Method and Apparatus for Automatically Determining Practicality of a Trip

• US 20110022313A1
• Filed: 07/22/2009
• Published: 01/27/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Bugnariu, Calin Nicolaie
• Granted Patent: US 8,494,767 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/213
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/343 Calculating itineraries, i.e. routes leading from a starting point to a series of categorical destinations using a global route restraint, round trips, touristic trips travelling salesman problem G06Q10/04; optimisation of routes G06Q10/047
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3476 using point of interest [POI] information, e.g. a route passing visible POIs
• 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

Abstract

Provided is a method and an apparatus for automatically determining practicality of a trip. A mobile device obtains at least one point of interest among a starting location and a finishing location for a trip. In accordance with an embodiment of the disclosure, for each point of interest, the mobile device automatically determines an indication of practicality for making the point of interest an intermediate location to be visited during the trip based on both the starting location and the finishing location for the trip. By considering both the starting location and the finishing location, the points of interest can be presented to the user in a manner that reflects how practical it is to visit the points of interest given that the user is to end up at the finishing location.

Claims

1. A method for execution in a computing device, the method comprising:

obtaining a starting location and a finishing location for a trip;

obtaining at least one point of interest; and

for each point of interest, automatically determining an indication of practicality for making the point of interest an intermediate location to be visited during the trip based on both the starting location and the finishing location for the trip.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein for each point of interest, automatically determining the indication of practicality for making the point of interest the intermediate location comprises:

automatically estimating how long the trip will become if the point of interest is visited during the trip.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein automatically estimating how long the trip will become if the point of interest is visited during the trip comprises at least one of:

automatically estimating how much travel time will be needed in order to visit the point of interest during the trip; and

automatically estimating how much travel distance will be needed in order to visit the point of interest during the trip; and

automatically estimating how much traffic will be experienced during the trip if the point of interest is visited.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein for each point of interest, automatically determining the indication of practicality for making the point of interest the intermediate location comprises:

automatically estimating how expensive the trip will become if the point of interest is visited during the trip.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein automatically estimating how expensive the trip will become comprises:

automatically determining presence of any tollways for the trip.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

for each point of interest, conveying the indication of practicality that has been determined.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein for each point of interest, conveying the indication of practicality that has been determined comprises:

conveying each point of interest in a list that is ordered by deceasing practicality.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving input selecting a point of interest from the at least one point of interest to become the intermediate location for the trip; and

determining a route from the starting location to the finishing location via the intermediate location.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

receiving input selecting, at least another point of interest to become another intermediate location(s) for the trip;

wherein determining the route from the starting location to the finishing location comprises determining the route via each intermediate location that has been selected.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein determining the route from the starting location to the finishing location via each intermediate location comprises:

automatically determining an order for visiting each intermediate location based on practicality;

or

receiving input defining the order for visiting each intermediate location.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein:

obtaining at least one point of interest comprises obtaining a plurality of sets of points of interest, each set of points of interest having at least one point of interest; and

automatically determining the indication of practicality for each point of interest comprises;

determining a plurality of possible combinations for visiting points of interest, each possible combination comprising one point of interest from each set of points of interest; and

for each possible combination determined, determining an indication of practicality for visiting the points of interest of the possible combination during the trip based on both the starting location and the finishing location for the trip.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

maintaining trip settings defining at least one measure of practicality for making a given point of interest an intermediate location to be visited during a given trip;

receiving user input for manipulating the trip settings; and

manipulating the trip settings according to the user input;

wherein for each point of interest, automatically determining the indication of practicality for making the point of interest the intermediate location to be visited during the trip is executed in accordance with the trip settings.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one point of interest comprises a plurality of points of interest.

14. A computer readable medium having computer executable instructions stored thereon for execution on a processor of a computing device so as to implement the method of claim 1.

15. A computing device comprising:

a processor; and

a POI practicality determiner configured for;

obtaining a starting location and a finishing location for a trip;

obtaining at least one point of interest; and

for each point of interest, automatically determining an indication of practicality for making the point of interest an intermediate location to be visited during the trip based on both the starting location and the finishing location for the trip.

16. The computing device of claim 15, wherein the computing device is a mobile device.

17. The computing device of claim 15, wherein for each point of interest, the POI practicality determiner is configured for automatically determining the indication of practicality for making the point of interest the intermediate location by executing at least one of:

automatically estimating how long the trip will become if the point of interest is visited during the trip; and

automatically estimating how expensive the trip will become if the point of interest is visited during the trip.

18. The computing device of claim 15, further comprising:

a GPS receiver configured for receiving GPS signals for determining a location of the computing device.

19. The computing device of claim 15, further comprising:

a user interface;

wherein for each point of interest, the POI practicality determiner is configured for conveying the indication of practicality that has been determined using the user interface.

20. The computing device of claim 15, wherein the at least one point of interest comprises a plurality of points of interest.