Contextual traffic or transit alerts

Abstract

A computing system is described that can provide a user with alerts based on traffic information related to the user's expected travel route. In some embodiments, a user can be alerted if a traffic delay exists on the user's expected travel route. In other embodiments, a user can be alerted when their usual bus or train is delayed. In further embodiments, a user can be alerted when traffic on an expected route to the user's next event location might impact the user's ability to arrive at that location on time

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 sending, by a computing device, to a computing system, an indication of a current location of a user associated with the computing device;   receiving, by the computing device, from the computing system, an indication of an estimated trip time for the user to travel along an expected travel route at an expected departure time for the user to arrive at an expected location by a future time; and   responsive to determining that a difference between an amount of time remaining until the future time and the estimated trip time satisfies a threshold, outputting, by the computing device and for display, an indication of a suggested departure time for the user to begin traveling along the expected travel route to the expected location such that the user arrives at the expected location by the future time.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving, by the computing device, from the computing system, an indication of a traffic delay associated with the expected travel route and an updated suggested departure time based on the traffic delay; and   outputting, by the computing device and for display, an indication of the traffic delay and the updated suggested departure time.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 responsive to receiving an indication of a traffic delay associated with the expected travel route, receiving, by the computing device, from the computing system, an indication of an alternative travel route to the expected location such that the user arrives at the expected location by the future time; and   prior to the suggested departure time, outputting, by the computing device and for display, an indication of the alternative travel route.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 sending, by the computing device, to the computing system, calendar information associated with the user, the calendar information including an event location and an event time associated with the event location, wherein the expected location corresponds to the event location and the event time corresponds to the future time; and   outputting, by the computing device and for display, a calendar reminder associated with the event location and the event time, wherein the calendar reminder includes an indication of the suggested departure time for the user to begin traveling along the expected travel route to the expected location such that the user arrives at the expected location by the expected time.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein sending the indication of the current location of the user associated with the computing device comprises sending, by the computing device, to the computing system, a location history associated with the computing device. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 sending, by the computing device, to the computing system, device information that indicates that the computing device is no longer charging at a current time;   responsive to sending the device information, receiving, by the computing device, from the computing system, an indication of an updated trip time for the user to travel along the expected travel route at the current time for the user to arrive at the expected location by the future time; and   responsive to determining that the difference between the amount of time remaining until the future time and the updated estimated trip time satisfies the threshold, outputting, by the computing device and for display, the indication of the current time as the suggested departure time for the user to begin traveling along the expected travel route to the expected location such that the user arrives at the expected location by the future time.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 determining, by the computing device, that the current location of the user is a home location of the user or a work location of the user, wherein the indication of the current location of the user associated with the computing device is sent to the computing system in response to the computing device determining that a current time is after an average time that the user typically travels along a commuting travel route between the home location and the work location.   
     
     
         8 . A computing device comprising:
 a display device;   at least one processor; and   at least one module operable by the at least one processor to:
 send, to a computing system, an indication of a current location of a user associated with the computing device; 
 receive, from the computing system, an indication of an estimated trip time for the user to travel along an expected travel route at an expected departure time for the user to arrive at an expected location by a future time; and 
 responsive to determining that a difference between an amount of time remaining until the future time and the estimated trip time satisfies a threshold, output, for display at the display device, an indication of a suggested departure time for the user to begin traveling along the expected travel route to the expected location such that the user arrives at the expected location by the future time. 
   
     
     
         9 . The computing device of  claim 8 , wherein the notification is a first notification, wherein the at least one module is further operable by the at least one processor to:
 receive, from the computing system, an indication of a traffic delay associated with the expected travel route and an updated suggested departure time based on the traffic delay; and   output, for display at the display device, an indication of the traffic delay and the updated suggested departure time.   
     
     
         10 . The computing device of  claim 8 , wherein the notification is a first notification, wherein the at least one module is further operable by the at least one processor to:
 responsive to receiving an indication of a traffic delay associated with the expected travel route, receive, from the computing system, an indication of an alternative travel route to the expected location such that the user arrives at the expected location by the future time; and   prior to the suggested departure time, output, for display at the display device, an indication of the alternative travel route.   
     
