Event-based traffic routing

• US 9,437,107 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Issued: 09/06/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Inrix Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Inrix Incorporated
• Inventors: Scofield, Christopher L., Daymond, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): Edwards, Jerrah
• Assistant Examiner(s): Worden, Tommy
• Application Number:
  US13/838,685
• Publication Number:
  US 20140278031A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,271 Days
• Field of Search: 701117-119, 701/439, 701/442, 701465-466, 701/516
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3492 employing speed data or traffic data, e.g. real-time or historical traffic control systems for road vehicles involving transmission of navigation instructions to the vehicle G08G1/0968
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/00 Traffic control systems for road vehicles arrangement of road signs or traffic signals E01F9/00 ; automatic vehicle control B62D
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0129 for creating historical data or processing based on historical data
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0133 for classifying traffic situation
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096741 where the source of the transmitted information selects which information to transmit to each vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096775 where the origin of the information is a central station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096844 where the complete route is dynamically recomputed based on new data
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096888 where input information is obtained using learning systems, e.g. history databases

Abstract

One or more techniques and/or systems are provided for to creating an avoidance zone spatially proximate a venue, where the avoidance zone is created based upon identifying road segments where increased traffic congestion is expected due to an event at the venue. Information pertaining to the avoidance zone, such as a description of road segments to avoid and/or expected travel delays, may be provided to a route planner configured to develop vehicle routes. In this way, the route planner can take into consideration the impact of events on one or more road segments when planning a route.

Claims

1. A method for routing a vehicle, comprising:

receiving information describing an event that is to occur at a venue, the information comprising a first attendance estimate associated with the event;

identifying one or more road segments where a degree of traffic congestion, above a specified threshold, is forecasted due to the event;

generating a route for a vehicle from a starting location to an ending location based upon the degree of traffic congestion of the one or more road segments;

displaying the route within a mapping field, of a road navigation user interface, depicting the one or more road segments;

displaying an avoidance zone interface, visually overlaying a depiction of the venue and the one or more road segments, within the mapping field, the avoidance zone interface having a first size and encompassing a first area of the mapping field based upon the first attendance estimate, the avoidance zone interface comprising a first avoidance subzone interface and a second avoidance subzone interface different than the first avoidance subzone interface, the first avoidance subzone interface corresponding to a first portion of the one or more road segments where a first degree of traffic congestion, above the specified threshold and above a second threshold, is forecasted due to the event, the second avoidance subzone interface corresponding to a second portion of the one or more road segments where a second degree of traffic congestion, above the specified threshold but below the second threshold, is forecasted due to the event;

responsive to receiving updated information, updating the degree of traffic congestion of the one or more road segments to identify an updated degree of traffic congestion for the one or more road segments, the updated information comprising a second attendance estimate associated with the event, the second attendance estimate different than the first attendance estimate; and

modifying a visual property of the avoidance zone interface, in real-time during display of the road navigation user interface to a user, based upon the updated degree of traffic congestion, the avoidance zone interface having a second size and encompassing a second area of the mapping field after the modifying based upon the second attendance estimate, the second size different than the first size and the second area different than the first area.

2. The method of claim 1, the modifying a visual property comprising:

responsive to the updated degree of traffic congestion not exceeding the specified threshold, modifying at least one of a size, a shape, or a position of the avoidance zone interface to not visually overlay the depiction of the one or more road segments.

3. The method of claim 1, the modifying a visual property comprising:

responsive to the updated information corresponding to a second degree of traffic congestion, above the specified threshold, for a second road segment, modifying at least one of a size, a shape, or a position of the avoidance zone interface to overlay the second road segment.

4. The method of claim 1, the displaying an avoidance zone interface comprising:

identifying a display position of the venue within the mapping field; and

defining a display position of the avoidance zone interface based upon the display position of the venue.

5. The method of claim 1, the updated information comprising an updated ticket sales number for the event.

6. The method of claim 1, the updated information comprising updated information regarding availability of parking within a spatial proximity of the venue.

7. The method of claim 1, the updated information comprising updated social network content regarding the event.

8. The method of claim 7, the updated social network content corresponding to at least one of a social network attendance list of a social network event regarding the event, a social network status message regarding the event, a number of social network status messages utilizing a hashtag corresponding to the event, or a number of users having liked the social network event.

