U.S. patent application number 16/735622 was filed with the patent office on 2020-05-07 for condition-based lane suggestions for travel advising.
The applicant listed for this patent is INRIX, INC.. Invention is credited to Christopher L. SCOFIELD.
Application Number | 20200143677 16/735622 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 54055737 |
Filed Date | 2020-05-07 |
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United States Patent
Application |
20200143677 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
SCOFIELD; Christopher L. |
May 7, 2020 |
CONDITION-BASED LANE SUGGESTIONS FOR TRAVEL ADVISING
Abstract
Users who are traveling on a path between a first location and a
second location may be informed by navigation devices about the
user's selected route. The path may also feature two or more lanes,
which may present comparative advantages (e.g., a toll-restricted
lane may present less traffic, and a toll-free lane may present
more traffic at a reduced cost). Presented herein are techniques
for enabling navigation devices to advise users about the lanes of
the path. A travel service may collect information about the
respective lanes, such as traffic density and the typical travel
duration of users utilizing the lane during various periods, and
may transmit information about the predicted travel durations of
the respective lanes to the device. Such information may enable the
device to advise the user to choose a selected lane, according to
the predicted travel durations of the lanes of the path.
Inventors: |
SCOFIELD; Christopher L.;
(Seattle, WA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
INRIX, INC. |
KIRKLAND |
WA |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
54055737 |
Appl. No.: |
16/735622 |
Filed: |
January 6, 2020 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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15122949 |
Sep 1, 2016 |
10529231 |
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PCT/US15/18417 |
Mar 3, 2015 |
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16735622 |
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61946962 |
Mar 3, 2014 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04W 4/029 20180201;
H04L 9/3247 20130101; G01C 21/3617 20130101; G08G 1/096775
20130101; B60W 2040/0872 20130101; G08G 1/096741 20130101; B60W
2040/0809 20130101; B60W 2050/0089 20130101; G05D 1/0011 20130101;
G08G 1/0112 20130101; G08G 1/096838 20130101; H04W 4/024 20180201;
B60W 30/143 20130101; H04W 4/40 20180201; H04W 4/50 20180201; B64C
2201/123 20130101; G01C 21/3667 20130101; G08G 1/093 20130101; G06F
16/29 20190101; G06N 20/00 20190101; G08G 1/0145 20130101; H04W
4/48 20180201; G07B 15/00 20130101; G08G 1/012 20130101; A61B
5/0476 20130101; G08G 1/0962 20130101; G06Q 30/0283 20130101; G08G
1/0965 20130101; G08G 1/096822 20130101; B64C 39/024 20130101; G07C
5/008 20130101; H04B 1/3822 20130101; G06Q 50/30 20130101; B60W
40/04 20130101; B60W 2540/22 20130101; B60W 2555/20 20200201; B60W
2710/1044 20130101; G06Q 2240/00 20130101; H04M 15/60 20130101;
G08G 1/0129 20130101; A61B 5/02055 20130101; G08G 1/07 20130101;
H04B 7/18504 20130101; G07B 15/063 20130101; G08G 1/065 20130101;
G08G 1/096725 20130101; B60W 2554/00 20200201; B60W 2552/00
20200201; B60W 2720/10 20130101; G01C 21/3469 20130101; H04L 67/02
20130101; A61B 5/0531 20130101; B60W 40/08 20130101; B60W 2710/18
20130101; H04L 67/306 20130101; H04W 12/08 20130101; H04W 4/42
20180201; A61B 5/4845 20130101; G06Q 40/08 20130101; A61B 5/024
20130101; G01C 21/3655 20130101; G08G 1/0967 20130101; G05D 1/0088
20130101; B60W 40/09 20130101; G01C 21/3415 20130101; G01C 21/3682
20130101; G05D 1/021 20130101; B60R 16/0236 20130101; G01C 21/3608
20130101; G08G 1/0141 20130101; G08G 1/096811 20130101; G06Q 20/102
20130101; G08G 1/096791 20130101; G08G 1/097 20130101 |
International
Class: |
G08G 1/0967 20060101
G08G001/0967; G08G 1/0965 20060101 G08G001/0965; G08G 1/0962
20060101 G08G001/0962; G08G 1/07 20060101 G08G001/07; G01C 21/34
20060101 G01C021/34; H04W 4/40 20060101 H04W004/40; H04W 4/42
20060101 H04W004/42; G01C 21/36 20060101 G01C021/36; G08G 1/065
20060101 G08G001/065; G07B 15/00 20060101 G07B015/00; B60R 16/023
20060101 B60R016/023; H04L 9/32 20060101 H04L009/32; G06Q 40/08
20060101 G06Q040/08; H04M 15/00 20060101 H04M015/00; H04W 12/08
20060101 H04W012/08; G08G 1/0968 20060101 G08G001/0968; G06Q 30/02
20060101 G06Q030/02; G06Q 20/10 20060101 G06Q020/10; H04B 7/185
20060101 H04B007/185; B64C 39/02 20060101 B64C039/02; H04L 29/08
20060101 H04L029/08; H04B 1/3822 20060101 H04B001/3822; G05D 1/02
20060101 G05D001/02; G05D 1/00 20060101 G05D001/00; A61B 5/00
20060101 A61B005/00; A61B 5/0476 20060101 A61B005/0476; A61B 5/0205
20060101 A61B005/0205; G07C 5/00 20060101 G07C005/00; B60W 30/14
20060101 B60W030/14; G07B 15/06 20060101 G07B015/06; G08G 1/09
20060101 G08G001/09; B60W 40/09 20060101 B60W040/09; B60W 40/08
20060101 B60W040/08; G08G 1/01 20060101 G08G001/01; H04W 4/029
20060101 H04W004/029; H04W 4/024 20060101 H04W004/024; G06F 16/29
20060101 G06F016/29; G06N 20/00 20060101 G06N020/00; H04W 4/50
20060101 H04W004/50; G08G 1/097 20060101 G08G001/097 |
Claims
1. A method, comprising: for a first lane of a path between a first
location and a second location, receiving a first predicted travel
duration of the first lane between the first location and the
second location, wherein the first lane is associated with a first
lane cost for users traveling in the first lane; for a second lane
of the path, receiving a second predicted travel duration of the
second lane between the first location and the second location,
wherein the second lane is associated with a second lane cost for
users traveling in the second lane; and selecting either the first
lane or the second lane for a user when the user is traveling the
path between the first location and the second location based upon
the first predicted travel duration, the first lane cost, the
second predicted travel duration, and the second lane costs to
yield a selected lane.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first lane
cost or the second lane cost is zero.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein: the user has a cost sensitivity;
and selecting either the first lane or the second lane for the user
comprises selecting either the first lane or the second lane for
the user based upon the cost sensitivity of the user.
4. The method of claim 1, comprising: communicating the selected
lane to the user.
5. The method of claim 1, comprising: providing a notice regarding
the selected lane on a windshield of a vehicle associated with the
user.
6. The method of claim 5, wherein providing the notice comprises
providing an icon on the windshield in a sight-line between the
user and the selected lane.
7. The method of claim 1, comprising: detecting that the user is
transitioning lanes along the path; and providing a notice
regarding the selected lane responsive to detecting that the user
is transitioning lanes.
8. The method of claim 1, comprising: communicating the selected
lane and a basis for recommending the selected lane to the
user.
9. The method of claim 1, comprising: determining a vehicle class
of a vehicle associated with the user, wherein selecting either the
first lane or the second lane for the user comprises selecting
either the first lane or the second lane for the user based upon
the vehicle class of the vehicle.
10. The method of claim 1, comprising: predicting a surface
condition of the first lane; and predicting a surface condition of
the second lane, wherein selecting either the first lane or the
second lane for the user comprises selecting either the first lane
or the second lane for the user based upon the surface condition of
the first lane and the surface condition of the second lane.
