System and method for familiarity-based navigation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9506769-B2
Application number	US-201414319325-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 30, 2014
Priority date	Jun 30, 2014
Publication date	Nov 29, 2016
Grant date	Nov 29, 2016

Abstract

Methods and systems to provide navigational assistance to a traveler. Given a start point and a destination, one or more routes may be generated using routes, or segments thereof, that are familiar to the traveler. This provides a route from the start point to the destination where at least some of the route is familiar to the traveler. Such a route may then be provided to the traveler. A description of the route may be provided in the form of a map and/or verbal or written directions. In alternative embodiments, landmarks may be incorporated into the route description as a way of assisting the traveler. In embodiments, difficult driving maneuvers may be highlighted in the description of the route. The description may point out that a given difficult maneuver is similar to a maneuver that the traveler has previously encountered, and remind the traveler of the location where this maneuver was previously seen.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus, comprising a processor and memory configured to:
compute segment familiarity scores for segments of travel trips of a user, each based on a number of times the user travels the respective segment;
construct first and second travel routes, each between first and second locations, wherein each of the first and second travel routes includes one or more segments of one or more of the travel trips of the user;
compute a route familiarity score for each of the first and second travel routes based on the segment familiarity scores of the segments included in the respective first and second travel routes;
select a travel route from amongst the first and second travel routes based on one or more of input from the user and the route familiarity scores of the first and second travel routes; and
perform one or more of,
weight the segment familiarity scores of the segments included in the respective first and second travel routes based on one or more of travel times and travel distances of the respective segments, and compute the route familiarity scores of the first and second travel routes based on the weighted familiarity scores of the respective segments, and
identify a traffic maneuver in the selected travel route, identify the traffic maneuver in a segment of one or more of the travel trips of the user, and notify the user of the traffic maneuvers in the selected travel route and of a similarity between the traffic maneuver in the selected travel route and the traffic maneuver in the segment of the one or more travel trips of the user.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor and memory are further configured to select one of the first and second travel routes based at least in part on the respective route familiarity scores.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the processor and memory are further configured to:
compute a convenience score for each of the first and second travel routes based on one or more of a travel time and a travel distance of the respective travel route; and
select the travel route from amongst the first and second travel routes based further on the respective convenience scores.

4. The system of claim 2 , wherein the processor and memory are further configured to:
construct a third travel route between first and second locations to minimize one or more of travel time and travel distance;
compute a convenience score for each of the first, second, and third travel routes based on one or more of a travel time and a travel distance of the respective travel route; and
discard one or more of the first and second travel routes if a difference between the respective convenience score and the convenience score of the third travel exceeds a threshold.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor and memory are further configured to perform the:
weight the segment familiarity scores of the segments included in the respective first and second travel routes based on one or more of travel times and travel distances of the respective segments; and
compute the route familiarity scores of the first and second travel routes based on the weighted familiarity scores of the respective segments.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor and memory are further configured to perform the:
identify a traffic maneuver in the selected travel route;
identify the traffic maneuver in a segment of one or more of the travel trips of the user; and
notify the user of the traffic maneuver in the selected travel route and of a similarity between the traffic maneuver in the selected travel route and the traffic maneuver in the segment of the one or more travel trips of the user.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the processor and memory are further configured to identify the traffic maneuver as one or more of:
a left-hand exit from a highway;
a left-hand entry to the highway;
a traffic circle; and
a U-turn.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor and memory are further configured to:
identify a landmark that is visible along the selected travel route; and
output a description of the landmark with the selected travel route.

9. A non-transitory computer readable medium encoded with a computer program that includes instructions to cause a processor to:
compute segment familiarity scores for segments of travel trips of a user, each based on a number of times the user travels the respective segment;
construct first and second travel routes, each between first and second locations, wherein each of the first and second travel routes includes one or more segments of one or more of the travel trips of the user;
compute a route familiarity score for each of the first and second travel routes based on the segment familiarity scores of the segments included in the respective first and second travel routes;
a travel route from amongst the first and second travel routes based on one or more of input from the user and the route familiarity scores of the first and second travel routes; and
perform one or more of,
weight the segment familiarity scores of the segments included in the respective first and second travel routes based on one or more of travel times and travel distances of the respective segments, and compute the route familiarity scores of the first and second travel routes based on the weighted familiarity scores of the respective segments, and
identify a traffic maneuver in the selected travel route, identify the traffic maneuver in a segment of one or more of the travel trips of the user, and notify the user of the traffic maneuver in the selected travel route and of a similarity between the traffic maneuver in the selected travel route and the traffic maneuver in the segment of the one or more travel trips of the user.

10. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 9 , further including instructions to cause the processor to:
select the travel route from amongst the first and second travel routes based at least in part on the respective route familiarity scores.

11. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10 , further including instructions to cause the processor to:
compute a convenience score for each of the first and second travel routes based on one or more of a travel time and a travel distance of the respective travel route; and
select one of the first and second travel routes based further on the respective convenience scores.

12. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10 , further including instructions to cause the processor to:
construct a third travel route between first and second locations to minimize one or more of travel time and travel distance;
compute a convenience score for each of the first, second, and third travel routes based on one or more of a travel time and a travel distance of the respective travel route; and
discard one or more of the first and second travel routes if a difference between the respective convenience score and the convenience score of the third travel exceeds a threshold.

13. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 9 , further including instructions to cause the processor to perform the:
weight the segment familiarity scores of the segments included in the respective first and second travel routes based on one or more of travel times and travel distances of the respective segments; and
compute the route familiarity scores of the first and second travel routes based on the weighted familiarity scores of the respective segments.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 9 , further including instructions to cause the processor to per

Assignees

• Intel Corp

Inventors

• Healey Jennifer A
• Fang Victoria S

Classifications

• G01C21/3484 Primary

  Personalized, e.g. from learned user behaviour or user-defined profiles · CPC title

• G01C21/3605

  Destination input or retrieval · CPC title