Automatic travel time and routing determinations in a wireless network

• US 8,762,048 B2
• Filed: 10/28/2011
• Issued: 06/24/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kosseifi, Mario, Hilliard, Brandon, Meredith, Sheldon, Austin, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): Badii, Behrang
• Assistant Examiner(s): TESTARDI, DAVID A
• Application Number:
  US13/284,456
• Publication Number:
  US 20130110392A1
• Time in Patent Office: 970 Days
• Field of Search: 701/410, 701/465, 701/533
• US Class Current: 701/410
• 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 21/3492 employing speed data or traffic data, e.g. real-time or historical traffic control systems for road vehicles involving transmission of navigation instructions to the vehicle G08G1/0968
• 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: G08G 1/0112 from the vehicle, e.g. floating car data [FCD]
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0129 for creating historical data or processing based on historical data
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0133 for classifying traffic situation
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0141 for traffic information dissemination
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096822 where the segments of the route are transmitted to the vehicle at different locations and times
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096838 where the user preferences are taken into account or the user selects one route out of a plurality
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096844 where the complete route is dynamically recomputed based on new data

Abstract

Aspects relate to automatically providing updated route and predicted travel time to allow a user to travel a shortest route between a first point and a second point. A route can be planned based on a multitude of route segments, wherein historical data related to speed is known for each of the route segments. Further, the historical data is categorized based on temporal aspects, such as time of day, day of week, as well as other aspects, such as known events that can have an influence on the speed at which each route segment can be traveled. As the user moves along the route, the planned route, as well as an anticipated travel time, are almost continually updated to provide the most up-to-date and accurate data.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

determining, by a system comprising a processor, a first route and a second route as a function of a travel time target that represents a determined amount of time to be traveled in relation to a first location, wherein the determining comprises;

associating a first set of route segments with the first route and a second set of route segments with the second route, and

determining respective transit times and associated confidence levels for the first set of route segments and the second set of route segments based on current information and historical information associated with the first and second sets of route segments;

deriving a second location based on the first route and the travel time target and a third location based on the second route and the travel time target; and

initiating, by the system, a rendering of a map that comprises an indication of the second location, the third location, a first confidence level that indicates a confidence of arrival at the second location within the travel time target, and a second confidence level that indicates another confidence of arrival at the third location within the travel time target.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving, by the system, a start location as the first location, wherein the deriving comprises determining the second location and the third location as alternative destination locations based on the travel time target, and wherein the initiating the rendering comprises initiating a display of the alternative destination locations.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving, by the system, a destination location as the first location, wherein the deriving comprises determining the second location and the third location as alternative start locations based on the travel time target, and wherein the initiating the rendering comprises initiating a display of the alternative start locations.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the system, a travel start time; and

associating, by the system, a day of a week and a time of day with the travel start time, wherein the determining the respective transit times and associated confidence levels comprises using the current information for a first portion of the first set of route segments and a second portion of the second set of route segments in response to the travel start time being determined to be within a determined time of a current time and using the historical information related to the day and the time of day in response to the travel start time being determined not to be within the determined time of the current time to derive the second location and the third location.

5. The method of claim 1,

wherein the first confidence level and the second confidence level are represented as ranked numbers.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the initiating the rendering comprises initiating a display of colors that indicate a first distance to be traveled from the first location to the second location and a second distance to be traveled from the first location to the third location, and wherein the first distance and the second distance are different distances.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

collecting, by the system, data associated with route segments of the first route and the second route; and

including, by the system, the data in the historical information.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second sets of route segments comprise a minimum distance defined between two geographic markers.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second sets of route segments comprise different distances.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining, by the system, speed estimates for the first and second sets of route segments based on an average speed determined based on sensor information received from sensors over a defined time period.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

dividing, by the system, the first route into the first set of route segments based on a set of known location markers;

determining, by the system for the first set of route segments, respective expected travel times based on a subset of the current information associated with a first subset of the first set of route segments and a subset of the historical information associated with a second subset of the first set of route segments;

dividing, by the system, the second route into the second set of route segments based on another set of known location markers; and

determining, by the system for the second set of route segments, respective expected travel times, wherein the respective expected travel times are based on other current information associated with a third subset of the second set of route segments and other historical information associated with a fourth subset of the second set of route segments.

