Distribution of location and movement information of meeting participants

• US 9,554,244 B2
• Filed: 01/24/2013
• Issued: 01/24/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP SE
• Inventors: Lerenc, Vedran
• Primary Examiner(s): CASS, JEAN PAUL
• Application Number:
  US13/748,985
• Publication Number:
  US 20140207375A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,461 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3438 Rendez-vous, i.e. searching a destination where several users can meet, and the routes to this destination for these users; Ride sharing, i.e. searching a route such that at least two users can share a vehicle for at least part of the route
• 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: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/20 Monitoring the location of vehicles belonging to a group, e.g. fleet of vehicles, countable or determined number of vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/027 using movement velocity, acceleration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

Location information of each participant in a carpool or other event may be automatically collected at a central server. The location information may be collected based on an ascertained location of a mobile computing device carried by a participant. The location of each participant'"'"'s mobile computing device may be obtained through the use of location based services. Each participant'"'"'s device may push geographic location, speed, and/or movement type information (such as whether the participant is walking or driving) to a central system. The pushed data may then be pulled from the central system by the devices of other interested participants. Methods, computer readable media, and devices are provided.

Claims

1. A method for dynamically distributing location information between carpool participants comprising:

ascertaining, with a location based service of a first mobile computing device utilizing a first global positioning system (GPS) sensor within the first mobile computing device, a location of the first mobile computing device of a first carpool participant at a predetermined time before a scheduled carpool time, the first mobile computing device further comprising at least one first accelerometer;

calculating, with a processing device of the first mobile computing device and utilizing the first GPS sensor and the at least one first accelerometer, in a first calculation, a speed of the first carpool participant based on a measured change in location of the first mobile computing device over a known time period;

receiving, with the processing device of the first mobile computing device, over a communications network, a location and a calculated speed of at least a second mobile computing device of at least a second carpool participant ascertained by the at least second mobile computing device at the predetermined time, the location and calculated speed of the at least one second mobile computing device being ascertained and calculated using a second GPS sensor and at least one second accelerometer within the at least one second mobile computing device;

classifying, with the processing device of the first mobile computing device, the calculated speed of each respective carpool participant relative to one of (1) a stationary speed, (2) a walking speed, or (3) a driving speed;

calculating, with the processing device of the first mobile computing device, in at least a second calculation, an expected arrival time of each respective carpool participant at their scheduled carpool meeting location based on their classified speed and a distance between their ascertained location and their scheduled carpool meeting location;

comparing, with the processing device of the first mobile computing device, in a first comparison, the expected arrival time of each respective carpool participant to their scheduled arrival time;

transmitting, with the processing device of the first mobile computing device, over the communications network, to the at least second mobile computing device, a scheduled arrival time update based on the first comparison;

depicting, on a map displayed on a display of the first mobile computing device, the location of each mobile computing device and an indication as to whether the expected arrival time of at least one carpool participant and their mobile computing device is within a predetermined period of their scheduled arrival time;

comparing, with the processing device of the first mobile computing device, in at least a second comparison, the ascertained location of the first mobile computing device to the at least one ascertained location of the at least second mobile computing device;

generating, with the processing device of the first mobile computing device, in at least a third calculation, a carpool route, an updated scheduled carpool meeting location of at least one of the first carpool participant and the at least second carpool participant, and an updated scheduled arrival time of at least one of the first carpool participant and the at least second carpool participant based on the second comparison and at least one of (1) achieving a minimum duration of the carpool and (2) achieving a minimum total distance traveled by each

of the first carpool participant and the at least second carpool participant from their ascertained locations to their updated scheduled carpool meeting location; and

transmitting, with the processing device of the first mobile computing device, the carpool route, the updated scheduled carpool meeting location, and the updated scheduled arrival time to the at least second mobile computing device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising repeating the steps of:

ascertaining, with the location based service of the first mobile computing device of the first mobile computing device, the location of the first mobile computing device of the first carpool participant at the predetermined time before the scheduled carpool time;

calculating, with the processing device of the first mobile computing device, in the first calculation, the speed of the first carpool participant based on the measured change in location of the first mobile computing device over the known time period;

receiving, with the processing device of the first mobile computing device, over a communications network, the location and the calculated speed of the at least second mobile computing device of the at least second carpool participant ascertained by the at least second mobile computing device at the predetermined time;

classifying, with the processing device of the first mobile computing device, the calculated speed of each respective carpool participant relative to one of (1) the stationary speed, (2) the walking speed, or (3) the driving speed;

calculating, with the processing device of the first mobile computing device, in the at least second calculation, the expected arrival time of each respective carpool participant at their scheduled carpool meeting location based on their classified speed and the distance between their ascertained location and their scheduled carpool meeting location;

comparing, with the processing device of the first mobile computing device, in the first comparison, the expected arrival time of each respective carpool participant to their scheduled arrival time; and

transmitting, with the processing device of the first mobile computing device, over the communications network, to the at least one second mobile computing device, the scheduled arrival time update based on the first comparison,

at each of a plurality of predetermined time intervals to transmit scheduled arrival time updates at a rate corresponding to the predetermined time intervals.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

selecting a first time interval when a remaining battery power of the first mobile computing device exceeds a threshold; and

selecting a second time interval less frequent than the first time interval when the remaining battery power does not exceed the threshold.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

classifying the speed as stationary when the calculated speed is less than 1 km/hr;

classifying the speed as walking when the calculated speed is between 1 km/hr and 10 km/hr; and

classifying the speed as driving when the calculated speed is above 10 km/hr.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising calculating a time required to travel a shortest route at the classified speed from an ascertained location to a scheduled carpool meeting location to calculate the expected arrival time of the first carpool participant.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting the scheduled arrival time update to a mobile computing device of a carpool participant requesting to receiving the scheduled arrival time update.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising automatically transmitting the scheduled arrival time update to the at least second mobile computing device of the at least second carpool participant when the scheduled arrival time update is complete.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting the carpool route, the updated scheduled carpool meeting location, and the updated scheduled arrival time as part of an update shown on a map of a mapping application on the display of the first mobile computing device and on a display of the at least second mobile computing device.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising ascertaining the mobile computing device location based on a known location of a wireless hotspot device or router communicating with the mobile computing device.

