Intelligently providing user-specific traffic-related information
Methods, systems and/or software for distributing transportation-related alerts to mobile devices may do so in accordance with various factors, such as device-specific and/or location-specific factors. In some variations, transportation-related alerts may be presented to the user in audio format and/or visual format. In some variations, these may be user-selectable options, and in other variations, a speed at which the mobile device is moving may be considered in determining how to present the transportation-related alerts to the user.
1. A mobile device, including:
a wireless receiver of the mobile device;
an audio output interface of the mobile device; and
a non-transitory computer-readable medium that stores an application program, in the form of computer-executable instructions configured to cause the implementation of operations comprising:
receiving from a remotely-located source, not physically present at the mobile device, using the wireless receiver, a transportation-related alert at the mobile device, wherein the transportation-related alert applies to a geographic location of the mobile device; and
outputting the transportation-related alert in audio format, using the audio output interface, as a user-selectable option.
2. The mobile device of claim 1 , wherein the mobile device further includes a visual display configured to visually display the transportation-related alert.
3. The mobile device of claim 1 , wherein the outputting the transportation-related alert in audio format is provided as the user-selectable option if the mobile device is moving at a speed above a predetermined threshold speed level.
4. The mobile device of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise:
detecting a tag included with the transportation-related alert that indicates that the alert is capable of being output in audio format.
5. The mobile device of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise:
transmitting geographic location information of the mobile device to a traffic information center.
6. The mobile device of claim 1 , wherein the outputting the transportation-related alert in audio format comprises converting the transportation-related alert from a text format to an audio format.
7. A non-transitory computer-readable medium that stores an application program, in the form of computer-executable instructions configured to cause the implementation of operations comprising:
receiving from a remotely-located source, not physically present at the mobile device, using a wireless receiver of a mobile device, a transportation-related alert at the mobile device, wherein the transportation-related alert applies to a geographic location of the mobile device; and
outputting the transportation-related alert in audio format, using an audio output interface of the mobile device, as a user-selectable option.
8. The computer-readable medium of claim 7 , wherein the operations further include visually displaying the transportation-related alert on a visual display of the mobile device.
9. The computer-readable medium of claim 7 , wherein the outputting the transportation-related alert in audio format is provided as the user-selectable option if the mobile device is moving at a speed above a predetermined threshold speed level.
10. The computer-readable medium of claim 7 , wherein the operations further comprise:
detecting a tag included with the transportation-related alert that indicates that the alert is capable of being output in audio format.
11. The computer-readable medium of claim 7 , wherein the operations further comprise:
transmitting geographic location information of the mobile device to a traffic information center.
12. The computer-readable medium of claim 7 , wherein the outputting the transportation-related alert in audio format comprises converting the transportation-related alert from a text format to an audio format.
13. A method of operating a mobile device, including:
receiving from a remotely-located source, not physically present at the mobile device, using a wireless receiver of the mobile device, a transportation-related alert at the mobile device, wherein the transportation-related alert applies to a geographic location of the mobile device; and
outputting the transportation-related alert in audio format, using an audio output interface of the mobile device, as a user-selectable option.
14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the mobile device further includes a visual display configured to visually display the transportation-related alert.
15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the outputting the transportation-related alert in audio format is provided as the user-selectable option if the mobile device is moving at a speed above a predetermined threshold speed level.
16. The method of claim 13 , further including:
detecting a tag included with the transportation-related alert that indicates that the alert is capable of being output in audio format.
17. The method of claim 13 , further including:
transmitting geographic location information of the mobile device to a traffic information center.
18. The method of claim 13 , wherein the outputting the transportation-related alert in audio format comprises converting the transportation-related alert from a text format to an audio format.