IDENTIFYING A ROUTE CONFIGURED TO TRAVEL THROUGH MULTIPLE POINTS OF INTEREST

• US 20120109509A1
• Filed: 01/03/2012
• Published: 05/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: MapQuest, Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Renner, W. Karl, NESBITT, David W.
• Granted Patent: US 8,781,729 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/400
• 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

Abstract

A computer-implemented method for identifying a route that is configured to travel through multiple points of interest includes receiving a query that includes an origin location, a destination location, and at least a first point of interest and a second point of interest. The method also includes identifying a perimeter that surrounds the received origin and destination locations in response to the query. The perimeter is then used to identify a set of locations for each of the first and second points of interest.

Claims

1-20. -20. (canceled)

21. A computer-implemented method for determining a travel route, comprising:

identifying a first route between an origin and a destination;

identifying a first perimeter around the first route;

identifying, within the first perimeter, a plurality of points of interest;

receiving a selection of a location from among the plurality of points of interest identified within the first perimeter; and

determining, using at least one processor, a second route between the origin, the destination, and the selected location.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the origin and the destination are selected by a user.

23. The method of claim 21, further comprising presenting to a user a categorized list of the points of interest identified within the first perimeter.

24. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

receiving a selection of two or more locations from among the plurality of points of interest identified within the first perimeter; and

determining a third route between the origin, the destination, and the selected locations.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the third route is determined to minimize a travel commitment between the origin, the destination, and at least one of the selected locations.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

determining a plurality of potential routes between the origin, the destination, and the selected locations;

determining travel commitments associated with the plurality of potential routes; and

selecting the potential route with the lowest determined travel commitment.

27. The method of claim 21, wherein identifying the first perimeter around the first route comprises:

multiplying a number (L) representing a distance between the origin and the destination by a factor (N) to produce a result (LN);

multiplying LN by a factor (I) to produce a result (LNI);

setting a first axis of the first perimeter based on LN; and

setting a second axis of the first perimeter based on LNI.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising:

determining that there are zero or less than a sufficient number of locations within the first perimeter;

adjusting N; and

resetting at least one of the first perimeter'"'"'s first and second axes.

29. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

determining that there are zero or are less than a sufficient number of locations within the first perimeter; and

identifying a second perimeter around the first route, wherein the second perimeter is larger than the first perimeter in at least one axis.

30. The method of claim 29, further comprising:

identifying, within the second perimeter, a plurality of points of interest;

receiving a selection of a location from the plurality of points of interest identified within the second perimeter; and

determining a route between the origin, the destination, and the selected location.

31. A computer-based system for determining a travel route, the system comprising at least one processor and a storage medium that stores a plurality of instructions, the plurality of instructions being executable by the at least one processor for:

identifying a first route between an origin and a destination;

identifying a first perimeter around the first route;

identifying, within the first perimeter, a plurality of points of interest;

receiving a selection of a location from among the plurality of points of interest identified within the first perimeter; and

determining a second route between the origin, the destination, and the selected location.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein the origin and the destination are selected by a user.

33. The system of claim 31, further comprising instructions executable by the at least one processor for presenting to a user a categorized list of the plurality of points of interest identified within the first perimeter.

34. The system of claim 31, further comprising instructions executable by the at least one processor for:

receiving a selection of two or more locations from among the plurality of points of interest identified within the first perimeter; and

determining a third route between the origin, the destination, and the selected locations.

35. The system of claim 34, wherein the third route is determined to minimize a travel commitment between the origin, the destination, and at least one of the selected locations.

36. The system of claim 35, further comprising instructions executable by the at least one processor for:

determining a plurality of potential routes between the origin, the destination, and the selected locations;

determining travel commitments associated with the plurality of potential routes; and

selecting the potential route with the lowest determined travel commitment.

37. The system of claim 31, wherein the instructions for identifying the first perimeter around the first route comprise instructions for:

multiplying a number (L) representing a distance between the origin and the destination by a factor (N) to produce a result (LN);

multiplying LN by a factor (I) to produce a result (LNI);

setting a first axis of the first perimeter based on LN; and

setting a second axis of the first perimeter based on LNI.

38. The system of claim 37, further comprising instructions executable by the at least one processor for:

determining that there are zero or less than a sufficient number of locations within the first perimeter;

adjusting N; and

resetting at least one of the first perimeter'"'"'s first and second axes.

39. The system of claim 31, further comprising instructions executable by the at least one processor for:

determining that there are zero or are less than a sufficient number of locations within the first perimeter; and

identifying, a second perimeter, around the first route, wherein the second perimeter is larger than the first perimeter in at least one axis.

40. The system of claim 39, further comprising instructions executable by the at least one processor for:

identifying, within the second perimeter, a plurality of points of interest;

receiving a selection of a location from the plurality of points of interest identified within the second perimeter; and

determining a route between the origin, the destination, and the selected location.