11. A method, comprising: determining a path of a user between a
first location and a second location, wherein: the path comprises a
first portion and a second portion separated from the first portion
by a transitional portion, the first portion comprises at least a
first lane and a second lane, and the first lane abuts the
transitional portion; determining a travel condition of the first
lane between a current location of the user and the transitional
portion; determining a travel condition of the second lane between
the current location of the user and the transitional portion; and
determining a point at which to recommend that the user transition
from the second lane to the first lane between the current location
and the transitional portion based upon the travel condition of the
first lane and the travel condition of the second lane.
12. The method of claim 11, comprising: upon the user arriving at
the point, providing a notice to the user to transition from the
second lane to the first lane.
13. The method of claim 12, wherein providing the notice comprises
providing the notice on a windshield of a vehicle associated with
the user.
14. The method of claim 12, wherein providing the notice comprises
providing an icon on a windshield of a vehicle associated with the
user in a sight-line between the user and the first lane.
15. The method of claim 11, wherein at least one of: determining
the travel condition of the first lane comprises determining a
traffic condition of the first lane, or determining the travel
condition of the second lane comprises determining a traffic
condition of the second lane.
16. The method of claim 11, wherein at least one of: determining
the travel condition of the first lane comprises determining a
surface condition of the first lane, or determining the travel
condition of the second lane comprises determining a surface
condition of the second lane.
17. A system comprising: a processor; and memory comprising
instructions that when executed by the processor cause operations
to be performed, wherein the operations are configured to: for a
first lane of a path between a first location and a second
location, receive a first predicted travel duration of the first
lane between the first location and the second location, wherein
the first lane is associated with a first lane cost for users
traveling in the first lane; for a second lane of the path, receive
a second predicted travel duration of the second lane between the
first location and the second location, wherein the second lane is
associated with a second lane cost for users traveling in the
second lane; and select either the first lane or the second lane
for a user when the user is traveling the path between the first
location and the second location based upon the first predicted
travel duration, the first lane cost, the second predicted travel
duration, and the second lane costs to yield a selected lane.
18. The system of claim 17, wherein: the user has a cost
sensitivity; and selecting either the first lane or the second lane
for the user comprises selecting either the first lane or the
second lane for the user based upon the cost sensitivity of the
user.
19. The system of claim 17, wherein the operations are configured
to: detect that the user is transitioning lanes along the path; and
provide a notice regarding the selected lane responsive to
detecting that the user is transitioning lanes.
20. The system of claim 17, wherein the operations are configured
to: predict a surface condition of the first lane; and predict a
surface condition of the second lane, wherein selecting either the
first lane or the second lane for the user comprises selecting
either the first lane or the second lane for the user based upon
the surface condition of the first lane and the surface condition
of the second lane.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] The present application is a continuation of and claims
priority to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/122,949, titled
"CONDITION-BASED LANE SUGGESTIONS FOR TRAVEL ADVISING" and filed on
Sep. 1, 2016, which is a national stage entry of International
Patent Application No. PCT/US2015/018417, titled "CONDITION-BASED
LANE SUGGESTIONS FOR TRAVEL ADVISING" and filed on Mar. 3, 2015,
which claims priority under 35 U.S.C. .sctn. 119(e) to U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 61/946,962, titled "DETERMINING HOV/HOT LANE
TRAVEL TIMES" and filed on Mar. 3, 2014. The entireties of U.S.
patent application Ser. No. 15/122,949, International Patent
Application No. PCT/US2015/018417, and U.S. Patent Application No.
61/946,962 are incorporated herein by reference as if fully
rewritten herein.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Within the field of computing, many scenarios involve
devices that assist a user in navigating a vehicle, using
techniques such as finding a location of interest; routing between
a first location and a second location; and presenting
travel-related status information, a speed limit, a traffic
notification, or a warning of a hazardous weather or road
condition. In many such scenarios, the device advises the user with
respect to navigation; e.g., in addition to notifying the user of
the presence of traffic ahead along the current route, the device
may advise the user to take a different route in order to avoid
such traffic. Such travel advisory systems may also utilize a
variety of personal information to choose the provision of advice,
such as the user's sensitivity to costs, safety, travel time, and
ecological impact.
SUMMARY
[0003] This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of
concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in
the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify
key factors or essential features of the claimed subject matter,
nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the claimed
subject matter.
[0004] Within navigation assistance scenarios, one factor that may
be relevant to the user's navigation along a path is the selection
of a lane among two or more lanes of the path. For example, a
freeway along which the user is traveling may feature both a
toll-controlled lane that is restricted to drivers who are willing
to pay a toll, and a toll-free lane that is open to all users but
may present a greater volume of traffic. While a navigation device
may notify the user of the lane options for the path, and may
advise the user based on the user's preferences (e.g., whether the
user prefers to reduce tolls or reduce travel time), such
prediction may be inaccurate if it does not take into account the
current conditions of the lane. For example, a toll-restricted lane
may, in the abstract, be predicted as providing faster travel along
the path relative to a toll-free lane; but in some circumstances,
the toll-restricted lane may provide a significant reduction of
travel time, while in other circumstances, the toll-restricted lane
may have a minimal, zero, or even adverse effect on travel time as
compared with the toll-free lane. Many such navigation assistance
devices may either not provide a recommendation to the user, or may
provide a recommendation that is based on a prediction that is not
informed by the current circumstances of the respective lanes of
the path.
[0005] Presented herein are techniques for configuring a navigation
device to assist a user who is traveling or intends to travel along
a path between a first location and a second location, where the
path comprises at least two lanes. In accordance with the
techniques presented herein, a travel service may receive travel
reports indicating travel conditions for the respective lanes of
the path, and, for the respective lanes, may identify a typical
travel duration. As one such example, the travel service may
receive and store travel reports for the respective lanes during
one or more periods (e.g., collected from users traveling the path
during a first time of day, such as a morning "rush-hour" period,
and also from a second time of day, such a midday period), and may
identify a typical travel period for the respective lanes of the
path during various periods. For a selected user who intends to
travel the path during a selected period, the travel service may
utilize the travel reports to identify a predicted travel duration
of the respective lanes of the path, based on the typical travel
durations of users who have utilized the respective lane during the
period. Such evaluation may be based on upon historic data,
including the stored travel reports; heuristics; human-specified
information; and/or machine-learning techniques, such as an
artificial neural network trained to identify a predicted travel
duration for respective lanes of a path. The travel service may
notify the device of the user about the travel durations of the
respective paths, and/or a selected lane that is recommended for
the user's intended travel along the path during the selected
period.
[0006] In accordance with the techniques presented herein, the
device may receive, from a travel service, a predicted travel
duration of the respective lanes of the path between the first
location and the second location. The device may compare the
predicted travel duration of the respective lanes to identify a
selected lane, and may advise the user to choose the selected lane
while traveling the path between the first location and the second
location.
[0007] To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, the
following description and annexed drawings set forth certain
illustrative aspects and implementations. These are indicative of
but a few of the various ways in which one or more aspects may be
employed. Other aspects, advantages, and novel features of the
disclosure will become apparent from the following detailed
description when considered in conjunction with the annexed
drawings.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0008] FIG. 1 is an illustration of an example scenario featuring
users driving along a path from a first location to a second
location.
[0009] FIG. 2 is an illustration of an example scenario featuring a
technique for advising a user of lane recommendations among the
lanes of a path in accordance with the techniques presented
herein.
[0010] FIG. 3 is an illustration of an example method of advising a
user of a selected lane, among at least two lanes of a path between
a first location and a second location, in accordance with the
techniques presented herein.
[0011] FIG. 4 is an illustration of an example method of providing
a travel service to users who are traveling on a path comprising at
least two lanes, in accordance with the techniques presented
herein.
[0012] FIG. 5 is an illustration of an example device that advises
a user of a selected lane, among at least two lanes of a path
between a first location and a second location, in accordance with
the techniques presented herein.
[0013] FIG. 6 is an illustration of an example computer-readable
medium comprising processor-executable instructions configured to
embody one or more of the provisions set forth herein.
