Method and apparatus for customizing travel directions

• US 7,239,959 B2
• Filed: 12/08/2004
• Issued: 07/03/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Rasmussen, Lars Eilstrup, Rasmussen, Jens Eilstrup
• Primary Examiner(s): ARTHUR JEANGLAUDE, GERTRUDE
• Application Number:
  US11/009,163
• Publication Number:
  US 20060064241A1
• Time in Patent Office: 937 Days
• Field of Search: 701/200, 701/201, 701/202, 701/206, 701/207, 701/208, 701/209, 701/212, 701/23, 342/357.01, 342/357.13, 342/357.1
• US Class Current: 701/200
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3641 Personalized guidance, e.g. limited guidance on previously travelled routes

Abstract

Various methods, systems, and apparatuses for customizing travel actions in travel directions are disclosed. One method and apparatus includes providing a first set of travel directions to a user, the travel directions including at least one travel action, receiving at least one selected travel action and a replacement travel action from the user associated with the first set of travel directions, and outputting a second set of travel directions associated with the at least one selected travel action and the replacement travel action. Another method and apparatus includes obtaining travel directions based on a start point and an end point, comparing travel actions from the travel directions with a customization file, the customization file including at least one selected travel action and a replacement travel action, determining that at least one travel action in the travel directions is the same as the at least one selected travel action, and integrating the replacement travel action into the travel directions.

Claims

1. A method for customizing travel actions in travel directions, comprising:

providing a first set of travel directions to a user, the first set of travel directions comprising at least one travel action;

receiving from the user at least one selected travel action and a replacement travel action associated with the first set of travel directions, wherein the replacement travel action replaces the at least one selected travel action in a second set of travel directions; and

outputting the second set of travel directions.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing the at least one selected travel action and the replacement travel action in a customization file.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving user modifications from the user.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising storing a customization file, the customization file comprising the at least one selected travel action from the user, the user modifications, and the replacement travel action.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the replacement travel action comprises at least one selected from a group consisting of:

a summary of the at least one selected travel action, a short-cut, an empty space, an instruction to delete, and an alternate route.

6. A method for customizing travel actions in travel directions, comprising:

obtaining travel directions based on a staff point and an end point;

comparing travel actions from said travel directions with a customization file, said customization file including at least one selected travel action and a replacement travel action;

determining that at least one travel action in said travel directions is the same as said at least one selected travel action; and

integrating said replacement travel action into said travel directions.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising implementing user modifications included in said customization file.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said user modifications comprise replacing said at least one travel action with said replacement travel action only during a selected time of day.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein said user modifications comprise replacing said at least one travel action with said replacement travel action only during a predetermined period of time.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein comparing travel actions from said travel directions with a customization file and determining that at least one travel action in said travel directions are the same as said at least one selected travel action comprises:

comparing travel actions from said travel directions with travel actions from a second set of previously determined travel directions;

determining that at least one travel action in said travel directions are the same as at least one travel action from said second set of previously determined travel directions; and

receiving said replacement travel action for said at least one travel action.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising prompting said user to input said replacement travel action for said at least one travel action.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising receiving any user modifications for said replacement travel action.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising storing said at least one travel action, said replacement travel action, and said user modifications in a second customization file.

14. A computer program product, comprising:

a computer usable medium having computer readable program code embodied therein to customize travel directions, the computer readable program code in the computer program product including;

computer readable program code to provide a first set of travel directions to a user, the first set of travel directions comprising at least one travel action;

computer readable program code to receive from the user at least one selected travel action associated with the first set of travel directions;

computer readable program code to receive from the user a replacement travel action associated with the at least one selected travel action; and

computer readable program code to replace the at least one selected travel action with the replacement travel action in a second set of travel directions.

15. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the computer readable program code in the computer usable medium further comprises:

computer readable program code to store the at least one selected travel action and the replacement travel action in a customization file;

computer readable program code to compare the customization file with a third set of travel directions; and

computer readable program code to integrate the replacement action with the third set of travel directions.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the computer readable program code to integrate the replacement action with the third set of travel directions further comprises:

computer readable program code to determine a map of the third set of travel directions containing only a depiction of the travel directions that did not match with stored travel actions in the customization file.

17. An apparatus for customizing travel directions, comprising:

means for obtaining a first set of travel directions, the first set of travel directions comprising at least one travel action;

means for comparing travel actions from the first set of travel directions with a customization file, the customization file comprising at least one selected travel action and a replacement travel action;

means for determining that the at least one travel action from the first set of travel directions corresponds with the at least one travel action from the customization file; and

means for outputting a second set of travel directions, wherein the replacement travel action replaces the at least one travel action from the first set of travel directions.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the apparatus further comprises a browser assistant.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the apparatus further comprises a server.

