System and method for providing global positioning system (GPS) feedback to a user

• US 9,291,474 B2
• Filed: 08/19/2013
• Issued: 03/22/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/19/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Basson, Sara H., Gupta, Sachin, Kanevsky, Dimitri, Sainath, Tara N.
• Primary Examiner(s): MARC-COLEMAN, MARTHE Y
• Application Number:
  US13/970,158
• Publication Number:
  US 20150051826A1
• Time in Patent Office: 946 Days
• Field of Search: 701/437, 701/425, 701/420, 701/532, 701/527, 701/117, 701/410, 701/431, 701/439, 701/516, 701/517, 701/443, 600/521, 600/300, 600/509, 434/236, 340/995.2, 340/910, 340/988, 340/990
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3697 Output of additional, non-guidance related information, e.g. low fuel level G01C21/3679 takes precedence

Abstract

Systems and methods for providing global positioning system (GPS) feedback to a user are provided. A method for providing global positioning system (GPS) feedback to a user, comprises evaluating a route of the user to determine potential points of confusion, collecting at least one of behavioral information and physiological information from the user, analyzing the collected information to determine a level of user confusion at a point on the route and whether the level of the user confusion exceeds a threshold, and providing the user with clarifying feedback upon at least one of a determination of a potential point of confusion and the level of the user confusion exceeding the threshold.

Claims

1. A system for providing global position system (GPS) feedback to a user in a first vehicle, comprising:

an evaluation module capable of evaluating a route of the user received from a GPS via a network to determine potential points of confusion;

a collection module capable of collecting at least one of behavioral information and physiological information from the user utilizing at least one sensor placed around the user;

an analysis module capable of analyzing the collected information to determine a level of user confusion at a point on the route, comparing the level of user confusion to a threshold, and determining whether the level of the user confusion exceeds the threshold; and

a feedback module capable of providing the user with clarifying feedback upon determination of a potential point of confusion and the level of the user confusion exceeding the threshold;

wherein the feedback module is further capable of notifying a driver of a second vehicle, within a predetermined area of the user, of the user confusion upon the determination that the level of the user confusion exceeds the threshold;

wherein the system implements a training phase to learn how the user manifests the user confusion;

wherein the training phase comprises the system learning how the user manifests the user confusion while the user is in a setting outside of the first vehicle; and

wherein the analysis module is further capable of automatically concluding, without performing the comparing, that the level of the user confusion exceeds the threshold upon the user making at least one of an explicit declaration of confusion and repeated reference to a GPS display.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the evaluation module performs the evaluating by determining a number of possible driving maneuvers at a given juncture on the route.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the evaluation module performs the evaluating by determining adequacy of street signage at a given juncture on the route.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the evaluation module performs the evaluating by factoring in historical information on how users drove their vehicles on the route.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the evaluation module performs the evaluating by factoring in historical information on users'"'"' levels of confusion on the route.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the clarifying feedback comprises at least one of audio disambiguation, visual disambiguation and vibratory disambiguation.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the evaluation module is further capable of evaluating the route of the user to identify a straightforward portion of the route and the feedback module is further capable of at least one of eliminating or reducing a planned instruction at the identified straightforward portion.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein the collected information comprises at least one of pulse rate, a body temperature, a body movement, a facial expression, a skin conductance, and a voice cue of the user.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein the analysis module is further capable of altering the threshold based on at least one of an age of the user and an amount of time that the user has been a licensed driver.

10. The system according to claim 1, wherein determining whether the level of the user confusion exceeds the threshold comprises aggregating, weighting and quantifying elements of the collected information to assign numerical values to the elements of the collected information.

