245, 415/418, 455/403
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3617 using user history, behaviour, conditions or preferences, e.g. predicted or inferred from previous use or current movement
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/362 received from an external device or application, e.g. PDA, mobile phone or calendar application
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting

Abstract

Apparatuses and methods relating to navigation and calendar integration are described. In one implementation, confidence ratings are calculated for one or more destinations. Each destination has an associated confidence rating and confidence ratings are based on a match between the current time and time data for each destination. A destination is selected based on confidence rating and displayed. A calendar event is created based upon the selected destination.

Claims

1. A machine-implemented method comprising:

determining, by a mobile device, a current location of the mobile device and an estimated mode of transportation, the estimated mode of transportation being a current mode of transportation;

calculating, by the mobile device, respective confidence ratings for one or more destinations, wherein the respective confidence ratings for the one or more destinations are calculated based at least in part on the estimated mode of transportation and travel history of the mobile device, wherein calculating the respective confidence ratings for the one or more destinations includes;

determining a frequency of visits to a destination over a time period and increasing a confidence rating for the destination when one or more timestamps associated with the destination matches a current time;

accessing a transportation profile, wherein the transportation profile stores associations between modes of transportation and previously visited destinations, the transportation profile including an association between the estimated mode and one or more previously visited destinations; and

increasing a first confidence rating for a first destination in the one or more destinations when the transportation profile indicates that the first destination corresponds to a previously visited destination associated with the estimated mode of transportation, the increase relative to a second confidence rating for a second destination in the one or more destinations that is not associated with the estimated mode of transportation;

selecting, by the mobile device, a stored destination based upon a calculated confidence rating, the stored destination being a predicted destination of a user of the mobile device;

displaying the selected destination in a manner that the user can accept or reject the selected destination;

determining if the selected destination was rejected;

adjusting, based on the rejection, the confidence rating for the selected destination; and

displaying another destination based upon its confidence rating.

2. The machine-implemented method of claim 1 wherein calculating the respective confidence ratings further comprises determining a match between a current time and a time associated with a destination.

3. The machine-implemented method of claim 1 wherein calculating the respective confidence ratings further comprises determining a current location of the mobile device, a current path of travel, and user overrides.

4. The machine-implemented method of claim 3 wherein a frequency in determining a current location of the mobile device is adjusted based on movement of the mobile device.

5. The machine-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving input accepting the stored destination; and

determining a route to the stored destination from the current location.

6. The machine-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining if a route to the selected destination from the current location was rejected;

adjusting the confidence rating for the selected destination; and

displaying a list of destinations ranked in order based upon their confidence ratings.

7. The machine-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining one or more locations of the mobile device, wherein the stored destination is selected further based upon the one or more locations of the mobile device.

8. The machine-implemented method of claim 7 further comprising:

storing the one or more determined locations; and

storing a time associated with each determined location.

9. The machine-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the stored destination is selected further based upon calendar data.

10. The machine-implemented method of claim 9 further comprising:

storing one or more locations associated with one or more calendar appointments; and

storing a time associated with each location associated with a calendar appointment.

11. The machine-implemented method of claim 10 further comprising:

displaying the selected destination, wherein the display of the stored destination is triggered when a navigation application has been launched.

12. The machine-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:

routing directions to the selected destination.

13. The machine-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:

recognizing a vehicle from a connection history between the mobile device and the vehicle; and

selecting a connection mode to the vehicle based on the connection history.

14. The machine-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the estimated mode of transportation is determined to be one of:

pedestrian, vehicle, or mass transportation.

15. The machine-implemented method of claim 14 wherein the determination that transportation is walking is based upon one or more of:

travel along known walking routes, input from an accelerometer, and input from a pedometer.

16. The machine-implemented method of claim 14 further comprising:

determining that the stored destination is beyond a historical walking range; and

displaying a recommendation to switch to an alternate mode of transportation.

17. The machine-implemented method of claim 16 further comprising:

retrieving a mass transportation schedule for the current time and the stored destination.

18. The machine-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the estimated mode of transportation is determined by analyzing a movement of the mobile device.

19. The machine-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the estimated mode of transportation is determined to be pedestrian and current weather information is displayed.

20. The machine-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the confidence rating for each destination is based upon one or more of a time of day, a day of a week, or a day of a month.

21. The method of claim 1 wherein the travel history of the mobile device includes travel history of the user of the mobile device, and wherein the destination is associated with the estimated mode of transportation in accordance with the travel history of the mobile device when the travel history and the transportation profile indicate that the destination is a previously visited destination that has been reached using the estimated mode of transportation or when the destination is within a corresponding distance associated with the estimated mode of transportation as indicated by the travel history.

22. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

accessing the transportation profile to determine an associated distance for the estimated mode of transportation, the associated distance representing a historical distance traveled using the estimated mode of transportation; and

determining a current location of the mobile device, wherein the respective confidence ratings for the one or more destinations are calculated based at least in part upon a comparison between the associated distance and one or more distances between the current location of the mobile device and the one or more destinations.

23. A machine-implemented method comprising:

calculating, by a processing device, respective confidence ratings for one or more destinations;

selecting a stored destination based upon the respective confidence ratings, wherein the stored destination is associated with one or more timestamps;

determining whether the stored destination meets a criteria for adding the stored destination as a calendar appointment, wherein determining whether the stored destination meets the calendaring criteria includes determining whether the one or more timestamps associated with the stored destination exceeds a threshold number of visits over a time period;

upon determining that the stored destination meets the calendaring criteria for adding the stored destination as the calendar appointment, creating the calendar appointment associated with the stored destination;

determining if the calendar appointment associated with the stored destination was rejected;

adjusting, based on the rejection, the confidence rating for the stored destination; and

creating another calendar appointment associated with another stored destination that meets the calendaring criteria.

24. The machine-implemented method of claim 23 further comprising:

displaying the calendar appointment in a manner that a user can accept or reject the calendar appointment as a scheduled calendar appointment.

25. The machine-implemented method of claim 23 wherein the calendar appointment is stored as a tentative appointment in a calendar.

26. The machine-implemented method of claim 23 wherein the calendar appointment is shared with a plurality of subscribers.

27. The machine-implemented method of claim 23 wherein the one or more destinations and the historical time data are determined from calendar data.

28. The method of claim 23 wherein the criteria is determined to be met when the destination includes associated time stamps that indicate at least one of repeated or consecutive visits over the time period.

29. The method of claim 23, wherein determining whether the stored destination meets the calendaring criteria includes determining whether the one or more timestamps associated with the stored destination exceeds at least one of a frequency threshold or a consecutive visit threshold over the time period.

30. A data processing device comprising:

a processor;

a storage device coupled to the processor and configurable for storing instructions, which, when executed by the processor cause the data processing device to;

obtain a current time;

determine a current location of the data processing device and an estimated mode of transportation, wherein the estimated mode of transportation is a current mode of transportation;

calculate respective confidence ratings for one or more destinations, wherein calculating the respective confidence ratings for the one or more destinations includes determining a frequency of visits to a destination over a time period and increasing a confidence rating for a destination in the one or more destinations when one or more timestamps associated with the destination matches the current time;

adjust the respective confidence ratings for the one or more destinations based on the estimated mode of transportation, wherein the adjusted confidence ratings are used to select a predicted destination of a user;

select a stored destination based upon the confidence ratings;

display the selected destination in a manner that a user can accept or reject the selected destination, wherein the display of the selected destination is triggered by the confidence rating for the selected destination being greater than a threshold value;

determine if the selected destination was rejected;

adjust, based on the rejection, the confidence rating for the selected destination; and

display another destination having a confidence rating greater than the threshold value.

31. The data processing device of claim 30 wherein the stored destination data is selected further based upon a location of the processing device.

32. The data processing device of claim 30 wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine one or more locations of the processing device;

store the one or more determined locations; and

store a time associated with each determined location.

33. A data processing device of claim 32 wherein the estimated mode of transportation is determined by analyzing a movement of the mobile device.

34. The data processing device of claim 30, wherein calculating the one or more confidence ratings for the one or more destinations includes increasing a confidence rating for a destination in the one or more destinations when the frequency of visits to the destination over the time period indicates repeated consecutive visits over the time period.

35. A data processing device comprising:

a processor;

a storage device coupled to the processor and configurable for storing instructions, which, when executed by the processor cause the processor to;

obtain a current time;

calculate respective confidence ratings for one or more destinations wherein calculating the respective confidence ratings for the one or more destinations includes determining a number of visits to a destination over a time period and increasing a confidence rating for a destination in the one or more destinations when one or more timestamps associated with the destination matches the current time;

select a stored destination based upon the confidence ratings;

determine whether the stored destination meets a criteria for adding the stored destination as a calendar appointment;

create the calendar appointment for the time based upon the stored destination upon determining that the stored destination meets the criteria for adding the stored destination as the calendar appointment;

determine if the calendar appointment was rejected;

adjust, based on the rejection, the confidence rating for the stored destination; and

create another calendar appointment associated with another stored destination that meets the calendaring criteria.

36. A data processing device of claim 35 wherein the processor is further configured to:

recognize a vehicle from a connection history between the processing device and the vehicle; and

select a connection mode to the vehicle based on the connection history.

37. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium containing executable program instructions which when executed cause a data processing device to perform a method comprising:

determining a current location of the data processing device and an estimated mode of transportation that is a current mode of transportation;

calculating respective confidence ratings for one or more destinations, wherein the respective confidence ratings for the one or more destinations are calculated based at least in part on the estimated mode of transportation and travel history of the data processing device, wherein calculating the respective confidence ratings for the one or more destinations includes;

determining a frequency of visits to a destination over a time period and increasing a confidence rating for the destination when one or more timestamps associated with the destination matches a current time;

accessing a transportation profile, wherein the transportation profile stores associations between modes of transportation and previously visited destinations, the transportation profile including an association between the estimated mode and one or more previously visited destinations; and

increasing a first confidence rating for a first destination in the one or more destinations when the transportation profile indicates that the first destination corresponds to a previously visited destination associated with the estimated mode of transportation, the increase relative to a second confidence rating for a second destination in the one or more destinations that is not associated with the estimated mode of transportation;

selecting a selected destination based upon the confidence ratings;

displaying the selected destination in a manner that a user can accept or reject the selected destination;

determining if the selected destination was rejected;

adjusting, based on the rejection, the confidence rating for the selected destination; and

displaying another destination based upon its confidence rating.

38. The computer readable storage medium of claim 37 wherein displaying the stored destination is triggered by the processing device detecting a proximity to a mode of transportation.

39. The computer readable storage medium of claim 37 wherein the method further comprises:

receiving input accepting the selected destination; and

determining a route to the selected destination from the current location.

40. The computer readable storage medium of claim 39 wherein the method further comprises:

presenting an option to display a map of the determined route.

41. The computer readable storage medium of claim 37 wherein the method further comprises:

determining if a route to the selected destination from the current location was rejected;

adjusting the confidence rating for the selected destination; and

displaying a list of destinations ranked in order based upon the confidence ratings.

42. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium containing executable program instructions which when executed cause a data processing device to perform a method comprising:

calculating respective confidence ratings for one or more destinations;

selecting a stored destination based upon the respective confidence ratings, wherein the stored destination is associated with one or more timestamps;

displaying the stored destination in a manner that a user can accept or reject the stored destination;

determining whether the stored destination meets a criteria for adding the stored destination as a calendar appointment, wherein determining whether the stored destination meets the calendaring criteria includes determining whether the one or more timestamps associated with the stored destination exceeds a threshold number of visits over a time period; and

upon determining that the stored destination meets the calendaring criteria for adding the stored destination as the calendar appointment, creating the calendar appointment associated with the stored destination;

determining if the calendar appointment associated with the stored destination was rejected;

adjusting, based on the rejection, the confidence rating for the stored destination; and

creating another calendar appointment associated with another stored destination that meets the calendaring criteria.

43. The computer readable storage medium of claim 42 wherein the method further comprises:

displaying the calendar appointment in a manner that the user can accept or reject the calendar appointment as a scheduled calendar appointment.

44. The computer readable storage medium of claim 42 wherein the calendar appointment is stored as a tentative appointment in the calendar.

45. The computer readable storage medium of claim 42 wherein the calendar appointment is shared with a plurality of subscribers.

46. The computer readable storage medium of claim 42 wherein the one or more destinations and the historical time data are determined from calendar data.

47. An apparatus comprising:

means for determining a current time;

means for determining a current location of the apparatus and an estimated mode of transportation that is a current mode of transportation;

means for calculating respective confidence ratings for one or more destinations, wherein calculating the respective confidence ratings for the one or more destinations includes determining a frequency of visits to a destination over a time period and increasing a confidence rating for a destination in the one or more destinations when one or more timestamps associated with the destination matches the current time;

means for adjusting the confidence ratings based on the estimated mode of transportation, wherein the adjusted confidence ratings are used to select a predicted destination of a user;

means for selecting a stored destination based upon the respective confidence ratings, the stored destination being a predicted destination of a user;

means for displaying the selected destination in a manner that the user can accept or reject the selected destination;

means for determining if the selected destination from the current location was rejected;

means for adjusting, based on the rejection, the confidence rating for the selected destination; and

means for displaying another destination based upon its confidence rating.

48. An apparatus comprising:

means for calculating respective confidence ratings for one or more destinations;

means for selecting a stored destination based upon the respective confidence ratings, wherein the stored destination is associated with one or more timestamps;

means for displaying the stored destination in a manner that a user can accept or reject the stored destination;

means for determining whether the stored destination meets a criteria for adding the stored destination as a calendar appointment, wherein determining whether the stored destination meets the calendaring criteria includes determining whether the one or more timestamps associated with the stored destination exceeds a threshold number of visits over a time period;

means for, upon determining that the stored destination meets the calendaring criteria for adding the stored destination as the calendar appointment, creating the calendar appointment associated with the stored destination;

means for determining if the calendar appointment associated with the stored destination was rejected;

means for adjusting, based on the rejection, the confidence rating for the stored destination; and

means for creating another calendar appointment associated with another stored destination that meets the calendaring criteria.