System and method for realtime community information exchange
View Patent ↗System and method for traffic mapping service are disclosed for allowing plurality of users having each a navigation device to transmit their locations to a server and optionally to signal to the server their requested destination. The system and method are further capable of calculating traffic parameters such as current traffic speed at a given road based on the momentary locations of the users. The system and method of the invention may also calculate and advise the users of preferred roads to take in order to arrive at the requested location with minimum delay.
1. A system comprising:
a server configured to:
receive location information from a set of navigation devices each navigation device of the set of navigation devices being associated with a member of a navigation service;
identify a first navigation device associated with a first member of the navigation service;
identify a current location of the first navigation device;
identify a destination for the first member;
identify a set of possible routes between the current location and the destination;
select a subset of navigation devices from the set of navigation devices based on whether the navigation devices of the set of navigation devices are on one of the possible routes between the current location and the destination; and
send the location information received from the subset of navigation devices to the first navigation device.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the server is further configured to:
identify an updated current location of the first navigation device; and
filter the subset of navigation devices based on whether the navigation devices of the group of navigation devices are continuing to follow at least one possible routes between the updated current location and the destination.
3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the server is further configured to:
identify an updated current location of the first navigation device; and
add one or more additional navigation devices to the subset of navigation devices based on whether the additional navigation devices are continuing to follow at least one possible route between the updated current location and the destination.
4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the server is further configured to select the subset of navigation devices further based on whether the navigation devices of the set of navigation devices are within a certain distance of the current location.
5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the server is further configured to select the subset of navigation devices further based on whether the navigation devices of the set of navigation devices are advancing towards the current location and not the destination.
6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the server is further configured to select the subset of navigation devices further based on input received from the first member identifying one or more roads to be excluded from a route followed by the first navigation device to the destination.
7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the server is further configured to select the subset of navigation devices further based on input received from the first member identifying one or more roads to be included from a route followed by the first navigation device to the destination.
8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the server is further configured to send a traffic map for display at the first navigation device and information identify the location and movement of the navigation devices of the subset of navigation devices.
9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the server is further configured to:
receive traffic data from one of the navigation devices of the subset of navigation devices; and
determine a preferred route for the first navigation device to the destination based on the received traffic data.
10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the server is further configured to identify the destination by estimating the destination based on at least a direction of movement of the first navigation device, a current road corresponding to the current location, and historical tracks of the first member.
11. A method comprising:
receiving, by a server, location information from a set of navigation devices each navigation device of the set of navigation devices being associated with a member of a navigation service;
identifying, by the server, a first navigation device associated with a first member of the navigation service;
identifying, by the server, a current location of the first navigation device;
identifying, by the server, a destination for the first member;
identifying, by the server, a set of possible routes between the current location and the destination;
selecting, by the server, a subset of navigation devices from the set of navigation devices based on whether the navigation devices of the set of navigation devices are on one of the possible routes between the current location and the destination; and
sending the location information received from the subset of navigation devices to the first navigation device.
12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
identifying an updated current location of the first navigation device; and
filtering the subset of navigation devices based on whether the navigation devices of the group of navigation devices are continuing to follow at least one possible routes between the updated current location and the destination.
13. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
identifying an updated current location of the first navigation device; and
adding one or more additional navigation devices to the subset of navigation devices based on whether the additional navigation devices are continuing to follow at least one possible route between the updated current location and the destination.
14. The method of claim 11 , wherein selecting the subset of navigation devices is further based on whether the navigation devices of the set of navigation devices are within a certain distance of the current location.
15. The method of claim 11 , wherein selecting the subset of navigation devices is further based on whether the navigation devices of the set of navigation devices are advancing towards the current location and not the destination.
16. The method of claim 11 , wherein selecting the subset of navigation devices is further based on input received from the first member identifying one or more roads to be excluded from a route followed by the first navigation device to the destination.
17. The method of claim 11 , wherein selecting the subset of navigation devices is further based on input received from the first member identifying one or more roads to be included from a route followed by the first navigation device to the destination.
18. The method of claim 11 , further comprising sending a traffic map for display at the first navigation device and information identify the location and movement of the navigation devices of the subset of navigation devices.
19. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
receiving traffic data from one of the navigation devices of the subset of navigation devices; and
determining a preferred route for the first navigation device to the destination based on the received traffic data.
20. The method of claim 11 , wherein identifying the destination includes estimating the destination based on at least a direction of movement of the first navigation device, a current road corresponding to the current location, and historical tracks of the first member.