METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR RENDERING SIMPLIFIED POINT FINDING MAPS

• US 20090112455A1
• Filed: 10/24/2007
• Published: 04/30/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Oath Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Yahoo! Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gutman, Ronald D., Conlin, John-Reid, Bohannon, Philip L.
• Application Number:
  US11/923,378
• Publication Number:
  US 20090112455A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/200
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/047 Optimisation of routes or paths, e.g. travelling salesman problem

Abstract

A method and system for rendering simplified point finding maps is provided. The method may include defining a boundary area and a target point within a target area, on a map that comprises multiple roads segments. A plurality of routes that follow the road segments and go from the boundary area to the target point may be selected. Road segments that are not necessary to the routes may be removed from the map.

Claims

1. A method for rendering a point finding map, the method comprising:

defining a boundary area and a target point within a target area, on a map comprising a plurality of roads segments, wherein the target area is within the boundary area;

calculating a plurality of routes from the boundary area to the target point, wherein each of the plurality of routes follows at least one of the plurality of road segments of the map;

removing at least one road segment of the plurality of road segments that is not part of the plurality of routes between the boundary and the target point.

2. The method according to claim 1, comprising treating the plurality of roads segments of the map as a weighted graph and the area within the target point as a destination vertex and computing the plurality of routes utilizing a search algorithm.

3. The method according to claim 1, comprising selecting random locations outside the target area and generating the plurality of routes from the selected random locations to the target point.

4. The method according to claim 1, comprising selecting a subset of the plurality of routes based on a frequency with which the road segments appear in the plurality of routes.

5. The method according to 1, comprising including road segments that intersect the plurality of routes.

6. The method according to claim 1, comprising including landmarks along the plurality of routes based on a visibility parameter.

7. The method according to claim 1, comprising compressing the map outside of the target area and expanding the map within the target area.

8. The method according to claim 1, comprising converting the map into a polar coordinate system and scaling the converted map utilizing a square root function.

9. A machine-readable storage having stored thereon, a computer program having at least one code section for rendering a point finding map, the at least one code section being executable by a machine for causing the machine to perform blocks comprising:

defining a boundary area and a target point within a target area, on a map comprising a plurality of roads segments, wherein the target area is within the boundary area;

calculating a plurality of routes from the boundary area to the target point, wherein each of the plurality of routes follows at least one of the plurality of road segments of the map;

removing at least one road segment of the plurality of road segments that is not part of the plurality of routes between the boundary and the target point.

10. The machine-readable storage according to claim 9, wherein the at least one code section comprises code that enables treating the plurality of roads segments of the map as a weighted graph and the area within the target point as a destination vertex and computing the plurality of routes utilizing a search algorithm.

11. The machine-readable storage according to claim 9, wherein the at least one code section comprises code that enables selecting random locations outside the target area and generating the plurality of routes from the selected random locations to the target point.

12. The machine-readable storage according to claim 9, wherein the at least one code section comprises code that enables selecting a subset of the plurality of routes based on a frequency with which the road segments appear in the plurality of routes.

13. The machine-readable storage according to claim 9, wherein the at least one code section comprises code that enables including road segments that intersect the plurality of routes.

14. The machine-readable storage according to claim 9, wherein the at least one code section comprises code that enables including landmarks along the plurality of routes based on a visibility parameter.

15. The machine-readable storage according to claim 9, wherein the at least one code section comprises code that enables compressing the map outside of the target area and expanding the map within the target area.

16. The machine-readable storage according to claim 9, wherein the at least one code section comprises code that enables converting the map into a polar coordinate system and scaling the converted map utilizing a square root function.

17. A system for rendering a point finding map, the system comprising:

one or more circuits that enables defining a boundary area and a target point within a target area, on a map comprising a plurality of roads segments, wherein the target area is within the boundary area;

the one or more circuits enables calculating a plurality of routes from the boundary area to the target point, wherein each of the plurality of routes follows at least one of the plurality of road segments of the map;

removing at least one road segment of the plurality of road segments that is not part of the plurality of routes between the boundary and the target point.

18. The system according to claim 17, wherein the one or more circuits enables treating the plurality of roads segments of the map as a weighted graph and the area within the target point as a destination vertex and computing the plurality of routes utilizing a search algorithm.

19. The system according to claim 17, wherein the one or more circuits enables selecting random locations outside the target area and generating the plurality of routes from the selected random locations to the target point.

20. The system according to claim 17, wherein the at least one code section comprises code that enables selecting a subset of the plurality of routes based on a frequency with which the road segments appear in the plurality of routes.

21. The system according to claim 17, wherein the one or more circuits enables including road segments that intersect the plurality of routes.

22. The system according to claim 17, wherein the one or more circuits enables including landmarks along the plurality of routes based on a visibility parameter.

23. The system according to claim 17, wherein the one or more circuits enables compressing the map outside of the target area and expanding the map within the target area.

24. The system according to claim 17, wherein the one or more circuits enables converting the map into a polar coordinate system and scaling the converted map utilizing a square root function.