Granted Patent B1

US 7,720,630 · App. 11/445,647 · Granted May 18, 2010

Abstract

Claims (47)

1. A computer-implemented method of determining a personalized transportation plan, the method comprising:

(a) receiving operational parameters, wherein the operational parameters include non-weather related parameters and transportation vehicle characteristics, the transportation vehicle characteristics including at least one of vehicle type, vehicle model, performance characteristics, fuel efficiency, passenger capacity, and sensitivity to different types of weather;

(b) receiving a user profile, wherein the user profile contains user transportation preferences;

(c) receiving weather data;

(d) determining, based on the weather data, a probability of re-direction of traffic into one or more transportation routes due to an effect of current and predicted future weather conditions on the one or more transportation routes and the operational parameters corresponding to each of the transportation routes;

(e) determining a probability of an availability of the one or more transportation routes during an expected travel time based on the probability of the re-direction of the traffic into the one or more transportation routes;

(f) generating the personalized transportation plan in accordance with the user transportation preferences, the plan including one of the transportation routes predicted to be available during the expected travel time; and

(g) presenting the personalized transportation plan to a user.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the operational parameters include a starting location and an ending location.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the operational parameters include at least one intermediate location that is temporally positioned after the starting location and before the ending location.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the operational parameters include a departure time.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the operational parameters include an arrival time.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the operational parameters include transportation environment characteristics, the transportation environment characteristics including at least one of airport runway configuration, airport acceptance rate, airport departure rate, air traffic congestion, and airspace restrictions.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the weather data includes a disruptive weather condition.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the personalized transportation plan includes an air transportation route.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the personalized transportation plan includes a land transportation route.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the personalized transportation plan includes a water transportation route.

11. A computer-implemented method of determining a personalized transportation plan, the method comprising:

(a) receiving operational parameters, wherein the operational parameters include non-weather related parameters and transportation vehicle characteristics, the transportation vehicle characteristics including at least one of vehicle type, vehicle model, performance characteristics, fuel efficiency, passenger capacity, and sensitivity to different types of weather;

(b) receiving a user profile, wherein the user profile contains user transportation preferences;

(c) generating the personalized transportation plan, including a first transportation route, based on the operational parameters and the user profile;

(d) receiving weather data including current and future predicted weather conditions along the first transportation route;

(e) predicting a change effected by the weather data to at least one of the operational parameters corresponding to the first transportation route, the prediction based on statistical and historical analysis of an impact of the weather data on the first transportation route during an expected travel time;

(f) modifying the personalized transportation plan to include a second transportation route determined in accordance with the user transportation preferences and the predicted change to the at least one of the operational parameters; and

(g) presenting the personalized transportation plan to a user.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the operational parameters include a starting location and an ending location.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the operational parameters include at least one intermediate location that is temporally positioned after the starting location and before the ending location.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the operational parameters include a departure time.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the operational parameters include an arrival time.

16. The method of claim 11 , wherein the operational parameters include transportation environment characteristics, the transportation environment characteristics including at least one of airport runway configuration, airport acceptance rate, airport departure rate, air traffic congestion, and airspace restrictions.

17. The method of claim 11 , wherein the personalized transportation plan includes an air transportation route.

18. A computer-implemented method of determining a flight plan, the method comprising:

(a) receiving weather data, operational parameters, and user transportation preferences, wherein the operational parameters include non-weather related parameters and transportation vehicle characteristics, the transportation vehicle characteristics including at least one of vehicle type, vehicle model, performance characteristics, fuel efficiency, passenger capacity, and sensitivity to different types of weather;

(b) determining a first flight route and one or more alternate flight routes in accordance with the operational parameters and the user transportation preferences;

(c) determining, based on the weather data, a probability of current and future predicted weather conditions occurring along the first flight route during an expected travel time, the probability of the weather conditions occurring affecting the availability of the first flight route;

(d) determining a probability of re-direction of aircraft traffic into the one or more alternate flight routes;

(e) determining a probability of availability of the one or more alternate flight routes during the expected travel time based on the probability of the re-direction of the aircraft traffic into the one or more alternate flight routes; and

(f) generating the flight plan in accordance with the user transportation preferences that includes at least one of the alternate flight routes predicted to be available during the expected travel time.

19. The method of claim 18 , further comprising:

(g) predicting a change effected by the weather data to at least one of the operational parameters corresponding to the at least one of the alternate flight routes included in the flight plan, wherein the predicted change to the at least one of the operational parameters changes the availability of the one of the alternate flight routes;

(h) modifying the flight plan in accordance with the user transportation preferences and the predicted change to the at least one of the operational parameters.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein modifying the flight plan includes retaining the at least one of the alternate flight routes and changing the departure time.

21. The method of claim 18 , wherein the at least one of the alternate flight routes is selected for the flight plan based on route ranking parameters determined from the user transportation preferences applied to each of the alternate flight routes.

22. The method of claim 18 , wherein the one or more flight routes include at least one of flight routes created by the user and flight routes automatically generated by a transportation information engine in accordance with the user transportation preferences and the operational parameters.

23. The method of claim 18 , wherein the operational parameters include transportation environment characteristics, the transportation environment characteristics including at least one of airport runway configuration, airport acceptance rate, airport departure rate, air traffic congestion, and airspace restrictions.

24. The method of claim 18 , wherein the first flight route is predicted to be unavailable during the expected travel time due to the probable occurrence of the weather conditions along the first flight route.

25. The method of claim 18 , wherein determining the probability of the re-direction of the aircraft traffic into the one or more alternate flight routes includes a statistical and historical analysis of impact of the weather data on the one or more alternate flight routes and the respective operational parameters.

Assignments (8)