Profile aware navigation

• US 9,726,509 B1
• Filed: 09/29/2016
• Issued: 08/08/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Thai, Franck L., Raghavendra, Ramya
• Primary Examiner(s): Hilgendorf, Dale W
• Application Number:
  US15/279,833
• Time in Patent Office: 313 Days
• 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 21/3484 Personalized, e.g. from learned user behaviour or user-defined profiles
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3691 Retrieval, searching and output of information related to real-time traffic, weather, or environmental conditions arrangements for giving variable traffic instructions G08G1/09

Abstract

Embodiments include computer-implemented method, systems and computer program products for route planning utilizing a Global Positioning System (GPS) device to determine an accessible route of a person travelling in a vehicle. The computer-implemented method includes generating, by at least one processor of the GPS device utilizing a map database, a route and retrieving a vehicle profile identifying operable conditions of the vehicle. Information from a route condition database relating to conditions along the route is retrieved and it is determined based upon the conditions along the route and the operable conditions of the vehicle if the route is an authorized, passable route for the vehicle. In response to determining if the route is an authorized, passable route for the vehicle, the route is presented on a display screen.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for route planning utilizing a Global Positioning System (GPS) device to provide for an accessible route of a person travelling in a vehicle, the method comprising:

generating, by at least one processor of the GPS device utilizing a map database, a route;

retrieving, by the at least one processor, a vehicle profile identifying operable conditions of a first vehicle, wherein the operable conditions of the first vehicle include at least if the first vehicle has snow chains on the tires of the first vehicle;

retrieving, by the at least one processor, information from a route condition database relating to conditions along the route, wherein the conditions along the route include at least one of the following;

if a road has an accumulation of snow or ice; and

if transportation of bottled gas is unauthorized;

providing a driver profile for a driver, the driver profile including an age of the driver, physical limitations of the driver, route preferences of the driver, and driving experience of the driver;

determining, by the at least one processor, based upon the conditions along the route, the operable conditions of the first vehicle, and the driver profile, if the route is an authorized, passable route for the first vehicle;

in response to determining if the route is the authorized, passable route for the first vehicle, presenting the route on a display screen; and

receiving information from a second vehicle regarding the conditions of the route and determining if the operable conditions of the first vehicle enable the first vehicle to pass along the route.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the operable conditions of the first vehicle include at least one of the following:

a type of vehicle, drive train of the first vehicle, and an authorized route permits the first vehicle having the operable condition to traverse the route.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the operable conditions of the vehicle are provided by vehicle sensors.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the conditions along the route include at least one of the following:

a type of vehicle authorized for utilizing the road;

if the road is partially flooded.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further including a weather database providing weather conditions from an origin of the route to a destination of the route, the conditions of the route including the weather conditions.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further including defining the route as being unpassable if information received from the second vehicle of a type similar to the first vehicle identifies that the route was not passable by the second vehicle.

7. A computer program product for route planning utilizing a Global Positioning System (GPS) device to provide an accessible route of a person travelling in a vehicle, the computer program product comprising:

a computer readable storage medium readable by a processing circuit and storing instructions for execution by the processing circuit for performing a method comprising;

receiving an origin and destination, by at least one processor of the GPS device, for a first vehicle;

retrieving, by the at least one processor, a vehicle profile identifying operable conditions of the first vehicle, wherein the operable conditions of the first vehicle include at least if the first vehicle has snow chains on the tires of the first vehicle;

generating, by the at least one processor, from a map database a plurality of available routes from the origin to the destination;

retrieving, by the at least one processor, information from a route condition database relating to conditions along the plurality of routes, wherein the conditions along the route include at least one of the following;

if a road has an accumulation of snow or ice; and

if transportation of bottled gas is unauthorized;

providing a driver profile for a driver, the driver profile including an age of the driver, physical limitations of the driver, route preferences of the driver, and driving experience of the driver;

determining, by the at least one processor, based upon the conditions along the plurality of routes, the operable conditions of the first vehicle, and the driver profile, authorized, passable routes by the first vehicle;

in response to determining authorized passable routes by the first vehicle, presenting one optimal route on a display screen; and

receiving information from a second vehicle regarding the conditions of the route and determining if the operable conditions of the first vehicle enable the first vehicle to pass along the route.

8. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the operable conditions of the first vehicle include at least one of the following:

a type of vehicle, drive train of the vehicle, and an authorized route permits the first vehicle having the operable condition to traverse the route.

9. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the conditions along the route include at least one of the following:

type of vehicle authorized for utilizing the road; and

if the road is partially flooded.

10. The computer program product of claim 7, further including a weather database providing weather conditions from the origin of the route to the destination of the route, the conditions of the route including the weather conditions.

11. The computer program product of claim 7, further including defining the route as being unpassable if information received from the second vehicle of a type similar to the first vehicle identifies that the route was not passable by the second vehicle.

12. A system for route planning utilizing a Global Positioning System (GPS) device to provide for an accessible route of a person travelling in a vehicle, the system comprising:

a processor configured to;

receive an origin and destination for a first vehicle;

retrieve a vehicle profile identifying operable conditions of the first vehicle, wherein the operable conditions of the first vehicle include at least if the first vehicle has snow chains on the tires of the first vehicle;

generate from a map database a plurality of available routes from the origin to the destination;

retrieve information from a route condition database relating to conditions along the plurality of routes, wherein the conditions along the route include at least one of the following;

if a road has an accumulation of snow or ice; and

if transportation of bottled gas is unauthorized;

providing a driver profile for a driver, the driver profile including an age of the driver, physical limitations of the driver, route preferences of the driver, and driving experience of the driver

determining based upon the conditions along the route, the operable conditions of the first vehicle, and the driver profile, authorized, passable routes by the first vehicle;

in response to determining authorized, passable routes by the first vehicle, presenting one optimal route on a display screen; and

receiving information from a second vehicle regarding the conditions of the route and determining if the operable conditions of the first vehicle enable the first vehicle to pass along the route.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the processor is further configured to receive a selected route from the one or more of the plurality of available routes and providing real-time route guidance along the selected route.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the conditions along the route include at least one of the following:

type of vehicle authorized for utilizing the road; and

if the road is partially flooded.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the system includes a weather database providing weather conditions from the origin of the route to the destination of the route, the conditions of the route including the weather conditions.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the operable conditions of the first vehicle include at least one of the following:

a type of vehicle, drive train of the first vehicle, and an authorized route permits the first vehicle having the operable condition to traverse the route.