11. A method for providing global positioning system (GPS) feedback to a user in a first vehicle, the method comprising:

evaluating a route of the user received from a GPS via a network to determine potential points of confusion;

collecting at least one of behavioral information and physiological information from the user utilizing at least one sensor placed around the user;

analyzing the collected information to determine a level of user confusion at a point on the route;

comparing the level of user confusion to a threshold;

determining whether the level of the user confusion exceeds the threshold;

providing the user with clarifying feedback upon determination of a potential point of confusion and the level of the user confusion exceeding the threshold;

notifying a driver of a second vehicle, within a predetermined area of the user, of the user confusion upon the determination that the level of the user confusion exceeds the threshold;

implementing a training phase to learn how the user manifests the user confusion; and

automatically concluding, without performing the comparing, that the level of the user confusion exceeds the threshold upon the user making at least one of an explicit declaration of confusion and repeated reference to a GPS display;

wherein the training phase comprises learning how the user manifests the user confusion while the user is in a setting outside of the first vehicle.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein evaluating comprises determining a number of possible driving maneuvers at a given juncture on the route.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein evaluating comprises determining adequacy of street signage at a given juncture on the route.

14. The method according to claim 11, wherein evaluating comprises factoring in historical information on how users drove their vehicles on the route.

15. The method according to claim 11, wherein evaluating comprises factoring in historical information on users'"'"' levels of confusion on the route.

16. The method according to claim 11, wherein the clarifying feedback comprises at least one of audio disambiguation, visual disambiguation and vibratory disambiguation.

17. The method according to claim 11, further comprising evaluating the route of the user to identify a straightforward portion of the route and at least one of eliminating or reducing a planned instruction at the identified straightforward portion.

18. The method according to 11, wherein the collected information comprises at least one of pulse rate, a body temperature, a body movement, a facial expression, a skin conductance, and a voice cue of the user.

19. The method according to claim 11, further comprising altering the threshold based on at least one of an age of the user and an amount of time that the user has been a licensed driver.

20. An article of manufacture comprising a computer readable storage medium comprising program code tangibly embodied thereon, which when executed by a computer, performs method steps for providing global positioning system (GPS) feedback to a user in a first vehicle, the method steps comprising:

evaluating a route of the user received from a GPS via a network to determine potential points of confusion;

collecting at least one of behavioral information and physiological information from the user utilizing at least one sensor placed around the user;

analyzing the collected information to determine a level of user confusion at a point on the route;

comparing the level of user confusion to a threshold;

determining whether the level of the user confusion exceeds the threshold;

providing the user with clarifying feedback upon determination of a potential point of confusion and the level of the user confusion exceeding the threshold;

notifying a driver of a second vehicle, within a predetermined area of the user, of the user confusion upon the determination that the level of the user confusion exceeds the threshold;

implementing a training phase to learn how the user manifests the user confusion; and

automatically concluding, without performing the comparing, that the level of the user confusion exceeds the threshold upon the user making at least one of an explicit declaration of confusion and repeated reference to a GPS display;

wherein the training phase comprises learning how the user manifests the user confusion while the user is in a setting outside of the first vehicle.

21. An apparatus for providing global positioning system (GPS) feedback to a user in a first vehicle, comprising:

a memory; and

a processor coupled to the memory and configured to execute code stored in the memory for;

evaluating a route of the user received from a GPS via a network to determine potential points of confusion;

collecting at least one of behavioral information and physiological information from the user utilizing at least one sensor placed around the user;

analyzing the collected information to determine a level of user confusion at a point on the route;

comparing the level of user confusion to a threshold;

determining whether the level of the user confusion exceeds the threshold;

providing the user with clarifying feedback upon determination of a potential point of confusion and the level of the user confusion exceeding the threshold; and

notifying a driver of a second vehicle, within a predetermined area of the user, of the user confusion upon the determination that the level of the user confusion exceeds the threshold;

implementing a training phase to learn how the user manifests the user confusion; and

automatically concluding, without performing the comparing, that the level of the user confusion exceeds the threshold upon the user making at least one of an explicit declaration of confusion and repeated reference to a GPS display;

wherein the training phase comprises learning how the user manifests the user confusion while the user is in a setting outside of the first vehicle.