Location-aware selection of public transportation

摘要

A mobile device such as a mobile phone, smart phone, personal music player, handheld game device and the like that is configured to be location-aware through GPS (Global Positioning System), cell tower positioning, or other means of determining location, is provided with a public transportation selector functionality that interfaces with one or more on-line public transportation schedule services. The public transportation selector passes the location of a user of the mobile device, the user's destination, and the targeted arrival time to the schedule services which responsively return information including, for example, station/stop location information, route identifier, departure and arrival times, and fare costs. The public transportation selector aggregates schedule information provided by the services for presentation to the user through a user interface on the mobile device. The user can then select the desired public transportation option and be provided with directions to the appropriate station or stop.

主权项

1. A computer-readable medium not comprising a propagated data signal containing instructions which, when executed by one or more processors on a mobile device associated with a user, implement a transportation application for providing public transportation options to the user, the transportation application comprising:
a plurality of service adapters, each service adapter configured for interfacing with one of a respective plurality of schedule services and for receiving public transportation information from the one respective schedule service of the respective plurality of schedule services in response to a query transmitted by the service adapter to the one respective schedule service that includes a destination to be reached by the user using public transportation; a public transportation selector configured for generating the query, the query being arranged to communicate a present location of the mobile device, a said destination to be reached by the user, and a target time of arrival using the public transportation to the plurality of schedule services; and a location module that interfaces with location-aware functionality disposed in the mobile device, the location module identifying the present location of the mobile phone to the public transportation selector.