12. A system, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause performance of operations, comprising;

determining, based on a travel time target that defines a bound on an amount of time to be traveled in relation to a first location, a first route and a second route, comprising;

determining that the first route comprises a first set of route segments and the second route comprises a second set of route segments,

determining a first set of transit times associated with the first set of route segments and a second set of transit times associated with the second set of route segments based on current information and historical information associated with the first and second sets of route segments, and

determining a first set of confidence levels for the first set of transit times and a second set of confidence levels for the second set of transit times;

determining a second location based on the first set of transit times and the first set of confidence levels and a third location based on the second set of transit times and the second set of confidence levels; and

outputting the first location, the second location, the third location, a first confidence level that indicates a confidence of arrival at the second location within the travel time target, and a second confidence level that indicates another confidence of arrival at the third location within the travel time target on a map.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the operations further comprise outputting the first set of confidence levels and the second set of confidence levels as respective number ranks.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the operations further comprise outputting the first set of confidence levels and the second set of confidence levels as letter grades.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the operations further comprise:

dividing the first route into the first set of route segments based on a set of known location markers measured with respect to geographic locations;

determining, for the first set of route segments, respective expected travel times based on a subset of the current information associated with a first subset of the first set of route segments and a subset of the historical information associated with a second subset of the first set of route segments;

dividing the second route into the second set of route segments based on another set of known location markers with respect to other geographic locations; and

determining, for the second set of route segments, respective expected travel times, wherein the respective expected travel times are based on other current information associated with a third subset of the second set of route segments and other historical information associated with a fourth subset of the second set of route segments.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise

receiving a travel start time;

and

associating a day of a week and a time of day with the travel start time, wherein the determining the first and second sets of transit times comprises, to derive the second location and the third location, using the current information for the first subset and the third subset in response to the travel start time being determined to be within a determined time of a current time and using the historical information related to the day and the time of day in response to the travel start time being determined not to be within the determined time of the current time.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable storage device storing executable instructions that, in response to execution, cause a system comprising a processor to perform operations, comprising:

determining a first route and a second route as a function of a first location and a travel time target that represents a determined amount of time to be traveled in relation to the first location, wherein the determining comprises;

dividing the first route into a first set of route segments based on a set of known location markers,

determining, for the first set of route segments, respective expected travel times based on current information associated with a first subset of the first set of route segments and historical information associated with a second subset of the first set of route segments,

dividing the second route into a second set of route segments based on another set of known location markers, and

determining, for the second set of route segments, respective expected travel times, wherein the respective expected travel times are based on other current information associated with a third subset of the second set of route segments and other historical information associated with a fourth subset of the second set of route segments;

deriving a second location based on the first route and a third location based on the second route; and

rendering of a map on a display device, wherein the rendering comprises the second location and a first confidence level that indicates whether the second location is capable of being traversed within the travel time target, and the third location and a second confidence level that indicates whether the third location is capable of being traversed within the travel time target.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage device of claim 17, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving a travel start time; and

associating a day of a week and a time of day with the travel start time, wherein the determining comprises using the current information for the first subset and the third subset in response to the travel start time being determined to be within a determined time of a current time and using the historical information related to the day and the time of day in response to the travel start time being determined not to be within the determined time of the current time to derive the second location and the third location.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage device of claim 17, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving a start location as the first location; and

determining the second location and the third location as alternative destination locations based on the travel time target, wherein the rendering comprises a display of the alternative destination locations on the display device.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage device of claim 17, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving a destination location as the first location; and

determining the second location and the third location as alternative start locations based on the travel time target, wherein the rendering comprises a display of the alternative start locations on the display device.