Intelligently providing user-specific traffic-related information

• US 9,047,649 B2
• Filed: 07/24/2012
• Issued: 06/02/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: III Holdings 1, LLC
• Original Assignee: III Holdings 1, LLC
• Inventors: Haag, Stephen, LeBrilla, Carlos J., Rush, Marc, Rolfes, Linda
• Primary Examiner(s): RAMPURIA, SHARAD K
• Application Number:
  US13/556,860
• Publication Number:
  US 20120289253A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,043 Days
• Field of Search: 4554561-457, 455/404.1, 455/404.2, 4554141-4143, 455/466, 455/458
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/26 Government or public services business processes related to the transportation industry G06Q50/40
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/40 Business processes related to the transportation industry shipping G06Q10/083
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0967 Systems involving transmission of highway information, e.g. weather, speed limits transmission of navigation instructions to the vehicle G08G1/0968
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096775 where the origin of the information is a central station
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/022 with dynamic range variability
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

A method, system, and medium are provided for distributing transportation alerts to computing devices in accordance with factors, such as device-specific and location-specific factors. In embodiments of the present invention, travel alerts, including public alerts associated with certain areas, are formatted or held prior to delivery, based on safety concerns, legal requirements, device settings, or other considerations.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon and configured to cause the implementation of operations comprising:

receiving traffic information at a server, wherein the traffic information indicates an event that is capable of affecting traffic at a certain location;

determining that, based on a vehicle'"'"'s location, a first mobile device is a candidate to receive an alert related to the traffic information, wherein the first mobile device is associated with the vehicle;

creating the alert based on the traffic information; and

transmitting the alert to the first mobile device to cause the first mobile device to present content of the alert in an audio format, wherein the first mobile device includes an application configured to interpret the transmitted alert to the content that is capable of being presented in the audio format.

2. The medium of claim 1, wherein the traffic information includes data from a traffic management center, received via radio broadcast from the traffic management center.

3. The medium of claim 1, wherein determining the first mobile device is a candidate includes obtaining location information associated with the first mobile device.

4. The medium of claim 1, wherein determining the first mobile device is a candidate includes obtaining route information associated with the first mobile device.

5. The medium of claim 1, wherein determining that a first mobile device is a candidate to receive an alert is also based on accessing a remote data source, wherein a permission to access the remote data source has been input into the application and associated with the first mobile device.

6. The medium of claim 1, wherein the first mobile device is capable of delivering the alert as an audio alert based on a wireless connection with an audio-enabled device.

7. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon and configured to cause the implementation of operations comprising:

receiving a transportation alert at a computing device in a first vehicle, wherein the first vehicle is in a first location and the transportation alert applies to the first location;

determining that the computing device is moving beyond a predetermined threshold speed level; and

based on the computing device'"'"'s moving beyond the threshold speed level, presenting an option to receive the transportation alert as an audible alert via the computing device.

8. The medium of claim 7, wherein whether the transportation alert applies to the first location is based on information input into an application.

9. The medium of claim 7, wherein the transportation alert is associated with a tag that is received by an application.

10. The medium of claim 7, wherein the transportation alert is authorized by a transportation authority.

11. The medium of claim 7, wherein presenting the transportation alert as an audible alert includes automatically emanating an audible alert such that a user of the computing device is not required to make a selection before presentation of the alert.

12. A method of distributing a transportation-related alert, the method comprising:

receiving a transportation-related alert at a computing device in a first vehicle, wherein the first vehicle is in a first location and the transportation alert applies to the first location;

determining that the computing device is moving beyond a predetermined threshold speed level; and

based on the computing device'"'"'s moving beyond the threshold speed level, presenting an option to receive the transportation alert as an audible alert via the computing device.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein whether the transportation alert applies to the first location is based on information input into an application.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the transportation alert is associated with a tag that is received by an application.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the transportation alert is authorized by a transportation authority.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein presenting the transportation alert as an audible alert includes automatically emanating an audible alert such that a user of said computing device is not required to make a selection before presentation of the alert.

17. A traffic information distribution system, comprising:

a receiving component of the system, configured to receive traffic information, wherein the traffic information indicates an event that is capable of affecting traffic at a certain location;

a distribution determination component of the system, configured to determine that, based on its location, a first mobile device is a candidate to receive an alert that is based on the traffic information;

an alert constructor configured to construct the alert based on the traffic information; and

a transmitting component configured to transmit the alert to the first mobile device to cause the first mobile device to present content of the alert in an audio format, wherein the first mobile device includes an application configured to interpret the transmitted alert to the content that is capable of being presented in the audio format.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the traffic-event information includes data from a traffic management center, received via a radio signal broadcast from the traffic management center.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the distribution determination component is further configured to obtain position information associated with the first mobile device.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the distribution determination component is further configured to obtain route information associated with the first mobile device.

21. The system of claim 17, wherein the distribution determination component is further configured to determine that a first mobile device is a candidate to receive an alert also based on accessing a remote data source.

22. A system to configure a traffic-related notification, comprising:

a receiving component of the system configured to receive information intended for distribution to a vehicle that is associated with a first alert-presentation device;

a distribution determination component of the system configured to receive status information that describes a current status of the first alert-presentation device;

an alert constructor coupled to the distribution determination component and configured to generate a traffic alert based on the status information; and

a transmitting component configured to transmit the traffic alert to the first alert-presentation device, which is configured to enable presentation of the traffic alert in an audible form.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the status information includes a speed indication that includes a current speed at which the first alert-presentation device is moving, and wherein generating the traffic alert includes configuring the traffic alert for presentation in the audible form.

24. The system of claim 22, wherein the system is configured to receive user-profile data associated with the first alert-presentation device, wherein the user-profile data includes device- specific information.

25. The system of claim 22, wherein the system is configured to receive user-profile data associated with the first alert-presentation device, wherein the user-profile data includes information input by a first user and received over the Internet.