Patent Application
20130262222
Embodiments herein generally relate to route planning systems, methods, and devices, and more particularly to utilizing the purpose of the trip to refine user preferences when selecting between multiple possible routes.
Point to point trip planning is available from many private and governmental organizations. When public transportation options are available, routes that involve mode switching are specifically enabled. Many characteristics of such trips are travel time dependant as the schedules of public transportation transfers must be coordinated. In current offerings, published schedule data is used to compute the recommended alternative routes taking into consideration such factors as time of day when the trip is scheduled to begin, and required time for arrival at the destination.
Exemplary computer implemented methods of providing route guidance herein maintain a plurality of user preferences within a non-volatile storage medium of at least one computerized device (modifications to the user preferences can be received). The user preferences can be categorized into different pre-established trip purposes. The methods herein receive a beginning location and an ending location of a trip and a trip purpose of the trip into the computerized device(s). The trip purpose can be selected from one of the pre-established trip purposes.
The methods herein automatically generate multiple different routes between the beginning location and the ending location using the computerized device(s). At least two of the multiple different routes can utilize different transportation systems (different modes of transport including private car, public transportation, walking, biking, etc.) and at least two of the multiple different routes can comprise the same single identical route that departs at different departure times.
The methods herein then automatically filter the user preferences in some manner to make the preferences be more aligned with the selected trip purpose. For example, methods herein can receive additional user input regarding the specific preferences that are to be applied to any given trip. In another example, the methods herein can (additionally or alternatively) automatically create a subset of less than all of the user preferences that match the trip purpose to produce purpose-specific preferences. Then, these methods can automatically rank the multiple different routes by ranking routes that match more of the purpose-specific preferences ahead of routes that match less of the purpose-specific preferences (to produce a ranked order of the routes). Other methods herein can (additionally or alternatively) change the weighting priority of less than all of the user preferences that match the trip purpose to produce purpose-specific weighted preferences. Such methods then automatically score each of the multiple different routes based on whether the multiple different routes match the user preferences. Thus, ones of the multiple different routes that match the purpose-specific weighted preferences receive a higher scoring relative to ones of the multiple different routes that do not match the purpose-specific weighted preferences.
Such methods herein automatically rank the multiple different routes according to the scoring or ranked order using the computerized device(s) and automatically output the multiple different routes in the ranked order from the computerized device(s).
Additionally methods herein can further automatically obtain (using the computerized device(s)) current status information of events occurring along each of the multiple different routes. Such events can comprise weather, concerts, sporting events, parades, etc. Also, other methods herein can output targeted advertizing from the computerized device(s) based on the trip purpose.
The user preferences can include (but are not limited to) for example: a preference regarding walking segments (which can be, for example, based on a weather forecast); a preference regarding amenities available at transfer stations; a preference regarding use of a specific fare payment method; a preference regarding use of stairs; a preference regarding traveling with a bicycle; a preference regarding rental of a car, bike or taxi; a preference regarding maximum number of transfers; a preference regarding a walking time and distance; a preference regarding carbon footprint; a preference regarding probability of seat availability; a preference regarding use of underground segments; a preference regarding risk on possible delays and cancellations; a preference regarding the desire to start and/or end the trip with a specific mode of transportation; etc.
Various computerized device (personal computers, personal digital assistant (PDA) units, cell phones, global positioning system (GPS) units, etc.) embodiments herein can provide route guidance. Such devices include a non-volatile storage medium operatively connected to a processor. The processor performs functions based on instructions stored in the non-volatile storage medium.
The non-volatile storage medium also maintains a plurality of user preferences. Further, a graphic user interface is operatively connected to the processor. The graphic user interface receives the beginning location, the ending location, and the trip purpose. The processor automatically generates multiple different routes between the beginning location and the ending location. The processor also automatically creates a subset of less than all of the user preferences that match the trip purpose to produce purpose-specific preferences (or purpose-specific weighted preferences, as discussed above). The processor automatically ranks the multiple different routes by ranking routes that match more of the purpose-specific (or weighted) preferences ahead of routes that match less of the preferences to produce a ranked order. Further, the graphic user interface automatically outputs the multiple different routes in the ranked order.
These and other features are described in, or are apparent from, the following detailed description.
Various exemplary embodiments of the systems and methods are described in detail below, with reference to the attached drawing figures, in which:
As mentioned above, point to point trip planning is available from many sources. Such sources provide information on departure times for a trip. The routes may include walking segments. While this might be appropriate for some travelers, those carrying luggage or packages or those with mobility limitations might find such alternatives unacceptable.
