Systems and methods for the determination of a user's 4D trajectory

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10036647-B2
Application number	US-201414556741-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 1, 2014
Priority date	Dec 1, 2014
Publication date	Jul 31, 2018
Grant date	Jul 31, 2018

Abstract

A system and method for maintaining a user's four dimensional (4D) trajectory is disclosed. The system can comprise a plurality of databases related to the user's personal preferences, historical actions, and travel data, among other things. The system can receive requests for appointments, or trajectory information requirements (TIRs), via a user interface, by e-mail, text message, or by other communication means. The TIR can include a date, location, time, and duration. The system can compare the TIR to the locations and timespans of adjacent calendar events to determine if the TIR conflicts with adjacent event. If the TIR does not conflict, the system can add the TIR to the user's overall 4D trajectory. If, on the other hand, the TIR does conflict, the system can delete the TIR and/or send a cancellation message via the user interface.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A computer-implemented method to maintain an overall four-dimensional (4D) trajectory for a user, the computer-implemented method comprising:
subsequent to receiving a trajectory information requirement (TIR) for the user via one or more applications via an interface, the TIR specifying a location, a date, a start time, and a duration, determining a timespan for the TIR;
retrieving, from a calendar database and based on the determined timespan, one or more adjacent events to the TIR that are associated with the user, the one or more adjacent events having no conflict with the TIR when locations are disregarded, wherein a first location for a first adjacent event of the one or more adjacent events is retrieved from a map database, the first location being geographically distinct from the specified location;
calculating, by one or more computer processors and based on data from one or more travel databases, a plurality of potential travel routes between the specified location and the first location;
determining, from a plurality of transportation modes used in a plurality of completed travel routes included in a transportation history of the user, a primary transportation mode of the user that is specific to traveling between the specified location and the first location;
comparing the plurality of potential travel routes with one or more history databases to calculate a first probable travel route of the plurality of potential travel routes, wherein calculating the first probable travel route comprises identifying one potential travel route of the plurality of potential travel routes that uses the primary transportation mode of the user; and
subsequent to identifying an actual conflict between the TIR and the first adjacent event when the first probable travel route is adopted to travel between the specified location and the first location, automatically denying the TIR, in which case the overall 4D trajectory is not updated to include the TIR.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the actual conflict between the TIR and the first adjacent event is identified in a first instance, wherein the computer-implemented method further comprises, in a second instance:
identifying no actual conflict between the TIR and the first adjacent event;
retrieving, from the map database, a second location for a second adjacent event;
calculating, based on data from the one or more travel databases, a second plurality of potential travel routes between the specified location and the second location;
comparing the second plurality of potential travel routes with the one or more history databases to calculate a second probable travel route of the second plurality of potential travel routes; and
subsequent to identifying an actual conflict between the TIR and the second adjacent event when the second probable travel route is used to travel between the specified location and the second location, automatically denying the TIR, in which case the overall 4D trajectory is not updated to include the TIR.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein comparing the plurality of potential travel routes with the one or more history databases comprises comparing the plurality of potential travel routes with the user's transportation history, personal information, and social media history.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein calculating the plurality of potential travel routes comprises calculating one or more scheduled travel routes between the specified location and the first location with data from one or more of airline schedules, train schedules, and bus schedules.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein retrieving the one or more adjacent events comprises retrieving events with associated timespans from two hours before the TIR to two hours after the TIR.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the transportation history further comprises travel preferences automatically inferred for the user and corresponding to a long distance travel group, a medium distance travel group, and a short distance travel group, respectively;
wherein each of the long distance travel group, the medium distance travel group, and the short distance travel group corresponds to a respective determined transportation mode; and
wherein determining the primary transportation mode of the user comprises determining whether the first probable travel route corresponds to the long distance travel group, the medium distance travel group, and the short distance travel group.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving, from a first application of the one or more applications via the interface, a request for a future location of the user at a future time;
locating the future time in a trajectory database containing the overall 4D trajectory; and
upon determining that a future event of the overall 4D trajectory coincides with the future time, retrieving an event location for the future event from the map database and providing the event location to the first application.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the TIR comprises a proposed 4D appointment, wherein the proposed 4D appointment is automatically denied in order to facilitate schedule management based on analyzing user-specific travel patterns between specific locations, wherein the overall 4D trajectory includes a plurality of accepted 4D appointments of the user, wherein automatically denying the proposed 4D appointment includes generating and outputting an indication that the proposed 4D appointment is denied as conflicting owing to the travel time needed, the indication specifying the first location, wherein the actual conflict between the proposed 4D appointment and the first adjacent event is identified in a first instance.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 , wherein the computer-implemented method further comprises, in a second instance:
subsequent to identifying no actual conflict between the proposed 4D appointment and the first adjacent event, retrieving, from the map database, a second location for a second adjacent event;
calculating, based on data from the one or more travel databases, a second plurality of potential travel routes between the specified location and the second location;
comparing the second plurality of potential travel routes with the one or more history databases to calculate a second probable travel route of the second plurality of potential travel routes; and
upon identifying an actual conflict between the proposed 4D appointment and the second adjacent event when the second probable travel route is used to travel between the specified location and the second location, automatically denying the proposed 4D appointment.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 9 , further comprising, in a third instance and upon determining that the first probable travel route creates the actual conflict between the proposed 4D appointment and the first adjacent event:
comparing the plurality of potential travel routes with the one or more history databases to calculate a second probable travel route of the plurality of potential travel routes; and
upon determining that the proposed 4D appointment does not conflict with the first adjacent event when using the second probable travel route is used to travel between the specified location and the second location, automatically accepting the proposed 4D appointment, including updating the 4D trajectory to include the proposed 4D appointment and generating and outputting an indication that the proposed 4D appointment is accepted.

11. The computer-implement

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Barraci Nima
• Sindlinger Andreas

Classifications

• G06Q10/109

  Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting · CPC title

• G06Q10/047

  Optimisation of routes or paths, e.g. travelling salesman problem · CPC title

• G01S19/396

  Determining accuracy or reliability of position or pseudorange measurements · CPC title

• G01S19/393 Primary

  Trajectory determination or predictive tracking, e.g. Kalman filtering · CPC title

• G06F16/951

  Indexing; Web crawling techniques · CPC title