COMPUTING SYSTEMS, DEVICES AND METHODS FOR IDENTIFYING IMPORTANT ACCESS ROADS TO A GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION

• US 20140343848A1
• Filed: 07/31/2014
• Published: 11/20/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: John, John Payyappillil, Chawathe, Yatin, Lee, Nicholas, Qing Wu, Matthew Zhong, Gonterman, Chris, Morgan-Linial, Ross
• Granted Patent: US 9,784,591 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/533
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3626 Details of the output of route guidance instructions traffic control systems for road vehicles involving transmission of navigation instructions to the vehicle G08G1/0968
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3667 Display of a road map G01C21/3614 takes precedence; guidance using 3D or perspective road maps G01C21/3635
• 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

To identify important access roads for a geographic location, multiple previous requests for directions between a multiplicity of sources and one or more destinations identical, or proximate, to the geographic location are identified. Further, routes between the multiplicity of sources and the one or more destinations are determined. Still further, common road segments shared by at least some of the determined routes are identified, and a set of important access roads for the geographic location are selected from among the identified road segments based on how frequently the identified road segments are used.

Claims

1. A method in a client device having a user interface for displaying geographic location information, the method comprising:

displaying an interactive digital map in the user interface;

receiving, via the user interface, a selection of a geographic location displayed in the interactive digital map;

identifying, by one or more processors, at least one important access road associated with the geographic location, wherein the at least one important access road has a frequency of use that exceeds a predefined threshold; and

displaying, in the interactive digital map, the at least one important access road in a visually distinctive manner.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying a boundary of a geographic area enclosing the geographic location.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein identifying the at least one important access road comprises:

determining whether the at least one important access road extends to the geographic location.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising, wherein when it is determined that the at least one important access road does not extend to the geographic location:

identifying at least one route from at least one point on the boundary of the geographic area to the geographic location;

wherein displaying the at least one important access road comprises;

displaying, in the interactive digital map, the at least one important access road and the at least one route.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein identifying the at least one route from the at least one point on the boundary of the geographic area to the geographic location comprises:

transmitting, to a navigation service, a route request indicating the geographic area and the geographic location; and

receiving, from the navigation service, route data indicating the at least one route.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein when it is determined that the at least one important access road extends to the geographic location, displaying the at least one important access road comprises:

automatically displaying, in the interactive digital map, the at least one important access road in the visually distinctive manner.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the at least one important access road associated with the geographic location comprises:

identifying the at least one important access road; and

determining that the at least one important access road is used more frequently than another road segment between a source location and the geographic location.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the at least one important access road comprises:

transmitting an indication of the geographic location to a network server; and

receiving, from the network server, access road data indicating the at least one important access road.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one important access road connects the geographic location to at least one high-speed road.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the at least one important access road comprises:

highlighting the at least one important access road in the interactive digital map.

11. A computing device for displaying geographic location information, comprising:

one or more processors;

a user interface coupled to the one or more processors; and

a memory coupled to the one or more processors and storing thereon computer-executable instructions, wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the computing device to;

display an interactive digital map in the user interface,

receive, via the user interface, a selection of a geographic location displayed in the interactive digital map,

identify at least one important access road associated with the geographic location, wherein the at least one important access road has a frequency of use that exceeds a predefined threshold, and

display, in the interactive digital map via the user interface, the at least one important access road in a visually distinctive manner.

12. The computing device of claim 11, wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the computing device to:

identify a boundary of a geographic area enclosing the geographic location.

13. The computing device of claim 12, wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the computing device to:

determine whether the at least one important access road extends to the geographic location.

14. The computing device of claim 13, wherein when it is determined that the at least one important access road does not extend to the geographic location, the computer-executable instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the computing device to:

identify at least one route from at least one point on the boundary of the geographic area to the geographic location, and

display, in the interactive digital map via the user interface, the at least one important access road and the at least one route.

15. The computing device of claim 14, wherein to identify the at least one route from the at least one point on the boundary of the geographic area to the geographic location, the computer-executable instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the computing device to:

transmit, to a navigation service, a route request indicating the geographic area and the geographic location, and

receive, from the navigation service, route data indicating the at least one route.

16. The computing device of claim 13, when it is determined that the at least one important access road extends to the geographic location, the computer-executable instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the computing device to:

automatically display, in the interactive digital map via the user interface, the at least one important access road in the visually distinctive manner.

17. The computing device of claim 11, wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the computing device to:

determine that the at least one important access road is used more frequently than another road segment between a source location and the geographic location.

18. The computing device of claim 11, wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the computing device to:

transmit an indication of the geographic location to a network server, and

receive, from the network server, access road data indicating the at least one important access road.

19. The computing device of claim 11, wherein the at least one important access road connects the geographic location to at least one high-speed road.

20. The computing device of claim 20, wherein to display the at least one important access road, the computer-executable instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the computing device to:

highlight the at least one important access road in the interactive digital map.