Providing route recommendations

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9417074-B2
Application number	US-201414475975-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 3, 2014
Priority date	Jun 25, 2012
Publication date	Aug 16, 2016
Grant date	Aug 16, 2016

Abstract

In one implementation, a computer-implemented method includes obtaining travel information that indicates travel patterns for a mobile computing device that is associated with a user; identifying a current context for the mobile computing device and the user; identifying one or more destination locations that the user has at least a threshold likelihood of travelling to with the mobile computing device based on the current context and the obtained travel information; generating a prediction that one or more events have at least a threshold probability of occurring along one or more of a plurality of routes for travelling to the identified one or more destination locations; selecting a particular route from the plurality of routes to recommend to the user based on the current context and the prediction of the one or more events; and providing route information that identifies the selected particular route.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:
identifying, by a computer system, a plurality of predicted routes for traveling from a first geographic location to a second geographic location at a future time;
generating, by the computer system, a prediction that a future event that has yet to occur has at least a threshold probability of impacting traffic along a first predicted route from the plurality of predicted routes for traveling from the first geographic location to the second geographic location at the future time;
determining, by the computer system, that the future event has at least a threshold probability of ending within a period of time of day during which the ending of similar events have historically had a negative impact on travel along the first predicted route during periods of time of day at which the similar events ended in the past;
determining, by the computer system, an estimated time delay that is associated with travel along the first predicted route at the future time, based on time delay associated with the ending of similar events that have historically had the negative impact on travel along the first predicted route;
selecting, by the computer system, to recommend travel along a second predicted route from the plurality of predicted routes for traveling from the first geographic location to the second geographic location, based on (i) the generated prediction that the future event has at least the threshold probability of impacting traffic along the first predicted route, (ii) having determined that the future event has at least the threshold probability of ending within the period of time of day, and (iii) having determined the estimated time delay that is associated with the travel along the first predicted route at the future time; and
providing, by the computer system, route information that identifies the selected second predicted route, so as to cause a device to provide a recommendation of travel along the selected second predicted route.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the second predicted route is selected from the plurality of predicted routes based on the future event being predicted to increase, by at least a threshold amount of time, an amount of time during which travel along the first predicted route is estimated to require.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the route information that identifies the selected second predicted route is provided without a prompt by a user of the device.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the route information is provided in response to user input that indicates a request for a route recommendation.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein
the computer system comprises the device; and
providing the route information comprises outputting the route information on the device.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the device provides the recommendation of travel along the selected second predicted route by displaying, on a display of the device, a map that depicts the selected second predicted route or by displaying textual directions for traveling along the selected second predicted route.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the future event is an event that is predicted to end near an intermediate location along the first predicted route from the plurality of predicted routes.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7 , wherein selecting the second predicted route from the plurality of predicted routes includes selecting the second predicted route instead of the first predicted route in order to avoid the future event, even though the first predicted route would otherwise be selected from the plurality of routes for recommendation to travel.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising determining, by the computing system, that travel is to be performed from the first geographic location to the second geographic location based on the device being identified as being located at the first geographic location.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising determining, by the computing system, that travel is to be performed from the first geographic location to the second geographic location based on an analysis of historic routes along which the device has previously traveled and which include previous travel from the first geographic location to the second geographic location.

11. A computer-implemented system comprising:
one or more processors; and
one or more non-transitory computer-readable devices including instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause performance of operations that include:
identifying, by a computer system, a plurality of predicted routes for traveling from a first geographic location to a second geographic location at a future time;
generating, by the computer system, a prediction that a future event that has yet to occur has at least a threshold probability of impacting traffic along a first predicted route from the plurality of predicted routes for traveling from the first geographic location to the second geographic location at the future time;
determining, by the computer system, that the future event has at least a threshold probability of ending within a period of time of day during which the ending of similar events have historically had a negative impact on travel along the first predicted route during periods of time of day at which the similar events ended in the past;
determining, by the computer system, an estimated time delay that is associated with travel along the first predicted route at the future time, based on time delay associated with the ending of similar events that have historically had the negative impact on travel along the first predicted route;
selecting, by the computer system, to recommend travel along a second predicted route from the plurality of predicted routes for traveling from the first geographic location to the second geographic location, based on (i) the generated prediction that the future event has at least the threshold probability of impacting traffic along the first predicted route, (ii) having determined that the future event has at least the threshold probability of ending within the period of time of day, and (iii) having determined the estimated time delay that is associated with the travel along the first predicted route at the future time; and
providing, by the computer system, route information that identifies the selected second predicted route, so as to cause a device to provide a recommendation of travel along the selected second predicted route.

12. The computer-implemented system of claim 11 , wherein the second predicted route is selected from the plurality of predicted routes based on the future event being predicted to increase, by at least a threshold amount of time, an amount of time during which travel along the first predicted route is estimated to require.

13. The computer-implemented system of claim 11 , wherein the route information that identifies the selected second predicted route is provided without a prompt by a user of the device.

14. The computer-implemented system of claim 11 , wherein the route information is provided in response to user input that indicates a request for a route recommendation.

15. The computer-implemented system of claim 11 , wherein
the computer system comprises the device; and
providing the route information comprises outputting the route information on the device.

16. The computer-impleme

Assignees

• Google Inc

Inventors

• Leader Adam L
• Kirmse Andrew

Classifications

• G01C21/3617 Primary

  using user history, behaviour, conditions or preferences, e.g. predicted or inferred from previous use or current movement · CPC title

• G01C21/20 Primary

  Instruments for performing navigational calculations (G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence) · CPC title