20. The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising:

means for comparing the first set of travel directions with previously saved travel directions;

means for receiving a second replacement travel action for a second at least one travel action from the first set of travel directions that corresponds with at least one travel action from the previously saved travel directions;

means for storing the second at least one travel action and the second replacement travel action in a second customization file; and

means for outputting a third set of travel directions, wherein the second replacement travel action replaces the second at least one travel action from the first set of travel directions.

21. The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising means for comparing the first set of travel directions with traffic information.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, further comprising means for determining at least one alternate travel action for the travel directions based on the traffic information.

23. An apparatus for customizing travel directions, comprising:

a communication unit adapted to obtain a first set of travel directions, the first set of travel directions comprising at least one travel action;

a selection unit adapted to receive a user'"'"'s selection of a portion of the first set of travel directions;

a replacement travel action entry unit adapted to receive a replacement travel action associated with the portion of the first set of travel directions; and

a directions output unit adapted to output a second set of travel directions, wherein the replacement travel action replaces the portion of the first set of travel directions.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, further comprising a customization file storage unit adapted to store a customization file, the customization file including the replacement travel action and the portion of the first set of travel directions.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, further comprising a customization unit adapted to receive user modifications associated with the replacement travel action and the portion of the first set of travel directions, the customization file further including the user modifications.

26. The apparatus of claim 23, further comprising a directions comparison unit adapted to compare the first set of travel directions with previously stored customization files.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the directions comparison unit is adapted to determine that a second portion of the first set of travel directions correspond with travel actions stored in a previously stored customization file and the directions comparison unit is adapted to output a third set of travel directions, wherein a replacement travel action from the previously stored customization file replaces the second portion of the first set of travel directions.

28. The apparatus of claim 23, further comprising a traffic comparison unit adapted to determine if portions of the first set of travel directions have heavy traffic.

29. A system for customizing travel directions, comprising:

a server in communication with a network, the server adapted to obtain a first set of travel directions,

to transmit the first set of travel directions via the network to a computing device,

to receive from the computing device at least one selected travel action and a replacement travel action associated with the first set of travel directions, wherein the replacement travel action replaces the at least one selected travel action in a second set of travel directions, and

to transmit the second set of travel directions to the computing device and;

the computing device in communication with the network, the computing device adapted

to receive the first set of travel directions from the server,

to transmit the at least one selected travel action and the replacement travel action associated with the first set of travel directions to the server,

to receive the second set of travel directions from the server, and

to output the second set of travel directions.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein the server is further adapted

to determine a first set of matching directions by comparing the first set of travel directions to a third set of travel directions that was previously obtained;

and

the computing device is further adapted to receive a second replacement travel action associated with the first set of matching directions.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein the server is further adapted to transmit the third set of travel directions to the computing device and the computing device is further adapted to output the third set of travel directions.

32. The system of claim 29, wherein the server is adapted to compare the first set of travel directions to a previously stored customization file.

33. The system of claim 32, wherein the server is adapted to create a third set of travel directions based on a match between a portion of the first set of travel directions and the previously stored customization file.

34. The system of claim 33, wherein the computing device is further adapted to receive the third set of travel directions from the server and to output the third set of travel directions to a user.

35. The system of claim 32, wherein the server is further adapted

to determine that the previously stored customization file matches with the first set of travel directions,

to determine that a second previously stored customization file matches with the first set of travel directions,

to determine that the previously stored customization file and the second previously stored customization file contain travel actions that overlap, and

to integrate a replacement travel action into the first set of travel directions based on a comparison of the previously stored customization file with the second previously stored customization file.

36. A method for customizing travel actions in travel directions, comprising:

providing a first set of travel directions to a computing device, the first set of travel directions comprising a plurality of travel actions;

receiving a selection of the plurality of travel actions and a replacement travel action from the computing device;

generating a second set of travel directions by replacing the selection of the plurality of travel actions in the first set of travel directions with the replacement travel action; and

outputting the second set of travel directions to the computing device.

37. A computer program product, comprising:

a computer usable medium having computer readable program code embodied therein to customize travel directions, the computer readable program code in the computer program product including;

computer readable program code to provide a first set of travel directions to a computing device, the first set of travel directions comprising a plurality of travel actions;

computer readable program code to receive a selection of the plurality of travel actions and a replacement travel action from the computing device;

computer readable program code to generate a second set of travel directions by replacing the selection of the plurality of travel actions in the first set of travel directions with the replacement travel action; and

computer readable program code to output the second set of travel directions to the computing device.