As shown in
As shown in
The trip purpose, the time and length of the trip, and the particular route or route choices available to the individual traveler all affect whether individuals consult guidance information. Factors addressed by the systems and methods herein include user values and attitude characteristics, which are determinants of use patterns, behavioral responses, and valuation in route guidance systems.
This disclosure provides a traveler information system that integrates information on multiple modes (bus, train, plane, car, taxi, walking, biking, etc.) of public and private transportation, allowing travelers to evaluate alternate routes for point to point trips including options which combine multiple modalities of transportation. The salient characteristics of alternatives routes includes projected total travel time, number of transfers, projected waiting time at stations or hubs (including amenities at the stop), travel by foot (business nearby), fares, weather forecasts, transit capability (bike transfer, wheelchair accessibility, WiFi, fare collection system compatibility), local event information (as it effects travel times) and similar metrics.
As shown in
For example, user preferences may dictate a maximum acceptable waiting time for a given multi-modal transfer, a change in the use of walking segments if the weather forecast is poor, amenities desired at transfer stations, use of a specific fare payment method, use of stairs, requirements for traveling with a bicycle, rental of a car, bike or taxi, maximum number of transfers, the total walking time or distance, the total commute time, desire to minimize total costs/tolls, desire to minimize total commute time, desire to minimize carbon footprint, WiFi availability, probability for seat availability, use of underground segments, an index of risk on possible delays and cancellations, desire to start or end the trip with a given mode of transportation, etc. The systems and methods herein use knowledge of local events (concert, sporting event, parade, etc) to modify at least one of the predicted transit times for a given leg of the trip, and the recommended route or modes of transportation to be used. Further, various embodiment herein can provide targeted advertizing/promotions based on the selected trip purpose.
Thus, the selection of a trip purpose generates a corresponding set of default settings for preference parameters. These defaults can, in one option, be generated from standard travel preference survey data/studies. The parameters can also be tuned over time for a given region/season. Alternatively, the defaults can be modified by each individual user for their purposes and saved for future reference.
Therefore, with the systems and methods herein, a prospective traveler can enter the point to point travel requirements (including potentially day and/or time of day) and information about the relative importance of the travel route preferences—total travel time, total waiting time, total fare, amount of walking involved, etc. In response, a number of alternative travel routes ordered by conformance to the travelers stated preferences is provided as output to the traveler.
In cases where significant walking would ordinarily be included in route segments, alternatives (e.g. taxi) could be considered and the appropriate availability, delay and expense is added to the analysis presented to the prospective traveler. This is further augmented by adding data about the hubs where taxis are commonly readily available, and by providing available real-time location data on taxi location. Rental or other publicly available options can also be listed in cities where the options and information are publicly available.
In addition, the user could request this type of information for a range of departure times or other parameters, and the systems and methods herein provide a graphical or chart based display of routes, times and other metrics. For example, as shown in
The user preferences can include (but are not limited to) for example: a preference regarding walking segments (which can be, for example, based on a weather forecast); a preference regarding amenities available at transfer stations; a preference regarding use of a specific fare payment method; a preference regarding use of stairs; a preference regarding traveling with a bicycle; a preference regarding rental of a car, bike or taxi; a preference regarding maximum number of transfers; a preference regarding a walking time and distance; a preference regarding carbon footprint; a preference regarding probability of seat availability; a preference regarding use of underground segments; a preference regarding risk on possible delays and cancellations; a preference regarding the desire to start and/or end the trip with a specific mode of transportation; etc.
The user preferences can be categorized into different pre-established trip purposes in the non-volatile storage medium. Therefore, as a simplified example, a “commute” purpose classification would minimize walking and stair climbing preferences (through elimination (or weighting) of those preferences), while a “vacation” or “work-break” purpose might equally balance walking and stair climbing with other modes of transportation. Similarly, a vacation purpose could include a preference to be routed toward street festivals, while a commuting purpose could include an exact opposite preference to be routed away from such street festivals. Modifications to the user preferences and pre-established trip purpose classifications can be received at many different times during the processing, as represented by in item 102.
The methods herein receive a beginning location, possible middle locations (intermediate stops along the trip), and an ending location of a trip in item 104 and a trip purpose of the trip into the computerized device(s) 106. The trip purpose can be selected from one of the pre-established trip purposes or input manually in item 106. Various keyword identification schemes are used to match free-form, natural language statements of purpose input by the user to any of the previously established trip purpose categories in item 106.