[0014] FIG. 7 is an illustration of a first example technique for
monitoring lane conditions of the lanes of a path, in accordance
with the techniques presented herein.
[0015] FIG. 8 is an illustration of a second example technique for
monitoring lane conditions of the lanes of a path, in accordance
with the techniques presented herein.
[0016] FIG. 9 is an illustration of an example technique for
evaluating a set of lane condition reports provided by a set of
users with respect to the lanes of a path, in accordance with the
techniques presented herein.
[0017] FIG. 10 is an illustration of an example technique for
delivering lane condition reports from various sources to a travel
service, in accordance with the techniques presented herein.
[0018] FIG. 11 is an illustration of an example technique for
delivering a set of predicted travel times of respective lanes of a
path to a user traveling the path between a first location and a
second location, in accordance with the techniques presented
herein.
[0019] FIG. 12 is an illustration of a set of example techniques
for advising a user to choose a selected lane of a path between a
first location and a second location, in accordance with the
techniques presented herein.
[0020] FIG. 13 is an illustration of an example computing
environment wherein one or more of the provisions set forth herein
may be implemented.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0021] The claimed subject matter is now described with reference
to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals are used to refer
to like elements throughout. In the following description, for
purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in
order to provide a thorough understanding of the claimed subject
matter. It may be evident, however, that the claimed subject matter
may be practiced without these specific details. In other
instances, structures and devices are shown in block diagram form
in order to facilitate describing the claimed subject matter.
[0022] A. Introduction
[0023] FIG. 1 is an illustration of an example scenario 100 wherein
a user 102 is operating a vehicle 104 on a path 106 between a first
location 108 and a second location 110. The path 106 may feature
two or more lanes 112 that enable a capacity of vehicles 104 to
travel on the path 106, and the user 102 may choose among the lanes
112 of the path 106 while traveling toward the second location 110.
Additionally, some lanes 112 may present a travel restriction 114,
such as a prerequisite toll that is assessed to the user 102 in
exchange for utilizing the lane 112; a high-occupancy vehicle
requirement that specifies a minimum legal occupancy of vehicles
104 using the lane 112; and/or a restriction on the speed, height,
or weight of vehicles 104 using the lane 112. Other lanes 112 may
present different or no travel restrictions 114, and the user 102
may be presented with a choice among the lanes 112 of the path
106.
[0024] As further illustrated in the example scenario 100 of FIG.
1, other drivers 116 who are also operating vehicles 104 of the
path 106 may similarly be presented with a choice among the lanes
112, and such choices may result in different lane conditions of
the respective lanes. For example, the lane restriction 114 on a
first lane 112 may reduce the number of drivers 116 choosing the
first lane 112, while a second lane 112 that lacks the lane
restriction 114 may be more frequently selected by drivers 116. As
a result, it may be projected that traffic in the second lane 112
typically exceeds traffic in the first lane 112. When faced with
such a choice, the user 102 of the vehicle 104 may be compelled to
compare the projected advantage of the first lane 112 and the
travel restriction 114 on the first lane 112, e.g., guessing
whether the possibility of faster travel along the path 106 is
justified by the requirements of the travel restriction 114 of the
first lane 112. For example, if the travel restriction 114 is a
toll, the user 102 may choose the first lane 112 and may be willing
to pay the toll when the user 102 is in a hurry; and may choose the
second lane 112 to avoid the toll, despite the greater possibility
of traffic and delayed travel along the path 106, when the user 102
is not in a hurry.
[0025] However, as further illustrated in the example scenario 100
of FIG. 1, the user's projection of the comparative advantages of
the lanes 112 may not reflect the reality of the lanes 112 and the
actual, achievable advantages thereof. For example, in a first such
scenario 118, the travel restriction 114 may cause a significant
reduction in traffic volume as compared with the second lane 112,
and the user 102 may advantageously select the first lane 112 in
order to achieve a reduced travel time. However, in a second such
scenario 120, the first lane 112 may exhibit a high volume of
traffic--possibly even exceeding the traffic volume of the second
lane 112--and may therefore not provide a significant advantage, or
may even provide a disadvantage, notwithstanding the application of
the travel restriction 114 on the first lane 112. Accordingly, the
user 102 may agree to be assessed a toll in order to enter the
first lane 112, and may be frustrated that the first lane 112 does
not provide an advantage over the toll-free second lane 112.
However, the user 102 may not be capable of assessing the actual
lane conditions of the respective lanes 112, e.g., due to limited
vision or knowledge of the current conditions of the path 106, and
may therefore have to choose a lane 112 in the absence of
up-to-date information or advice.
[0026] B. Presented Techniques
[0027] Presented herein are techniques for enabling a navigation
device to advise a user 102 about the choice of lanes 112 on a path
106 between a first location 108 and a second location 110, based
on lane condition reports that enable a predicted travel duration
if various lanes 112 of the path 106 are utilized.
[0028] FIG. 2 is an illustration of an example scenario 200
demonstrating a device 202 aboard a vehicle 104 and in
communication with a travel service 208 that assists with the
provision of lane recommendations. In this example scenario 200,
the device 202 performs lane monitoring 204 of various lanes 112 of
the path 106 between the first location 108 and the second location
110, such as traffic density in the lane 112; the speeds of
vehicles 104 occupying the lane 112; and the observed travel
duration between the first location 108 and the second location
110. The respective devices 202 may transmit 206 such information
to a travel service 208, which may store a set of travel reports
210 submitted by the devices 202 aboard various vehicles 104 and
respectively indicating the travel duration between the first
location 108 and the second location 110 when using the lane. The
travel service 208 may also compile other information 212 that is
relevant to the travel service 208, such as the travel restrictions
114 (e.g., toll rates) of the respective lanes 112. According to
such information, for a particular device 202 aboard a particular
vehicle 104 that is traveling on the path 106 between the first
location 108 and the second location 110, the travel service 208
may formulate and present a set of lane recommendations 214,
respectively indicating the predicted travel duration 216 if the
lane 112 is used to travel the path 106 between the first location
108 and the second location 110. The lane recommendations 214 may
also be based in part on the other information 212 of the travel
service 208, such as the toll rates and the travel restrictions 114
of the respective lanes 112. Additionally, the travel service 208
may provide such information 212 with the lane recommendations 214,
such as the travel restrictions 214 that may affect the user's
choice among the lanes 112, and/or a selected lane 218 that is
recommended by the travel service 208 for the user 102. The lane
recommendations are transmitted 220 to the device 202, which may
advise the user 102 to choose the selected lane 218 while traveling
the path 106 from the first location 108 to the second location
110, in accordance with the techniques presented herein.
[0029] C. Technical Effects
[0030] The techniques presented herein may provide a variety of
technical effects in the scenarios provided herein.
[0031] As a first such example, the techniques provided herein may
enable a determination of the status of a path 106, such as traffic
conditions of various lanes of a road, based upon a collection of
information about the lanes 112 of the path 106 from respective
vehicles 104 traveling on the path 106. That is, while general
traffic information about the path 106 may be derived from more
generalized metrics such as the reported speeds of vehicles 104,
such metrics may not provide a fully detailed account of the
conditions of the respective lanes 112 of the path 106. For
example, a discrepancy arising in a particular lane 112 of the path
106 as compared with the other lanes 112 of the path 106 may
indicate the presence of an obstruction, such as traffic, a
vehicular accident, or a pothole, which may otherwise be difficult
to differentiate from a generalized traffic condition such as
volume-induced congestion.
