Intelligent trip status notification

• US 20040088107A1
• Filed: 11/04/2002
• Published: 05/06/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fleet Connect Solutions LLC (Empire IP LLC)
• Original Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Inventors: Seligmann, Doree Duncan
• Granted Patent: US 7,206,837 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/204
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/36 Input/output arrangements for on-board computers

Abstract

Methods of providing trip status information periodically to a user in transit to a destination are disclosed. Trip status information comprises information and alerts based on estimates of various time-of-arrival metrics, such as expected time-of-arrival and earliest time-of-arrival. The estimates are based on a plurality of data, including calendrical time (the time and date), historical statistics, average speed, current weather, weather forecasts, current traffic, and traffic forecasts.

Claims

1. A method for providing status information to a user of a mobile communications device, wherein said user is in transit to a destination, said method comprising:

(i) receiving a location of said mobile communications device;

(ii) estimating at least one time-of-arrival metric based on (all of);

said location,

a calendrical time at said location,

a mode of travel, and

at least one historical travel time statistic; and

(iii) sending a signal to said mobile communications device based on said time-of-arrival metrics.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said time-of-arrival metric is selected from the group consisting of:

expected time-of-arrival, earliest time-of-arrival, and time-of-arrival bounds for a confidence interval.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said historical travel time statistic comprises at least one of:

a mean value;

a minimum value;

a maximum value;

a variance;

an nth-order moment, wherein n is an integer greater than 2; and

a probability distribution.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said estimating is also based on at least one of:

current weather information;

current traffic information;

forecasted weather;

forecasted traffic; and

a metric of said user'"'"'s speed over a time interval.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said mode of travel is selected from the group consisting of:

automobile, private watercraft, private aircraft, snowmobile, skateboard, roller skates, skiing, ambulating, and swimming.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein

said mode of travel is selected from the group consisting of:

bus, train, commercial watercraft, commercial aircraft, and spacecraft; and

wherein said estimating is also based on a departure schedule for said mode of travel.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said user specifies a desired time-of-arrival, and wherein said signal sent to said mobile communications device is also based on said desired time-of-arrival.

8. A method for providing status information to a user of a mobile communications device, wherein said user is in transit along a route to a destination, and wherein said route comprises at least one route segment, and wherein each of said route segments has a respective mode of travel, said method comprising:

(i) receiving a location of said mobile communications device;

(ii) estimating at least one time-of-arrival metric based on;

said location,

a calendrical time at said location,

said modes of travel, and

at least one historical travel time statistic; and

(iii) sending a signal to said mobile communications device based on said time-of-arrival metrics.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein said time-of-arrival metric is selected from the group consisting of:

expected time-of-arrival, earliest time-of-arrival, and time-of-arrival bounds for a confidence interval.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein said historical travel time statistic comprises at least one of:

a mean value;

a minimum value;

a maximum value;

a variance;

an nth-order moment, wherein n is an integer greater than 2; and

a probability distribution.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein said estimating is also based on at least one of:

current weather information;

current traffic information;

forecasted weather;

forecasted traffic; and

a metric of said user'"'"'s speed over a time interval.

12. The method of claim 8 wherein each of said modes of travel is selected from the group consisting of:

automobile, private watercraft, private aircraft, snowmobile, skateboard, roller skates, skiing, ambulating, swimming, bus, train, commercial watercraft, commercial aircraft, and spacecraft.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein at least one of said modes of travel has a respective departure schedule, and wherein said estimating is also based on said departure schedules.

14. The method of claim 8 wherein said user specifies a desired time-of-arrival, and wherein said signal sent to said mobile communications device is also based on said desired time-of-arrival.

15. A method for continually providing status information to a user of a mobile communications device at a plurality of points in time, wherein said user is in transit to a destination via a mode of travel, and wherein said destination can change at any time, and wherein said mode of travel can change at any time, said method comprising at each of said points in time:

(i) receiving

(a) a location of said mobile communications device,

(b) said destination, and

(c) said mode of travel

at said point in time;

(ii) estimating at least one time-of-arrival metric based on

said location at said point in time,

a calendrical time at said location at said point in time,

said mode of travel at said point in time, and

at least one historical travel time statistic; and

(iii) sending a signal to said mobile communications device based on said time-of-arrival metrics.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein said time-of-arrival metric is selected from the group consisting of:

expected time-of-arrival, earliest time-of-arrival, and time-of-arrival for a confidence interval.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein said estimating is also based on at least one of:

current weather information;

current traffic information;

forecasted weather;

forecasted traffic; and

a metric of said user'"'"'s speed over a time interval.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein said mode of travel is selected from the group consisting of:

automobile, private watercraft, private aircraft, snowmobile, skateboard, roller skates, skiing, ambulating, swimming, bus, train, commercial watercraft, commercial aircraft, spacecraft, and elevator.

19. The method of claim 15 wherein said mode of travel at at least one of said points in time has a departure schedule, and wherein said estimating at at least one of said points in time is also based on said departure schedule.

20. The method of claim 15 wherein said user specifies a desired time-of-arrival, and wherein said desired time-of-arrival can change at any of said points in time, and wherein said signal sent to said mobile communications device is also based on said desired time-of-arrival.