Method and apparatus calculating estimated time of arrival from multiple devices and services

• US 9,360,333 B2
• Filed: 08/04/2014
• Issued: 06/07/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HERE Global B.V. (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: HERE Global B.V. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Leimio, Mikko, Tuukkanen, Marko Tapio
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dunn, Alex C
• Application Number:
  US14/451,062
• Publication Number:
  US 20160033289A1
• Time in Patent Office: 673 Days
• Field of Search: 701/522
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 21/3423 Multimodal routing, i.e. combining two or more modes of transportation, where the modes can be any of, e.g. driving, walking, cycling, public transport
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096816 where the complete route is transmitted to the vehicle at once
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096844 where the complete route is dynamically recomputed based on new data
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/09685 where the complete route is computed only once and not updated
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096866 where the complete route is shown to the driver
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/123 indicating the position of vehicles, e.g. scheduled vehicles; Managing passenger vehicles circulating according to a fixed timetable, e.g. buses, trains, tramstransmission of navigation instructions to vehicles G08G1/0968

Abstract

An approach is provided for calculating a final estimated time of arrival to at least one destination location based, at least in part, on multiple estimated time of arrival provided by one or more devices and/or services for one or more routing segments. The approach involves determining at least one route, wherein the at least one route includes a plurality of segments navigated using a plurality of devices or services. The approach also involves receiving at least one individual estimated time of arrival from at least one of the plurality of devices or services, wherein the at least one individual estimated time of arrival is for at least one of the plurality of segments associated with the at least one of the plurality of devices or services, and wherein the at least one individual estimated time of arrival is calculated independently by the at least one of the plurality of devices or services. The approach further involves causing, at least in part, a calculation of a total estimated time of arrival based, at least in part, on the at least one individual estimated time of arrival.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining, utilizing a processor, at least one route, wherein the at least one route includes a segment of a plurality of segments navigated using a plurality of devices or services;

receiving a plurality of individual estimated times of arrival from the plurality of devices or services,

wherein the plurality of individual estimated times of arrival are to a location on the segment of the plurality of segments associated with the plurality of devices or services,

wherein the respective times of arrival of the plurality of individual estimated times of arrival are calculated independently by respective devices or services of the plurality of devices or services;

causing, at least in part, a calculation of a total estimated time of arrival at the location based, at least in part, on the plurality of individual estimated times of arrival;

receiving data indicating at least one change to at least one individual estimated time of arrival at the location of the plurality of individual estimated times of arrival; and

causing, at least in part, a calculation of an updated total estimated time of arrival at the location based, at least in part, on the data indicating the at least one change to the at least one individual estimated time of arrival of the plurality of individual estimated times of arrival.

2. A method of claim 1, further comprising:

causing, at least in part, a synchronization of the total estimated time of arrival among the plurality of devices or services.

3. A method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining substantially real-time location data reflecting a progress of at least one device along the at least one route, the plurality of segments, or a combination thereof, wherein the substantially real-time location data is collected respectively by the plurality of devices or services; and

causing, at least in part, an updating of the total estimated time of arrival, the plurality of individual estimated times of arrival, or a combination thereof based, at least in part, on the substantially real-time location data.

4. A method of claim 1, further comprising:

causing, at least in part, a transmission of the at least one change to the plurality of devices or services for initiating a calculation of at least one updated individual estimated time of arrival by the plurality of devices or services.

5. A method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the at least one change affects at least one subsequent segment of the plurality of segments; and

causing, at least in part, an updating of the total estimated time of arrival at the end of the route based, at least in part, on the at least one updated individual estimated time of arrival.

6. A method of claim 5, wherein the at least one change affects the at least one subsequent segment of the plurality of segments if the at least one change results in (a) a re-routing of at least one of the plurality of segments;

(b) a difference between the at least one updated individual estimated time of arrival and the at least one individual estimated time of arrival beyond at least one threshold criterion;

or (c) a combination thereof.

7. A method of claim 1, wherein the data indicating the at least one change includes substantially real-time sensor data respectively collected by and/or private to the plurality of devices.