9. The method of claim 1, the updated information comprising updated police officer assignment information for the venue.

10. The method of claim 1, the updated information comprising updated street permit closure information for the venue.

11. The method of claim 1, the displaying an avoidance zone interface comprising:

displaying the avoidance zone interface centered at the venue, depicted within the map field, and extending radially to include the one or more road segments.

12. The method of claim 1, the modifying a visual property comprising:

during display of the road navigation interface to the user through a user device, dynamically adjusting a position of the avoidance zone interface.

13. A system, comprising:

one or more processing units; and

memory comprising instructions which when executed by at least one of the one or more processing units perform a method comprising;

receiving information describing an event that is to occur at a venue;

identifying one or more road segments where a degree of traffic congestion, above a specified threshold, is forecasted due to the event;

generating a route for a vehicle from a starting location to an ending location based upon the degree of traffic congestion of the one or more road segments;

displaying the route within a mapping field, of a road navigation user interface, depicting the one or more road segments;

displaying an avoidance zone interface, visually overlaying a depiction of the venue and the one or more road segments, within the mapping field, the avoidance zone interface having a first size and encompassing a first area of the mapping field, the avoidance zone interface comprising a first avoidance subzone interface and a second avoidance subzone interface different than the first avoidance subzone interface, the first avoidance subzone interface corresponding to a first portion of the one or more road segments where a first degree of traffic congestion, above the specified threshold and above a second threshold, is forecasted due to the event, the second avoidance subzone interface corresponding to a second portion of the one or more road segments where a second degree of traffic congestion, above the specified threshold but below the second threshold, is forecasted due to the event;

responsive to receiving updated information, updating the degree of traffic congestion of the one or more road segments to identify an updated degree of traffic congestion for the one or more road segments; and

modifying a visual property of the avoidance zone interface, in real-time during display of the road navigation user interface to a user, based upon the updated degree of traffic congestion, the avoidance zone interface having a second size and encompassing a second area of the mapping field after the modifying, the second size different than the first size and the second area different than the first area.

14. The system of claim 13, the method comprising:

scraping a website associated with a news coverage data source to identify news content regarding the event; and

determining the degree of traffic congestion based upon the news content.

15. The system of claim 13, the method comprising:

scraping a website associated with a social network data source to identify social network content; and

determining the degree of traffic congestion based upon the social network content.

16. The system of claim 15, the social network content comprising at least one of a social network attendance list of a social network event regarding the event, a social network status message regarding the event, a number of social network status messages utilizing a hashtag corresponding to the event, or a number of users having liked the social network event.

17. The system of claim 13, the method comprising:

scraping a website associated with a parking establishment data source to identify a parking forecast; and

determining the degree of traffic congestion based upon the parking forecast.

18. The system of claim 13, the method comprising:

scraping a website associated with a government data source to identify at least one of street closure permit information or police officer assignment information; and

determining the degree of traffic congestion based upon at least one of the street closure permit information or the police officer assignment information.

19. The system of claim 13, the method comprising:

populating the mapping field with a ticket purchase interface used to facilitate purchase of tickets to the event at the venue.

20. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising processor executable instructions that when executed via a processing unit perform a method, comprising:

receive information describing an event that is to occur at a venue, the information comprising a first attendance estimate associated with the event;

identifying a road segment where a degree of traffic congestion, above a specified threshold, is forecasted due to the event;

generating a route for a vehicle from a starting location to an ending location based upon the degree of traffic congestion of the road segment;

displaying the route within a mapping field, of a road navigation user interface, depicting the road segment;

displaying an avoidance zone interface, visually overlaying a depiction of the venue and the road segment, within the mapping field, the avoidance zone interface having a first size and encompassing a first area of the mapping field based upon the first attendance estimate;

responsive to receiving updated information, updating the degree of traffic congestion of the road segment to identify an updated degree of traffic congestion for the road segment, the updated information comprising a second attendance estimate associated with the event, the second attendance estimate different than the first attendance estimate; and

modifying a visual property of the avoidance zone interface, in real-time during display of the road navigation user interface to a user, based upon the updated traffic congestion, the avoidance zone interface having a second size and encompassing a second area of the mapping field after the modifying based upon the second attendance estimate, the second size different than the first size and the second area different than the first area.