Method and apparatus for presenting a comparison of progress information associated with transport modes or routes

• US 9,857,185 B2
• Filed: 05/31/2012
• Issued: 01/02/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HERE Global B.V. (HERE Holding Corporation)
• Original Assignee: HERE Global B.V. (HERE Holding Corporation)
• Inventors: Beaurepaire, Jerome
• Primary Examiner(s): LANG, MICHAEL DEAN
• Application Number:
  US13/484,471
• Publication Number:
  US 20130325315A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,042 Days
• Field of Search: 701400-517
• 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

Abstract

An approach for presenting a comparison of progress information associated with transport modes, routes, or a combination thereof is described. A transport comparison platform determines progress information for at least one device associated with at least one mode of transport, at least one route, or a combination thereof. The transport comparison platform determines other progress information associated with at least another mode of transport, at least another route, or a combination thereof. The transport comparison platform causes, at least in part, a presentation of a comparison of the progress information against the other progress information.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

providing a user device progress information regarding an actual route being taken by a user of the user device from an origin to a destination; and

providing the user device progress information about an alternative route from the origin to the destination,

wherein the progress information about the alternative route from the origin to the destination is based, at least in part, on location information associated with at least another device traveling the alternative route from the origin to the destination,

wherein the alternative route is different from the actual route taken by the user of the user device from the origin to the destination,

wherein the alternative route would have been taken when the actual route was taken,

wherein the progress information comprises a comparison of travel times of the actual route being taken by the user of the user device and the alternative route being taken by the at least another device and includes at least start time from the origin and time remaining to the destination for each of the actual route and the alternative route, and

wherein the comparison of travel times of the actual route and the alternative route is performed before a trip from the origin to the destination, during the trip from the origin to the destination, and after the trip from the origin to the destination.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the comparison of travel times of the actual route and the alternative route indicates whether the actual route being taken by the user of the user device from the origin to the destination is faster than the alternative route from the origin to the destination.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the alternative route is determined using real time traffic conditions that would have been encountered along the alternative route.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the alternative route would have been begun when the actual route was begun.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the alternative route is determined using real time traffic conditions that would have been encountered along the alternative route.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the location information is based, at least in part, on a tracking of the at least another device.

7. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code for one or more programs,

the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following,

provide a user device progress information regarding an actual route being taken by a user of the user device from an origin to a destination; and

provide the user device progress information about an alternative route from the origin to the destination,

wherein the progress information about the alternative route from the origin to the destination is based, at least in part, on location information associated with at least another device traveling the alternative route from the origin to the destination,

wherein the alternative route is different from the actual route taken by the user of the user device from the origin to the destination,

wherein the alternative route would have been taken when the actual route was taken,

wherein the progress information comprises a comparison of travel times of the actual route being taken by the user of the user device and the alternative route being taken by the at least another device and includes at least start time from the origin and time remaining to the destination for each of the actual route and the alternative route, and

wherein the comparison of travel times of the actual route and the alternative route is performed before a trip from the origin to the destination, during the trip from the origin to the destination, and after the trip from the origin to the destination.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the comparison of travel times of the actual route and the alternative route indicates whether the actual route being taken by the user of the user device from the origin to the destination is faster than the alternative route from the origin to the destination.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the alternative route is determined using real time traffic conditions that would have been encountered along the alternative route.

10. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the alternative route would have been begun when the actual route was begun.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the alternative route is determined using real time traffic conditions that would have been encountered along the alternative route.

12. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the location information is based, at least in part, on a tracking of the at least another device.