Expected Arrival Time

Expected Arrival Time

Purpose. To calculate and store to a database record the deviation from published timetable for this bus,route and stop. Calculated at each bus stop.

The Android is on-board the bus, running quietly without intervention from the driver.

Data resources needed.

GPS location of each numbered bus-stop.

Identity of 'this' bus.

Identity of this buses' route

Identity of this buses trip (starting time?)

Timetable for this trip (bus stop, expected time of departure)

Calculations.

When the bus stops (accelerometer?) obtain the location from the GPS. 

Is this near (within the error of GPS) a bus stop for this route? Maybe we are stopped at a traffic light.

If near a bus stop, compute deviation from expected, and publish to the database (route, trip, bus-stop, deviation, time-of-day)

This database can be used for several purposes.

• When is the next bus going to arrive at my stop?  
• Will I make my connection to my next bus?
• Various management functions at HQ. for example 
• Is it worth delaying the connecting bus at a stop? (we know where most of the people on this bus usually go)
• Where is the best place to put reserved bus lanes?
• Apply pressure on Pointe Claire municipality to fix the traffic lights at Fairview!

Android on the Bus Introduction

In the buses in our beautiful city there are several transportation information services which tell you when the bus  SHOULD arrive at your bus stop. It's not hard to program an on-board Android to make available on the web the buses actual progress and expected time of arrival.

Once the Android is installed in the bus then there are many simplifications possible. 

• The radio could be replaced by the Android, 
• The door opening can be requested by the Android
• The route number can be man....
• The driver wants to keep to his schedule, it can show whether he is early or late for this bus stop.

This blog is dedicated to discussing the use of a standard software layer using off the shelf cell phones to provide useful services to the city.