Systems and methods for using route matrices for identifying intersection POIs

• US 10,066,960 B2
• Filed: 05/31/2016
• Issued: 09/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: MapQuest, Inc. (System1 LLC)
• Inventors: Gearhart, G. Duane, Knisely, Gregory, Nesbitt, David W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Cuong H
• Application Number:
  US15/168,994
• Publication Number:
  US 20160273936A1
• Time in Patent Office: 826 Days
• Field of Search: 701540, 701532, 701416, 701429, 701468, 701426, 340990, 340991, 340992
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/34 Route searching; Route guidance
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3667 Display of a road map G01C21/3614 takes precedence; guidance using 3D or perspective road maps G01C21/3635
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3679 Retrieval, searching and output of POI information, e.g. hotels, restaurants, shops, filling stations, parking facilities G01C21/3611 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3682 output of POI information on a road map G01C21/3614, G01C21/3685 take precedence

Abstract

Computer implemented methods are disclosed. The methods may include identifying a plurality of points of interest (POIs) within a pre-determined travel time from an intersection or highway exit and calculating a travel time and distance from the intersection or highway exit to each of the plurality of POIs. The methods may further include, associating each of the plurality of POIs with the intersection or highway exit, and storing the travel time and distance from the intersection or highway exit to each of the plurality of associated POIs in an electronic database as pre-calculated POI data.

Claims

1. A computer system for providing point of interest (POI) information to a user, the computer system comprising:

a memory having processor-readable instructions stored therein; and

a processor configured to access the memory and execute the processor-readable instructions, which when executed by the processor configures the processor to perform a plurality of functions, including functions to;

identify a plurality of points of interest (POIs) within a pre-determined travel time or a predetermined travel distance from one or more intersections or highways exits, and determine a POI category of each of the plurality of POIs;

associate each of the plurality of POIs and its respective determined POI category with a closest one of the one or more intersections or highway exits; and

determine a rating of each intersection or highway exit of the one or more intersections or highway exits based on;

a number of different POI categories associated with each intersection or highway exit of the one or more intersections or highway exits, and pre-calculated POI data stored in an electronic database.

2. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of functions performed by the processor when executing the processor-readable instructions further includes functions to determine one or more attributes of the intersection or highway exit.

3. The computer system of claim 2, wherein the one or more attributes of the intersection or highway exit comprises a type of intersection or highway exit.

4. The computer system of claim 3, wherein the rating for each intersection or highway exits of the one or more intersections or highway exits is further based on a shortest travel time from each of the plurality of associated POIs to each intersection or highwar exit of the one or more intersections or highway exits.

5. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the one or more intersections or highwar exits is a plurality of intersections or highway exits, and each of the plurality of POIs is associated with a single one of the plurality of intersections or highway exits.

6. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the rating is further determined based on user submitted ratings.

7. The computer system of claim 1, further wherein the pre-determined travel time is received from the user.

8. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of functions performed by the processor when executing the processor-readable instructions further includes functions to:

determine a plurality of attributes of each of the plurality of POIs;

calculate a travel time and a travel distance of each of the plurality of POIs from the closest one of the one or more intersections or highway exits; and

store the plurality of attributes of each of the plurality of POIs, the travel time from the one or more intersections or highway exits, the travel distance from the one or more intersections or highway exits, and determined POI category in association with each of the plurality of POIs in the electronic database, as the pre-calculated POI data, said pre-calculated POI data being retrievable for route planning purposes such that later retrieval of the pre-calculated POI data for any point along a designated route indicates the association between the one or more intersections or highway exits and respective POIs associated therewith.

9. The computer system of claim 8, wherein the plurality of functions performed by the processor when executing the processor-readable instructions further includes functions to:

receive, from an electronic device of the user and over a network, user input data including at least a destination location,

generate a route from a start location to the destination location on a digital map based on the user input data, at least a portion of the route comprising one or more intersections or highways,

retrieve, from the electronic database, the pre-calculated POI data, and

display, on the electronic device of the user, the route, and the pre-calculated POI data.

10. The computer system of claim 8, wherein user input data comprises one or more POI categories.

11. The computer system of claim 8, wherein the plurality of functions performed by the processor when executing the processor-readable instructions further includes functions to update the electronic database based on the travel time and the travel distance from the one or more intersections or highway exits to each of the plurality of POIs.

12. The computer system of claim 8, wherein the plurality of functions performed by the processor when executing the processor-readable instructions further includes functions to dynamically receive variable data related to each associated POIs.

13. The computer system of claim 12, wherein the electronic database comprises the pre-calculated POI data related to each of the associated POIs.

14. The computer system of claim 12, wherein the variable data includes at least one of:

fuel prices, or

hotel room rates.

15. A computer-implemented method for providing point of interest (POI) information to a user, the method comprising:

identifying a plurality of points of interest (POIs) within a pre-determined travel time or predetermined travel distance from one or more intersections or highways exits, and determine a POI category of each of the plurality of POIs;

associating each of the plurality of POIs and a respective determined POI category with a closest one of the one or more intersections or highway exits; and

determining a rating of each intersection or highway exit based on;

a number of different POI categories associated with the one or more intersections or highway exits; and

pre-calculated POI data stored in an electronic database.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the rating for each of the one or more intersections or highway exits is further based on a shortest travel time from each of the plurality of associated POIs to each of the one or more intersections or highway exits.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

determining a plurality of attributes of each of the plurality of POIs;

calculating a travel time and a travel distance of each of the plurality of POIs from the closest one of the one or more intersections or highway exits; and

storing the plurality of attributes of the plurality of POIS, the travel time from the one or more intersections or highway exits, the travel distance from the one or more intersections or highway exits, and determined POI category in association with each of the plurality of POIs in the electronic database, as the pre-calculated POI data, said pre-calculated POI data being retrievable for route planning purposes such that later retrieval of the pre-calculated POI data for any point along a designated route indicates the association between the one or more intersections or highway exits and respective POIs associated therewith.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

receiving, from an electronic device of the user and over a network, user input data including at least a destination location,

generating a route from a start location to the destination location on a digital map based on the user input data, at least a portion of the route comprising one or more intersections or highways,

retrieving, from the electronic database, the pre-calculated POI data, and

displaying, on the electronic device of the user, the route, and the pre-calculated POI data.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the rating is further determined based on user submitted ratings.

20. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

dynamically receiving variable data related to each associated POIs, wherein the variable data includes at least one of;

fuel prices, and

hotel room rates.