[0032] As a second such example, the techniques provided herein may
enable a more detailed evaluation of the conditions of the path
106, and therefore may provide more accurate determination of
routing factors, such as an estimated travel duration and an
estimated time of arrival. For example, if traffic congestion is
detected along the route of the user 102 between the first location
108 and the second location 110, an estimated travel duration
reported to the user 102 may be updated to reflect a projected
delay. The duration of the projected delay may be estimated based
in part on whether the traffic congestion is confined to one of the
lanes 112 of the path 106 and may therefore be avoidable, or
whether the traffic congestion applies to all lanes 112 of the path
106. Additionally, the determination of the conditions of the lanes
112 of the path 106 may assist a navigation device with a
determination of whether or not to re-route the user 102 through a
different path 106 that may enable an avoidance of a travel delay
affecting the current path 106 of the user 102.
[0033] As a third such example, the techniques provided herein may
enable more detailed navigation assistance of the user 102. For
example, in addition to informing the user 102 of the length of the
path 106 and the lane for 112 for a projected turn or exit ramp, a
navigation device that utilizes the techniques presented herein may
advise the user 102, during navigation of the vehicle 104, to
choose a selected lane 112 based on the travel conditions.
Moreover, such information may be presented to the user 102 in a
timely manner (e.g., choosing an ideal moment to advise the user
102 to select a different lane 112), and/or may be based upon
current or typical conditions for the respective lanes 112 of the
path 106. For example, a user 102 may be operating a vehicle 104 in
a left lane 112 of the path 106, and may be embarking upon a route
that involves a right turn from the right lane 112 of the path 106
two miles ahead. However, based on the evaluation of the conditions
of the lanes 112 of the path 106, a navigation device may decide
whether to advise the user 102 to switch to the right lane 112 as
soon as possible (e.g., because traffic is developing in the left
lane 112), or to remain in the left lane 112 until the turn is
imminent (e.g., because traffic is developing in the right lane
112). In this manner, the navigation device may advise the user 102
in the navigation of the vehicle 104 in a manner that is informed
by the current conditions of the lanes 112 of the path 106 in
accordance with the techniques presented herein.
[0034] D. Example Embodiments
[0035] FIG. 3 presents a first example embodiment of the techniques
presented herein, illustrated as an example method 300 of advising
a user 102 operating a vehicle 104 on a path 106 having at least
two lanes 112. The example method 300 may be implemented on a
device having a processor, and that is in communication with a
travel service 208 having information about the conditions of the
lanes 112 of the path 106. The example method 300 may be
implemented, e.g., as a set of instructions stored in a memory
component of the device (e.g., a memory circuit, a platter of a
hard disk drive, a solid-state memory component, or a magnetic or
optical disc) that, when executed by the processor of the device,
cause the device to perform the techniques presented herein.
[0036] The example method 300 begins at 302 and involves executing
304 the instructions on the processor. Specifically, the
instructions cause the device to, for the respective lanes 112 of
the path 106, receive 306 from the travel service 208 a predicted
travel duration of the lane 112 between the first location 108 and
the second location 110, wherein the predicted travel duration is
based on a travel condition of the lane 112. The instructions also
cause the device to compare 308 the predicted travel durations of
the lanes 112 of the path 106 in order to identify a selected lane
218. The instructions also cause the device to advise 310 the user
102 to choose the selected lane 216 while traveling the path 106
between the first location 108 and the second location 110. In this
manner, the example method 300 advises the user 102 as to the
selection of lanes 112 of the vehicle 104 in accordance with the
techniques presented herein, and so ends at 312.
[0037] FIG. 4 presents a first example embodiment of the techniques
presented herein, illustrated as an example method 400 of providing
a travel service 208 to users 102 of vehicles 104 operating on a
path 106. The example method 300 may be implemented on a server
having a processor, and that is in communication with devices of
users 102 operating within vehicles 104. The example method 300 may
be implemented, e.g., as a set of instructions stored in a memory
component of the server (e.g., a memory circuit, a platter of a
hard disk drive, a solid-state memory component, or a magnetic or
optical disc) that, when executed by the processor of the server,
cause the server to perform the techniques presented herein.
[0038] The example method 400 begins at 402 and involves executing
404 the instructions on the processor. Specifically, the
instructions cause the server to, upon receiving from a first user
102 a travel report 210 indicating a travel condition for a lane
112 of a path 106 between a first location 108 and a second
location 110 during a period, store 406 the travel report 210. The
instructions further cause the server to, for the respective lanes
112 of the path 106 between the first location 108 and the second
location 110, determine 408, for the respective periods, a typical
travel duration for the lane 112 according to the travel conditions
during the period. The instructions further cause the server to,
upon receiving from a second user 102 a request for a predicted
travel duration of a selected lane 218 of the path 106 during a
selected period, provide 410 a predicted travel duration based on
the typical travel duration for the selected lane 218 of the path
106 during the selected period. In this manner, the server advises
the second user 102 of the travel duration of the selected path 218
based upon the lane conditions reported by the first user 102 in
accordance with the techniques presented herein, and so ends at
410.
[0039] FIG. 5 presents an illustration of an example scenario 500
featuring a third example embodiment of the techniques presented
herein, illustrated as an example system 508 for advising a user
110 to choose among the lanes 112 of a path 106 that the user is
traveling between a first location 108 and a second location 110.
The example system 508 may be implemented, e.g., on a device 502
having a processor 504 and a memory 506. Such device 502 may be
operating within the vehicle 104 of the user 102, and/or may
operate as part of a travel service provided to the user 102 by a
server. Respective components of the example system 508 may be
implemented, e.g., as a set of instructions stored in a memory 506
of the device 502 and executable on the processor 504 of the device
502, such that the interoperation of the components causes the
device 502 to operate according to the techniques presented
herein.
[0040] The example system 508 comprises a lane report evaluation
component 510 that receives and/or determines a travel report 210
indicating a lane condition of a lane 112 of the path 106 based
upon lane monitoring 204 gathered during an operation of a vehicle
104 on the path 106. The travel report 210 may be received from the
user 102, the vehicle 104, and/or another user 102 of another
vehicle 104, and may be reported and/or received from a travel
service 208. As one such example, the travel reports 210 may be
utilized to determine typical travel durations 514 of the
respective lanes 112 of the path 106 during typical periods (e.g.,
a typical travel duration 514 of a left lane 112 and a right lane
112 of the path both during a morning commute period, and during a
weekend evening period). The example system 508 also comprises a
lane suggesting component 512 that presents the lane suggestion to
the user 102, e.g., by advising the user 102 to choose the selected
lane 218 while traveling on the path 106 from the first location
108 to the second location 110. In this manner, the example system
508 may enable the sample device 502 to advise the user 102 in the
operation of the vehicle 104 based on the lane conditions of the
respective lanes in accordance with the techniques presented
herein.
[0041] Still another embodiment involves a computer-readable medium
comprising processor-executable instructions configured to apply
the techniques presented herein. Such computer-readable media may
include, e.g., computer-readable storage media involving a tangible
device, such as a memory semiconductor (e.g., a semiconductor
utilizing static random access memory (SRAM), dynamic random access
memory (DRAM), and/or synchronous dynamic random access memory
(SDRAM) technologies), a platter of a hard disk drive, a flash
memory device, or a magnetic or optical disc (such as a CD-R,
DVD-R, or floppy disc), encoding a set of computer-readable
instructions that, when executed by a processor of a device, cause
the device to implement the techniques presented herein. Such
computer-readable media may also include (as a class of
technologies that are distinct from computer-readable storage
media) various types of communications media, such as a signal that
may be propagated through various physical phenomena (e.g., an
electromagnetic signal, a sound wave signal, or an optical signal)
and in various wired scenarios (e.g., via an Ethernet or fiber
optic cable) and/or wireless scenarios (e.g., a wireless local area
network (WLAN) such as WiFi, a personal area network (PAN) such as
Bluetooth, or a cellular or radio network), and which encodes a set
of computer-readable instructions that, when executed by a
processor of a device, cause the device to implement the techniques
presented herein.
