METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR AUTOMATIC ITINERARY BUILDING

• US 20090254269A1
• Filed: 04/02/2009
• Published: 10/08/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: DoApp Incorporated (Naviga Inc.)
• Original Assignee: DoApp Incorporated (Naviga Inc.)
• Inventors: Beavers, Wade, Borrillo, David
• Application Number:
  US12/417,578
• Publication Number:
  US 20090254269A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/201
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/024 Guidance services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/027 using movement velocity, acceleration information

Abstract

A method and system calculates an itinerary for visiting a set of events, each event associated with a location and a time window. The itinerary is calculated to allow the user to arrive at each location within the associated time window. Upon user request, the method will also provide turn-by-turns directions in following the itinerary.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

automatically retrieving a set of events, each event associated with a location and a time window;

computing an itinerary to visit each location within the associated time window; and

transmitting the itinerary to a mobile device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to receiving a GPS-determined present location, outputting directions to assist a user in following the itinerary.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the itinerary is computed to meet at least one of the following conditions:

toll avoidance, freeway avoidance, provide a minimum amount of time spent at each event, provide a minimum total amount of time spent at all events, not exceed a maximum trip time, and not exceed a maximum traveling time.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

notifying the user if an itinerary based on the events is impossible to calculate due to location or time window restrictions.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

responsive to user selecting an event to remove from the set of events, re-computing the itinerary based on a new set of events.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of events is automatically retrieved from a user-specified location and filtered based on user criteria.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of events is a set of open houses retrieved from a realtor'"'"'s website, each location is a home address, and each time window is a period when the open house will be occurring.

8. A mobile device, comprising:

a data transceiver configured to retrieve a set of events, each event associated with a location and a time window;

a position-determining module configured to determine a present location of the mobile device;

a processor configured to compute an itinerary from the present location to the set of events, the itinerary visiting each event at the associated location within the associated time window; and

an output device configured to provide directions to assist a user in following the itinerary.

9. The mobile device of claim 8, wherein the itinerary is computed to meet at least one of the following conditions:

toll avoidance, freeway avoidance, provide a minimum amount of time spent at each event, provide a minimum total amount of time spent at all events, not exceed a maximum trip time, and not exceed a maximum traveling time.

10. The mobile device of claim 8, wherein the output device is further configured to notify the user if an itinerary based on the events is impossible to calculate due to location or time window restrictions.

11. The mobile device of claim 8, wherein the set of events is automatically retrieved from a user-specified location and filtered based on user criteria.

12. The mobile device of claim 11, wherein the set of events is a set of open houses retrieved from a realtor'"'"'s website, each location is a home address, and each time window is a period when the open house will be occurring.

13. A method, comprising:

automatically retrieving a set of events, each event associated with a location and a time window;

computing an itinerary to visit each location within the associated time window; and

responsive to receiving a GPS-determined present location, outputting directions to assist a user in following the itinerary.

14. A computer-readable medium including instructions adapted to execute a method for calculating an itinerary, the method comprising:

automatically retrieving a set of events, each event associated with a location and a time window;

computing an itinerary to visit each location within the associated time window; and

transmitting the itinerary to a mobile device.

15. The medium of claim 14, the method further comprising:

responsive to receiving a GPS-determined present location, outputting directions to assist a user in following the itinerary.

16. The medium of claim 14, wherein the itinerary is computed to meet at least one of the following conditions:

toll avoidance, freeway avoidance, provide a minimum amount of time spent at each event, provide a minimum total amount of time spent at all events, not exceed a maximum trip time, and not exceed a maximum traveling time.

17. The medium of claim 14, the method further comprising:

notifying the user if an itinerary based on the events is impossible to calculate due to location or time window restrictions.

19. The medium of claim 14, wherein the set of events is automatically retrieved from a user-specified location and filtered based on user criteria.

20. The medium of claim 19, wherein the set of events is a set of open houses retrieved from a realtor'"'"'s website, each location is a home address, and each time window is a period when the open house will be occurring.

18. The medium of 17, the method further comprising:

responsive to user selecting an event to remove from the set of events, re-computing the itinerary based on a new set of events.

21. A method, comprising:

automatically retrieving a set of events, each event associated with a location;

receiving a user-selected time window during which the events will be visited;

computing an itinerary to visit as many events as possible during the time window; and

transmitting the itinerary to a mobile device.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

responsive to receiving a GPS-determined present location, outputting directions to assist a user in following the itinerary.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the set of events is automatically retrieved from a user-specified location and filtered based on user criteria.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein the set of events is a set of open houses retrieved from a realtor'"'"'s website and each location is a home address.

25. The method of claim 21, wherein the events that are visited are selected based on an event priority.