METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING TRAVEL INFORMATION
A method of providing route attribute information is described, together with a device for performing the same. The method comprises accessing information indicative of a primary route to a destination location determined with respect to a trip database storing information indicative of a personal road network of a user of a mobile device, and an attribute of the primary route. One or more alternate routes to the destination location are determined, together with an attribute of each alternate route. Attribute information associated with at least one alternate route to the destination is output when a location of the mobile device is proximal to a decision point of the personal road network.
1 . A mobile device, comprising:
a processor communicably coupled to a trip database storing information indicative of a personal road network of a user of the mobile device; and
a memory storing information indicative of a primary route to a destination location and an attribute of the route,
wherein the processor is arranged to operably execute a route attribute module (RAM) to determine one or more alternate routes to the destination location and an attribute of each alternate route, and to display on a display device attribute information associated with at least one alternate route to the destination when a location of the mobile device is proximal to a decision point of the personal road network.
2 . The mobile device of claim 1 , wherein the decision point of the personal road network is a location from which at least one alternate route exists to the destination location via the personal road network.
3 . The mobile device of claim 1 , wherein the RAM is arranged to recalculate the attribute of the primary route to the destination in view of received information.
4 . The mobile device of claim 3 , wherein the received information is one or more of received traffic information and received weather information.
5 . The mobile device of claim 3 , wherein the RAM is arranged to calculate the one or more alternate routes in view of the received information.
6 . The mobile device of claim 1 , wherein the RAM is arranged to determine an attribute delta for each alternate route and to display the attribute delta as the attribute information.
7 . The mobile device of claim 1 , comprising a display device, and wherein the processor is arranged to cause the display device to display an indication of the attribute of the primary route associated with a road segment of the primary route and the attribute information of the one or more alternate routes associated with road segments of the respective one or more alternate route from the decision point.
8 . The mobile device of claim 7 , wherein the RAM is arranged to determine an attribute delta for each alternate route and to display the attribute delta as the attribute information, and wherein the processor is arranged to display the indication as the attribute delta.
9 . The mobile device of claim 1 , wherein the RAM is arranged to select one of the alternate routes as a new primary route when the attribute of the alternate route improves upon the attribute associated with the current primary route.
10 . The mobile device of claim 9 , wherein the RAM is arranged to select the new primary route when the attribute of the alternate route improves upon the attribute associated with the current primary route by more than a predetermined margin.
11 . The mobile device of claim 9 , wherein the RAM is arranged to identify the former primary route as one of the alternate routes.
12 . The mobile device of claim 8 , wherein the RAM is arranged to select one of the alternate routes as a new primary route when the attribute of the alternate route improves upon the attribute associated with the current primary route, and wherein the RAM is arranged to display the indication of the attribute of the new primary route and the attribute delta of the one or more alternate routes.
13 . The mobile device of claim 1 , wherein the attribute is an estimated time of arrival (ETA).
14 . The mobile device of claim 1 , wherein the personal road network of a user is a network of road segments previously traversed by the user.
15 . A method of providing route attribute information, comprising:
accessing information indicative of a primary route to a destination location determined with respect to a trip database storing information indicative of a personal road network of a user of a mobile device, and an attribute of the primary route;
determining one or more alternate routes to the destination location and an attribute of each alternate route; and
outputting attribute information associated with at least one alternate route to the destination when a location of the mobile device is proximal to a decision point of the personal road network.
16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the one or more alternate routes are routes to the destination location via the personal network.
17 . The method of claim 15 , comprising:
receiving traffic information and recalculating the attribute of the primary route in view the received information; and
calculating the attribute of each of the one or more alternate routes in view of the received information.
18 . The method of claim 15 , comprising determining when the attribute of one of the alternate routes improves upon the attribute associated with the current primary route and selecting the alternate route as a new primary route.
19 . The method of claim 18 , wherein the alternate route is selected as a new primary route when the attribute of the alternate route improves upon the attribute associated with the current primary route by more than a predetermined margin.
20 - 23 . (canceled)
24 . A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising computer software operable, when executed, to cause one or more processors to perform a method according to claim 15 .