[0042] An example computer-readable medium that may be devised in
these ways is illustrated in FIG. 6, wherein the implementation 600
comprises a computer-readable medium 602 (e.g., a CD-R, DVD-R, or a
platter of a hard disk drive), on which is encoded
computer-readable data 604. This computer-readable data 604 in turn
comprises a set of computer instructions 606 configured to operate
according to the principles set forth herein. Many such
computer-readable media may be devised by those of ordinary skill
in the art that are configured to operate in accordance with the
techniques presented herein.
[0043] E. Variable Aspects
[0044] The techniques discussed herein may be devised with
variations in many aspects, and some variations may present
additional advantages and/or reduce disadvantages with respect to
other variations of these and other techniques. Moreover, some
variations may be implemented in combination, and some combinations
may feature additional advantages and/or reduced disadvantages
through synergistic cooperation. The variations may be incorporated
in various embodiments (e.g., the example method 300 of FIG. 3; the
example method 400 of FIG. 4; the example system 508 of FIG. 5; and
the example computer-readable storage device 602 of FIG. 6) to
confer individual and/or synergistic advantages upon such
embodiments.
[0045] E1. Scenarios
[0046] A first aspect that may vary among embodiments of these
techniques relates to the scenarios wherein such techniques may be
utilized.
[0047] As a first example of this first aspect, the techniques
presented herein may be used with many types of vehicles 104,
including automobiles, motorcycles, trucks, trains, buses,
watercraft, aircraft, drones, and spacecraft. The techniques may
also be utilized to advise the user 102 while traveling along many
types of paths 106, such as a roadway, highway, sidewalk, dirt or
grass path, waterway, and airspace. Such vehicles may be controlled
by one or more humans, may be autonomous, or may involve a
combination thereof, such as an autonomous automobile that can also
be controlled by a human. Moreover, such paths 106 may be divided
into lanes 112 in a variety of ways, such as a conceptual
partitioning of the path 106 into lanes 112 and/or a demarcation of
the lanes 112 through visual and/or electronic identifiers.
[0048] As a second example of this first aspect, the techniques
presented herein may utilize a variety of sources of information to
detect the conditions of the lanes 112 of the path 106. As a first
example, when requested to maintain a selected speed, the device
may utilize acceleration and braking rates that are typical of the
user 102 (e.g., accelerating and braking aggressively when an
aggressive driver is operating the vehicle 104, and accelerating
and braking more gradually when a relaxed driver is operating the
vehicle 104). As a second example, while the user 110 is
controlling the speed of the vehicle 104, the device may compare
the speed of the vehicle 104 with the posted speed limit in order
to determine the user's typical preference for driving over, at, or
under the speed limit; and when requested to maintain a steady
speed, the device may continuously adapt the target speed with
respect to the current speed limit in order to reflect the speed
preferences of the user 102. Other examples of the types of driving
behaviors that may indicate the lane condition of the lane 112 of
the path 106 include the braking rates of the user 102 (e.g.,
whether the user prefers stopping over short distances or more
gradually over longer distances); the speed and/or turning profile
of the vehicle 104 while traversing curves; the altitude and/or
attitude of an airborne vehicle 104; a maintained distance of the
vehicle 104 with respect to at least one other vehicle 104; the
preference of the user 102 to yield to other vehicles 104; and a
lane change frequency of the vehicle 104 between at least two lanes
112. Alternatively or additionally, such techniques may utilize a
variety of other information to detect the lane conditions of the
lanes 112 of the path 106, including the time of day; sunny,
overcast, foggy, rainy, snowing, and/or freezing weather
conditions; a vehicle causeway type context (e.g., an unpaved local
road, a residential side street, a main roadway, or a highway); a
traffic congestion context (e.g., the volume of traffic in the
vicinity of the vehicle 104); a vehicle speed of at least one other
vehicle 104 operating near the vehicle 104 (e.g., if the vehicle
104 is passing, being passed by, or keeping pace with other
vehicles 104); the route of the vehicle 104 (e.g., a short local
route, a longer cross-city route, or a long-distance route between
cities); and a vehicle condition context (e.g., the maintenance
condition and/or cargo contents of the vehicle 104); and a vehicle
passenger context (e.g., the number and identities of other
passengers aboard the vehicle 104).
[0049] As a third example of this first aspect, the techniques
presented herein may utilize a variety of sources of information to
choose a selected lane 218 for recommendation to the user 102, in
addition to the predicted travel duration of the lane 112 while
traveling the path 106 between the first location 108 and the
second location 110. Such information may include, e.g., a lane
preference of the user 102 (e.g., whether the user 102 prefers to
operate the vehicle 104 in a particular lane); sensitivities of the
user 102 to conditions such as traffic density, speed, speed
fluctuation, lane change frequency, costs, and ecological impact;
and driving behaviors of the user 102 (e.g., a preferred amount of
advance notice before the user 102 is compelled to change lanes 112
in order to adhere to a selected route). These and other variations
may arise regarding the scenarios within which the techniques may
be advantageously utilized.
[0050] E2. Lane and Lane Condition Determination
[0051] A second aspect that may vary among embodiments of these
techniques involves the determination of the lane 112 of a user
102, as well as the lane condition of the lane 112 and, optionally,
other lanes 112 of the path 106 that are detectable by a device of
the user 102. The determination of the lane 112 of the user 102 may
be utilized, e.g., to determine which lane 112 the user 102 has
occupied or is occupying to travel the path 106 from the first
location 108 to the second location 110, and/or the lane 112 of the
path 106 that is described by a travel report 210 received by the
travel service 208.
[0052] FIG. 7 presents an illustration of an example scenario 700
featuring a first variation of this second aspect, wherein the lane
112 of the path 106 occupied by a vehicle 104 of the user 102 is
detected according to a proximity sensor 702 of the vehicle 104
that includes a variety of techniques, such as visual evaluation of
camera data; ranging data gathered by sonar, radar, and/or lidar
detection; and/or electronic communication with other vehicles 104
operating on the path 106. In this example scenario 700, the
vehicle 104 is equipped with a proximity sensor 702 that detects a
proximity of the vehicle 104 with respect to other vehicles 104
operating on the path 106, such as a distance 704 between the
vehicle 104 and another vehicle 104 that is ahead of and/or behind
the vehicle 104 of the user 102; the relative speeds of the
vehicles 104 ahead of and/or behind the user 102; and/or the rates
of acceleration, braking, turning, and/or swerving by the user 102
and the drivers 116 of the other vehicles 104. The proximity sensor
702 may also detect information about vehicles 104 in other lanes
112 of the path 106, such as the relative or absolute speeds of
vehicles 104 in adjacent lanes 112, and/or whether or not such
vehicles 104 are passing 706 and/or are being passed by the vehicle
104. The device 202 may transmit 708 the information detected by
the proximity sensor 702 to a travel service 208, e.g., as a lane
condition report 710 indicating the conditions of the respective
lanes 112 of the path 106, optionally including information about
other (e.g., adjacent) lanes of the path 106 and/or vehicles 104
utilizing such lanes 112, and/or information about the user 102
and/or the travel along the path 106, such as the travel duration
between the first location 108 and the second location 110.
[0053] FIG. 8 presents an illustration of example scenarios
featuring a second set of variations of this second aspect, wherein
the lanes 112 and/or lane conditions 710 of the respective lanes
112 of the path 106 are determined by a machine vision technique
808. As a first example scenario 802, a device 202 on board the
vehicle 104 may include and/or be in communication with a
forward-mounted camera 802 that captures a forward-facing image 804
(e.g., through a windshield 806 of the vehicle 104). A machine
vision technique 808 may be applied to the image 804, such as a
line detection algorithm that is configured to detect visible lines
indicating the respective lanes 112 of the path 106. The position
of the vehicle 104 on the path 106 may also be extrapolated by the
machine vision technique 808, and may therefore be utilized to
determine the selected lane that is currently occupied by the
vehicle 104. Alternatively or additionally, other machine vision
techniques may be applied to the image 804 to detect the lane
conditions 710 of the lanes 112 of the path 106, such as object
recognition to detect and optionally count a number of visible
vehicles 104 ahead of the vehicle 104 of the user 102 in the
respective lanes 112, and/or visual sizing machine vision
techniques that estimate a distance of vehicles 104 ahead of the
vehicle 104 of the user 102. As a second example scenario 810, a
downward-facing camera 802 may capture a downward-facing image 804
of the path 106, and a line detection machine vision technique 808
may be utilized to detect the visible lines indicating the lanes
112 of the path 106, and/or the selected lane that is currently
occupied by the vehicle 104 of the user 102.
