DRIVING LANE CHANGE SUGGESTIONS

1 . A method of facilitating a driver of a vehicle, the method involving a device having a processor and comprising:

executing on the processor instructions configured to, while the vehicle operates on a causeway having at least two lanes:

detect, among the lanes of the causeway, a current lane that is occupied by the vehicle;

for respective lanes, identify a travel condition;

identify an advantageous lane of the causeway having a travel condition presenting an advantage over the travel condition of the current lane; and

present to the driver a lane change suggestion to transfer the vehicle to the advantageous lane.

2 . The method of claim 1 , the advantage selected from an advantage set comprising:

a lane compliance with a route of the vehicle;

a fuel economy promoting advantage;

a cost economy promoting advantage;

a travel time consistency promoting advantage;

an emissions reducing advantage;

a travel time reducing advantage;

a driving safety promoting advantage;

a vehicle proximity reducing advantage;

a traffic congestion avoiding advantage;

a construction zone avoiding advantage;

a causeway hazard avoiding advantage; and

a smooth driving experience promoting advantage.

3 . The method of claim 1 :

the device comprising a lane identifier map specifying, for respective locations, a lane associated with the location; and

detecting the current lane occupied by the vehicle further comprising:

receiving from a geolocator device a current location of the vehicle; and

determining the current lane occupied by the vehicle according to the current location and the lane identifier map.

4 . The method of claim 1 , detecting the current lane occupied by the vehicle further comprising: evaluating an image of the causeway to determine the current lane occupied by the vehicle.

5 . The method of claim 1 , detecting the current lane occupied by the vehicle further comprising: receiving from a lane identifier service a lane indication identifying, among the lanes of the causeway, the current lane occupied by the vehicle.

6 . The method of claim 1 , identifying the travel conditions comprising: identifying the travel conditions of the lanes of the causeway within a distance threshold of a location of the vehicle.

7 . The method of claim 1 :

identifying the travel conditions of respective lanes further comprising: receiving from a causeway descriptor service:

a current lane condition of the current lane, and

a second lane condition of the advantageous lane; and

determining the advantageous lane further comprising: determining the advantageous lane by comparing the current lane condition and the second lane condition.

8 . The method of claim 1 :

identifying the travel conditions of respective lanes further comprising:

evaluating a first image of the current lane to detect a current lane available vehicle capacity;

evaluating a second image of a second lane to detect a second lane available vehicle capacity; and

identifying the advantageous lane further comprising: upon determining that the second lane available vehicle capacity is higher than the current lane available vehicle capacity, identifying the second lane as the advantageous lane.

9 . The method of claim 1 :

identifying the travel conditions of respective lanes further comprising:

detecting a first vehicle speed of at least one vehicle in the current lane;

detecting a second vehicle speed of at least one vehicle in a second lane; and

identifying the advantageous lane further comprising: upon determining that the second vehicle speed is higher than the first vehicle speed, identifying the second lane as the advantageous lane.

10 . The method of claim 1 , identifying the travel conditions of respective lanes further comprising:

evaluating an image of the current lane to detect an obstruction affecting the current lane; and

evaluating an image of the advantageous lane to detect an avoidance of the obstruction by the advantageous lane.

11 . The method of claim 1 :

the advantageous lane having an occupancy minimum; and

identifying the advantageous lane further comprising: determining a current occupancy of the vehicle; and

presenting the lane change suggestion to the driver further comprising: presenting the lane change suggestion of the advantageous lane to the driver only if the current occupancy of the vehicle satisfies the occupancy minimum.

12 . The method of claim 1 :

the instructions further configured to determine a lane change suggestion window within which the vehicle is safely transferable to the advantageous lane; and

presenting the lane change suggestion to the driver further comprising: presenting the lane change suggestion of the advantageous lane to the driver only within the suggestion window.

13 . The method of claim 1 :

the causeway having at least one intervening lane between the current lane and the advantageous lane; and

presenting the lane change suggestion to the driver only while the vehicle is safely transferable across the at least one intervening lane.

14 . The method of claim 1 :

the advantageous lane comprising a current lane that is currently occupied by the vehicle; and

presenting the lane change suggestion further comprising: upon detecting an intent of the driver to transfer to a second lane of the causeway, presenting to the driver a lane change suggestion to maintain the current lane instead of transitioning to the second lane.

15 . The method of claim 1 , presenting the suggestion further comprising: presenting to the driver an explanation of the advantage of the advantageous lane compared with the current lane.

16 . The method of claim 1 :

the driver operating the vehicle while viewing the causeway through a window; and

presenting the lane change suggestion to the driver further comprising: displaying the lane change suggestion on the window.

17 . The method of claim 16 , displaying the lane change suggestion on the window further comprising: positioning the lane change suggestion on the window to visually indicate the advantageous lane.

18 . A system for facilitating a driver of a vehicle, the system involving a device having a processor and comprising:

a lane evaluating component comprising instructions that, when executed on the processor, cause the device to, while the vehicle operates on a causeway having at least two lanes:

detect, among the lanes of the causeway, a current lane that is occupied by the vehicle;

for respective lanes, identify a travel condition;

identify an advantageous lane of the causeway having a travel condition having an advantage over the travel condition of the current lane; and

a lane change suggestion presenting component comprising instructions that, when executed on the processor, cause the device to present to the driver a lane change suggestion to transfer the vehicle to the advantageous lane.

19 . A method of facilitating drivers of vehicles operating on a causeway having at least two lanes, the method involving a device having a processor and comprising:

executing on the processor instructions configured to:

for respective lanes, identify a travel condition;

among the lanes, identify at least one advantageous lane of the causeway; and

notify the vehicles of the at least one advantageous lane of the causeway.

20 . The method of claim 19 , identifying the travel conditions of respective lanes comprising:

receiving from at least one vehicle operating on the causeway at least one driving input involving at least one lane of the causeway; and

for respective lanes, identify a travel condition based on the driving inputs for the lane.