Transportation information systems and methods

• US 9,552,729 B2
• Filed: 12/31/2013
• Issued: 01/24/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Brewin, Frederick Peter, Gontmakher, Alex, Ben Haim, Noam
• Primary Examiner(s): PATEL, SHARDUL D
• Application Number:
  US14/145,370
• Publication Number:
  US 20140111358A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,120 Days
• Field of Search: 701/117, 701/400, 248/430, 340/994, 340/992, 340/990
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3423 Multimodal routing, i.e. combining two or more modes of transportation, where the modes can be any of, e.g. driving, walking, cycling, public transport
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3438 Rendez-vous, i.e. searching a destination where several users can meet, and the routes to this destination for these users; Ride sharing, i.e. searching a route such that at least two users can share a vehicle for at least part of the route
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/025 Coordination of plural reservations, e.g. plural trip segments, transportation combined with accommodation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/047 Optimisation of routes or paths, e.g. travelling salesman problem
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/40 Business processes related to the transportation industry shipping G06Q10/083
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/127 to a central station ; Indicators in a central station

Abstract

An exemplary method includes determining whether real-time vehicle location information deviates from at least one of historical real-time vehicle location information or scheduled vehicle location information. The exemplary method further includes generating scheduling information for a user based on user data and the public transportation data, determining that the real-time vehicle location information deviates from at least one of the historical real-time vehicle location information or the scheduled vehicle location information by more than a threshold deviation, and updating the scheduling information for the user based on the user data, the public transportation data, and the determined deviation.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for providing transportation information, comprising:

receiving, by one or more computing devices, public transportation data including real-time vehicle location information and at least one of historical real-time vehicle location information or scheduled vehicle location information;

generating, by the one or more computing devices, scheduling information for a user based on user data and the public transportation data, the user data comprising information associated with the user'"'"'s location, and information associated with a second user'"'"'s location, the second user'"'"'s location being different than the user'"'"'s location, the scheduling information comprising at least one shared path to a destination associated with the user and the second user;

providing the scheduling information for display to the user by a computing device configured to display the scheduling information;

determining, by the one or more computing devices, that the real-time vehicle location information deviates from at least one of the historical real-time vehicle location information or the scheduled vehicle location information by more than a threshold deviation;

updating, by the one or more computing devices, the scheduling information for the user based on the user data, the public transportation data, and the determined deviation, and to provide an indication of the deviation; and

providing the updated scheduling information for display to the user by the computing device when the scheduling information is updated.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating one or more public transportation route segments based on the user data and the public transportation data; and

providing the one or more public transportation route segments for display by the computing device as suggested route segments.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the user data comprises a current location of the user.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the current location is indicated by a user association with a public transportation entry port.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein determining that the real-time vehicle location information deviates more than the threshold deviation comprises determining that a public transportation service is running with high precision according to at least one of the scheduled vehicle location information or the historical real-time vehicle location information.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein determining that the real-time vehicle location information deviates more than the threshold deviation comprises determining that at least one connection for a route associated with the scheduling information will be missed.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein determining that the real-time vehicle location information deviates more than the threshold deviation comprises determining that a public transportation service is not running according to a predetermined schedule or a predetermined frequency.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the user data comprises one or more routes previously travelled by the user, wherein determining that the real-time vehicle location information deviates more than the threshold deviation comprises determining that a public transportation service has deviated from a current schedule for at least one of the routes previously travelled by the user.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein updating the scheduling information comprises generating a route based on a current time and an approximate frequency of vehicles.

10. A system for providing transportation information, comprising:

one or more computing devices configured to;

receive public transportation data including real-time vehicle location information and at least one of historical real-time vehicle location information or scheduled vehicle location information;

generate scheduling information for a user based on user data and the public transportation data, the user data comprising information associated with the user'"'"'s location and information associated with a second user'"'"'s location, the second user'"'"'s location being different than the user'"'"'s location, the scheduling information comprising at least one shared path to a destination associated with the user and the second user;

provide the scheduling information for display to the user by a user device configured to display the scheduling information;

determine that the real-time vehicle location information deviates from at least one of the historical real-time vehicle location information or the scheduled vehicle location information by more than a threshold deviation;

update the scheduling information for the user based on the user data, the public transportation data, and the determined deviation; and

provide the updated scheduling information for display to the user by the user device when the scheduling information is updated.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the one or more computers are further configured to:

generate one or more public transportation route segments based on the user data and the public transportation data; and

provide the one or more public transportation route segments for display by the user device as suggested route segments.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the user data comprises a current location of the user.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein determining that the real-time vehicle location information deviates more than the threshold deviation comprises determining that at least one connection for a route associated with the scheduling information will be missed.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein determining that the real-time vehicle location information deviates more than the threshold deviation comprises determining that a public transportation service is not running according to a predetermined schedule or a predetermined frequency.

15. A computer program product tangibly embodied in a non-transitory computer-readable device and comprising instructions that, when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to:

receive public transportation data including real-time vehicle location information and at least one of historical real-time vehicle location information or scheduled vehicle location information;

generate user scheduling information for a user based on user data, including user location data, and the public transportation data, the user data comprising information associated with the user'"'"'s location and information associated with a second user'"'"'s location, the second user'"'"'s location being different than the user'"'"'s location, the scheduling information comprising at least one shared path to a destination associated with the user and the second user;

provide the user scheduling information for display to the user by a computing device configured to display the scheduling information;

determine that the real-time vehicle location information deviates from at least one of the historical real-time vehicle location information or the scheduled vehicle location information by more than a threshold deviation;

update the user scheduling information for the user based on the user data, the public transportation data, and the determined deviation; and

provide the updated user scheduling information for display to the user by the computing device when the user scheduling information is updated.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the instructions, when executed by the computing device, further cause the computing device to:

generate one or more public transportation route segments based on the user data and the public transportation data; and

provide the one or more public transportation route segments for display by the computing device as suggested route segments.

17. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the user data comprises one or more routes previously travelled by the user, wherein determining that the real-time vehicle location information deviates more than the threshold deviation comprises determining that a public transportation service has deviated from a current schedule for at least one of the routes previously travelled by the user.