8. A method of claim 1, further comprising:

causing, at least in part, a sharing of the total estimated time of arrival.

9. A method of claim 8, wherein the sharing of the total estimated time of arrival is performed by at least one of the plurality of devices or services associated with at least one of the plurality segments.

10. A method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of segments, the plurality of devices or services, or a combination thereof are associated with multiple modes of transport.

11. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code for one or more programs,

the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following,

determine at least one route, wherein the at least one route includes a segment of a plurality of segments navigated using a plurality of devices or services,

receive a plurality of individual estimated times of arrival from the plurality of devices or services,

wherein the plurality of individual estimated times of arrival are to a location on the segment of the plurality of segments associated with the plurality of devices or services,

wherein the respective times of arrival of the plurality of individual estimated times of arrival are calculated independently by respective devices or services of the plurality of devices or services,

cause, at least in part, a calculation of a total estimated time of arrival at the location based, at least in part, on the plurality of individual estimated times of arrival,

receive data indicating at least one change to at least one individual estimated time of arrival at the location of the plurality of individual estimated times of arrival, and

cause, at least in part, a calculation of an updated total estimated time of arrival at the location based, at least in part, on the data indicating the at least one change to the at least one individual estimated time of arrival of the plurality of individual estimated times of arrival.

12. An apparatus of claim 11, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

cause, at least in part, a synchronization of the total estimated time of arrival among the plurality of devices or services.

13. An apparatus of claim 11, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

determine substantially real-time location data reflecting a progress of at least one device along the at least one route, the plurality of segments, or a combination thereof,

wherein the substantially real-time location data is collected respectively by the plurality of devices or services; and

cause, at least in part, an updating of the total estimated time of arrival, the plurality of individual estimated times of arrival, or a combination thereof based, at least in part, on the substantially real-time location data.

14. An apparatus of claim 11, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

cause, at least in part, a transmission of the at least one change to the plurality of devices or services for initiating a calculation of at least one updated individual estimated time of arrival by the plurality of devices or services.

15. An apparatus of claim 11, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

determine that the at least one change affects at least one subsequent segment of the plurality of segments; and

cause, at least in part, an updating of the total estimated time of arrival at the end of the route based, at least in part, on the at least one updated individual estimated time of arrival.

16. An apparatus of claim 15, wherein the at least one change affects the at least one subsequent segment of the plurality of segments if the at least one change results in (a) a re-routing of at least one of the plurality of segments;

(b) a difference between the at least one updated individual estimated time of arrival and the at least one individual estimated time of arrival beyond at least one threshold criterion;

or (c) a combination thereof.

17. An apparatus of claim 11, wherein the data indicating the at least one change includes substantially real-time sensor data respectively collected by and/or private to the plurality of devices.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium carrying one or more sequences of one or more instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause an apparatus to at least perform the following steps:

determine at least one route, wherein the at least one route includes a segment of a plurality of segments navigated using a plurality of devices or services;

receive a plurality of individual estimated times of arrival from the plurality of devices or services,

wherein the plurality of individual estimated times of arrival are to a location on the segment of the plurality of segments associated with the plurality of devices or services,

wherein the respective times of arrival of the plurality of individual estimated times of arrival are calculated independently by respective devices or services of the plurality of devices or services;

cause, at least in part, a calculation of a total estimated time of arrival at the location based, at least in part, on the individual estimated times of arrival;

receive data indicating at least one change to at least one individual estimated time of arrival at the location of the plurality of individual estimated times of arrival; and

cause, at least in part, a calculation of an updated total estimated time of arrival at the location based, at least in part, on the data indicating the at least one change to the at least one individual estimated time of arrival of the plurality of individual estimated times of arrival.

19. A computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

cause, at least in part, a synchronization of the total estimated time of arrival among the plurality of devices or services.

20. A computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

determine that the at least one change affects at least one subsequent segment of the plurality of segments; and

cause, at least in part, an updating of the total estimated time of arrival at the end of the route based, at least in part, on the at least one updated individual estimated time of arrival.