In item 108, the methods herein automatically generate multiple different potential routes between the beginning location and the ending location using the computerized device(s). At least two of the multiple different routes can utilize different transportation systems (different modes of transport including private car, public transportation, walking, biking, etc.) and at least two of the multiple different routes can comprise the same single identical route that departs at different departure times.
The methods herein then automatically filter the user preferences in some manner to make the preferences be more aligned with the selected trip purpose in item 110. For example in item 110, methods herein can receive additional user input (through the use of check-boxes, for example) regarding the specific preferences that are to be applied to any given trip. In another example, the methods herein can (additionally or alternatively) automatically create a subset of less than all of the user pre-established preferences that match the input trip purpose to produce purpose-specific preferences in item 110. Other methods represented by item 110 herein can (additionally or alternatively) change the weighting priority of less than all of the user preferences that match the trip purpose to produce purpose-specific weighted preferences.
As shown by item 112, these methods herein can further automatically obtain (using the computerized device(s)) current status information of events occurring along each of the multiple different routes. Such events can comprise weather, concerts, sporting events, parades, traffic, construction, crime reports, etc. Also, other methods herein can obtain and output targeted advertizing from the computerized device(s) based on the trip purpose and the user's current location (if such a device is location aware through such features as global positioning systems (GPS), etc.).
In item 114, these methods can automatically rank the multiple different routes by ranking routes that match more of the purpose-specific preferences ahead of routes that match less of the purpose-specific preferences (to produce a ranked order of the routes). Alternatively in item 114, such methods can automatically generate a unique score for each of the potential multiple different routes based on whether (or how closely) the multiple different routes match the potentially weighted, purpose-specific user preferences. Different weightings of the preferences would increase or decrease each potential routes score. Thus, certain ones of the multiple different routes that match the purpose-specific weighted preferences receive a higher scoring relative to other ones of the multiple different routes that do not match the purpose-specific weighted preferences. Therefore, these methods herein automatically rank the multiple different routes according to the scoring (or any other ranked order) using the computerized device(s) and automatically output the multiple different routes in the ranked order from the computerized device(s) in item 116. As would be understood by those ordinarily skilled in the art, these ranked routes could be output in item 116 as a text list, graphically overlaid on a map, shown in a table format, etc.
The input/output device 226 is used for communications to and from the computerized device 150and can be wired, wireless, etc. The processor 224controls the various actions of the computerized device. A non-transitory computer storage medium device 220 (which can be optical, magnetic, capacitor based, etc.) is readable by the processor 224 and stores instructions that the processor 224 executes to allow the computerized device to perform its various functions, such as those described herein.
Such a computerized device 150 can provide route guidance. The non-volatile storage medium 220 also maintains a plurality of user preferences. Further, the graphic user interface 206 receives the beginning location, the ending location, and the trip purpose. The processor 224 automatically generates multiple different routes between the beginning location and the ending location. The processor 224 also automatically filters the user preferences that match the trip purpose to produce purpose-specific preferences (or purpose-specific weighted preferences, as discussed above). The processor 224 automatically ranks the multiple different routes by ranking routes that match more of the purpose-specific (or weighted) preferences ahead of routes that match less of the preferences to produce a ranked order. Further, the graphic user interface 206 automatically outputs the multiple different routes in the ranked order.
Many computerized devices are discussed above. Computerized devices that include chip-based central processing units (CPU's), input/output devices (including graphic user interfaces (GUI), memories, comparators, processors, etc. are well-known and readily available devices produced by manufacturers such as Dell Computers, Round Rock Tex., USA and Apple Computer Co., Cupertino Calif., USA. Such computerized devices commonly include input/output devices, power supplies, processors, electronic storage memories, wiring, etc., the details of which are omitted herefrom to allow the reader to focus on the salient aspects of the embodiments described herein. Further, the terms automated or automatically mean that once a process is started (by a machine or a user), one or more machines perform the process without further input from any user.
It will be appreciated that the above-disclosed and other features and functions, or alternatives thereof, may be desirably combined into many other different systems or applications. Various presently unforeseen or unanticipated alternatives, modifications, variations, or improvements therein may be subsequently made by those skilled in the art which are also intended to be encompassed by the following claims. The claims can encompass embodiments in hardware, software, and/or a combination thereof. Unless specifically defined in a specific claim itself, steps or components of the embodiments herein cannot be implied or imported from any above example as limitations to any particular order, number, position, size, shape, angle, color, or material.