[0054] E3. Evaluation of Lane Travel Duration
[0055] A third aspect that may vary among embodiments of the
techniques presented herein involves the evaluation of the travel
duration of the respective lanes 112 of the path 106.
[0056] As a first variation of this third aspect, the periods
through which a travel service 208 evaluates the travel durations
of the lanes 112 of the path 106 may be selected in a variety of
ways. As a first such example, the periods may be selected
according to a predefined duration (e.g., one-hour or
fifteen-minute blocks). As a second such example, the periods may
be selected to reflect different conditions of the lanes 112 and/or
path 106 (e.g., a first period selected to represent a morning
commute period; a second period selected to represent a midday
period; a third period selected to represent an evening commute
period; and a fourth period selected to represent a weekend
period). As a third such example, the periods may be selected to
reflect different conditions of an environment of the path 106
(e.g., a first period selected as a period of rainy weather, and a
second period selected as a period of dry weather). As a fourth
such example, the periods may be identified by correlating the
travel reports 210 of the vehicles 104, e.g., by detecting that a
cluster of vehicles 104 traveling within a certain range of time
may reflect consistently similar travel durations).
[0057] As a second variation of this third aspect, a travel report
210 provided by a device 204 of a vehicle 104 may report a speed of
the first user 102 while traveling a selected lane 112 of the path
106 between the first location 108 and the second location 110. A
travel service 208 may therefore determine a typical travel
duration of the respective lanes 112 of the path 106 based on the
collection of such travel reports 210 according to the speeds of
the users 102 traveling the lane 112 of the path 106 between the
first location 108 and the second location 110 during the period
(e.g., a typical travel duration for users 102 traveling in the
left lane 112 of the path 106 during a morning commute period). For
example, among the travel durations of the users 102 traveling the
lane 112 of the path 106 during the period, the travel service 208
may determine the typical travel duration according to an average
travel duration (e.g., an arithmetic mean, median, and/or mode
travel duration) of the travel durations reported by the users 102,
or according to a shortest and/or longest travel duration among the
users 102 traveling the lane 112 of the path 106 during the
period.
[0058] As a third variation of this third aspect, a travel service
208 may be configured to correlate, for the respective lanes 112 of
the path 106, the travel durations reported for the lane 112
according to a lane condition of the selected lane 112 of the path
106. As a first such example, a particular lane 112 of the path 106
may be prone to frost, ice, or slippery conditions, and may
therefore exhibit markedly different travel durations during a
particular period (e.g., during a morning commute period) on days
that are wet and/or cold than on days that are not. As a second
such example, a particular lane 112 of the path 106 may be the
focus of sporadic construction, and may therefore exhibit markedly
different travel durations when construction is and is not under
way. The travel service 208 may be configured to correlate the
travel reports 210 with respective lane conditions, and may utilize
such lane conditions to provide a more accurate estimation of
typical travel durations of the lane 112 of the path 106, which may
in turn enable a more accurate predicted travel duration for the
lane 112 on behalf of a user 102 of a vehicle 104.
[0059] As a fourth variation of this third aspect, a device 202 of
the user 102 and/or vehicle 104 may also participate in the
collection of information by the travel service 208. For example,
the device 202 may submit to the travel service 208 a travel report
210 that further specifies the selected lane 218 that was chosen by
the user 102 while traveling the path 106 between the first
location 108 and the second location 110, and/or the travel
duration experienced by the user 102 while traveling the path 106
from the first location 108 to the second location 110.
[0060] As a fifth variation of this third aspect, the device 202
and/or travel service 208 may utilize a variety of techniques to
perform the identification of the selected lane 218 based on such
information on behalf of a particular user 102. As a first such
example, a travel report 210 received from a first user 102 may
specify at least one intermediate location of the user 102 while
traveling the path 106 between the first location 108 and the
second location 110, and the device 202 and/or travel service 208
may determine, from the at least one intermediate location, the
lane 112 of the path 106 of the user 102 while traveling the path
106 between the first location 108 and the second location 110. As
one such example, for the respective users 102 of a first user set
who are traveling or have traveled the path 106 between the first
location 108 and the second location 110, a travel duration of the
user 102 may be determined. A histogram may be generated of the
travel durations of the users 102 of the first user set, and an
arithmetic mean of the travel durations of the histogram may be
identified. Travel duration may be identified according to the
arithmetic mean for the lane 112 of the path 106 between the first
location 108 and the second location 110.
[0061] FIG. 9 presents an illustration of an example scenario 900
wherein respective users 102 are clustered to determine the lanes
112 of the path 106 that are associated with the respective travel
reports 212 submitted by various users. In this example scenario
900, the devices 202 of the respective users 102 submit travel
reports 212 indicating the travel duration of the users 102 while
traveling the path 106 from the first location 108 to the second
location 110. In many such scenarios, the location detection may
not be suitably precise to determine which lane 112 the respective
users 102 have or had selected; e.g., inaccuracies in location
information, calibration, and/or mapping data may suggest that
users 102 whose vehicles 104 are occupying a particular lane 112
are or were, instead, between lanes 112 and/or in an adjacent lane
112. Accordingly, a clustering technique may be utilized to
correlate travel reports 212 that are within a particular range of
locations, and that also indicate a particularly consistent set of
travel durations. For example, a first cluster 902 of travel
reports 212 may exhibit a broader set of locations that exceed the
physical width of the lane 112, but may also be correlated by
travel duration, and may therefore be distinguished from travel
reports 212 of a second cluster 902 that overlap the locations of
the first cluster 902 but that exhibit a markedly different
correlation of travel durations. In this manner, incomplete
information about lane selection by users 102 and travel reports
212 may be supplemented with other information to yield a
determination of the typical travel durations of the lanes 112.
[0062] FIG. 10 is an illustration of an example scenario 1000
featuring a collection of travel reports 212 about the lanes 112 of
a path 106. In this example scenario 1000, a set of vehicles 104 is
operated by a set of users 102 on a path 106, and information about
the lanes 112 of the path 106 may be collected by a travel service
208 as a set of travel reports 212, including such information as
the vehicles 104 in each lane 112; the travel duration of each
vehicle 103 in each lane 112; and other information, such as lane
costs 210 during the observed period. Such travel reports 212 may
be collected from devices 202 on board the vehicles 104; from the
users 102 of such vehicles 104; from toll booths 1002, traffic
cameras 1004, or other forms of path monitoring; and/or from aerial
surveillance, such as from a drone 1006. The travel reports 212 may
be transmitted to the travel service 208 in a variety of ways,
including the internet 1008 and radio transmissions 1010, and may
be stored by the travel service 208 to facilitate the evaluation of
information about the respective lanes 112 of the path 106,
including the typical travel durations for the respective lanes 112
of the path 106. Many such techniques maybe utilized to determine
the typical travel durations for the respective lanes 112 of the
path 106 during respective periods in accordance with the
techniques presented herein.
[0063] E4. Lane Selection
[0064] A fourth aspect that may vary among embodiments of the
techniques presented herein involves the manner of determining,
among the lanes 112 of the path 106, a selected lane 218 to be
recommended to the user 102.
[0065] As a first variation of this fourth aspect, the
determination of a selected lane 218 may be performed by the device
202 of the user 102; e.g., the travel service 208 may collect
travel reports 212 and send them to the device 202, and/or typical
travel durations determined for the respective lanes 112, to be
further evaluated by the device 202. Alternatively or additionally,
the travel service 208 may identify the selected lane 218 to be
recommended to the user 102, and may transmit the identification of
the selected lane 218 to the device 202.
