Method and system for dynamic estimation and predictive route generation

• US 8,577,390 B2
• Filed: 01/09/2012
• Issued: 11/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Bluestone Ventures, Inc.
• Original Assignee: TeleCommunication Systems Inc (Comtech Telecommunications Corporation)
• Inventors: Sheha, Michael A., Sheha, Angie, Petilli, Stephen, Yarlagadda, Arun
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Tuan
• Application Number:
  US13/346,265
• Publication Number:
  US 20120202530A1
• Time in Patent Office: 666 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.1, 455/456.2, 455/456.3, 455/456.5, 701/201, 701/204, 701/208, 701/209, 340/992, 340/993, 340/994
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 19/42 for indicating rate of turn; for integrating rate of turn
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/30 Map- or contour-matching
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/34 Route searching; Route guidance
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3415 Dynamic re-routing, e.g. recalculating the route when the user deviates from calculated route or after detecting real-time traffic data or accidents
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3469 Fuel consumption; Energy use; Emission aspects
• 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: G01C 21/3617 using user history, behaviour, conditions or preferences, e.g. predicted or inferred from previous use or current movement
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3626 Details of the output of route guidance instructions traffic control systems for road vehicles involving transmission of navigation instructions to the vehicle G08G1/0968
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/367 Details, e.g. road map scale, orientation, zooming, illumination, level of detail, scrolling of road map or positioning of current position marker
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3676 Overview of the route on the road map
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/42 Determining position
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/40 Business processes related to the transportation industry shipping G06Q10/083
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/202 Dispatching vehicles on the basis of a location, e.g. taxi dispatching
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/205 Indicating the location of the monitored vehicles as destination, e.g. accidents, stolen, rental

Abstract

The preferred embodiments of the present invention are directed to methods and systems for dynamic route estimation and prediction using discrete sampled location updates from various mobile devices for the purpose of providing a graphical representation of a mobile device'"'"'s route along a known network path of map data. The embodiments also provide supplemental route metrics, such as traveled distance, elapsed time, etc., and the capability to assign destination points for the purpose of providing the ability to modify location update points in an application, such as a route planner, and/or to store the dynamically generated route based on various preferences for later retrieval.

Claims

1. A method of dynamically predicting routes between a starting geographic location and a destination geographic location, comprising:

setting a starting geographic location associated with a mobile communication device;

setting a destination geographic location associated with said mobile communication device;

generating a plurality of possible routes between said starting geographic location and said destination geographic location;

calculating a plurality of possible next geographic locations of said mobile communication device along each of said plurality of possible routes; and

iteratively updating said previously generated plurality of possible routes as said mobile communication device traverses at least one of said plurality of possible routes.

2. The method of dynamically predicting routes between a starting geographic location and a destination geographic location according to claim 1, wherein:

said iterative updating said plurality of possible routes is based on an estimating speed of said mobile communication device.

3. The method of dynamically predicting routes between a starting geographic location and a destination geographic location according to claim 2, wherein:

said estimated speed of said mobile communication device is a road speed limit associated with said starting geographic location.

4. The method of dynamically predicting routes between a starting geographic location and a destination geographic location according to claim 1, further comprising:

removing from said plurality of possible next geographic locations any possible next location that is no longer located on one of said plurality of possible routes.

5. The method of dynamically predicting routes between a starting geographic location and a destination geographic location according to claim 1, wherein:

said estimated speed of said mobile communication device is estimating with a typical speed of said mobile communication device.

6. The method of dynamically predicting routes between a starting geographic location and a destination geographic location according to claim 1, wherein:

said calculating said plurality of possible next locations of said mobile communication device is performed at a predetermined time interval.

7. The method of dynamically predicting routes between a starting geographic location and a destination geographic location according to claim 6, wherein:

said time interval is a constant time interval.

8. The method of dynamically predicting routes between a starting geographic location and a destination geographic location according to claim 1, wherein:

said destination geographic location is user modifiable.

9. The method of dynamically predicting routes between a starting geographic location and a destination geographic location according to claim 1, wherein:

said starting geographic location and said updated geographic location of said mobile communication device are provided by a Global Positioning System (GPS) device associated with said mobile communication device.

10. The method of dynamically predicting routes between a starting geographic location and a destination geographic location according to claim 1, wherein:

said starting geographic location and said updated geographic location of said mobile communication device are provided by assisted-Global Positioning System (GPS) associated with said mobile communication device.