System and method for automatically determining purpose information for travel behavior
First Claim
1. A method of collecting user trip purpose data, the method comprising:
- obtaining the user'"'"'s end location using a GPS enabled device;
transmitting the user'"'"'s end location to a server, the server storing a plurality of previously identified base locations in a location-table, each of the plurality of previously identified base locations associated with the user and the server storing a trip purpose associated with each of the plurality of previously identified base locations in the location table;
determining if one or more of the plurality of previously identified base locations stored in the location-table are within a predetermined distance from the user'"'"'s end location by performing a proximity test by comparing the user'"'"'s end location to each of the plurality of previously identified base locations stored in the location-table at the server;
if one or more of the plurality of previously identified base locations are determined to be within a predetermined distance from the user'"'"'s end location, the server performing the following;
identifying a nearest previously identified base location as the previously identified base location of the one or more of the plurality of previously identified base locations determined to be within the predetermined distance from the user'"'"'s end location that is nearest to the user'"'"'s end location; and
the server retrieving the trip purpose associated with the nearest previously identified base location from the location-table; and
if none of the plurality of previously identified base locations are determined to be within a predetermined distance from the user'"'"'s end location, the server performing the following;
spatially querying a geographic database with the user'"'"'s end location;
resolving a use-code for the user'"'"'s end location, wherein the use-code is associated with a code-id, and wherein a trip purpose is associated with the code-id; and
cross-referencing the use-code to the trip purpose using the code-id, whereby the trip purpose of the user is derived.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Disclosed is an automated trip-purpose detection method that utilizes GPS Data collected by GPS-enabled devices. The GPS data is compared against a GIS map to obtain various spatial and location characteristics of the surrounding area. This information is then used to derive a traveler'"'"'s trip purpose. In a preferred embodiment, the inventive method is implemented automatically without any needed manipulation of GIS data. Additionally, the method integrates location information as defined by the user for critical locations such as home and work. These personalized locations allow the method to immediately identify the two most common types of trips: work-related trips and trips returning home.
33 Citations
20 Claims
-
1. A method of collecting user trip purpose data, the method comprising:
-
obtaining the user'"'"'s end location using a GPS enabled device; transmitting the user'"'"'s end location to a server, the server storing a plurality of previously identified base locations in a location-table, each of the plurality of previously identified base locations associated with the user and the server storing a trip purpose associated with each of the plurality of previously identified base locations in the location table; determining if one or more of the plurality of previously identified base locations stored in the location-table are within a predetermined distance from the user'"'"'s end location by performing a proximity test by comparing the user'"'"'s end location to each of the plurality of previously identified base locations stored in the location-table at the server; if one or more of the plurality of previously identified base locations are determined to be within a predetermined distance from the user'"'"'s end location, the server performing the following; identifying a nearest previously identified base location as the previously identified base location of the one or more of the plurality of previously identified base locations determined to be within the predetermined distance from the user'"'"'s end location that is nearest to the user'"'"'s end location; and the server retrieving the trip purpose associated with the nearest previously identified base location from the location-table; and if none of the plurality of previously identified base locations are determined to be within a predetermined distance from the user'"'"'s end location, the server performing the following; spatially querying a geographic database with the user'"'"'s end location; resolving a use-code for the user'"'"'s end location, wherein the use-code is associated with a code-id, and wherein a trip purpose is associated with the code-id; and cross-referencing the use-code to the trip purpose using the code-id, whereby the trip purpose of the user is derived. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
-
-
13. A method of automatically determining a trip purpose for a user, the method comprising:
-
obtaining a user'"'"'s end location using a GPS enabled device; transmitting the user'"'"'s end location to a server, the server storing a plurality of previously identified base locations in a location-table, each of the plurality of previously identified base locations associated with the user and the server storing a trip purpose associated with each of the plurality of previously identified based locations in the location-table; determining, by the server, a distance between the user'"'"'s end location and each of the plurality of previously identified base locations stored in the location-table by comparing the user'"'"'s end location to each of the plurality of previously identified base locations stored in the location-table; identifying a nearest previously identified base location of the plurality of previously identified base locations stored in the location-table, wherein the nearest previously identified base location of the plurality of previously identified base locations is the previously identified base location nearest to the user'"'"'s end location based upon the distance between the user'"'"'s end location and each of the plurality of previously identified base locations; resolving, by the server, the trip purpose of the user to be the trip purpose associated with the nearest previously identified base location stored in the location-table if the distance between the user'"'"'s end location and the nearest previously identified base location is less than a predetermined distance; and performing, by the server, the following, responsive to the distance between the user'"'"'s end location and the nearest previously identified base location being more than a predetermined distance; spatially querying a geographic database with the user'"'"'s end location, resolving a use-code for the user'"'"'s end location using the results of the spatial query, wherein the use-code has a purpose associated with it, and resolving the trip purpose to be the purpose associated with the use code. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
-
Specification