[0066] As a second variation of this fourth aspect, the
identification of the selected lane 218 may be based upon a variety
of information in addition to the predicted travel durations of the
respective lanes 112. Such evaluation may lead to the selection of
a first lane 112 over a second lane 112 having a lower predicted
travel duration if the other information that is also evaluated
mitigates in favor of the first lane 112.
[0067] As a first example of this second variation of this fourth
aspect, at least one lane 112 may be associated with a lane cost
210 that is assessed to users 102 traveling in the lane 112, and
identifying the selected lane 218 may include a comparison of the
predicted travel durations of the lanes 112 of the path 106 with
the lane costs 210 of the lanes 112. Such lane costs 210 may be
statically defined for the respective lanes 112 (e.g., a particular
lane 112 may always be associated with a constant lane cost 210);
may vary at different times of day; and/or may be controlled
according to various conditions, such that the travel service 208
may further detect a current lane cost of the lane 112 for use in
the comparison. The cost comparison may also include an evaluation
of the comparative advantage of the lane 112 in terms of reduced
travel duration (e.g., whether the reduction in travel duration
from using the lane 112 substantiates the lane cost 210 as compared
with another lane 112), and/or a cost sensitivity of the user 102
(e.g., the user 102 may specify a cost budget and/or advantage
ratio, such as undertaking a certain lane cost 210 only if the
reduction in travel duration exceeds a particular threshold travel
duration reduction). In one such embodiment, a driving behavior of
the user 102 may be monitored to detect at least one lane selection
by the user 102 of a lane 112 having a lane cost 210 (e.g., an
"opt-in" selection of the lane 112 by the user 102), and the
further identification of selected lanes 218 may be based upon an
extrapolation of the cost sensitivity of the user 102 that is
inferred from the user's driving behavior. For example, the device
202 may provide a presentation of the selected lane 218 that
includes the lane cost of a first lane 112 and a predicted travel
lane duration reduction as compared with a second lane 112, and the
cost sensitivity of the user 102 may be determined according to the
lane selection of the user 102 in response to the presentation.
[0068] As a second example of this second variation of this fourth
aspect, various lanes 112 of the path 106 may be associated with a
lane restriction, such as a minimum occupancy of a high-occupancy
vehicle (HOV) lane; a time restriction during which the lane 112
may be traveled; a maximum and/or minimum speed that may be
utilized by vehicles 104 traveling in the lane 112; and/or a
vehicle class of vehicles 104 that are permitted in and/or
restricted from the lane 112 (e.g., a height, weight, and/or wheel
maximum). While identifying the selected lane 218 to recommend to
the user 102, the device 202 and/or travel service 208 may
determine whether the user 102 and/or vehicle 104 satisfies the
lane restrictions of the respective lanes 112, and may identify a
lane 112 as the selected lane 218 only if such lane restrictions
are satisfied.
[0069] As a third example of this second variation of this fourth
aspect, the selected lanes 218 among the lanes 112 of the path 106
between the first location 108 and the second location 110 may be
determined more broadly according to the route selection of routes
by which the user 102 may travel from an origin to a destination.
For example, while comparing respective routes from the origin to
the destination, the device 202 and/or travel service 208 may also
consider the particular lanes 112 of the routes, and may identify
the selected route 218 to be recommended to the user 102 as part of
the identification of a selected route.
[0070] FIG. 11 presents an illustration of an example scenario 1100
wherein a user 102 of a vehicle 104 may be advised of a selected
lane 218 among a set of lanes 112 of the path 106. As a first such
example, the selected lane 218 may be identified based on the
predicted travel duration of each lane 112 of the path 106. A
device 202 of the user 102 may determine that a lane recommendation
may be timely provided to the user 102, and may therefore submit a
query 1102 to the travel service 208. The travel service 208 may
evaluate the travel reports 212 to determine typical travel
durations for the respective lanes 112 of the path 106, and,
therefore, a predicted travel duration for each lane 112 of the
path 106 that the user 102 of the vehicle 104 may choose. For
example, the travel service 208 may be informed, according to
current travel reports 212 and/or typically during the current
period, that the left lane 112 is sparsely occupied; that the
center lane is typically occupied; and that the right lane is
heavily occupied. The travel service 208 may therefore transmit to
the device 202 a set of predicted travel durations 1104, and,
optionally, other information that may be relevant to the
identification of the selected lane 218, such as the current lane
costs 210 of the respective lanes 112. Using such information, the
travel service 208 and/or device 202 on board the vehicle 104 may
identify the selected lane 218 for presentation to the user 102. In
this manner, the travel service 208 and device 202 on board the
vehicle 104 may interoperate to determine the selected lane 218 to
be recommended to the user 102 in accordance with the techniques
presented herein.
[0071] E5. User Advising of Selected Lanes
[0072] A fifth aspect that may vary among embodiments of the
techniques presented herein involves the manner of advising a user
102 of the selected lane 218 of the path 106.
[0073] As a first variation of this fifth aspect, the
recommendation of a selected lane 218 may be presented to the user
102 in a variety of ways. As a first such example, the selected
lane 218 may be described in absolute terms (e.g., "recommendation:
choose the left lane"), or in relative terms (e.g.,
"recommendation: move one lane to the left"). As a second such
example, the device 202 may or may not explain the basis of the
recommendation, e.g., the comparative advantage of choosing the
selected lane 218 over other lanes 112 of the path 106. Moreover,
if the selected lane 218 is also the current lane 112 occupied by
the vehicle 104, the device 202 may either present the
recommendation (e.g., "recommendation: maintain current lane"), or
may defer such recommendation until detecting that the user 102 is
considering transitioning to a different lane (e.g., upon detecting
the user's activation of a turn signal).
[0074] FIG. 12 presents an illustration of a set of exemplary
scenarios 1200 whereby the device 202 may advise the user 102 as to
the selected lane 218. As a first variation 1202 of this fifth
aspect, a visual and/or audial indicator may be presented to the
user 102 by the device 202 and/or vehicle 104, such as a light on
the dashboard of the vehicle 104 or an audio or voice cue 1204
prompting the user to select a particular lane 112. As a second
variation 1206 of this fifth aspect, a visual indicator 1210 may be
presented on a window 1208 of the vehicle 104, and, optionally, may
be presented at a selected location 1214 on the window 1208 that
correlates the visual indicator 1210 with the location 1212 of the
selected lane 218 through the window 1208 from the perspective of
the user 102 (e.g., presenting a visual arrow and/or highlighting
the location of the selected lane 218 when viewed through the
window 1208 by the user 102). A a third variation 1214 of this
fifth aspect, the user 102 may wear one or more wearable devices
while operating the vehicle 104, such as a pair of eyeglasses 1216
or a wristwatch 1218. The presentation of the suggestion of the
selected lane 218 may be achieved through such wearable devices,
e.g., by presenting a visual indicator 1220 within the viewable
region of the eyeglasses 1216 worn by the user 102, and/or issuing
a vibration alert 1222 through the wristwatch 1218 of the user 1220
to indicate the direction of the selected lane (e.g., flashing a
leftward visual indicator 1220 or a vibration alert 1222 on the
user's left wrist to indicate a selection of a lane 218 to the left
of the user's current lane). Many such techniques may be utilized
to recommend the selected lane 218 to the user 102 in accordance
with the techniques presented herein.
[0075] F. Computing Environment
[0076] FIG. 13 and the following discussion provide a brief,
general description of a suitable computing environment to
implement embodiments of one or more of the provisions set forth
herein. The operating environment of FIG. 13 is only one example of
a suitable operating environment and is not intended to suggest any
limitation as to the scope of use or functionality of the operating
environment. Example computing devices include, but are not limited
to, personal computers, server computers, hand-held or laptop
devices, mobile devices (such as mobile phones, Personal Digital
Assistants (PDAs), media players, and the like), multiprocessor
systems, consumer electronics, mini computers, mainframe computers,
distributed computing environments that include any of the above
systems or devices, and the like.
