On June 2, 2015, the United States Patent Office awarded Patent No. 9,047,384, System and Method for Automatically Determining Purpose Information for Travel Behavior to a team of researchers from the National Center for Transit Research (www.nctr.usf.edu) and College of Computer Science and Engineering at the University of South Florida. The patent is for an automated trip-purpose detection method that utilizes GPS Data collected by GPS-enabled devices. The GPS data is compared against a GIS map to obtain various spatial and location characteristics of the surrounding area. This information is then used to derive a traveler’s trip purpose. In a preferred embodiment, the inventive method is implemented automatically without any needed manipulation of GIS data. Additionally, the method integrates location information as defined by the user for critical locations such as home and work. These personalized locations allow the method to immediately identify the two most common types of trips: work-related trips and trips returning home. More information about the patent may be found at http://tinyurl.com/ntfjkf5
For more information, please contact Sean Barbeau, PhD at barbeau@cutr.usf.edu