10. A first mobile computing device comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a processing device, cause the processing device to:

ascertain, with a location based service of the first mobile computing device utilizing a first global positioning system (GPS) sensor within the first mobile computing device, a location of the first mobile computing device of a first carpool participant at a predetermined time before a scheduled carpool time, the first mobile computing device further comprising at least one first accelerometer;

calculate, in a first calculation utilizing the first GPS sensor and the first accelerometer, a speed of the first mobile computing device based on a measured change in location of the first mobile computing device over a known time period;

receive a location and a calculated speed of at least a second mobile computing device of at least a second carpool participant ascertained by the at least second mobile computing device at the predetermined time, the location and calculated speed of the at least one second mobile computing device being ascertained and calculated using a second GPS sensor and at least one second accelerometer within the at least one second mobile computing device;

classify the calculated speed of each respective mobile computing device relative to one of (1) a stationary speed, (2) a walking speed, or (3) a driving speed;

calculate, in at least a second calculation, an expected arrival time of each respective carpool participant at their scheduled carpool meeting location based on their classified speed and a distance between the ascertained location of their mobile computing device and their scheduled carpool meeting location;

compare, in a first comparison, the expected arrival time of each respective carpool participant to their scheduled arrival time;

depict, on a map displayed on a display of the first mobile computing device, the location of each mobile computing device and an indication as to whether the expected arrival time of at least one carpool participant and their mobile computing device is within a predetermined period of their scheduled arrival time;

compare, in at least a second comparison, the ascertained location of the first mobile computing device to the at least one ascertained location of the at least second mobile computing device;

generate, in at least a third calculation, a carpool route, an updated scheduled carpool meeting location of at least one of the first carpool participant and the at least second carpool participant, and an updated scheduled arrival time of at least one of the first carpool participant and the at least second carpool participant based on the second comparison and at least one of

(1) achieving a minimum duration of the carpool and (2) achieving a minimum total distance traveled by each of the first carpool participant and the at least second carpool participant from their ascertained locations to their updated scheduled carpool meeting location; and

depict, on the map, the carpool route, the updated scheduled carpool meeting location, and the updated scheduled arrival time.

11. The medium of claim 10, wherein the computer readable medium stores further instructions that, when executed, cause the processing device to transmit the carpool route, the updated scheduled carpool meeting location, and the updated scheduled arrival time to the at least second mobile computing device.

12. A first mobile computing device comprising:

a receiver, of a location based service of the first mobile computing device, receiving location data from an external source to the first mobile computing device, the receiver comprising a first global positioning system (GPS) sensor;

at least one first accelerometer;

a display; and

processing device configured to;

ascertain a location of the first mobile computing device using the location data received at the receiver at a first predetermined time before a scheduled event;

calculate, in a first calculation utilizing the receiver and the at least one first accelerometer, a speed of the first mobile computing device based on a measured change in location of the first mobile computing device over a known time period;

receive a location and a calculated speed of at least a second mobile computing device ascertained by the at least second mobile computing device at the predetermined time, the location and calculated speed of the at least one second mobile computing device being ascertained and calculated using a second GPS sensor and at least one second accelerometer within the at least one second mobile computing device;

classify the calculated speed of each respective mobile computing device relative to one of (1) a stationary speed, (2) a walking speed, or (3) a driving speed;

calculate, in at least a second calculation, an expected arrival time of

each user of the respective mobile computing devices at their scheduled meeting location based on the classified speed of their mobile computing device and a distance between the ascertained location of their mobile computing device and their scheduled meeting location;

compare, in a first comparison, the expected arrival time of each user to their scheduled arrival time;

depict, on a map displayed on the display of the first mobile computing device, the location of each mobile computing device and an indication as to whether the expected arrival time of at least one user is within a predetermined period of their scheduled arrival time;

compare, in at least a second comparison, the ascertained location of the first mobile computing device to the at least one ascertained location of the at least second mobile computing device;

generate, in at least a third calculation, a carpool route, an updated scheduled carpool meeting location of at least one of the first carpool participant and the at least second carpool participant, and an updated scheduled arrival time of at least one of the first carpool participant and the at least second carpool participant based on the second comparison and at least one of (1) achieving a minimum duration of the carpool and (2) achieving a minimum total distance traveled by each of the first carpool participant and the at least second carpool participant from their ascertained locations to their updated scheduled carpool meeting location; and

depict, on the map, the carpool route, the updated scheduled carpool meeting location, and the updated scheduled arrival time.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein the first GPS sensor and the second GPS sensor receive location data from a GPS data source.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein the GPS data source is a GPS satellite.

15. The device of claim 12, wherein the receiver receives location data representing a known location of a wireless router or hotspot in communication with the mobile computing device.