[0077] Although not required, embodiments are described in the
general context of "computer readable instructions" being executed
by one or more computing devices. Computer readable instructions
may be distributed via computer readable media (discussed below).
Computer readable instructions may be implemented as program
modules, such as functions, objects, Application Programming
Interfaces (APIs), data structures, and the like, that perform
particular tasks or implement particular abstract data types.
Typically, the functionality of the computer readable instructions
may be combined or distributed as desired in various
environments.
[0078] FIG. 13 illustrates an example of a system 1300 comprising a
computing device 1302 configured to implement one or more
embodiments provided herein. In one configuration, computing device
1302 includes at least one processing unit 1306 and memory 1308.
Depending on the exact configuration and type of computing device,
memory 1308 may be volatile (such as RAM, for example),
non-volatile (such as ROM, flash memory, etc., for example) or some
combination of the two. This configuration is illustrated in FIG.
13 by dashed line 1304.
[0079] In other embodiments, device 1302 may include additional
features and/or functionality. For example, device 1302 may also
include additional storage (e.g., removable and/or non-removable)
including, but not limited to, magnetic storage, optical storage,
and the like. Such additional storage is illustrated in FIG. 13 by
storage 1310. In one embodiment, computer readable instructions to
implement one or more embodiments provided herein may be in storage
1310. Storage 1310 may also store other computer readable
instructions to implement an operating system, an application
program, and the like. Computer readable instructions may be loaded
in memory 1308 for execution by processing unit 1306, for
example.
[0080] The term "computer readable media" as used herein includes
computer storage media. Computer storage media includes volatile
and nonvolatile, removable and non-removable media implemented in
any method or technology for storage of information such as
computer readable instructions or other data. Memory 1308 and
storage 1310 are examples of computer storage media. Computer
storage media includes, but is not limited to, RAM, ROM, EEPROM,
flash memory or other memory technology, CD-ROM, Digital Versatile
Disks (DVDs) or other optical storage, magnetic cassettes, magnetic
tape, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or
any other medium which can be used to store the desired information
and which can be accessed by device 1302. Any such computer storage
media may be part of device 1302.
[0081] Device 1302 may also include communication connection(s)
1316 that allows device 1302 to communicate with other devices.
Communication connection(s) 1316 may include, but is not limited
to, a modem, a Network Interface Card (NIC), an integrated network
interface, a radio frequency transmitter/receiver, an infrared
port, a USB connection, or other interfaces for connecting
computing device 1302 to other computing devices. Communication
connection(s) 1316 may include a wired connection or a wireless
connection. Communication connection(s) 1316 may transmit and/or
receive communication media.
[0082] The term "computer readable media" may include communication
media. Communication media typically embodies computer readable
instructions or other data in a "modulated data signal" such as a
carrier wave or other transport mechanism and includes any
information delivery media. The term "modulated data signal" may
include a signal that has one or more of its characteristics set or
changed in such a manner as to encode information in the
signal.
[0083] Device 1302 may include input device(s) 1314 such as
keyboard, mouse, pen, voice input device, touch input device,
infrared cameras, video input devices, and/or any other input
device. Output device(s) 1312 such as one or more displays,
speakers, printers, and/or any other output device may also be
included in device 1302. Input device(s) 1314 and output device(s)
1312 may be connected to device 1302 via a wired connection,
wireless connection, or any combination thereof. In one embodiment,
an input device or an output device from another computing device
may be used as input device(s) 1314 or output device(s) 1312 for
computing device 1302.
[0084] Components of computing device 1302 may be connected by
various interconnects, such as a bus. Such interconnects may
include a Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI), such as PCI
Express, a Universal Serial Bus (USB), firewire (IEEE 1394), an
optical bus structure, and the like. In another embodiment,
components of computing device 1302 may be interconnected by a
network. For example, memory 1308 may be comprised of multiple
physical memory units located in different physical locations
interconnected by a network.
[0085] Those skilled in the art will realize that storage devices
utilized to store computer readable instructions may be distributed
across a network. For example, a computing device 1320 accessible
via network 1318 may store computer readable instructions to
implement one or more embodiments provided herein. Computing device
1302 may access computing device 1320 and download a part or all of
the computer readable instructions for execution. Alternatively,
computing device 1302 may download pieces of the computer readable
instructions, as needed, or some instructions may be executed at
computing device 1302 and some at computing device 1320.
[0086] G. Usage of Terms
[0087] Although the subject matter has been described in language
specific to structural features and/or methodological acts, it is
to be understood that the subject matter defined in the appended
claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or acts
described above. Rather, the specific features and acts described
above are disclosed as example forms of implementing the
claims.
[0088] As used in this application, the terms "component,"
"module," "system", "interface", and the like are generally
intended to refer to a computer-related entity, either hardware, a
combination of hardware and software, software, or software in
execution. For example, a component may be, but is not limited to
being, a process running on a processor, a processor, an object, an
executable, a thread of execution, a program, and/or a computer. By
way of illustration, both an application running on a controller
and the controller can be a component. One or more components may
reside within a process and/or thread of execution and a component
may be localized on one computer and/or distributed between two or
more computers.
[0089] Furthermore, the claimed subject matter may be implemented
as a method, apparatus, or article of manufacture using standard
programming and/or engineering techniques to produce software,
firmware, hardware, or any combination thereof to control a
computer to implement the disclosed subject matter. The term
"article of manufacture" as used herein is intended to encompass a
computer program accessible from any computer-readable device,
carrier, or media. Of course, those skilled in the art will
recognize many modifications may be made to this configuration
without departing from the scope or spirit of the claimed subject
matter.
[0090] Various operations of embodiments are provided herein. In
one embodiment, one or more of the operations described may
constitute computer readable instructions stored on one or more
computer readable media, which if executed by a computing device,
will cause the computing device to perform the operations
described. The order in which some or all of the operations are
described should not be construed as to imply that these operations
are necessarily order dependent. Alternative ordering will be
appreciated by one skilled in the art having the benefit of this
description. Further, it will be understood that not all operations
are necessarily present in each embodiment provided herein.
[0091] Moreover, the word "example" is used herein to mean serving
as an example, instance, or illustration. Any aspect or design
described herein as "example" is not necessarily to be construed as
advantageous over other aspects or designs. Rather, use of the word
example is intended to present concepts in a concrete fashion. As
used in this application, the term "or" is intended to mean an
inclusive "or" rather than an exclusive "or". That is, unless
specified otherwise, or clear from context, "X employs A or B" is
intended to mean any of the natural inclusive permutations. That
is, if X employs A; X employs B; or X employs both A and B, then "X
employs A or B" is satisfied under any of the foregoing instances.
In addition, the articles "a" and "an" as used in this application
and the appended claims may generally be construed to mean "one or
more" unless specified otherwise or clear from context to be
directed to a singular form.
[0092] Also, although the disclosure has been shown and described
with respect to one or more implementations, equivalent alterations
and modifications will occur to others skilled in the art based
upon a reading and understanding of this specification and the
annexed drawings. The disclosure includes all such modifications
and alterations and is limited only by the scope of the following
claims. In particular regard to the various functions performed by
the above described components (e.g., elements, resources, etc.),
the terms used to describe such components are intended to
correspond, unless otherwise indicated, to any component which
performs the specified function of the described component (e.g.,
that is functionally equivalent), even though not structurally
equivalent to the disclosed structure which performs the function
in the herein illustrated example implementations of the
disclosure. In addition, while a particular feature of the
disclosure may have been disclosed with respect to only one of
several implementations, such feature may be combined with one or
more other features of the other implementations as may be desired
and advantageous for any given or particular application.
Furthermore, to the extent that the terms "includes", "having",
"has", "with", or variants thereof are used in either the detailed
description or the claims, such terms are intended to be inclusive
in a manner similar to the term "comprising."
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