Systems and methods for providing mobile mapping services including trip prediction and route recommendation
Computer implemented methods are disclosed for providing geographical information to a user. One method includes observing, via location information generated or obtained through a user's mobile electronic device, a user traverse a preferred user route from the start location to the destination, and saving the preferred user route in relation to the user. The method may predict, based on past behavioral information for the user, a predicted start time of a future trip to the destination and may identify one or more routes from the start location to the destination. In addition, the method may compare, at a time relative to the predicted start time of the future trip, a duration or distance associated with traversing the preferred user route to a duration or distance associated with traversing the fastest route or the shortest route from the start location to the destination.
1. A computer-implemented method for providing, to a user, geographical mapping information relating to a trip, the method including, using a processor for:
obtaining, via location information from a user's mobile electronic device in communication with a GPS provider, historical route information of a route by the user from a first start location to a first destination, the obtained historical route information being saved as previously saved route information;
observing an actual route taken by the user, via location information from the user's mobile electronic device in communication with the GPS provider in real-time, to determine whether the observed actual route information is stored within the previously saved route information;
upon determining that the observed actual route information is not stored within the previously saved route information, storing the observed actual route information with the previously saved route information for later use in providing trip route recommendations;
predicting, in real-time, an upcoming trip from a second start location, which is different from the first start location, to a second destination, which is different from the first destination;
determining a route from the second start location to the second destination based on the previously saved route information, including the observed actual route information;
determining additional information for the determined route including one or more of an estimated travel time and an estimated arrival time; and
displaying the determined route and the determined additional information on a display of the user's mobile electronic device.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the observed actual route information is information of a common route traversed by the user from the first start location to the first destination on multiple days and within a time interval on each of the multiple days.
3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
predicting, on a particular day, based on the location information for the user and a comparison of a current time to the time interval, that the user will be making a future trip to the first destination within the time interval on the particular day.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the step of predicting comprises accessing data related to the previously saved route information from at least one database selected from the group consisting of: a traffic database, a weather database, and an event database.
5. The method of claim 3 , wherein the first start location is an address of the user's home or workplace, and the first destination is an address of the user's home or workplace; and the predicted start time is a predicted commuting time.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the observed actual route information is a route saved by the user.
7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
displaying an identification of a shortest or fastest one of: (i) the determined route, (ii) a fastest route from the second start location to the second destination, and (iii) a shortest route from the second start location to the second destination.
8. A system for providing to a user geographical mapping information relating to a trip from a first start location to a first destination, the system including:
a data storage device storing instructions for causing computer servers or mobile devices to provide to a user geographical mapping information relating to a trip from the first start location to the first destination; and
a processing device configured to execute the instructions to perform a method of:
obtaining, via location information from a user's mobile electronic device in communication with a GPS provider, historical route information of a route by the user from the first start location to the first destination, the obtained historical route information being saved as previously saved route information;
observing an actual route taken by the user, via location information from the user's mobile electronic device in communication with the GPS provider in real-time, to determine whether the observed actual route information is stored within the previously saved route information;
upon determining that the observed actual route information is not stored within the previously saved route information, storing the observed actual route information with the previously saved route information for later use in providing trip route recommendations;
predicting, in real-time, an upcoming trip from a second start location, which is different from the first start location, to a second destination, which is different from the first destination;
determining a route from the second start location to the second destination based on the previously saved route information, including the observed actual route information;
determining additional information for the determined route including one or more of an estimated travel time and an estimated arrival time; and
displaying the determined route and the determined additional information on a display of the user's mobile electronic device.
9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the observed actual route information is information of a common route traversed by the user from the first start location to the first destination on multiple days and within a time interval on each of the multiple days.
10. The system of claim 9 , the method further comprising:
predicting, on a particular day, based on the location information for the user and a comparison of a current time to the time interval, that the user will be making a future trip to the first destination within the time interval on the particular day.
11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the step of predicting comprises accessing data related to the previously saved route information from at least one database selected from the group consisting of: a traffic database, a weather database, and an event database.
12. The system of claim 10 , wherein the first start location is an address of the user's home or workplace, and the first destination is an address of the user's home or workplace; and the predicted start time is a predicted commuting time.
13. The system of claim 8 , wherein the observed actual route information is a route saved by the user.
14. The system of claim 8 , the method further comprising:
displaying an identification of a shortest or fastest one of: (i) the determined route, (ii) a fastest route from the second start location to the second destination, and (iii) a shortest route from the second start location to the second destination.
15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to provide geographical mapping information to a user relating to a trip from a first start location to a first destination, the method including:
obtaining, via location information from a user's mobile electronic device in communication with a GPS provider, historical route information of a route by the user from the first start location to the first destination, the obtained historical route information being saved as previously saved route information;
observing an actual route taken by the user, via location information from the user's mobile electronic device in communication with the GPS provider in real-time, to determine whether the observed actual route information is stored within the previously saved route information;
upon determining that the observed actual route information is not stored within the previously saved route information, storing the observed actual route information with the previously saved route information for later use in providing trip route recommendations;
predicting, in real-time, an upcoming trip from a second start location, which is different from the first start location, to a second destination, which is different from the first destination;
determining a route from the second start location to the second destination based on the previously saved route information, including the observed actual route information;
determining additional information for the determined route including one or more of an estimated travel time and an estimated arrival time; and
displaying the determined route and the determined additional information on a display of the user's mobile electronic device.
16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the observed actual route information is information of a common route traversed by the user from the first start location to the first destination on multiple days and within a time interval on each of the multiple days.
17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16 , the method further comprising:
predicting, on a particular day, based on the location information for the user and a comparison of a current time to the time interval, that the user will be making a future trip to the first destination within the time interval on the particular day.
18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the step of predicting comprises accessing data related to the previously saved route information from at least one database selected from the group consisting of: a traffic database, a weather database, and an event database.
19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the observed actual route information is a route saved by the user.
20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , the method further comprising:
displaying an identification of a shortest or fastest one of: (i) the determined route, (ii) a fastest route from the second start location to the second destination, and (iii) a shortest route from the second start location to the second destination.