Forecasting arrival times

• US 9,823,083 B2
• Filed: 08/03/2015
• Issued: 11/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lenovo PC International Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Lenovo Singapore Pte Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Weksler, Arnold S., Mese, John Carl, Peterson, Nathan J., VanBlon, Russell Speight, Waltermann, Rod D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jen, Ian
• Application Number:
  US14/816,932
• Publication Number:
  US 20170038220A1
• Time in Patent Office: 841 Days
• 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

Abstract

Apparatuses, method, systems, and program products are disclosed for forecasting arrival times. A method includes receiving, by a processor, travel data in response to requesting travel data from each of one or more users travelling to a location. The travel data includes data associated with one or more factors that affect an arrival time of each user at the location. A method includes calculating an estimated arrival time at the location for each user of the one or more users based on the travel data. A method includes presenting the estimated arrival time at the location for each user of the one or more users.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a processor;

a memory that stores code executable by the processor to;

receive travel data over a network from a plurality of different sources and a plurality of devices associated with different users in response to requesting travel data from each of the different users travelling to a location, the travel data comprising data associated with one or more factors that affect an arrival time of each user at the location;

calculate an estimated arrival time at the location for each user of the one or more users based on the travel data;

determine a percentage of users that will arrive at the location at different periods of time before and after a target arrival time based on the estimated arrival times; and

present the estimated arrival time at the location for each user of the one or more users and the percentage of users that will arrive at different periods of time before and after the target arrival time.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising code executable by the processor to receive new travel data in response to requesting travel data from each user of the one or more users at predetermined intervals and updates the estimated arrival times based on the new travel data.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the travel data is requested from each of the one or more users in response to each user accepting an invitation to meet at the location.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the estimated arrival times for each user are presented in one or more of:

a mapping service;

a navigation system;

a mobile application;

a website; and

an email application.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising code executable by the processor to calculate an estimated arrival time to the location for each user as a function of different modes of transportation.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more factors comprise:

a user'"'"'s location;

weather along a predicted travel path of the user;

traffic along the predicted travel path of the user;

construction along the predicted travel path of the user;

a user'"'"'s rate of travel;

public transportation delays;

one or more detours taken by a user; and

user-provided information.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising code executable by the processor to:

determines current locations for the one or more users based on the travel data;

determines that one or more users are stopped at their current locations;

estimates a delay time associated with an activity related to the current locations where one or more users are stopped; and

further calculates the estimated arrival time at the location for each user based at least in part on the estimated delay time for the one or more users that are stopped at their current locations.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising code executable by the processor to determine a user is not travelling to the location in response to the user travelling in a different direction than a predicted travel path.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising code executable by the processor to determine the first user to arrive at the location based on the estimated arrival times.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising code executable by the processor to determine an order of users arriving at the location based on the estimated arrival times.

19. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising code that determines, based on the travel data, that a user of the one or more users is travelling away from the location such that the estimated arrival time at the location for each user of the one or more users, except for the user that is travelling away from the location, is calculated based on the travel data.

11. A method comprising:

receiving, by a processor, travel data over a network from a plurality of different sources and a plurality of devices associated with different users in response to requesting travel data from each of the different users travelling to a location, the travel data comprising data associated with one or more factors that affect an arrival time of each user at the location;

calculating an estimated arrival time at the location for each user of the one or more users based on the travel data;

determining a percentage of users that will arrive at the location at different periods of time before and after a target arrival time based on the estimated arrival times; and

presenting the estimated arrival time at the location for each user of the one or more users and the percentage of users that will arrive at different periods of time before and after the target arrival time.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising receiving new travel data in response to requesting travel data from each user of the one or more users at predetermined intervals and updates the estimated arrival times based on the new travel data.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the travel data is requested from each of the one or more users in response to each user accepting an invitation to meet at the location.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the estimated arrival times for each user are presented in one or more of:

a mapping service;

a navigation system;

a mobile application;

a website; and

an email application.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the one or more factors comprise:

a user'"'"'s location;

weather along a predicted travel path of the user;

traffic along the predicted travel path of the user;

construction along the predicted travel path of the user;

a user'"'"'s rate of travel;

public transportation delays;

one or more detours taken by a user; and

user-provided information.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

determining current locations for the one or more users based on the travel data;

determining that one or more users are stopped at their current locations;

estimating a delay time associated with an activity related to the current locations where one or more users are stopped; and

further calculating the estimated arrival time at the location for each user based at least in part on the estimated delay time for the one or more users that are stopped at their current locations.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising determining a user is not travelling to the location in response to the user travelling in a different direction than a predicted travel path.

20. The method of claim 11, further comprising determining, based on the travel data, that a user of the one or more users is travelling away from the location such that the estimated arrival time at the location for each user of the one or more users, except for the user that is travelling away from the location, is calculated based on the travel data.

18. A program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium that stores code executable by a processor, the executable code comprising code to perform:

receiving travel data over a network from a plurality of different sources and a plurality of devices associated with different users in response to requesting travel data from each of the different users travelling to a location, the travel data comprising data associated with one or more factors that affect an arrival time of each user at the location;

determining a percentage of users that will arrive at the location at different periods of time before and after a target arrival time based on the estimated arrival times; and

presenting the estimated arrival time at the location for each user of the one or more users and the percentage of users that will arrive at different periods of time before and after the target arrival time.