User-controlled alternative routing

• US 20070156326A1
• Filed: 12/29/2005
• Published: 07/05/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: MapQuest, Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Nesbitt, David
• Granted Patent: US 8,909,465 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/200
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3453 Special cost functions, i.e. other than distance or default speed limit of road segments
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3461 Preferred or disfavoured areas, e.g. dangerous zones, toll or emission zones, intersections, manoeuvre types, segments such as motorways, toll roads, ferries

Abstract

A user may indicate a preference of a route when alternative routes are available between an origin and a destination. The mapping system may enable a user to identify a region, a point or a set of points to help control, guide or otherwise influence the determination of a route favored by the user. While the identified region, point or set of points may be included in the route, the identified region, point or set of points need not necessarily be included in the route.

Claims

1. A method, performed at least partially on a computer, for determining a route using a computer-implemented mapping system, the method comprising:

receiving a designation of a point on a map presented by a computer-implemented mapping system as input to influence route determination between an origin and a destination, the designation being received from a user of the computer-implemented mapping system and the designation being in a location other than a location of the origin or the destination;

using the designation of the point to influence determination of a route from the origin to the destination toward or away from a location corresponding to the point, the route not including the location corresponding to the point, and the designation indicating the user'"'"'s preference for one of multiple alternative routes between the origin and the destination; and

enabling presentation of the route to the user.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the designation reflects a favored geographic region and indicates the user'"'"'s preference for a route that is closer to the geographic region than other ones of the multiple alternative routes.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the designation reflects a disfavored geographic region and indicates the user'"'"'s preference for a route that is farther from the geographic region than other ones of the multiple alternative routes.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising accessing at least part of a routing graph representing a network of roads including two or more nodes and one or more links, each link being associated with at least two nodes and being associated with a cost,

wherein:

the designation reflects a disfavored geographic region, and

using the designation of the point to influence determination of a route comprises increasing a cost associated with a link that is proximate to the disfavored geographic region reflected by the designation.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein increasing the cost of the link includes increasing the cost of the link if the link is within a particular radius from the designation of the point.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein increasing the cost includes increasing the cost by an amount depending on the distance between a node of the link and the designation of the point.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising accessing at least part of a routing graph representing a network of roads including two or more nodes and one or more links, each link being associated with at least two nodes and being associated with a cost,

wherein:

the designation reflects a favored geographic region, and

using the designation of the point to influence determination of a route comprises decreasing a cost associated with a link that is proximate to the favored geographic region reflected by the designation.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein decreasing the cost of the link includes decreasing the cost of the link if the link is within a particular radius from the designation of the point.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein decreasing the cost includes decreasing the cost by an amount depending on the distance between a node of the link and the designation of the point.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising enabling user-selection of a pre-determined designation of a point to influence route selection, wherein the designation of the point is the pre-determined designation.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving the designation of the point further comprises:

presenting a user with a map related to a geographic region selected by the user; and

receiving the designation of the point based on the map.

19. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

depicting more than one designation of points on the presented map; and

receiving one or more designations of a point selected by the user.

20. The method of claim 1 further comprising using a navigation system to determine the route between the origin and the destination.

21. The method of claim 1 wherein the computer-implemented mapping system comprises an online system.

35. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving a designation of a point on a map presented by a computer-implemented mapping system as input to influence route determination between an origin and a destination comprises receiving a designation of a point before a route between the origin and the destination is identified.

36. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving a designation of a point includes receiving a designation of a location other than a location of the origin, the destination, or any intermediary destinations.

10. (canceled)

12-16. -16. (canceled)

18. (canceled)

22. An apparatus for determining a route using a computer-implemented mapping system, the apparatus being configured to:

receive a designation of a point on a map presented by a computer-implemented mapping system as input to influence route determination between an origin and a destination, the designation being received from a user of the computer-implemented mapping system and the designation being in a location other than a location of the origin or the destination;

use the designation of the point to influence determination of a route from the origin to the destination toward or away from a location corresponding to the point, the route not including the location corresponding to the point, and the designation indicating the user'"'"'s preference for one of multiple alternative routes between the origin and the destination; and

enable presentation of the route to the user.

23. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein the designation reflects a favored geographic region and indicates the user'"'"'s preference for a route that is closer to the geographic region than other ones of the multiple alternative routes.

24. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein the designation reflects a disfavored geographic region and indicates the user'"'"'s preference for a route that is farther from the geographic region than other ones of the multiple alternative routes.

25. The apparatus of claim 22 further being configured to access at least part of a routing graph representing a network of roads including two or more nodes and one or more links, each link being associated with at least two nodes and being associated with a cost,

wherein:

the designation reflects a disfavored geographic region, and

using the designation of the point to influence determination of a route comprises increasing a cost associated with a link that is proximate to the disfavored geographic region reflected by the designation.

26. The apparatus of claim 25 wherein increasing the cost of the link includes increasing the cost of the link if the link is within a particular radius from the designation of the point.

27. The apparatus of claim 26 wherein increasing the cost includes increasing the cost by an amount depending on the distance between a node of the link and the designation of the point.

28. The apparatus of claim 22 further being configured to access at least part of a routing graph representing a network of roads including two or more nodes and one or more links, each link being associated with at least two nodes and being associated with a cost,

wherein:

the designation reflects a favored geographic region, and

using the designation of the point to influence determination of a route comprises decreasing a cost associated with a link that is proximate to the favored geographic region reflected by the designation.

29. The apparatus of claim 28 wherein decreasing the cost of the link includes decreasing the cost of the link if the link is within a particular radius from the designation of the point.

30. The apparatus of claim 29 wherein decreasing the cost includes decreasing the cost by an amount depending on the distance between a node of the link and the designation of the point.

32. The apparatus of claim 22 being further configured to:

present a user with a map related to a geographic region selected by the user; and

receive the designation of the point based on the map related to a geographic region selected by the user.

33. The apparatus of claim 22 being further configured to use a navigation system to determine the route between the origin and the destination.

37. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein being configured to receive a designation includes being configured to receive a designation of a location other than a location of the origin, the destination, or any intermediary destinations

31. (canceled)

34. An apparatus for determining a route using a computer-implemented mapping system, the apparatus comprising:

means for receiving a designation of a point on a map presented by a computer-implemented mapping system as input to influence route determination between an origin and a destination, the designation being received from a user of the computer-implemented mapping system and the designation being in a location other than a location of the origin or the destination;

means for using the designation of the point to influence determination of a route from the origin to the destination toward or away from a location corresponding to the point, the route not including the location corresponding to the point, and the designation indicating the user'"'"'s preference for one of multiple alternative routes between the origin and the destination; and

means for enabling presentation of the route to the user.

38. A method, performed at least partially on a computer, for determining a route using a computer-implemented mapping system, the method comprising:

receiving a designation of a direction of travel as input to influence route determination between an origin and a destination, the direction of travel being received from a user of a computer-implemented mapping system;

using the designation of the direction of travel to influence determination of a route from the origin to the destination, the direction of travel indicating the user'"'"'s preference for one of multiple alternative routes between the origin and the destination; and

enabling presentation of the route to the user.