Optimizing traffic predictions and enhancing notifications

Abstract

Travel-demand forecasting methods are described for predicting traffic volume based, at least in part, on user-entered data in the form of anticipated traffic routes, demographic data and/or other types of socioeconomic data. This data can source a prediction algorithm or be used to forecast traffic patterns. Methods and systems are described for, among other things, optimizing traffic predictions, forecasting traffic patterns using user-assigned trip patterns, associating rich attribute information to navigation routes, exposing personal-logistic information to a group, communicating traffic-situation-generated alerts based on user information, optimizing a presentation of user-defined traffic routes, and presenting location indications based on proximity (temporal or geographical).

The invention claimed is: 
     
         1 . One or more non-transitory computer-readable media having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon that, when executed, facilitate a method of forecasting traffic, the method comprising:
 receiving a plurality of user-entered data sets that each describe an origin and a destination of a route, thereby providing a collection of route-information data;   utilizing the collection of route-information data to forecast a traffic pattern; and   communicating an indication of the traffic pattern to a display device.   
     
     
         2 . The media of  claim 1 , wherein the user-entered data sets include data provided by a user. 
     
     
         3 . The media of  claim 1 , wherein said receiving further includes receiving a time indication associated with each route. 
     
     
         4 . The media of  claim 3 , wherein the time indication reflects one or more of the following:
 an anticipated departure time;   an anticipated arrival time; or   an anticipated duration associated with said route.   
     
     
         5 . The media of  claim 3 , wherein the time indication includes one or more of the following:
 a date;   a day;   an hour; and   a minute.   
     
     
         6 . The media of  claim 3 , wherein the utilizing includes accounting for the time indication such that said traffic pattern is associated with a timeframe, which is presentable on demand. 
     
     
         7 . The media of  claim 1 , wherein the utilizing includes increasing an accuracy of a traffic-prediction model used, in part, to forecast the traffic pattern. 
     
     
         8 . The media of  claim 1 , wherein the display device is an end-user device. 
     
     
         9 . The media of  claim 8 , wherein the indication of the traffic pattern includes one or more of the following:
 textual information;   map information;   notification information; or   time information.   
     
     
         10 . The media of  claim 1 , wherein the utilizing is also based on demographic data associated with one or more users. 
     
     
         11 . The media of  claim 1 , further comprising forecasting traffic patterns of other persons having certain demographic traits based on gleaned traffic patterns of a user associated with certain demographic data. 
     
     
         12 . The media of  claim 11 , wherein the certain demographic traits are shared by the user, or wherein the certain demographic traits are dissimilar to those of the user. 
     
     
         13 . The media of  claim 1 , further comprising providing, based on the plurality of user-entered data sets, one or more location-based services to a user. 
     
     
         14 . The media of  claim 13 , where the one or more of the location-based services include presenting incentives associated with entities along a route determined by the plurality of user-entered data sets. 
     
     
         15 . One or more non-transitory computer-readable media having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon that, when executed, facilitate a method of forecasting traffic, the method comprising:
 receiving a collection of user-entered data sets, each user-entered data set describing an origin, a destination, and an anticipated time of travel for a route, thereby providing a collection of route information;   utilizing the collection of route information to forecast a traffic pattern; and   communicating an indication of the traffic pattern.   
     
     
         16 . The media of  claim 15 , wherein the utilizing includes one or more of:
 incorporating the collection of route information into a traffic-prediction algorithm; or   supplementing results of the traffic-prediction algorithm.   
     
     
         17 . The media of  claim 15 , wherein the method further comprises exposing, to a plurality of users, a user interface that includes a set of fields that are useable to receive user-entered data that describes an origin and a destination for which a route can be provided 
     
     
         18 . The media of  claim 17 , wherein said exposing said user interface includes providing for the exposing of said user interface on one or more of the following:
 a plurality of mobile devices including smart phones;   a plurality of land-line computers coupled to the Internet; or   combinations of the same.   
     
     
         19 . The media of  claim 15 , wherein the collection of route information is collectively utilized to forecast the traffic pattern. 
     
     
         20 . One or more nontransitory computer-readable media having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon for performing a method of forecasting a traffic pattern, the method comprising:
 exposing, to a plurality of users, a user interface that includes a set of fields that are useable to receive user-entered data that describes an origin and a destination for which a route can be provided;   receiving a plurality of origin-destination pairs from the user interface; and   utilizing the plurality of origin-destination pairs to forecast a traffic pattern.