SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR STORING AND PROVIDING ROUTES

• US 20140244152A1
• Filed: 05/07/2014
• Published: 08/28/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Goel, Vinay
• Granted Patent: US 9,612,125 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/400
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/34 Route searching; Route guidance
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3476 using point of interest [POI] information, e.g. a route passing visible POIs
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3484 Personalized, e.g. from learned user behaviour or user-defined profiles
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3492 employing speed data or traffic data, e.g. real-time or historical traffic control systems for road vehicles involving transmission of navigation instructions to the vehicle G08G1/0968
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/024 Guidance services

Abstract

In one aspect, a system and method is provided whereby map-related requests from mobile devices are used to store and aggregate routes. The routes are then used to determine optimum directions in response to subsequent requests.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by one or more processors, a plurality of routes previously traveled by one or more client devices, each route of the plurality of routes identifying route between two or more locations;

receiving, by the one or more processors, a request for directions to a destination location; and

selecting, by the one or more processors, a subset of previously traveled routes of the plurality of routes based on the two or more locations and the destination location; and

selecting, by the one or more processors, a given route of the subset of previously traveled routes based on a number of client devices that have provided the given route.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the given route is further selected based on a time that the request for directions is received.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the given route is further selected based on user preferences associated with a particular client device that requested the directions.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the given route is further selected based on user preferences associated with a particular client device that requested the directions.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the given route is further selected by first determining that the given route is available by comparing the given previously traveled route to one or more of the plurality of routes previously traveled.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the given route is further selected based on whether the given route has been previously traveled by a minimum number of client devices.

7. A system comprising one or more computers having one or more processors configured to:

access a plurality of routes previously traveled by one or more client devices, each route of the plurality of routes identifying route between two or more locations;

receive a request for directions to a destination location; and

select a subset of previously traveled routes of the plurality of routes based on the two or more locations and the destination location; and

select a given route of the subset of previously traveled routes based on a number of client devices that have provided the given route.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to select the given route further based on a time that the request for directions is received.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to select the given route further based on user preferences associated with a particular client device that requested the directions.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to select the given route further based on user preferences associated with a particular client device that requested the directions.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to select the given route by first determining that the given route is available by comparing the given previously traveled route to one or more of the plurality of routes previously traveled.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to select the given route further based on whether the given route has been previously traveled by a minimum number of client devices.

13. The system of claim 7, further comprising memory storing the plurality of routes previously traveled.

14. A non-transitory, tangible computer-readable storage medium on which computer readable instructions of a program are stored, the instructions, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method, the method comprising:

receiving a plurality of routes previously traveled by one or more client devices, each route of the plurality of routes identifying route between two or more locations;

receiving a request for directions to a destination location; and

selecting a subset of previously traveled routes of the plurality of routes based on the two or more locations and the destination location; and

selecting a given route of the subset of previously traveled routes based on a number of client devices that have provided the given route.

15. The medium of claim 14, wherein the given route is further selected based on a time that the request for directions is received.

16. The medium of claim 15, wherein the given route is further selected based on user preferences associated with a particular client device that requested the directions.

17. The medium of claim 14, wherein the given route is further selected based on user preferences associated with a particular client device that requested the directions.

18. The medium of claim 14, wherein the given route is further selected by first determining that the given route is available by comparing the given previously traveled route to one or more of the plurality of routes previously traveled.

19. The medium of claim 14, wherein the given route is further selected based on whether the given route has been previously traveled by a minimum number of client devices.