Determining a travel route

• US 9,909,885 B2
• Filed: 07/15/2015
• Issued: 03/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AirBNB Incorporated
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Boss, Gregory J., Hamilton, II, Rick A., Martino, Jacquelyn A., Pickover, Clifford A., Sand, Anne R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kong, Sze-Hon
• Application Number:
  US14/799,662
• Publication Number:
  US 20150330799A1
• Time in Patent Office: 965 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/34 Route searching; Route guidance
• 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 21/3476 using point of interest [POI] information, e.g. a route passing visible POIs
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3484 Personalized, e.g. from learned user behaviour or user-defined profiles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/42 Determining position
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06316 Sequencing of tasks or work
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/145 Payments according to the detected use or quantity
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/08 Auctions
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 15/06 Arrangements for road pricing or congestion charging of vehicles or vehicle users, e.g. automatic toll systems

Abstract

An approach for determining a route is provided. A rule is retrieved, which indicates a number of recommended routes passing through a constrained area is not permitted to exceed a threshold. After a receipt of N requests from N respective users for N routes, N recommended routes passing through the constrained area are determined and presented to the N users. After determining the N recommended routes and based on a receipt of a request from an (N+1)-th user for an (N+1)-th route, the (N+1)-th route, which passes through the constrained area, is determined. Based on the retrieved rule and the (N+1)-th route passing through the constrained area, N+1 is determined to not exceed the second number. Responsive to determining N+1 does not exceed the threshold, the (N+1)-th route is designated as an (N+1)-th recommended route.

Claims

1. A method of determining a route, the method comprising the steps of:

a global positioning system (GPS) included in a vehicle and having a processor retrieving from a data storage unit coupled to the GPS a rule indicating that a first number of recommended routes passing through a constrained area is not permitted to exceed a second number, the rule limiting a number of recommended routes that pass through the constrained area;

subsequent to a receipt from N users of N respective requests for N routes, the GPS determining N recommended routes passing through the constrained area and presenting the N recommended routes to the N users;

subsequent to the step of determining the N recommended routes and based on a receipt of a request from a user for a determination of an (N+1)-th route, the GPS determining that a vendor wins an auction for a location of the vendor to be included in the (N+1)-th route and the GPS determining the (N+1)-th route so that the location of the vendor is included in the (N+1)-th route;

the GPS determining whether the (N+1)-th route passes through the constrained area and if the (N+1)-th route passes through the constrained area, the GPS determining whether N+1exceeds the second number;

based in part on the vendor winning the auction, (i) if the (N+1)-th route passes through the constrained area and N+1 exceeds the second number, the GPS determining that the (N+1)-th route is not a recommended route for the user and is not to be presented to the user, even though the (N+1)-th route includes the location of the vendor who won the auction, the (N+1)-th route not being presented to the user resulting in a prevention of a traffic jam in the constrained area, or (ii) if the (N+1)-th route passes through the constrained area and N+1 does not exceed the second number, the GPS designating the (N+1)-th route as the recommended route for the user and the GPS presenting the (N+1)-th route to the user as the recommended route which passes through the constrained area and includes the location of the vendor who won the auction, or (iii) if the (N+1)-th route does not pass through the constrained area, the GPS presenting the (N+1)-th route to the user as the recommended route which includes the location of the vendor who won the auctions;

based on the (N+1)-th route passing through the constrained area and (N+1) not exceeding the second number and based on a receipt from the user or another user of a request for a determination of an (N+2)-th route, the computer determining the (N+2)-th route, which passes through the constrained area;

based on the retrieved rule and the (N+2)-th route passing through the constrained area, the computer determining N+2 is greater than the second number; and

in response to the step of determining N+2 is greater than the second number, the computer identifying the constrained area as having congested traffic, the computer determining that the (N+2)-th route passes through the area having congested traffic, and the computer determining a fee to charge a second vendor whose location is included in the (N+2)-th route based on the second vendor having won a second auction, the fee promoting a reduction in additional vehicles entering the constrained area having the congested traffic.

2. The method claim 1, further comprising the step of:

providing at least one support service for at least one of creating, integrating, hosting, maintaining, and deploying computer-readable program code in the computer, the program code being executed by a processor of the computer to implement the steps of retrieving the rule, determining the N recommended routes, presenting the N recommended routes, determining that the vendor wins the auction, determining the (N+1)-th route, determining whether the (N+1)-th route passes through the constrained area, determining whether N+1 exceeds the second number if the (N+1)-th route passes thorough the constrained area, (i) if the (N+1)-th route passes through the constrained area and N+1 exceeds the second number, determining that the (N+1)-th route is not a recommended route for the user and is not to be presented to the user, or (ii) if the (N+1)-th route passes through the constrained area and N+1 does not exceed the second number, designating the (N+1)-th route as the recommended route for the user and presenting the (N+1)-th route to the user as the recommended route which passes through the constrained area and includes the location of the vendor who won the auction, or (iii) if the (N+1)-th route does not pass through the constrained area, presenting the (N+1)-th route to the user as the recommended route which includes the location of the vendor who won the auction, determining the (N+2)-th route, determining N+2 is greater than the second number, identifying the constrained area as having congested traffic, determining that the (N+2)-th route passes through the area having congested traffic, and determining the fee.