     
         11 . The computing device of  claim 8 , wherein the notification is a first notification, wherein the at least one module is further operable by the at least one processor to:
 send, to the computing system, calendar information associated with the user, the calendar information including an event location and an event time associated with the event location, wherein the expected location corresponds to the event location and the event time corresponds to the future time; and   output, for display at the display device, a calendar reminder associated with the event location and the event time, wherein the calendar reminder includes an indication of the suggested departure time for the user to begin traveling along the expected travel route to the expected location such that the user arrives at the expected location by the expected time.   
     
     
         12 . The computing device of  claim 8 , wherein the at least one module is further operable by the at least one processor to send the indication of the current location of the user associated with the computing device by at least sending, to the computing system, a location history associated with the computing device. 
     
     
         13 . The computing device of  claim 8 , wherein the at least one module is further operable by the at least one processor to:
 send, to the computing system, device information that indicates that the computing device is no longer charging at a current time;   responsive to sending the device information, receive, from the computing system, an indication of an updated trip time for the user to travel along the expected travel route at the current time for the user to arrive at the expected location by the future time; and   responsive to determining that the difference between the amount of time remaining until the future time and the updated estimated trip time satisfies the threshold, output, for display at the display device, the indication of the current time as the suggested departure time for the user to begin traveling along the expected travel route to the expected location such that the user arrives at the expected location by the future time.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one module is further operable by the at least one processor to:
 determine that the current location of the user is a home location of the user or a work location of the user, wherein the indication of the current location of the user associated with the computing device is sent to the computing system in response to the computing device determining that a current time is after an average time that the user typically travels along a commuting travel route between the home location and the work location.   
     
     
         15 . A computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed, configure at least one processor of a computing device to:
 send, to a computing system, an indication of a current location of a user associated with the computing device;   receive, from the computing system, an indication of an estimated trip time for the user to travel along an expected travel route at an expected departure time for the user to arrive at an expected location by a future time; and   responsive to determining that a difference between an amount of time remaining until the future time and the estimated trip time satisfies a threshold, output, for display, an indication of a suggested departure time for the user to begin traveling along the expected travel route to the expected location such that the user arrives at the expected location by the future time.   
     
     
         16 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 15  comprising additional instructions that, when executed, configure the at least one processor of the computing device to:
 receive, from the computing system, an indication of a traffic delay associated with the expected travel route and an updated suggested departure time based on the traffic delay; and 
 output, for display, an indication of the traffic delay and the updated suggested departure time. 
 
     
     
         17 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 15  comprising additional instructions that, when executed, configure the at least one processor of the computing device to:
 responsive to receiving an indication of a traffic delay associated with the expected travel route, receive, from the computing system, an indication of an alternative travel route to the expected location such that the user arrives at the expected location by the future time; and 
 prior to the suggested departure time, output, for display, an indication of the alternative travel route. 
 
     
     
         18 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 15  comprising additional instructions that, when executed, configure the at least one processor of the computing device to:
 send, to the computing system, calendar information associated with the user, the calendar information including an event location and an event time associated with the event location, wherein the expected location corresponds to the event location and the event time corresponds to the future time; and 
 output, for display, a calendar reminder associated with the event location and the event time, wherein the calendar reminder includes an indication of the suggested departure time for the user to begin traveling along the expected travel route to the expected location such that the user arrives at the expected location by the expected time. 
 
     
     
         19 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 15  comprising additional instructions that, when executed, configure the at least one processor of the computing device to:
 determine that the computing device is no longer charging at a current time, wherein the indication of the suggested departure time is output for display further in response to determining that the computing device is no longer charging at the current time. 
 
     
     
         20 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 15  comprising additional instructions that, when executed, configure the at least one processor of the computing device to:
 determine that the current location of the user is a home location of the user or a work location of the user, wherein the indication of the current location of the user associated with the computing device is sent to the computing system in response to the computing device determining that a current time is after an average time that the user typically travels along a commuting travel route between the home location and the work location.