Electronic route creation

• US 10,235,386 B2
• Filed: 11/29/2017
• Issued: 03/19/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Blackriver Systems, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Blackriver Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: Lynn, Eric
• Primary Examiner(s): Marc, McDieunel
• Application Number:
  US15/825,738
• Publication Number:
  US 20180080792A1
• Time in Patent Office: 475 Days
• Field of Search: 701533
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3484 Personalized, e.g. from learned user behaviour or user-defined profiles
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/36 Input/output arrangements for on-board computers
• 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: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/00 Manipulating 3D models or images for computer graphics
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 21/00 Speech or voice signal processing techniques to produce another audible or non-audible signal, e.g. visual or tactile, in order to modify its quality or its intelligibility G10L19/00 takes precedence

Abstract

A method of creating an electronic travel route includes providing a user interface that includes electronic geographic maps. Routes created by users using the user interface are stored. The routes include mapped electronic routes along which the users have traveled. The method includes receiving geographic information and a request from a requester to create a new route. A set of the routes created is provided to the requester based on the geographic information. Selections of portions of the set of the routes are accepted to create the new route. Based on the new route, a processor of a computer is used to create a set of geographic markers and instructions for traversing the new route. The new route and instructions for traversing the new route are provided based on a search.

Claims

1. A method of creating an electronic travel route, the method comprising:

providing a user interface including an electronic geographic map;

storing, in a database, a plurality of routes created by users using the user interface, the plurality of routes identifying mapped electronic routes in the electronic geographic map which are traversable;

receiving, from a first user of the users, a request to create a new route based on a subset of the plurality of routes stored in the database;

creating, using a processor, the new route and instructions for traversing the new route, the new route and the instructions for traversing the new route being accessible via the user interface;

providing, to a second user of the users, the new route and the instructions for traversing the new route;

receiving, from the second user, information which indicates that the second user has traversed the new route;

confirming, by the processor, whether the second user has traversed the new route; and

providing, to the second user, an acknowledgment in response to the processor determining that the second user has traversed the new route.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the processor confirms whether the second user has traversed the new route by determining whether the second user has completed at least a predetermined percent of the new route accurately.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the processor determines whether the second user has completed at least the predetermined percent of the new route accurately by confirming a presence of the second user at a predetermined number of geographic markers along the new route.

4. The method according to claim 3, further comprising:

setting, by the processor, the geographic markers along the new route; and

providing, to the second user, the geographic markers via the user interface.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the geographic markers include intersections, businesses, natural or man-made landmarks, and visible signs.

6. The method according to claim 4, wherein the geographic markers include preset GPS coordinates forming a path that defines the new route.

7. The method according to claim 2, wherein the processor determines whether the second user has completed at least the predetermined percent of the new route accurately by determining whether the second user has checked-in to a predetermined number of geographic markers along the new route.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the second user automatically checks-in to the geographic markers along the new route by being within a predetermined range of the geographic markers.

9. The method according to claim 2, wherein the processor determines whether the second user has completed at least the predetermined percent of the new route accurately by comparing GPS locations of a mobile device of the second user with geographic information of the new route.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the processor determines whether the second user has completed at least the predetermined percent of the new route accurately by determining a number of times that the mobile device of the second user was more than a predetermined distance away from the geographic information of the new route.

11. The method according to claim 9, wherein the processor determines whether the second user has completed at least the predetermined percent of the new route accurately by determining a number of times that the mobile device of the second user was more than a predetermined distance away from the geographic information of the new route during each of preset time intervals.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the preset time intervals are each a predetermined time interval.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein

the acknowledgement includes a reward, and

the reward is provided by a sponsor of the new route.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein

the users are classified into at least two types of accounts, the at least two types of accounts including a business or government account and a regular rider account, and

the regular rider account is not authorized to create the new route.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein

the first user is classified as a business or government account, and

a source of the new route, being the business or government account, is designated to the second user.

16. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

providing, to the second user, the instructions for traversing the new route as visual or written instructions.

17. The method according to claim 1, wherein the new route is created by combining, from among the subset of the plurality of routes stored in the database, portions of the subset which intersect and which define a starting point and an ending point.

18. The method according to claim 1, wherein the new route is created by designating, from among the subset of the plurality of routes stored in the database, a starting point and an ending point and connecting portions of the subset which do not intersect.

19. A system for creating an electronic travel route, the system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory including instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations including;

providing a user interface including an electronic geographic map;

storing, in a database, a plurality of routes created by users using the user interface, the plurality of routes identifying mapped electronic routes in the electronic geographic map which are traversable;

receiving, from a first user of the users, a request to create a new route based on a subset of the plurality of routes stored in the database;

creating the new route and instructions for traversing the new route, the new route and the instructions for traversing the new route being accessible via the user interface;

providing, to a second user of the users, the new route and the instructions for traversing the new route;

receiving, from the second user, information which indicates that the second user has traversed the new route;

confirming whether the second user has traversed the new route; and

providing, to the second user, an acknowledgment in response to the processor determining that the second user has traversed the new route.

20. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium including a computer program for creating an electronic travel route, the computer program, when executed by a processor, causing the processor to perform operations comprising:

providing a user interface including an electronic geographic map;

storing, in a database, a plurality of routes created by users using the user interface, the plurality of routes identifying mapped electronic routes in the electronic geographic map which are traversable;

providing, to a second user of the users, the new route and the instructions for traversing the new route;

receiving, from the second user, information which indicates that the second user has traversed the new route;

creating the new route and instructions for traversing the new route, the new route and the instructions for traversing the new route being accessible via the user interface;

receiving, from a second user of the users, information which indicates that the second user has traversed the new route;

confirming whether the second user has traversed the new route; and

providing, to the second user, an acknowledgment in response to the processor determining that the second user has traversed the new route.