System and method for predicting user route and destination

• US 8,754,777 B1
• Filed: 08/13/2010
• Issued: 06/17/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Mendis, Charles
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu, Daniel
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tang, Son M
• Application Number:
  US12/856,119
• Time in Patent Office: 1,404 Days
• Field of Search: 3406361-6362, 340/426.19, 340/990, 340/995.1, 340/995.12, 340/995.17, 340/995.19, 340/286.14, 701410-426
• US Class Current: 340/636.1
• 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: G01R 31/3647 for determining the ability of a battery to perform a critical function, e.g. cranking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/28 Supervision thereof, e.g. detecting power-supply failure by out of limits supervision

Abstract

Systems and methods display data relevant to a user'"'"'s trip along an inferred route and destination of a user device. First, the method receives a current device location from the device. Next, historical route and destination data of users that traveled through the current device location is retrieved. Determining a most likely route and destination of the user is determined. Points of interest along the inferred route are retrieved. The points of interest and the inferred route are transmitted to the device. Furthermore, a module calculates whether there is enough extant battery capacity to sustain the inferred route to the inferred destination.

Claims

1. A method for indicating whether a battery of a user device can support use along an inferred route, the method comprising:

determining a current location of a processing device;

transmitting the current location to a remote server;

automatically receiving, from the remote server, an inferred route and an inferred destination at the processing device, wherein the inferred route and the inferred destination are determined by the remote server based on the current location and a plurality of stored historical routes that travelled through the current location;

the processing device calculating a travel time that indicates an amount of time needed to travel from the current location to the inferred destination via the inferred route;

the processing device calculating a battery discharge time of the battery, wherein the battery discharge time indicates an amount of time that the battery is predicted to be able to sustain the processing device; and

indicating that the battery will not sustain the inferred route and the inferred destination if the battery discharge time is less than the travel time.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the travel time is calculated by dividing a distance to the inferred destination via the inferred route by a current velocity of the device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the current velocity is calculated by tracking the user device'"'"'s position.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the battery discharge time is calculated by dividing a capacity for the battery by a discharge rate for the battery.

5. A processing system for indicating whether a battery of a user device can support use along an inferred route, the system comprising:

a display unit;

a battery monitoring circuit;

at least one processor for managing the display unit and the battery monitoring circuit; and

a battery life indicator module associated with the at least one processor, the battery life indicator module being configured to;

receiving a current location of the processing system from a GPS receiver;

transmit the current location to a remote server;

automatically receive, from the remote server, an inferred route and an inferred destination, wherein the inferred route and the inferred destination are determined by the remote server based on the current location and a plurality of stored historical routes that travelled through the current location;

calculate a travel time that indicates an amount of time needed to travel from the current location to the inferred destination via the inferred route;

calculate a battery discharge time of the battery, wherein the battery discharge time indicates an amount of time that the battery is predicted to be able to sustain the processing device; and

indicate, on the display unit, that the battery will not support use along the inferred route if the battery discharge time is less than the travel time.

6. The processing system of claim 5, further comprising the GPS receiver coupled to the at least one processor and being configured to provide the device'"'"'s velocity to the battery life indicator module.

7. The processing system of claim 5, further comprising a dead reckoning unit coupled to the at least one processor configured to provide the device'"'"'s velocity to the battery life indicator module.

8. The processing system of claim 5, wherein the travel time is calculated by dividing a distance to the inferred destination via the inferred route by the user device'"'"'s velocity.

9. The processing system of claim 5, wherein the battery discharge time is calculated by dividing a capacity for the battery by a discharge rate for the battery.

10. The processing system of claim 9, wherein the battery life indicator module receives the capacity for the battery and the discharge rate for the battery from the battery monitoring circuit.