Apple’s Patent – Routing based on Detected Stops

US Patent and Trademark Office has granted an Apple patent known as `Routing based on detected stops’, enhancing the concept of crowd sourced navigation.

This navigation system would help one to plan their route by analysing stop signs, stop lights as well as obstacles which may slow down the journey. As per the recent patent, Apple could include a smart navigation routing system on its iPhone wherein the technology will be based on real time crowd sourced information together with stop light based traffic evaluation to users in order to improve their route recommendations.

It has the capabilities of collecting and analysing traffic data via the mobile unit as the iPhone and the technology can then device pattern from stop lights and signs giving rise to route suggestion. Users could work with the application in order to develop quicker routes.

Moreover it is also compatible with departure time suggestions. Waze, the current product combines traffic data collected from several drivers in suggesting quick way in order to reach their destination and crowd sourcing the information enable accurate and real time information which can be obtained through standard navigation apps like the Google Maps and Apple’s Maps app.

Depends on GPS Module of iPhone

The system depends on the GPS module of the iPhone in one manifestation of the technology and uses the GPS in identifying if the user is travelling or is in a moving vehicle. Data collected from GPS position together with accompanying system clock and accelerometer, enables the device to check the time spend as well as the location of the individual depending on the stop lights and signs.

The offsite server on the other hand receives the data package in real time and thereafter goes through a pattern analysis like a number of smartphones would be relaying traffic data to the server from several stop lights and signs and the server then correlate it, analysing better on which areas are crowded and which are not, based on the number of handsets sending the traffic details.

Smart Navigation System

In the case of Apple’s patent, a smart navigation system would utilise the GPS in the mobile device in order to gather detected stops of the car, determining on the duration of each stop. This information could then be analysed to classify between stop lights and stop signs and the data could be sent to remote server and shared with the vehicles connected into the system through regular navigation app like Google Map or Apple Maps.

The driver could then use this information in knowing the fastest route to any given location. Beside this, one can also estimate the duration of the trip depending on the data as well as the appropriate time to begin the trip to reach the destination and save from being late.

In course of time, the server could also gather and collate the data to predict certain traffic patterns which would depend on the location of stop lights, time of day as well as other factors. Just like other patents, Apple may or may not have the time as well as the resources to include the same in its next release though the technology would still make its way to device sooner or later.