3. A computer program product, comprising:

a computer-readable storage device; and

a computer-readable program code stored in the computer-readable storage device, the computer-readable program code containing instructions that are executed by a central processing unit (CPU) of a computer system, which is a global positioning system (GPS) included in a vehicle, to implement a method of determining a route, the method comprising the steps of;

the computer system retrieving from a data storage unit coupled to the GPS a rule indicating that a first number of recommended routes passing through a constrained area is not permitted to exceed a second number, the rule limiting a number of recommended routes that pass through the constrained area;

subsequent to a receipt of N requests from N respective users for N routes, the computer system determining N recommended routes passing through the constrained area and presenting the N recommended routes to the N users;

subsequent to the step of determining the N recommended routes and based on a receipt of a request from a user for a determination of an (N+1)-th route, the computer determining that a vendor wins an auction for a location of the vendor to be included in the (N+1)-th route and the computer system determining the (N+1)-th route so that the location of the vendor is included in the (N+1)-th route;

the computer system determining whether the (N+1)-th route passes through the constrained area and if the (N+1)-th route passes through the constrained area, the computer system determining whether N+1 exceeds the second number;

based in part on the vendor winning the auction, (i) if the (N+1)-th route passes through the constrained area and N+1 exceeds the second number, the computer system determining that the (N+1)-th route is not a recommended route for the user and is not to be presented to the user, even though the (N+1)-th route includes the location of the vendor who won the auction, the (N+1)-th route not being presented to the user resulting in a prevention of a traffic jam in the constrained area, or (ii) if the (N+1)-th route passes through the constrained area and N+1 does not exceed the second number, the computer system designating the (N+1)-th route as the recommended route for the user and the computer system presenting the (N+1)-th route to the user as the recommended route which passes through the constrained area and includes the location of the vendor who won the auction, or (iii) if the (N+1)-th route does not pass through the constrained area, the computer system presenting the (N+1)-th route to the user as the recommended route which includes the location of the vendor who won the auction;

based on the (N+1)-th route passing through the constrained area and (N+1) not exceeding the second number and based on a receipt from the user or another user of a request for a determination of an (N+2)-th route, the computer system determining the (N+2)-th route, which passes through the constrained area;

based on the retrieved rule and the (N+2)-th route passing through the constrained area, the computer system determining N+2 is greater than the second number; and

in response to the step of determining N+2 is greater than the second number, the computer system identifying the constrained area as having congested traffic, the computer system determining that the (N+2)-th route passes through the area having congested traffic, and the computer system determining a fee to charge a second vendor whose location is included in the (N+2)-th route based on the second vendor having won a second auction, the fee promoting a reduction in additional vehicles entering the constrained area having the congested traffic.

4. A computer system comprising:

a central processing unit (CPU);

a memory coupled to the CPU; and

a computer-readable storage device coupled to the CPU, the storage device containing instructions that are executed by the CPU via the memory to implement a method of determining a route, the method comprising the steps of;

the computer system, which is a global positioning system (GPS) included in a vehicle, retrieving from a data storage unit coupled to the GPS, a rule indicating that a first number of recommended routes passing through a constrained area is not permitted to exceed a second number, the rule limiting a number of recommended routes that pass through the constrained area;

subsequent to a receipt of N requests from N respective users for N routes, the computer system determining N recommended routes passing through the constrained area and presenting the N recommended routes to the N users;

subsequent to the step of determining the N recommended routes and based on a receipt of a request from a user for a determination of an (N+1)-th route, the computer system determining that a vendor wins an auction for a location of the vendor to be included in the (N+1)-th route and the computer system determining the (N+1)-th route so that the location of the vendor who won the auction is included in the (N+1)-th route;

the computer system determining whether the (N+1)-th route passes through the constrained area and if the (N+1)-th route passes through the constrained area, the computer system determining whether N+1 exceeds the second number;

based in part on the vendor winning the auction, (i) if the (N+1)-th route passes through the constrained area and N+1 exceeds the second number, the computer system determining that the (N+1)-th route is not a recommended route for the user and is not to be presented to the user, even though the (N+1)-th route includes the location of the vendor who won the auction, the (N+1)-th route not being presented to the user resulting in a prevention of a traffic jam in the constrained area, or (ii) if the (N+1)-th route passes through the constrained area and N+1 does not exceed the second number, the computer system designating the (N+1)-th route as the recommended route for the user and the computer system presenting the (N+1)-th route to the user as the recommended route which passes through the constrained area and includes the location of the vendor who won the auction, or (iii) if the (N+1)-th route does not pass through the constrained area, the computer system presenting the (N+1)-th route to the user as the recommended route which includes the location of the vendor who won the auction;

based on the (N+1)-th route passing through the constrained area and (N+1) not exceeding the second number and based on a receipt from the user or another user of a request for a determination of an (N+2)-th route, the computer system determining the (N+2)-th route, which passes through the constrained area;

based on the retrieved rule and the (N+2)-th route passing through the constrained area, the computer system determining N+2 is greater than the second number; and

in response to the step of determining N+2 is greater than the second number, the computer system identifying the constrained area as having congested traffic, the computer system determining that the (N+2)-th route passes through the area having congested traffic, and the computer system determining a fee to charge a second vendor whose location is included in the (N+2)-th route based on the second vendor having won a second auction, the fee promoting a reduction in additional vehicles entering the constrained area having the congested traffic.